Pennfoster Graded Project - Securities and Investments

SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS       Project number (081612)

OBJECTIVE

Demonstrate the ability to perform investments calculations and analysis related to the concepts covered in this course.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this graded project is to give you the opportunity to use the skills you've learned throughout this course in a series of real-world applications. The three parts of this project require you to analyze portfolios containing a number of securities using a variety of analysis tools. The skills you'll demonstrate in this graded project are essential to becoming a successful financial manager.

Record your answers in a Word document with the question numbers clearly labeled.

Show your calculations or calculator inputs when indicated for full credit. Perform all work using equations and a calculator. Do not submit or use an Excel spreadsheet to calculate your answers.

Part 1: Sector Performance

Investment managers strive to outperform both the sector they focus on and broad market indexes such as the S&P 500. The performance of a portfolio is determined by both the weightings given to different types of investments as well as the actual performance of these investments. In addition, the level of risk an investor is willing to take on will impact the design of a portfolio.

To answer the questions in Part 1, you'll use the information provided about the portfolio in the table below. The portfolio is broken out by sectors and shows the investor's portfolio's weighting and performance and the S&P 500's weighting and performance in each sector. The final column shows the individual investments' overall contributions to the portfolio. Note that an investment can underperform the S&P and still have a positive contribution to the portfolio based on the difference in weighting.

1.      Fill in the missing values in the table above for a quarterly comparison of sectors with the S&P 500 Index. Remember when performing calculations that the num­bers shown are percentage values. Record your answer

 

2. Did the performance turned in by the investment manager underperform or outperform the S&P 500? By how much? Show your work.

3. Which sector turned in the greatest positive contribution to the portfolio's performance?

Explain why this investment made the greatest positive contribution based on the differences in weighting and the sector over- or under- performance.

4. Which sector made the greatest negative contribution to the portfolio's performance?

Explain why this investment made the greatest negative contribution based on the differences in weighting and the sector over- or under- performance.

Part 2: Portfolio Analysis

Use the three portfolios shown below to answer questions 5–8 in Part 2.

Portfolio 1

5. Based on beta, which portfolio has the highest level of systematic risk? Show your work.

6. If the risk-free rate is 5.5 percent, which of these portfolios has the highest reward-to-risk ratio? Show your work.

7. Suppose that the risk-free rate is 5.5 percent, the return over a three-year period for each portfolio matches its expected return, and the portfolios have 3-year annual return standard deviations as follows:

Portfolio 1          22%

Portfolio 2           26%

Portfolio 3           18%

If you were restricted to selecting one of the three portfolios to invest all your money in, which should you choose based on that portfolio having the best ratio of excess return per unit of total risk as measured by its Sharpe ratio?

8. Suppose that the actual returns for Portfolios 1, 2, and 3 were as follows:

Portfolio 1           11.3

Portfolio 2            12.5

Portfolio 3             9.4

Also assume that the risk-free rate was 5.5 percent and the average return on the market portfolio was 8 percent.

a. Which of the three portfolios has the highest Jensen's alpha? Show your work.

b. Which has the highest Treynor ratio? Show your work.

Part 3: Selecting a Portfolio

Use the two portfolios shown in the tables below to answer the questions in Part 3.

9. In your role as a financial advisor, you're advising a client, Sally, a 30-year old computer programmer who makes an above-average salary. She's investing money in her 401(k) that she doesn't plan to use until retirement. In your opinion, which of the two portfolios above would be most appropriate for these funds? In your answer, explain why you believe the portfolio you've chosen is appropriate and explain why the portfolio you didn't choose is not appropriate.

10. In your role as a financial advisor, you're advising a client, Bob, who has just retired and rolled over his 401(k) into a self-directed IRA account. Bob intends to use these funds to provide income to live on in his retirement. In your opinion, which of the two portfolios above would be most appropriate for these funds? In your answer, explain why you believe the portfolio you've chosen is appropriate and explain why the portfolio you didn't choose is not appropriate.

