Finance for Decision Makers Assignment

Task 1

Answer the following Questions 
1. Critically discuss and evaluate the requirements of contemporary managers in
relation to decision making and financial management in modern business
context,
2. Critically discuss and apply quantitative and qualitative management skills in
decision-making, including behavioural issues.
3. Apply modern financial and decision-making skills in advising a strategically
focused organisation.

Task 2
Each individual student will research, prepare a critical analysis of financial information
for a FTSE 100 company, and submit a formal report.

For developing this report, each student must select ONE company as a case study.
Any company in any sector of industry could be a valid option.

Students should note that the annual reports of FTSE100 companies are available on
their websites and are easily accessible. The annual reports include a wealth of
information including both financial and non-financial information. Commentary both
from the company and from analysts outside the company will be required to guide the
analysis. You can also use other reliable sources of information like industry reports,
economic data published by various government and non-government organisations
and any other information that you deem fit for the purposes of your analysis.

The report should summarise the following aspects of the company’s performance
(NOTICE: no separate answers to each question are expected. These questions are
to make apparent the core issues faced by companies):

1) Using financial reports data for a total of 5 years, 4 years pre-Covid-19 crisis (i.e.,
2016-2019) AND the Covid-19 crisis years (i.e., 2020-21) each student is expected
to focus their attention on the general strengths and weaknesses that the company
had before the crisis, and any possible changes in the company circumstances
during the crisis, including information from 2021 whenever possible. Notice that as
financial, annual and other reports for the year 2021 will not be complete, any partial
reports and information could be used to inform your discussion. Constraints in
access to information must be made apparent in the “methodology” and the
“analysis” section of the report.

2) As the company selected as a case study may be a multinational corporation,
students have to appreciate that the company’s performance may differ from other
companies who only trade in the UK because their revenues may depend on
different countries, which were less/more affected by the crisis. This factor should
be an interesting point to develop by looking at the particular location of operations
which have suffered more during the crisis, the type of
activities/operations/products of the company which have been more/less harmed,
and to find out any possible variations in the short-term strategy of the company
during 2020-21.

3) Clearly identify the ratios in the corresponding financial statements depicting
information of positive and negative consequences of the crisis versus the pre-crisis

performance. Has the company changed its capital structure by taking/issuing more
debt/equity? Has the company changed its Working Capital policies/ratios? Has the
company fulfilled any investment plans during the crisis period or delayed
investments which were scheduled in advance to 2020-21? Have the profitability
indicators been acutely/slightly affected by the crisis? How has the company
progressed in the application of the ESG Criteria?

4) Clearly identify the reports, accounts, ratios, and intelligence provided by external
analysts. Incorporate relevant information about assistance/support received from
government or Bank of England policies during the crisis. If commentaries are not
openly identified in the company’s financial statements and accounts, students are
expected to notice this fact and state possible reasons for the missing
information/details.

5) Visibly ascertain the risk factors that the company should be surveying after the
crisis (i.e., short-term and medium-term after the crisis), and relate each one of
these risk factors to explicit financial reports, accounts and ratios that must be
monitored by the corresponding financial manager, the executive and board of
directors of the company, and any potential investors and stakeholders.