FIN Project Files Uploaded!

Please be advised that all necessary files have been uploaded to initiate your project work. If you have any question/query please email me. Thanks.

FIN254 Project Update!

The first submission deadline of FIN254 project has been extended further up to 17th of November (Sunday) because of interruption due to strike. Please note that you may use library computers other than Cyber Corner during weekends both on Friday and Saturday. Moreover, Cyber Corner now remains open on Saturdays, other than the weekdays.

As I already have received full submissions by some students, and you can use library computers during weekends, I will not extend the deadline again.

 

Thanks.

FIN254 Project Update!

The first submission deadline of FIN254 project has been extended up to 14th of November (Thursday) because of interruption due to strike.

Thanks.

FIN254 Project!

The purpose of the project is to make you familiarize with standard finance journal articles and side by side to form ideas about foreign faculty members/researchers and universities making real contribution to the knowledge base related to Finance.

You will do this task in two phases. In the first phase you will download the assigned journal articles and save/organize/rename them as shown in class, in the project instruction document (the guideline), or in the sample provided to you. You will need to submit these files to me.

Then for the second phase, you will be filling out a prescribed excel data file and prepare a short report composed by MS Word. You will be required to submit printed copy of the report in word and the excel file (selected columns) as an attachment and submit the softcopy of both the files as well through email. Submission will be done in three steps using the following deadlines.

Submission Deadlines
1st Submission	12th November, 2013	Tuesday
2nd Submission	1st December, 2013	Sunday
Final Submission	15th December, 2013	Sunday

In your first submission, you submit about 50% of the downloaded journal articles. Please note that these files should be renamed and organized as indicated in this guideline and in the sample folder. In the second submission, you submit all (100%) of the journal articles assigned to you. You do that by submitting your pendrive in an envelop writing your id, name, section either in the class or in my office room. Please make sure to collect your pendrive from me both times.

In the final submission you submit printed copy of your project report along with the excel data file as an attachment. You must also email me these two files using following format.

Subject	[133] your nsu id; your name; section
TO	imran.edu@gmail.com, imran@northsouth.edu
CC	Your own email address

Make sure to include your own email address too as CC, so that you have a copy of the sent email. Before sending me the email please recheck your data and files minutely. I won’t be able to accommodate your request of accepting a modified version next time. Please wait at least one day for email acknowledgment from me as a confirmation of my receipt of your email. If you don’t receive my acknowledgment by one day then resend the email to me. Please keep checking your email frequently around that period because I may send you an email as an alert if I find significant problems in your files/work.

Please note that for early submission you will get some bonus points (0.50 for each day) up to maximum of 5 points. However, for late submission you will lose points (0.25 for each day) as well. Thank you and wish you best of luck for the project.

FIN254 Project Files Uploaded!

Project resource files have been uploaded. You may get access to them both from our campus resource drive and also using course folder links given above in this blog.

The purpose of the project is to calculate Beta (β) for some stocks and to interpret it to have some basic understanding of stock behavior in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Before you start the project work please open and verify all the resource files to check whether there is any problem opening/accessing them. Please read the project instruction file carefully to understand all the steps and requirements of the project.

You will need to prepare twenty excel files (one per stock) for the project. Please review the stock_template file by checking three worksheets to understand the nature of the job you are assigned to do for the project. You need to prepare twenty such project files for the twenty assigned stocks.

After you are done with preparing twenty excel files calculating Beta/slope for the assigned stocks, you will then fill out a worksheet (Beta/Slopes at a Glance) provided in the resource file, Project Report Attachment or Summary Template.xlsx. 

You will then write a report in a word document (preferably two pages long excluding the cover page and the report attachment) file summarizing your findings taking help/guidance from the Beta interpretation table given in project instruction file.

Please note that before you start, open the “Assigned Stocks for Project.xlsx” file and see the assigned stocks for YOU carefully. If you do somebody else’s stocks you would get a ‘zero’ in your project.

