Category: Investing and financial markets

The instruction and assignment questions are located in the file instruction.

This assignment is from topic 3 – 6. A copy of the topic notes is uploaded titled topic 3 – topic 6. Please also use independent research as required for this assessment and add into the references.

PLEASE READ THE ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Please use the answer sheet Word document to answer these questions

This assignment is 2500 words.

Please use the Harvard referencing style and follow the word count. Marks will only be awarded for answers up to the word limit (plus 10%) for each question. Headings, quotes and references within the body of the answer are included in the word count. Numerical tables, calculations, and reference lists are not included.

Use as many references as required to complete the task

Reference and cite all your sources (within the text of your answer) when quoting or using material from external sources. Include a reference list at the end of your task.

Answers are to be in your own words.

Please use the marking guide to ensure top marks excellent criteria is met.

Please use the ‘answer template’ to answer the questions. This needs to be done at a Masters qualification level

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask

See files please follow exactly. I also use a link to access the stock I can send as well.

I have the stock Microsoft Corporation MSFT

1400 words (+/- 10%) (Word count excludes Assignment cover sheet, Contents pages, executive summary, tables, figures, appendices and bibliography)

My chosen EU Country: SWEDEN!!!

The objective of this first summative assessment is to assess your ability to evaluate two important aspects of business environment -the economic performance of a country and contractual obligations. You will examine the economic performance of UK and a selected economy (Sweden) and analyse the factors that influence their performance. You will additionally be assessed on contractual obligations and the relevance of a contract within a commercial environment.

You must answer both questions in the Task Requirements below. They relate to diverse aspects of business environment. They are designed to engage you in reading, research and critical analysis. In order to successfully answer each question, you will be expected to display a competent knowledge and explanation of the relevant topic coupled with evidence of understanding and research.

In order to answer both questions, you will need to select one

current member state of the European Union (the EU), which will be utilised as a comparator to the UK (I already selected Sweden!!!)

In this assignment, you will conduct a multiples-based valuation of one U.S. publicly traded company, using appropriate financial ratios and a set of comparable firms. You are encouraged and expected to use AI/LLMs and external information sources throughout, as you would in a realistic professional setting. A complete basic valuation can be carried out using only the data and comparables provided in the accompanying Excel file. Students who go beyond this minimum by introducing thoughtful refinements and additional research will have the opportunity to earn higher marks.Written Analysis and Appendix (including calculation tables), with the length of the Appendix determined by the scope of the analysis.

