Company Analysis

 Healthcare sector: Abbot Laboratories
 Utility sector: Southern Company
 Mass consumer sector: Activision Blizzard
 Retail sector: Nordstrom, Inc.
 Cosmetics sector: Coty, Inc.
 Automotive sector: Carmax

If you turn in a paper analyzing a company not on the list above, you will receive a zero. You will use the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) technique as the basis for your analysis. In addition, Ms. Baker, the business librarian, will post a MGT 300 course guide on the MCOB Library website to help you get started. To become familiar with the MGT 300 Course Guide, you will view the library podcasts in the Panopto folder on Sakait.

The Company Analysis can be viewed as a series of steps. First, select a company and find the existing SWOT(s) in the MCOB Library’s electronic databases. Next, you will read information (web sites, articles, blogs, etc.) about your company using the databases and sources Ms. Branch trains us how to use. Third, based on your readings, you will update the company’s SWOT. This is an important part of the process, and you will have to cite the sources you read to justify each item in your SWOT table (in-text APA citations required for updated SWOT).

Fourth, once you finish updating the SWOT, you will be ready to conduct the financial analysis. Ms. Baker will share with us how to find the following ratios for the company and the industry– Profitability: ROA; Leverage: Debt –Equity; Liquidity: Current Ratio for firm and industry. The key is to compare and analyze how well the company is doing relative to the industry.

Finally, you will now be able to begin identifying the top issue facing the firm you have chosen (this may be a problem or an opportunity). You will need to convince me that the issue you selected is the highest priority one. For your issue, you will discuss the relevant causes and impacts. Your recommendations are another important aspect of this assignment. They must effectively address your issue and you must provide sound reasoning to support your views.

Your recommendations can be broad at first, but you must “flesh them out.” In other words, they must be actionable. What specific actions should management take to efficiently and effectively address the issue you have identified? Assume you had Publix and you thought it was important for them to grow geographically, that is a good start. However, you would need to identify where. In Mobile County, OK, where in Mobile County based on their target market? How many store units? All at the same time? Staggered? Does the company have the means to pay for this growth? Do they take on debt or use equity? These are some of the questions you might ask intended to help you “flesh out” your recommendation section. Be sure to provide sound reasoning to support your positions.

At the end of your recommendations section, you need to identify the key functional areas of the organization that must be involved to implement your proposed recommendations. Do you need production, marketing, human resources, legal, etc.? Who needs to be in the room when this decision is made? Should they be involved on the front-end or simply responsible for carrying out the plan? What level(s) (top, middle, first-line, non-managerial) are necessary to implement your recommendation? Does the answer to this question, impact who should be involved in the planning and organizing stages?

CA Format

Your completed assignment will consist of a title page, the body of the report (the body should not exceed 3 to 3 ½ pages—see below), a reference page, and an appendix.

 Title page
 Body of report
o One paragraph introduction – bring the reader up to speed on the company and its overall situation.
o Financial Analysis (Approximately one to two paragraphs)
 3 Ratios – 1) Profitability: ROA; 2) Leverage: Debt to Equity; 3) Liquidity: Current Ratio for firm and industry.
 Comparison and analysis of company’s ratios with industry ratios.
o Main Issue (Approx. 1 paragraph to define and justify your selection)
 Cause(s) of issue (Approx. 1 paragraph)
 Impact(s) of issue (Approx. 1 paragraph)
 Recommendation(s) for issue (1 ½ to 2 pages)
 References (Eight minimum—APA style)
 Appendix (Initial and updated SWOTs with APA in-text citations—goal is 5 per category)

The cover page should include your name, the date, and the class section. The actual report begins on page two and should be typed. You should use one inch margins, double space, 12-inch font. You MUST include in-text citations using APA format. Use headings and sub-headings to organize the information.

I would like for you to practice using the deductive form. This form involves you stating your main point (issue) up front. Next, please provide support for your issue. It is appropriate to share three main points per cause, impact, and recommendation. Please review pages 62-112 in your MCOB Writing Guides, as well as the following excerpt for additional guidance.

“Writing the apparently deductive form enables you to present your claim immediately; your readers know what you want to say. They can pinpoint your “main idea” –your claim about the topic –and recognize your honest approach it. You will have a reason to present the supporting evidence, and that support will help to persuade your reader to accept your claim. This model, with its early presentation of thesis, is also efficient. When your time is limited, in an exam for example, you present your primary response first, as your thesis, and then you give reasons to support it.” (n.d. Writing Tip #2: More about the Form (Online), Retrieved on September 6, 2007. http://www.colorado.edu/pwr/writingtips/02.html)
You should include a listing of sources used in your analysis (cite with APA format) on the “References” page. You must use a minimum of eight sources. The initial and updated SWOTs should be included as attachments in the appendix section. You will have to cite (using APA in-text citation form) the sources you read to justify each item in your SWOT table.