Finance

. What are some problems with granting stock options to employees? Please describe at least two problems discussed in the article and explain why those problems may hurt shareholders’ interest. 2. If granting stock options to employees is so inefficient, then why do companies grant options? According to the authors, what are some real reasons why companies grant stock options (discuss at least two of these reasons)? 3.The author evaluates the efficiency of stock options based on the assumption that an efficient compensation mechanism should incentivize financial managers to act on behalf of shareholders and try to maximize shareholders’ wealth. Perhaps, this begs the questions: Is it always desirable for financial managers to act solely in the interest of their shareholders? What about debt holders, customers, and employees? What about social responsibilities (e.g. social justice and environmental issues)? In your opinion, who else or what else should financial managers consider when making business decisions? For more information on Stock Option read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Option_(finance)

Read the Notes to the Financial Statements (FS) for your SEC 10-K company.  These “notes” are displayed after the financial statements. 1. Inventory comments: comment on inventory issues using the concepts of materiality and geographic location. 2. Inventory and Sales: comment on issues related to diversity in customer base and issues of internal control. 3. Accounts Receivable and Sales:  comment on issues related to the selling and distribution system of your SEC 10-K company and issues of fraud as well as an internal control. 4. Challenges and opportunities you see as you relate our auditing topics to your company.  Details are high level in the SEC 10-K but organizations rely on Auditing concepts, as they prepare for the audits and as part of their internal control process. The postings for the SEC 10-K company should assist you with your SEC 10-K paper and project. please use PepsiCo 10k, link provide below https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/77476/000007747619000017/pepsico201810-k.htm#s1A5A3E567CB957569E2B49DDD22FB8A2

Tony Prince and his team are working on the Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project. They have been asked to refine the existing cost estimate for the project so they can evaluate supplier bids and have a solid cost baseline for evaluating project performance. Recall that your schedule and cost goals are to complete the project in 6 months for under $200,000. Use the Cost Estimate template and Cost Baseline template to assist with this assignment. Tasks Prepare and upload a 1-page cost model for this project using spreadsheet software. Use the following work breakdown structure      (WBS), and document your assumptions in preparing the cost model. Assume a      labor rate of $100 per hour for the project manager and $60 per hour for other project team members. Assume that none of the work is outsourced,      labor costs for users are not included, and there are no additional hardware costs. The total estimate should be $200,000. Project management Requirements definition Website design  a. Registration for recreational programs b. Registration for classes and programs c. Tracking system    d. Incentive system Website development  a. Registration for recreational programs b. Registration for classes and programs  c. Tracking system   d. Incentive system Testing Training, rollout, and support Using the cost model you created in the first task,      prepare a cost baseline by allocating the costs by WBS for each month of      the project. Assume that you have completed 3 months of the project.      The BAC was $200,000 for this 6-month project. You can also make the following assumptions: PV=$120,000 EV=$100,000 AC=$90,000 a. What is the cost variance, schedule variance, cost performance index (CPI), and schedule performance index (SPI) for the project? b. Use the CPI to calculate the estimate at completion      (EAC) for this project. Is the project performing better or worse than      planned? c. Use the SPI to estimate how long it will take to finish this project. After completing your charts, write a 150-word follow-up in which you complete the following: Explain how the project is doing based on the CPI and      SPI. Is it ahead of schedule or behind? Is it under budget or over? Describe the strategies or steps that should be taken      for human resource management to avoid additional costs. Describe the strategies or steps that should be taken      for resource activity management to avoid additional costs. Recommend 2 tools to support these strategies and      explain why these tools would be beneficial. APA format!  For more information on Cost Estimate read this:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_estimate

Do you consider yourself more strong or weak uncertainty avoidant? The tolerance or intolerance of ambiguity is a cultural trait. Uncertainty Avoidance is “the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations” (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010, p. 191). Cultures high (or strong) in the Uncertainty Avoidance dislike ambiguity, prefer structure and rules in organizations and relationships, and like things predictable and understandable. Cultures low (or weak) in Uncertainty Avoidance are more comfortable in ambiguous situations, prefer the spirit of the law or regulations, and can excel in undefined situations. Collectivist cultures with strong Uncertainty Avoidance can be more prone to ethnocentrism and even xenophobia. Individualist cultures with weak Uncertainty Avoidance tend to be more excepting of differences (Rohm, 2014, p. 1). For more information on Ambiguity read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguity

-What are the factors that affect transportation costs? This paper must be a minimum of 4 pages (not including cover and references) 4-5 references, at least 2 peer-reviewed.  Do not just provide an answer straight from the text.  Support your work with r

