ACCT 1020   Tags: accounting  

Written Project I – Analysis of Financial Statements

1. Select a corporation for which you are able to obtain all four financial statements for three consecutive years. Make a copy (electronic or hardcopy) of the statements to submit to the instructor.
2. Perform horizontal and vertical analysis of the income statement and balance sheet for the two most recent years for which you have statements. (Ch 23)
3. Perform ratio analysis of the income statement and balance sheet for the two most recent years for which you have statements. Use all the ratios in the chapter for which you have sufficient data. If there is a ratio in the chapter for which you do not have sufficient data, say so. (Ch 24)
4. Conduct any comparative analysis you can with industry ratios or comparable companies.
     For example, if you are looking at Home Depot you may wish to compare to Lowe’s and/or to the industry standard for that type of vendor.
5. Conduct your own subjective analysis based on what you see in its analysis as well as its cash flow statement. Write a short report from the point of view of whether you see it as a good investment (buy decision), bad investment (sell decision), or middle decision (hold).
6. Turn in the statements from the company, your spreadsheet analyses, your comparative data, and your recommendation to the instructor by the deadline.

Written Project II: Accounting Topic Report

Write a paper that is five pages in length, typed, double-spaced with 12-point font or equivalent.

You are to use the topic you selected earlier in the semester or an instructor-approved substitute topics.

Sources

At least five sources including

At least two that are peer-reviewed journals.

Prefer that one other source be an interview of a local person involved in the area.

Prefer that one other source be a website that is not library-database related,
e.g. a professional organization website.

Rules

To minimize plagiarism you will need to turn in copies of your sources and highlight the parts you use.

Works cited/bibliography page to be included.

Footnoting and other presentation matters to follow Division policies.

Try to make it as accounting-centered or accounting-related as possible.

Make the oral presentation INTERESTING.

Deliverables

March 16

Final, narrowed topic preferably in the form of a research question or hypothesis.
Rough outline identifying major points.

March 30

List of sources
Detailed outline

Apr 23

Presentation to class
Turn in marked sources
Written paper

1. The Fraud Triangle
2. Internal Controls for a Payroll Department
3. Internal Controls for Purchasing Merchandise
4. Accounting for Medical Practices
5. Sarbanes Oxley
6. Standards for Corporate Governance
7. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
8. Written Business Communication Skills
9. Email Skills for the Accounting Business Environment
10. Accounting for the Construction Industry
11. Computerized Accounting Information Systems
12. Manufacturing Accounting Systems
13. Budgeting Processes
14. Accounting Careers
15. Governmental Accounting
16. Public Accounting
17. Accounting for InventoryAccounts Receivable
18. Management Techniques

Other topics can be approved on a case by case basis. Instructor approval required before starting a topic other than those listed above.

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