You need to write a project report [try to limit it within maximum of 3 pages (preferably 2 pages) excluding cover page and attachment] in a word file. Name the project report word file using your nsu id (for example, if you id is 121-0001-030, then your file should be named as “1210001030_Report_132.docx”).

Write about your findings considering Beta Interpretation table and classify the stocks accordingly. Do try to see if there is any interesting pattern in slope values depending on time period considered for their measurements or depending on the industry/business sector they belong to. Try to explain the overall Beta/slope values in your own words exploring different possibilities of relationships. You may also use your imagination to explain or categorize them graphically using graphs and charts.

You need to make two types of submission – softcopy submission using email and hardcopy submission in the class. For softcopy submission, you need to email me twenty stock files, the project report attachment/summary file, and the word report (a total of 22 files: 21 excel files and one word file) using the following format. The email deadline is 24th of August, 2013, Saturday midnight (12 am). For convenience you may use compression software, such as, winzip or winrar to compress all files into a single file and attach that to your email.

Subject	your nsu id; your name; section [Report 132]
TO	imran.edu@gmail.com, imran@northsouth.edu
CC

Make sure to include your own email address too as CC, so that you have a copy of the sent email. Before sending me the email please recheck your data and files minutely. I won’t be able to accommodate your request of accepting a modified version next time. Please wait at least one day for email acknowledgment from me as a confirmation of my receipt of your email. If you don’t receive my acknowledgment by one day then resend the email to me. Please keep checking your email frequently around that period because I may send you an email as an alert if I find significant problems in your files/work.

For hardcopy submission of the stocks, just submit your word report along with cover page and the project report attachment. Hardcopy submission deadline is 25th of August, 2013, Sunday in class.

If you don’t do both softcopy and hardcopy and follow one method of submission (either hardcopy submission in my office or softcopy submission through email), you would receive 50% credit for the project.

There will be a penalty of half point for each day of delay. However, you will receive half a mark bonus point for each day for advance submission, for a maximum of 5 marks bonus! So, although this project work has a weight of 10 marks, you have a chance to get 15 marks or 15% of the entire course marks.

Thank you and wish you best of luck for the project.

FIN254 Project Update and More!

As the opposition political party called a 36-hour strike from tomorrow, submission deadlines have been rescheduled to 24th April (Wednesday midnight) for softcopy and 25th April (Thursday in class) for hardcopy.

In the event of the strike prolonging to Thursday, there will be a make-up class on Friday (26th of April) at 3 pm in our regular class room. Hardcopy of the project will be accepted in that make-up class. However, softcopy submission deadline will remain the same.

Thanks.

FIN254 Project Update!

As we have missed all classes this week due to repeated strikes, the report submission date has been changed to 21st of April, 2013 (Sunday).

Thanks.

FIN254 Project Update!

Those of you who are having problem for missing daily trading information of the stocks after October 2012, can download the new price file [TradingInfo_FromOct.xlsx] from the Project folder (both online and resource drive).

Thanks.

FIN254 Project and Hartals!

I understand the problems you would face because of missing regular classes this week due to hartals. That's why I am planning to be available in my office from 10 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm on hartal days. Those of you who live nearby the campus, you may visit my office. But be very careful on your way, do not take any unnecessary risk.

You may also call my office telephone number (8852000 ext: 1734) to talk to me over phone for any queries regarding your project work. Try to do as much work as possible to utilize this idle time. Otherwise study pressure might be very high as we are expecting many make-up classes in the coming weeks in a very short time span.

Thank you.

FIN254 Project!

The main purpose of this project is to identify best holding period giving most return from a stock surrounding dividend announcement date, record date, and annual general meeting (AGM) date during last 5 years from 2008 to 2012. You must do this job using the format and guidelines prescribed here. Ten stocks have been assigned for each student and the assessment would be done for each student individually. Fortunately, I am providing you with most of the work done in form of the excel template. Without the template one may need more than 100 hours to complete the job. But now with the template it should be completed in less than one-fourth of that time.

All resource files necessary for completion of the project are made available in the course folder. You must follow the directions given in the project instruction file given along with other resource files. Please contact me if you find difficulty in filling out data or following the directions properly.