 

Pennfoster Case Analysis Donatos Finding the New Pizza

CASE ANALYSIS Graded Project

CASE ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION You've already examined 14 cases from the textbook website. For this project, you're going to read the Donato's: Finding the New Pizza case and answer the discussion questions. The advertising introducing the NO DOUGH pizza is on the on the website under Video Cases.

PROCEDURE Visit your textbook's website, http://www.mhhe.com/cooper12e, which contains all of the cases provided to supplement your text. To find the cases, do the following:

1. Click Student Edition in the "Online Learning Center" on the left of the page.

2. On the next page, click Cases under "Course-wide Content."

3. Read through the Donato's: Finding the New Pizza case (the direct link is http://tinyurl.com/ljwvfko) and answer the discussion questions.

WRITING GUIDELINES 1. Type your submission, double-spaced, in a standard print font, size 12. Use a

standard document format with 1-inch margins. (Don't use any fancy or cursive fonts.) Your paper should be written in Microsoft Word or a Word-compatible program.

2. Include the following information at the top of your paper:

n Name and complete mailing address

n Student number

n Course title and number (Business Research Methods, BUS 415)

n Research project number (50037300)

3. Read the assignment carefully and answer each question.

4. Be specific. Limit your submission to the questions asked and issues mentioned.

5. Proofread your work carefully. Check for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

http://www.mhhe.com/cooper12e

http://tinyurl.com/ljwvfko

© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 3CASE ANALYSIS Graded Project

GRADING CRITERIA The following rubric will be used to grade your project.

Grading Criteria Excellent Good Proficient

Needs Improvement

Content (80 Points) 1. Map the research design used by Donato's for new product development.

2. Evaluate the Wassup meetings as an exploratory methodology to help define there- search question.

3. Evaluate the test market Donatos used. What were its advantages and disadvantages?

4. What measurement scales would you have used on the survey that was part of the in-restaurant product tests?

The student provides clear well thought out answers to the assigned questions that indicate and application of topics covered in the course; ad- dresses the questions in complete thoughts and organized manner; provides support for opinions by properly citing specific information from the text; stays focused on the assigned issues; writes in his or her own words and uses quotation marks to indicate direct quotations.

  

 

Pennfoster Final Graded Project Web Project

FINAL GRADED PROJECT

INTRODUCTION

Now that you've completed the exercises and the examinations for Introduction to Internet Multimedia, you're ready to complete the graded project. For the graded project, you'll consider some ideas for your Web site and determine which media you'll use. Next, you'll use a flowchart to organize your ideas for the site and spot any possible problems. You'll then create the story-

boards showing the design of your Web site.

YOUR TASK

You're going to plan the steps in designing and developing a Web site for a fictional company, sports team, or organization. Think of your interests and come up with a topic you'd like

to use for this project.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to show how you've learned the concepts in this course to plan what's needed to create a multimedia project from start to finish. It will also give you

practice in understanding and responding to clients' needs.

PROJECT GUIDELINES

Analyze Ideas

By now, you've learned the importance of planning a Web site before you begin to create it. It helps you focus on what your Web site is about and who it's for, and may save you count-

less hours of tweaking. For this project, you're going to envision a Web site you'd like

to create. You'll begin with idea analysis. Turn to page 248 for a list of questions you can think about for this project.

Write the Executive Statement

Make sure you can answer the following:

■ How will people use this Web site?

■ What will users gain from this Web site?

■ What types of features will be most useful to the users of this Web site?

Once you've answered these questions, write your answers in an executive statement of at least 250 words.

Write the Creative Strategy

Think about the look and feel of the Web site. Consider the multimedia elements you want to include on your site, such as text, images, and video. Write a description of your creative strategy of at least 250 words.

