Company Analysis

Company Analysis (do not submit for marking; this activity is intended to help you complete Assignments 2 3rd Part)

Select two companies that presently trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). You can obtain the two companies from daily stock reports in your newspaper or by looking through TSX-listed companies on the TSX website (www.tsx.com). Try to choose companies from different industry groups.

Check for new information on each of your selected companies at least once a week. Commentaries on companies may appear in the press or financial press, both hard copy and eformat. A great site for finding news stories is Globe Investor. At this site you can obtain stock price and company information. Press releases issued by the companies (which are usually posted on their respective websites) are also good sources of information, as is the website. At the top of the home page, click Issuer Profiles. Then, under Public Companies, click the first letter of the company you are looking for and search through the list for the company.

Keep a written record of share prices and volumes traded on a weekly basis. This information can be obtained from either the TSX or the Globe Investor website. Maintain your record in either MS Excel or MS Word for your own information—while this document does not need to be submitted, it will be helpful when you are answering questions in the upcoming Assignments 2 3rd Part.

Ensure that you can justify any stock purchase or sale you make (i.e., it is consistent with your objectives and investing profile).

The objective of this exercise is not necessarily to maximize the returns you make, but rather to demonstrate your understanding of investment principles and techniques appropriate for meeting your investment goals.

Part 3: Investment Activities

To better manage the stocks of the two companies you selected in above section, it is a good idea to prepare a “top-down” fundamental analysis. The top-down approach refers to analyzing the economy and the industries in which the two companies are involved, as well as the companies themselves.

1. Analyze current and recent economic conditions. Provide      a two-page (maximum) economic summary. Identify whether the economy is      expanding (booming) or contracting (in recession). Justify your conclusion      by citing economic statistics and trends over the past three years. You      can obtain economic data from the Statistics Canada website. Analyze and interpret data trends (e.g.,      unemployment, inflation, real GDP, interest, housing starts) over the most      recent three-year period to evaluate the economy and Canada’s current      economic status. (10 marks)

1. Briefly describe political and social trends that might      affect the success of your companies in the long term. How will these      trends affect your companies’ stock values? (5 marks)

1. Describe the business sector or industry in which each      of the two companies operates. Focus on information that helps you      understand whether the industry is healthy or struggling. Try to find news      stories about these industries in the media and other sources, including      searching the Internet. You can access The Globe and Mail and Financial Post. You can also access      company news stories at the Globe      Investor website by typing the trading symbol of a company into the      Search box and clicking News.      These news stories may be specifically about your company or about the      industry and the company’s competitors. (5 marks)

1. For each of the companies you have selected, find      financial statements at the company’s website or at SEDAR for the three most recent fiscal year ends. Then, for      each company, perform the following steps (20 marks): 

1. Table the revenue/sales dollar amounts and net income       after-tax dollar amounts for at least a three-year period. 
2. Calculate all of the ratios (liquidity ratios,       financial leverage ratios, etc.)—shown in the learning objectives in       Lesson 3—for each of the companies for each fiscal year end over the past       three years. If a ratio is irrelevant—for example, if there is no       inventory in your chosen company (such as a bank or other service company)—then       indicate “not applicable.” 
3. Be sure to show your complete calculations. 
4. Identify the business/product cycle of your companies.       Does the company introduce new products from time to time? Are current       products still increasing sales, are they levelling off, or are they       declining? How does this compare with competitors’ product cycles? Are       each company’s business cycles cyclical, counter-cyclical, or       non-cyclical? 
5. Identify and explain the risks that apply to each of       the two companies’ stocks. 
6. Assess management’s abilities and strategies to the       extent that information is available. (You can find management and       strategy information by reading management reports in each company’s       financial statements or at sites such as those indicated in Step 3 above.) 

1. Incorporating the information gathered in the      “top-down” fundamental analysis in
   Steps 1 to 4 above, provide a one-page summary for each of your companies      indicating

1. your projection of company performance and resulting       stock prices over the short term (one year) and longer term (five years).       Explain your thoughts and rationale for your projections. (5 marks)
2. your personal risk tolerance (based on the assessment       you have just done for Assignment, Part 1) and how good a fit these       equity investments are for you, given your analysis above. (5 marks)

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