BSNS 6140 - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Semester II, Spring 2007, Three Credit Hours

Dr. Jerrald M. Fox, CFP – Instructor

jmfox@anderson.edu – 765.641.4361

Falls School of Business - Anderson University - MBA Program

 

Class Meeting Information

The class will usually meet on Monday evenings in Hardacre Hall, Room 232.  The class times--with exceptions to usual meeting times--will be as follows:

 

January 8 – February 19                       6:00 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.

February 26 – Mid-Term Exam            6:00 p.m. – 9:50 p.m.

March 5 – April 16                               8:00 p.m. – 9:50 p.m.

March 12, 19 – Spring Break               No class sessions

March 20 (Tuesday) – Joint Session     6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Lawrence North H.S.

April 26 (Thursday) - Final                   6:00 p.m. – 9:50 p.m.

 

Course Resources

Financial Management: Theory and Practice, 11th edition by Eugene Brigham, and Michael C. Ehrhardt.  Published by South-Western, part of the Thomson Corporation, 2005.  Includes instructional CD for computer tools.  ISBN: 0-324-25968-9

 

This will be our common text and basis of study and discussion.  Specific reading assignments appear on the class schedule below.

 

The Wall Street Journal – All students should have daily access.  Each class session will include a time of open discussion of current financial news from The Journal and other business news sources.  All students are expected to come prepared to participate in these discussions. 

 

The Holy Bible: New International Version or New Living Translation – Specific relevant passages will be included in the assigned readings.  These passages—and other biblical references from your own study—will be included in our discussions of the ethical frameworks for financial decision making.

 

Calculator/Software: You will need a calculator or laptop computer capable of finding the internal rate of return and the net present value of uneven cash flows for in-class problems. I will be using a Texas Instruments BA II plus and/or HP10bII calculator and MS-Excel for demonstration purposes.  Excel templates and problem analyses are included in the instructional CD included in your textbook.

 

Course Objectives                                                    

This course provides an overview of the financial management of the business enterprise, with an emphasis on ways financial managers create value. Decision-making skills relying on discounted cash flow techniques, capital budgeting, and the fundamentals of security pricing are presented.

 

We will also consider the legal, moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of these financial decisions.

 

Specific Learning Goals

At the completion of this course you should be able to:

Define the agency problem.

Compose and explain common financial statements.

Calculate the taxable equivalent yield on a municipal bond.

Calculate the after tax yield on a corporate bond.

Plot a yield curve.

Calculate the expected return, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation for an individual investment and a portfolio of investments.

Define beta and be able to estimate beta using time series data.

Draw a timeline to depict a series of cash flows.

Calculate the present value, future value, length to maturity, payment per period, and interest rate per period for a series of cash flows.

Define an annuity.

Calculate the price, the yield to maturity and the yield to call for a bond.

Describe how changes in interest rates affect bond prices.

Define a call provision.

Estimate the price of a share of stock using the zero growth, constant growth, and supernormal growth models.

Calculate the cost of equity using the capital asset pricing model.

Calculate the after tax cost of debt.

Describe the correct weights of debt, equity, and preferred stock for a firm’s optimal capital structure.

Calculate the weighted average cost of capital.

Calculate the payback and the discounted payback period.

Calculate the internal rate of return, modified internal rate of return, and the net present value of an investment.

Identify the relevant cash flows for capital budgeting decisions.

Calculate the initial investment outlay, the operating cash flows, and the terminal year cash flows for a capital budgeting project.

 

Expectations

As a courtesy to all in the class, come to class on time! And please come to each class prepared. You should read all assigned text material prior to class.  Take notes of your reading and complete all assigned problems and cases. 

 

You should also read the Wall Street Journal and Web sources each day to find current information related to our study.  Read your text assignment first and then scan the Journal, AU library online, and other web-based sources for current examples of topics from your readings.  If you have a question or concern related to the class, please talk with me so we can find answers together.

 

COURSE CONTENT

Exams

You will take a mid-term and a final exam. Each exam will have a take-home portion and an in-class portion. You may bring one eight-and-a-half-by-eleven inch sheet of paper with any notes you would like to have with you for the in-class portion of the exams. You may bring a financial calculator with you to the in-class portion of the exams. Make up exams will only be given in extraordinary circumstances.

 

Groupwork

The class will be divided into 4 groups of equal number. You will select your own group. Choose carefully!  You will need to work together outside of class.  You will need to develop a sense of joint responsibility and group cohesion. Your group work activities will consist of a debate, a group paper, and a group presentation. Each of these group assignments will be described in more detail below.

 

Debates

Each group will defend a position in one debate. Each member of a debating team must obtain at least one outside-of-class source material for your debate (i.e. newspaper article, web site, etc.). The Anderson University Nicholson Library can assist you with searches of business data bases. 

 

Every class member is expected to participate in every debate. 

 

Format: The opening round will begin with the “Yes” group speaking for approximately 4 minutes followed by the “No” group for approximately 4 minutes. There will be an approximately 10-minute period where other members of the class can ask questions directly related to information presented in the opening round.

 

The concluding round will begin with the “Yes” group speaking/rebutting for approximately 3 minutes followed by the “No” group speaking/rebutting for approximately 3 minutes. There will again be an approximately 10-minute period for questions.