Create Your Team

Think about your strengths and weaknesses for the resources you need to develop your project. Perhaps you'd like to work on graphics or writing, or maybe you're more project-oriented and would rather handle the overall management. Think about the other talents you need to pull together a strong team for your project. Write a description of your multimedia team in at least 250 words.

Create Your Storyboards

Now it's time to think about how you're going to design your Web site and what elements you're going to use. Create story-boards for each page of your Web site, keeping the following guidelines in mind:

■ Create your storyboard using whatever program you like (e.g., Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, scanned drawings, a wireframing tool)

■ Ensure your site is a minimum of five pages.

■ Include a minimum of two forms of media on each page (e.g., graphics, sound, video, and animation) in whichever way you choose (e.g., embedded or linked).

■ Include at least one of each of the following types of media (not all necessarily on the same page):

➢ Graphics

➢ Sound

➢ Video

➢ Animation

■ Save your files and note the filenames to give to your instructor (e.g., yournamestoryboard.doc or yournamestoryboard.ppt).

■ Make sure you answer the following questions in your storyboards:

➢ Have I created a clear navigational structure?

➢ Have I chosen appropriate typography?

➢ Have I chosen appropriate colors?

➢ Have I chosen appealing media that matches the tone of the site?

➢ Do my media have acceptable download times?

WRITING GUIDELINES

1. Type your submission, double-spaced, in a standard print font, size 12. Use a standard document format with 1-inch margins.

2. Read the instructions carefully and address the topics and issues that are suggested.

3. Carefully proofread your project, making sure that you use correct spelling and grammar and appropriate sentence structure.

     

                        

 

Pennfoster Graded Project - Business Ethics

BUSINESS ETHICS

INTRODUCTION

Your assignment is to write a 5-8 pages, thorough analysis of a business ethics decision situation, assessing the situation and the possible resolutions through as many of the 'lenses' discussed in this course as are relevant. The purpose of this project is to give you practice and show your current ability to identify, assess, and weigh relevant business ethics issues when confronted with a new decision situation. The goal of this project is to demonstrate your ability to use the knowledge that you've obtained in your Business Ethics course. Your textbook should be your primary reference.

(Business Ethics. Decision Making for personal integrity & social responsibility (fourth edition) Laura P. Hartman—Joseph DesJardins—Chris MacDonald)

INSTRUCTIONS

Example Selection

The student should select a business ethics issue that he or she finds interesting and write an analysis of the issue and potential decisions/solutions, using the concepts introduced in his or her course book. Students may choose:

 A situation currently in the news

 A situation described by one of the business leaders in the Fast Company article: https://www.fastcompany.com/3046630/7-business-leaders-share-how-they-solved-the-biggest-moral-dilemmas-of-their

 A high quality hypothetical business ethics issue (from literature, movies, or one he or she creates)

Be sure to choose an example for analysis that seems interesting, difficult, or complicated.

PROJECT PROCESS

Step 1: Select an example for your analysis as outlined above.

Step 2: Perform your analysis. Apply the recommended high quality, ethical decision-making process described in your course book (Business Ethics. Decision Making for personal integrity & social responsibility (fourth edition) Laura P. Hartman—Joseph DesJardins—Chris MacDonald). You will want to consider the facts of the situation, the ethical lenses, legal, regulatory, and any other more specific lenses that might be applicable. Describe how the key concepts apply, explain why the decision is difficult/ complicated. Recommend the course of action you believe is 'best' taking all the relevant considerations into account.

Your textbook should be your primary reference. Your paper may also include independent and reliable sources (many of which you might access from your textbook's chapter notes). You should feel free to consult sources on the Internet. However, always make sure your work is original and well-documented. Notes from a website should include the source of the site. This is done to establish that the site is authoritative and not merely idle opinion.

Use APA style for citations and the Works Cited page. For information on APA style format see the Penn Foster Library.