Energy Trading Project for master degree essay with also calculations graphs tables and equations (1500 words) with references and one page appendix I want the subject on the Brent WTI spread Energy Trading Group Coursework This coursework carries 35% of the overall mark for the Energy Trading module and should be completed in in set groups (already allocated). Deadline: february 25 23.30 Notes: – All calculations should be submitted, e.g., excel spreadsheets. – Tables/figures should be professionally presented. Please avoid using colours and/or shading in table cells. – Number equations, tables and figures consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text and place any notes below the table/figure body. – Answers excluding tables, equations, figures, computer output and references, should be limited to no more than 1,000-1500 words in total. – Use literature on all tasks if you are aiming to score high! Use a minimum of 4-5 references. – Tables containing summary of the results should be included in the main text – next to the relevant text (not at the end) and should include proper headings and explanatory notes. Avoid copy/paste of tables of computer output and or excel data. Better merge all information you want to show in 1 table per task. – Mention clearly and explicitly any assumptions you need to make to solve the problems. – The coursework must be submitted on Blackboard time. Work submitted late will be penalised. – Any attempt of copying or replicating other groups work will be considered as plagiarism and will result in the failure of the assessment. Courswork task 100% You are working as an analyst for a commodity trading house. You just received the following email from your boss: I have been contacted by S&P Global Platts. They want us to write an article strictly limited to 1000-1500 words (no less no more excluding tables/figures). Topic Options (any of the following): 1. Basis risk in crude oil spot-futures markets: Fundamentals, implications & options trading strategies. 2. Calendar spreads in commodity markets: Fundamentals, implications & options trading strategies. 3. The Brent crude oil benchmark: Fundamentals, implications & options trading strategies. 4. Brent-WTI spread: Fundamentals, implications & options trading strategies. 5. Crude oil-natural gas spread: Fundamentals, implications & options trading strategies. Specific Requirements: Choose one commodity market (either single commodity or futures-spot) or two commodities. Utilise data from the last 3-10 years to back up your arguments. Use a maximum of 6 graphs and 2 tables (which will not be included in the word count). Incorporate relevant evidence from reputable sources, including industry reports, academic articles, or trade publications. Provide a thorough description of the selected commodity/spread and its significance in the global energy markets. Analyse historical price trends or key events that have influenced market dynamics. Discuss how historical contexts impact present trading strategies and highlight emerging trends, including relevant regulatory and technological advancements. You may also engage with topics such as arbitrage, supply/demand dynamics, and effects of extreme events (e.g., natural disasters), etc. Technical Requirements (options trading): Reserve at least 200-300 words at the end of your article for the following task: Make an informed decision (timeframe is up to you) about market conditions focusing on logical reasoning (will be based on your beliefs and your previously discussed arguments/market insights not quantitative models): Price Prediction: Assess whether prices are likely to increase or decrease. Recommend an options trading strategy involving more than one option (based on your analysis) to take advantage of the suggested price increase/decrease. Volatility Prediction: Evaluate expected changes in volatility. Propose a suitable options trading strategy involving more than one option (based on your analysis) to take advantage of the suggested volatility increase/decrease. Include visual components: Your options analysis should consist of graphs illustrating the potential payoff of the recommended strategy and a table summarising reasonable assumptions regarding strikes and premiums. Clearly identify breakeven values, maximum profit, and maximum loss. Include a 1-page appendix to represent the result of combining the two strategies mentioned above. No other appendices are allowed. General Guidelines This is a scientific-opinion article, so no additional guidelines are provided. Treat this as a competition-like project, encouraging creativity in your writing. Note on the assumptions for Options When assuming premiums for options, consider these approximate market conventions: o At-the-Money (ATM) Calls/Puts: Typically around 5% to 10% of the underlyings value. o In-the-Money (ITM) Calls/Puts: 10% to 20% or more of the underlyings value, accounting for intrinsic and time value. o Out-of-the-Money (OTM) Calls/Puts: 1% to 5% of the underlying’s value, primarily reflecting time value. Note also that strike of ATM = todays price, i.e. S = X. For OTM, ITM you may make assumptions as you deem necessary. For example, one way of showcasing your result would be, e.g., if S = 100 I can use X =100 as ATM, X=110 as OTM and X = 90 as ITM, i.e, +/-10% up/down. ATM call premium of 7.5, ITM call premium of 15, OTM call premium of 2.5.

No instructions provided

i need a speech script ^^^ try to use easy pronunciation language

Baseline Strategy (long term reversal/contrarian) thoroughly researched, and proven to yield a robust profit. State the baseline strategy. Define the baseline strategy. Discuss the origin of the baseline strategy or/and research on it. Discuss recent studies and premia reported. more than 4 references. ~2 minutes.

main Drivers (overreaction) Explain driver. Risk or behavioral arguments? Economic mechanism linking the driver to the premium. Theoretical or empirical studies? Methodologies used to show the effect of the driver. Discuss the main driver. Explain reasons for selecting the main driver. 3 to 6 references. . ~8 minutes.

Every argument must be backed up by the literature.

Must confirm data availability.

You can read articles published in any peer-reviewed journals such as: Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies (Best) Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Journal of Empirical Finance, Management Science, Journal of Financial Markets (Good) Journal of Portfolio Management, Financial Analyst Journal (Practitioner)

Work-in-progress research articles can be found on/via:

Social Science Research Network (SSRN) Google Scholars

Pay attention to the format of the research articles and data sources. Your presentations will be structured in the same way.

Start from the most recent research papers as they will provide the literature review in the introduction.

Instructions

Topic: Baseline Strategy & Main Driver

Part 1: Baseline Strategy Long-Term Reversal (Contrarian)

(This corresponds to Baseline Strategy 10 points in the instruction slides)

Please cover the following in this order and keep it simple and clear:

1. State the baseline strategy clearly

• The baseline strategy is a long-term contrarian (long-term reversal) strategy.
• Explain that it buys stocks with poor long-term past performance and sells stocks with strong long-term past performance.

1. Define how the strategy works

• Mention typical horizons (e.g. 1-3 years).
• Long: long-term losers
• Short: long-term winners
• Emphasize that the strategy relies on price reversals over long horizons.

1. Discuss the origin of the strategy

• Explain that the strategy originates from early behavioral finance research.
• Key idea: investors tend to overreact to long-term bad or good news, pushing prices too far away from fundamentals.