 

Grading: Non-debating students will complete an evaluation form for the debate.  The debate will conclude with a class vote to determine which side best defended their position.  Presenting groups will be graded on their level of preparation and the strength of their presentation.  Other students will receive credit (determined solely by the instructor) for their evaluations and feedback.  Specific grading percentages are noted below in the “Grading Standards” section.

 

Debate Schedule:

Odd-numbered groups argue “Yes.”  Even-numbered groups argue “No.”

 

Debate 1:  Group 1 vs. 2 on January 22.  Issue: Are CEO's paid too much?

Debate 2:  Group 3 vs. 4 on February 5.  Issue: Should stock price maximization be the goal of a corporation?

Group Project

Each group will study one of the firms in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).  Your group will begin this project by completing a Group Contract.  This contract should:

1.      Identify the DJIA firm you will study;

2.      assign research responsibilities for each member;

3.      assign writing/graphics/visuals/handouts responsibilities;

4.      clarify presentation responsibilities;

5.      be signed and dated by all group members.

 

Report: Each group will be responsible for creating a succinct written report detailing the past, present, and future aspects of their firm. All research sources must be clearly cited.  Feel free to be creative in the use of charts, tables, graphics and design that enhance the communication strength of your project, but note: grading will focus on depth of research and clarity of the information presented.

 

Presentation: Each group will also be responsible for sharing their report in a 15 minute (maximum) class presentation. The presentation should use visual aids and should provide the class with an increased understanding of your company and its financial prospects. Everyone in the group must participate in the presentation.  Both the written report and the presentation should each appear as one seamless unified piece of work, not a disconnected collection of several independent parts. 

 

Grading: The instructor alone will review and grade the written report.  Not so for the presentations, however.  Members of other groups will complete a written evaluation of each presentation which will influence final grading.

 

Research and Reporting

Each group should utilize the chosen company's web site, books and articles related to the company, your text’s CD and Thomson One resources, and other internet resources with company information in preparing their report.

 

Each report will be the group’s demonstration of their learning over the entire semester.  The goal is for your group to practice and display your skills in clearly communicating financial information to diverse audiences.  Each report and class presentation will be unique and include information specifically important to your chosen firm and its industry.  However, all written reports should include the following information:

 

1.      Describe your company’s primary line of business.

2.      Who are the company’s main competitors and how do they compete with each other?

3.      A ratio chart (similar to Table 13-6 p.464) for your company with discussion of any differences between your company’s ratios and its industry averages and the trends of your company's ratios over time.

4.      A 12 month closing price graph (past 12 months or 2006) and/or a table of monthly stock prices for your company as compared to the S&P 500 along with an estimate of beta calculated from this data. (See chapters 4 and 9.)

5.      A bond valuation for one of your company's outstanding bonds (i.e. find the price necessary to earn a specified yield of 8% and compare that price to the current price).  See chapter 6 for techniques used in this analysis.

6.      A stock valuation for your company with a comparison to the actual price using one of the valuation methods from chapter 7.

 

Important Group Dates

There are two due dates related to the group projects. A typed and signed group contract which identifies your group's chosen DJIA firm is due on February 22. The completed final report is due on the date your group makes its presentation, either April 9 or 16.

           

GRADING STANDARDS

Mid-Term Take-Home 200                  Grading Scale

Mid-Term In-Class                   100                  93-100             A

Final Take-Home                     200                  90-92.9            A-

Final In-Class                           100                  87-89.9            B+

Debate Presentation                    80                  83-86.9            B

Debate Participation                   20                  80-82.9            B-

Research Paper                        200                  77-79.9            C+

Research Presentation               100                  70-76.9            C

            Total                          1,000                 60-69.9            D

                                                                       

DAILY SCHEDULE

 

Date

Time

Readings and Assignments

1/8

6:00-7:50

Review syllabus, form groups, Chapter 1 review, WSJ, film clips

1/15

6:00-7:50

Chapter 2, 1 Samuel 8, Matthew 22:15-22, Mini-Case

1/22

6:00-7:50

Debate 1, Chapter 3, Mini-Case

1/29

6:00-7:50

Chapter 4, Psalm 37, Mini-Case

2/5

6:00-7:50

Debate 2, Chapter 5, Proverbs 10:22

2/19

6:00-7:50

Chapter 5 cont’d, 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Mini-Case

2/26

6:00-7:50

Group contract due, review Chapters 1-5 for Mid-Term, hand out take-home portion of Mid-Term Exam

3/5

8:00-9:50

Take-home portion of Mid-Term Exam is due

In-class Mid-Term Exam: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

3/12

 

SPRING BREAK

3/20

6:00-8:30

Joint Session with all MBA cohorts at Lawrence North H.S. auditorium

3/26

8:00-9:50

Chapter 6, Luke 6:34-35, Mini-Case

4/2

8:00-9:50

Chapter 7, Matthew 25:14-30, Mini-Case

4/9

8:00-9:50

Chapter 9, Group Project Presentations 3 and 4

4/16

8:00-9:50

Chapter 10, Group Project Presentations 1 and 2, review for Final, pass out take-home portion of Final Exam, course evaluations

4/23

 

No class: BSNS 6350 meets for final exam

4/26

6:00-9:50

Take-home portion of Final Exam is due

In-class Final Exam: Chapters 6, 7, 9, 10

 

 

 

 

SUCCESS

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

To laugh often and love much;

 

to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;

 

to earn approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends;

 

to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self;

 

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

 

to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;

 

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived…

 

this is to have succeeded.