You need to make two types of submission – softcopy submission using email and hardcopy submission in the class. For softcopy submission of the stock pairs please use the following format and send the email attaching two stock excel files.

Subject	DSE trading codes of the two stocks;  your nsu id; your name; section
TO	imran.edu@gmail.com, imran@northsouth.edu
CC	your own email address

For the final report submission, please use the following format and sent the email with your word report file, all ten assigned stock excel files, and report attachment excel file.

Subject	Project_131; your nsu id; your name; section
TO	imran.edu@gmail.com, imran@northsouth.edu
CC	your own email address

For hardcopy submission of the stocks, just print the analysis worksheet of two stocks and submit in the class. For hardcopy submission of the final report, you must use the prescribed cover page on top of your report, and give the following as attachments to your report - analysis worksheets of all your stocks and at a glance worksheet.

Please follow the schedule below for all your submissions. Each week you need to submit excel files of two of your assigned stocks [there is no penalty for delayed submission, but if you can meet the deadlines, you will receive 1 extra point each time] and the final report on the last deadline [you must not miss this deadline; for delayed submission you would lose 1 point for each day].

Table: Project Submission Deadlines

Submissions	Date	Day
1st two stocks	10 March, 2013	Sunday
2nd two stocks	17 March, 2013	Sunday
3rd two stocks	24 March, 2013	Sunday
4th two stocks	31 March, 2013	Sunday
5th two stocks	7 April, 2013	Sunday
Report Submission	14 April, 2013	Sunday

Make sure to include your own email address too as CC, so that you have a copy of the sent email. Before sending me the email please recheck your data and files minutely. I won’t be able to accommodate your request of accepting a modified version next time. Please wait at least one day for email acknowledgment from me as a confirmation of my receipt of your email. If you don’t receive my acknowledgment by one day then resend the email to me. Please keep checking your email frequently around that period because I may send you an email as an alert if I find significant problems in your files/work.

If you don’t do both softcopy and hardcopy and follow one method of submission (either hardcopy submission in my office or softcopy submission through email), you would receive 50% credit for the project.

Thank you and wish you best of luck for the project.

FIN254 Project Update!

Those of you who are done with the Data Entry part may proceed to the next level - Data Analysis. Please follow the 3 steps mentioned below.

1.       Select rows 60 through 152 of the excel template;

2.       Click the right button of your mouse; and

3.       Select “Unhide” from the menu or just press the letter ‘u’ in your keyboard.

Following images may help you follow the steps if you are still not clear what to do.

After you unhide the hidden rows, you would see the required ratio and other measures given to you. You then use basic formulas to calculate those measures using the dataset you prepared for the data entry task.

For example, in cell B65 [Column B and row 65] you calculate Current Ratio [= Current Assets / Current Liabilities] for 2011 by inserting this formula: “=B13/B17”(without the quotation marks) where B13 cell refers to Current Assets and B17 indicates Current Liabilities. After successful entry of a formula (or all the formulas) in 2011, you may select and drag along up to whatever year your dataset supports. Walla! All the formulas will be calculated automatically.

You may follow similar strategy for the Yearly Changes/Growths (%) measures as well. For example, for the cell B105 (yearly changes in cash ratio), please type “=(B64-C64)/C64”(without the quotation marks) to calculate yearly changes for 2011.

After you are done calculating all the formulas, now is the time for you to prepare a report using Microsoft word. You need to submit a short report (2 to 3 pages long) on your findings. You may talk about liquidity, solvency, asset management, profitability, market situation of your companies highlighting strengths and weaknesses. You may also talk about important trend or improvement/decline in certain areas in recent years looking at the yearly changes.

Final Report Submission Guidelines

You need to submit both soft-copy (through email attachments of the word report file and all excel files to both of my email addresses) and hard-copy of the word report along with the “Data Entry and Analysis” worksheet as attachments. Along with the hard copy you must submit all the annual reports or financial statements used for your data entry. You will receive bonus points if you do this earlier. Points will be deducted if submitted late. Do remember to use appropriate subject in your email, for example, “Report by [your name and id number]”.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

FIN254 Project Update!