1. Briefly mention empirical evidence

• State that academic studies document long-term reversal effects across equity markets.
• Keep this high-level (no equations, no technical details).

Use more than 4 academic references and show authors last names + year .

Part 2: Drivers of the Baseline Strategy Overreaction as the Main Driver

(This corresponds to Drivers 30 points in the instruction slides)

Please structure this section exactly as follows:

1. List potential drivers of long-term reversal

• Investor overreaction
• Risk-based explanations
• Market frictions (e.g., limits to arbitrage)

1. Explain each driver briefly

• One sentence per driver is enough.
• Do NOT go deep into math or models.

1. Identify the main driver: Investor Overreaction

• Clearly state that investor overreaction is the main driver we focus on.

1. Explain the economic mechanism (very important)

• Investors overweight long-term past performance.
• They extrapolate bad news too far into the future.
• Prices move away from fundamental value.
• Over time, prices correct long-term reversal.

1. Explain why we select overreaction as the main driver

• Strong behavioral intuition.
• Consistent with long-horizon reversal evidence.
• Widely supported by empirical and behavioral finance literature.
• Provides a clear foundation for later strategy modification.

Use 6 academic references.

Clearly state whether arguments are behavioral (they are).

Make sure everything is supported by acdamic papers!

This assignment will help you interpret and evaluate the financial performance of your selected company by organizing your findings into a comprehensive Financial Health Scorecard. You will use the ratios you’ve calculated to assess the company’s liquidity, efficiency, leverage, profitability, and market performance, then synthesize your analysis into no more than a 2-page report.

Instructions:

Part 1: MS Excel Sheet (for Ratio Calculations)

You will calculate the following ratios for your company for the past two years and group them into the following categories:

1. Liquidity

• Current Ratio
• Quick Ratio

1. Activity (Efficiency)

• Accounts Receivable Turnover
• Inventory Turnover
• Payables Turnover
• Fixed Asset Turnover
• Total Asset Turnover

1. Leverage (risk)

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio
• Times Interest Earned

1. Profitability

• Gross Profit Margin
• Operating Profit Margin
• Net Profit Margin
• Return on Assets (ROA)
• Return on Equity (ROE)

1. Market Value

• Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio

Part 2: MS Word Document

For each ratio category, assign a performance rating based on the ratio values and industry norms:

• Strong
• Average
• Weak

Use the following table format to design a table in Excel or Word:

CategoryRatios IncludedRatingBrief Notes on PerformanceLiquidityCurrent, QuickStronghealthy coverage of liabilitiesActivityAR Turnover, Inventory, etc.AverageInventory turning slower Y2YLeverage Debt-to-Equity, Times Interest EarnedWeakIncreased debt load observedProfitabilityGPM, OPM, NPM, ROA, ROEStrongMargins are improvingMarket ValueP/E RatioAverageSlightly below industry average

Write a brief analysis, no more than two (2) pages, including the following labeled sections:

1. Introduction

• Briefly introduce the purpose of the report and the company you’ve analyzed. Mention that the scorecard summarizes your evaluation of key financial performance areas.

1. Justification of ratings: For each category, explain the rating you assigned.

• Reference specific
• Reference specific ratio values.
• Comment on year-over-year changes.
• Compare to industry benchmarks if available (you may estimate or research briefly if desired).
• Explain the financial implications of high or low performance in each area.

1. Overall Financial Health Summary: Provide a paragraph that summarizes your general findings:

• What does the scorecard tell you about the companys financial condition?
• Is the company financially stable, struggling, or improving?
• Are they in a position to grow, or should they be focused on restructuring or cutting costs?

Note: Be thoughtful and analytical in your responses. This written analysis will help build your understanding and contribute to your final presentation to the Board of Directors regarding investment decisions.

Answer the following questions in a word document in less than 3 pages (double spaced), with Calibri font, and with 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right).

1. How do the various participants in the budget process see the system working? Are their perceptions coherent?
2. What are the strong and weak aspects of the states budget formulation and monitoring processes? Is the Office of Fiscal Affairs helping or hindering the states reorganizations efforts?
3. How, when, and by whom should the priorities be set for the FY2011 budget?
4. What changes, if any, would you recommend Mr. Davidson make to the budget system at North Lincoln?

Please read the requirements carefully. It needs a Written Analysis and the Appendix (Excel to calculate).