Step 3: Write a first draft of your essay. Your paper should be written using a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word or a Word-compatible program. Your analysis should be five to eight written pages. The essay should include a brief introduction, several paragraphs examining the key issues, your recommended course of action, and a conclusion that acknowledges arguments for and against your recommended decision. (Recommendation: Finish your first draft several days before you plan to finalize your paper. It's best to set it aside for a couple of days before moving on to the completion.)

Step 4: Complete your final draft. Carefully review your written essay, correct any errors, and submit your final draft to your instructor. (Recommendation: Read your essay out loud to yourself. Doing this will help make you aware of gaps, redundancies, and areas where the writing should be improved.) Use the following Writing Guidelines to complete and submit your essay. Include a title page and a bibliography of sources. The last page after the main body of the essay should provide a list of your reference sources.

   

Pennfoster Macroeconomics Paper - Mexican Peso and ETF EWW

INTRODUCTION
Over the past decade, many media articles have discussed the topics of "outsourcing" and "emerging markets," voicing concerns about U.S. deficits and debt and the impact on the U.S. dollar. Gold prices have increased, commodity prices have soared, and there has been an explosion of exchange traded funds (ETFs), many that allow individual investors to "invest" in foreign currencies. As recently as mid-September 2010, the Japanese yen, for example, reached a 15-year high in value against the U.S. dollar...
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an investment fund that holds assets such as stocks, commodities, or bonds, and is traded on stock exchanges. ETFs can be attractive investments because of their low costs and tax efficiency, and are a very popular type of exchange-traded product. ETFs have grown in recent years. Some examples of ETFs include EWZ for Brazil, ECH for Chile, EPI for India, EWM for Malaysia, EWW for Mexico, RSX for Russia, EWS and SGT for Singapore, EZA and SZR for South Africa, EWY for South Korea, EWT for Taiwan, THD for Thailand, and TUR for Turkey.

Your Assignment
Your final project will require you to examine any foreign currency of your choice (preferably one from an emerging market), and provide an analysis of that currency against the U.S. dollar over the 5-year period ending with 2010. To complete this assignment, examine an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for that currency, perform any additional research you need to do in order to understand the topic, and then write a 750-word paper that summarizes the results of your macro- economic analysis. To find an ETF fund for a country that you're interested in, go to an Internet search engine such as Google, and enter the keywords "exchange-traded fund for X," and replace the "X" with the name of the country of your choice. You can see the history of your chosen ETF, in terms of U.S. dollars, by checking or entering the ETF call letters or ticker symbol in a financial search engine such as Yahoo! Finance (the web address for this site is
Instructions
Step 1: Select a foreign currency as described above.
Step 2: Perform your research. The content of your text-book can be one of your sources. However, your paper should also include at least four independent and reliable sources. Use general Internet search engines and financial search engines to perform your research.
Step 3: Perform your macroeconomic analysis on the material. Remember that you need to provide an analysis of your chosen currency against the U.S. dollar over the 5-year period ending with 2010.
Step 4: Write a first draft of your paper. Your paper should be written using a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word or a Word-compatible program. Your essay should include a separate title page, and between three and five pages on your topic. The essay should include a brief introduction, several paragraphs that cover the required information, and a conclusion. The last page after the main body of the essay should provide a list of your reference sources

choices are..
1 aregentina 2 brazil 3 chile 4 china 5 columbia 6 czech republic 7 egypt 8 hungary 9 india 10 indonisa 11 isreal 12 malaysia 13 mexico 14 morroco 15 pakistan 16 peru 17 philiphines 18 russia 19 poland 20 south korea 21 south africa 21 taiwan 22 thailand 2 turkey 24 tunisia 25 vietnam..

Pennfoster Macroeconomics Project - ETF EPI and INR Vs USD study for 5 years till 2010

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decade, many media articles have discussed the topics of "outsourcing" and "emerging markets," voicing concerns about U.S. deficits and debt and the impact on the U.S. dollar. Gold prices have increased, commodity prices have soared, and there has been an explosion of exchange traded funds (ETFs), many that allow individual investors to "invest" in foreign currencies. As recently as mid-September 2010, the Japanese yen, for example, reached a 15-year high in value against the U.S. dollar...