An excel template (Template.xlsx) has been made available in the project folder. You will be using this template for each of the stocks you are assigned for individual project work. Following are some steps you would follow for each stock.

1. After downloading the file, open the file using Microsoft Excel and then rename (using save as function) it using your id, name, and DSE trading code of the stock. For example, if your id is "101-1010-030", name is "Salman Khan", and company is "Grameen Phone Limited", then you should rename the template as "1011010030_SalmanKhan_GP.xlsx".

2. There are three worksheets in this template. First worksheet is "DSE Company Profile". You would copy and paste the company profile from Dhaka Stock Exchange website (http://www.dse.com.bd/displayCompany.php?name=?) [replace "?" by your stock's DSE trading code].

3. Second worksheet is "Data Entry and Analysis". You are required to fill up the yellow colored cells only. Start with the period 2011, and then proceed to earlier periods gradually. Most of the necessary data would be found in the periodic financial statements. Some data may be found in the annual reports, or in the company profile page of DSE. Two additional excel files have been provided for your assistance. One is "MONTHLY PRICE DATA BETWEEN 1999 TO 2012.xls" to record share price at the end of each period. Another is "DIV. ARCHIVE.xls" to help you record dividend related data.

4. Third worksheet is "Remarks". Here you discuss about problems you faced in data entry and ratio analysis for the stock.

If you have any issue regarding data entry, please don't hesitate to contact me. If data entry is done, you email me (to both of my email addresses with appropriate subject) softcopy of the excel file and submit printed copy of the "Data Entry and Analysis" worksheet by 20th November, 2012 to get your 3 points for the project.

There will be a penalty for late submission. Each day of delay will cost you 5% (i.e., 0.15) of data entry points. Of course, you may submit it earlier. There will be bonus points for early submission. You will receive 10% (i.e., 0.30) of data entry points for each day. However, total bonus points will not exceed 2 points. Incomplete submission would not qualify for bonus points.

FIN254 Project!

The purpose of this project is to analyze some DSE stocks using Ratio Analysis. Each student is assigned with 2 stocks to analyze (please refer to “Assigned Stocks” file to know about yours). You will have to analyze 10 years of data. Necessary files have been uploaded in the “Project” folder. There are three important deadlines to meet for the project as mentioned below.

Important Tasks	Weeks	Deadline	Points
Data Collection	2-wks	22-OCT	3
Data Entry	4-wks	20-NOV	3
Ratio Analysis	2-wks	04-DEC	4
Total Project Points			10

What is Data Collection?

Here data collection means to collect audited financial statements (Balance Sheet or Statement of Financial Position, Income Statement or Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of Cash Flows, and Statement of Changes in Equity) with relevant Notes/Disclosures found in the Annual Reports for the stocks you are assigned with.

Where can we find the Data?

Primary source for the Annual Reports of the companies is the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Library. If the relevant annual reports are available in digital format, you may order a data cd. Please keep your NSU Id with you to get student discount. If digital version is not available, you may photocopy relevant pages of the Annual Reports. You may also look for the annual reports in the footpaths/sidewalks in front of the DSE building which might be cheaper than photocopying. For recent years of data, you may visit company website and download them.

Once data is collected you show me the data to get your 3 marks for the project.

What is Data Entry?

Once you have the data, means, the annual reports, you are ready to input relevant data in an excel template that I would provide you. There would be designated cells where you make the data entry as instructed.

Show me the excel file once data entry is complete to get another 3 marks for the project.

What to do for Ratio Analysis?

I will give some ratio to calculate. You would be using the excel file where you made the data entry to calculate the ratio I would give you. Once you are done calculating the ratio, you submit your excel file along with a short report to me to get your last 4 marks for the project by the deadline.

You may visit the DSE link (http://dse.com.bd/company%20listing.php) to visit your assigned stocks to get some idea about them. If you have any questions or issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me as soon as possible!