Writing Assignment (two parts): PART I Discuss what you would consider as requirements for building an Analytics Organization.  What elements should you consider?  Who should you hire? What skill sets, attributes, experiences are important?  What role can you play in helping your current organization become an Analytics focused organization?  Depending on your industry you may need to be very creative with the last question. PART II Discuss what is meant by Omnichannel Data.  Use your textbook to help construct your response, but also internalize your understanding and create a discussion that encompasses the various ideas and topics covered in other sections of the course.  Try to integrate those ideas into your discussion on Omnichannel Data.   Provide your assessment on questioning customers using their data and your analytics.  Design three questions for customers that you would use in your organization that would directly impact operations decision-making.  Explain what you want to accomplish (understand) from each of your three questions. Make sure to include an APA reference page for all your references for this assignment. *A minimum of four references, two of which must be your textbooks, are required.*Length of your paper should be 4 to 6 pages.

Part 1: Beta 1.  Search for the beta of Verizon Communications2.  In addition, find the beta of 3 different companies within the same industry as Verizon Communications3.  Explain to your classmates what beta means and how it can be used for managerial and/or investment decision4.  Why do you think the beta of Verizon Communications and those of the 3 companies you found are different from each other? Provide as much information as you can and be specific. Part 2: Capital BudgetingBefore you respond to Part 2 of discussion 6 review the following information on Capital Budgeting Techniqueshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfZ6lznPf2Uhttps://www.scribd.com/doc/37253036/Capital-Budgeting-Principles-TechniquesTo avoids damaging its market value, each company must use the correct discount rate to evaluate its projects. Review and discuss the following:• Compare and contrast the internal rate of return approach to the net present value approach. Which is better? Support your answer with well-reasoned arguments and examples.• Is the ultimate goal of most companies–maximizing the wealth of the owners for whom the firm is being operated–ethical? Why or why not?• Why might ethical companies benefit from a lower cost of capital than less ethical companies?

This assignment will require you to analyze the time series of monthly returns for different securities. [20 points] 3) Calculate the MONTHLY return data for the 10/01/2017 – 09/30/2020 period for the selected three securities. Note: Return for Month 2 = (Adj Close for Month 2/Adj Close for Month 1) – 1 [7 points] 4) Calculate the average arithmetic monthly return, variance, and standard deviation of returns for the 10/01/2017 – 09/30/2020 period for the selected three securities. FIN 5130 Mini-case 1 Real-world Application: Risk and Return Dr. Darshana Palkar Page 2 of 2 [8 points] 5) Calculate the covariance and correlation of returns between Company A and Company B for the 10/01/2017 – 09/30/2020 period. What does the correlation indicate? [15 points] 6) Calculate the stock betas for Company A and Company B for the 10/01/2017 – 09/30/2020 period. What do the betas indicate? Hint: What is a proxy for the market portfolio? What should go in the known-xs array and what should go in the known-ys array? [25 points] 7) Suppose you invest 50% in Company A and 50% in Company B. What is your portfolio average return and standard deviation? [15 points] 8) Compare the average return and standard deviation of Company A and Company B from #4 with the portfolio average return and standard deviation from #7. What do you observe? What can you conclude from your findings? For more information read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rate_of_return

1. Look at Apple’s recent financial statements, tell us based on 7-step processes whether the company is matured or something else like whether 7-step could be used in analyzing and forecasting APPL. 2. If the company has forecasted growth in its earnings but its operating cashflow is declining. Provide 3 reasons for declining operating cashflow.

Part 1: Beta Visit the following web site or other websites: Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/1.  Search for the beta of “Carnival Corporation & plc”2.  In addition, find the beta of 3 different companies within the same industry as Carnival Corporation & plc 3.  Explain to your classmates what beta means and how it can be used for managerial and/or investment decision4.  Why do you think the beta of Carnival Corporation & plc and those of the 3 companies you found are different from each other? Provide as much information as you can and be specific. Part 2: Capital BudgetingBefore you respond to Part 2 review the following information on Capital Budgeting TechniquesCapital Budgeting Decision Methods (LINK) —– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfZ6lznPf2U&ab_channel=MichaelNugentTo avoid damaging its market value, each company must use the correct discount rate to evaluate its projects. Review and discuss the following:• Compare and contrast the internal rate of return approach to the net present value approach. Which is better? Support your answer with well-reasoned arguments and examples.• Is the ultimate goal of most companies–maximizing the wealth of the owners for whom the firm is being operated–ethical? Why or why not?• Why might ethical companies benefit from a lower cost of capital than less ethical companies?CAPITAL BUDGETING (PRINCIPLES & TECHNIQUES) —- https://www.scribd.com/doc/37253036/Capital-Budgeting-Principles-Techniques