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an investment fund that holds assets such as stocks, commodities, or bonds, and is traded on stock exchanges. ETFs can be attractive investments because of their low costs and tax efficiency, and are a very popular type of exchange-traded product. ETFs have grown in recent years. Some examples of ETFs include EWZ for Brazil, ECH for Chile, EPI for India, EWM for Malaysia, EWW for Mexico, RSX for Russia, EWS and SGT for Singapore, EZA and SZR for South Africa, EWY for South Korea, EWT for Taiwan, THD for Thailand, and TUR for Turkey.

 

Your Assignment

Your final project will require you to examine any foreign currency of your choice (preferably one from an emerging market), and provide an analysis of that currency against the U.S. dollar over the 5-year period ending with 2010. To complete this assignment, examine an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for that currency, perform any additional research you need to do in order to understand the topic, and then write a 750-word paper that summarizes the results of your macro- economic analysis. To find an ETF fund for a country that you're interested in, go to an Internet search engine such as Google, and enter the keywords "exchange-traded fund for X," and replace the "X" with the name of the country of your choice. You can see the history of your chosen ETF, in terms of U.S. dollars, by checking or entering the ETF call letters or ticker symbol in a financial search engine such as Yahoo! Finance (the web address for this site is

Instructions

Step 1: Select a foreign currency as described above.

Step 2: Perform your research. The content of your text-book can be one of your sources. However, your paper should also include at least four independent and reliable sources. Use general Internet search engines and financial search engines to perform your research.

Step 3: Perform your macroeconomic analysis on the material. Remember that you need to provide an analysis of your chosen currency against the U.S. dollar over the 5-year period ending with 2010.

Step 4: Write a first draft of your paper. Your paper should be written using a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word or a Word-compatible program. Your essay should include a separate title page, and between three and five pages on your topic. The essay should include a brief introduction, several paragraphs that cover the required information, and a conclusion. The last page after the main body of the essay should provide a list of your reference sources

 

choices are..

1 aregentina 2 brazil 3 chile 4 china 5 columbia 6 czech republic 7  egypt 8 hungary 9 india 10 indonisa 11 isreal 12 malaysia 13 mexico 14 morroco 15 pakistan 16 peru 17 philiphines 18 russia 19 poland 20 south korea 21 south africa 21 taiwan 22 thailand 2 turkey 24 tunisia 25 vietnam..

Currency Chosen : Indian Currency INR

Pennfoster Macroeconomics Project - Mexican Peso Vs USD

GRADED PROJECT SUBMISSION
INSTRUCTIONS

Project Objective
The goal of this project is to demonstrate the knowledge that you've obtained in your Economics 1 course. To complete the  project, you'll need to research a foreign currency and an ETF for an emerging market that you find interesting, perform a macroeconomic analysis of the currency, and write a
paper that summarizes your analysis.

Instructions

Step 1: Select a foreign currency as described above.

Step 2: Perform your research. The content of your textbook can be one of your sources. However, your
paper should also include at least four independent and reliable sources. Use general Internet search
engines and financial search engines to perform  your research. 

Step 3: Perform your macroeconomic analysis on the material. Remember that you need to provide an
analysis of your chosen currency against the U.S. dollar over the 5-year period ending with 2010.

Step 4: Write a first draft of your paper. Your paper should be written using a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word or a Word-compatible program.  Your essay should include a separate title page,
and between three and five pages on your topic. The essay should include a brief introduction, several paragraphs that cover the required information, and a conclusion. The last page after the main body of the essay should provide a list of your reference sources.

Step 5: Complete your final draft. Carefully review your written essay, correct any errors, and submit your final draft to your instructor. Use the following Writing Guidelines to complete and submit your
essay.