Stocks
Overview
Investing in stocks is an option when planning for retirement or other financial management decisions. In this activity, you will research how to evaluate stocks as an investment option.
Instructions
In a 1–2-page paper, please respond to the following:
- Explain the differences in stock trading between two different stock exchanges.
- Identify two different stock exchanges in the United States.
- Describe the similarities and differences between the two stock exchanges.
- Explain how a company’s free cash flow impacts its growth potential. Cite the free cash flow of example companies.
- Identify one company on each of the two stock exchanges you researched in 1.
- Determine the free cash flow from 2019 and 2020 for each company.
- What inferences can you draw from the companies’ free cash flow?
- Apply financial ratios to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of stocks as investments.
- Using the 2019 and 2020 financial statements for both stocks, prepare two financial ratios for each of the following categories: liquidity ratios, asset management ratios, and profitability ratios. You should have a total of six ratios for each stock, per year.
- What challenges, strengths, or weaknesses do you see when you examine these ratios?
Communicating professionally and ethically is an essential skill set we teach at Strayer. The following guidelines ensure: ·· Your writing is professional ·· You avoid plagiarizing others ·· You give credit to others in your work Review Strayer’s Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Handbook. Bookmark the SWS website for additional SWS resources. Visit the SWS YouTube page to view helpful SWS videos. Fall 2020 http://studenthandbook.strayer.edu/Student-Disciplinary-and-Grievance-Policies-and-Procedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy https://library.strayer.edu/sws https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSvmYamJpLX5DN_56vyQqN4VzitwJU-9r Strayer Writing Standards 2
Include page numbers.
Use 1-inch margins.
Use numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on) or spell out numbers (one, two, three, and so on).
Double space body text in the assignment.
Use consistent 12-point font.
Use section headings to divide separate content areas. Center the section headings on the page, be consistent, and include at least two section headings in the assignment.
Include the assignment title, your name, course title, your professor’s name, and the date of submission on a separate page (first page of submission).
Use appropriate language and be concise.
Write in active voice when possible. Find tips here.
Use spelling/grammar check and proofread to keep work error free.
Choose a point of view (first, second, or third person) as required by assignment guidelines.
Provide credible sources to support your ideas/work when required. Find tips here.
Cite sources throughout your work when you borrow someone else’s words or ideas.
Don’t forget: Cite and add your textbook to the Source List if used as a source.
Include a Sources List when the assignment requires research or if you cite the textbook.
Type “Sources” centered horizontally on the first line of the Source List page.
Record the sources that you used in your assignment in a numbered list (see Giving Credit to Authors and Sources section). Essay/Paper Guidelines Design Title Page Develop Cite Credible Sources Build a Sources List Use these rules when working on an essay! https://ask.library.strayer.edu/faq/323416 https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/ Strayer Writing Standards 3
Use the provided template to format the assignment.
Generally not required. If it is required, include the assignment title, your name, course title, your professor’s name, and the date of submission on a separate page (first page of submission).
Use appropriate language and be concise.
Write in active voice when possible. Find tips here.
Use spelling/grammar check and proofread to keep work error free.
Choose a point of view (first, second, or third person) as required by assignment guidelines.
Specific assignment guidelines may override these standards. When in doubt, follow specific assignment guidelines first.
Provide credible sources to support your ideas/work when required. Find tips here.
Cite sources throughout your work when you borrow someone else’s words or ideas.
Don’t forget: Cite and add your textbook to the Source List if used as a source.
Complete the provided Source List when the assignment requires research or if you cite the textbook.
If no specific area exists in the template, consult the assignment and instructor guidelines for appropriate source credit methods.
Cite sources throughout your assignment when you borrow someone else’s words or ideas.
When quoting or paraphrasing a source, include the source number in parentheses after the body text where you quote or paraphrase. Templated Assignment Guidelines Design Title Page Develop Cite Credible Sources Build a Source List Use these rules when working on a written assignment that is not explicitly an essay! https://ask.library.strayer.edu/faq/323416 https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/ Strayer Writing Standards 4
Use a background color or image on slides.
Use Calibri, Lucida Console, Helvetica, Futura, Myriad Pro, or Gill Sans font style.
Use 28–32-point font size for the body of your slides (based on your chosen font style). Avoid font sizes below 24-point.
Use 36–44-point font size for the titles of your slides (based on chosen font style).
Limit slide content (7 or fewer lines per slide and 7 or fewer words per line).
Number slides when the assignment requires 3 or more slides. Place numbers wherever you like (but be consistent).
Include appropriate images that connect directly to the slide content or presentation content.
Include the assignment title, your name, course title, your professor’s name, and the date of submission on a separate slide (first of submission).
Use appropriate language and be concise.
Write in active voice when possible. Find tips here.
Use spelling/grammar check and proofread to keep work error free.
Provide credible sources to support your ideas/work when required. Find tips here.
Cite sources throughout your work when you borrow someone else’s words or ideas.
Don’t forget: Cite and add your textbook to the Source List if used as a source.
Sources may be provided on a slide-by-slide basis (providing Source List entries at bottom of slide where source referenced) or in a comprehensive Source List at the end of slideshow.
Include a Sources List slide when assignment requires research or if you cite the textbook.
Type “Sources” centered horizontally on the first line of the Source List slide.
Provide sources used in your assignment in a numbered list (see Giving Credit to Authors and Sources section). PowerPoint/Slideshow Guidelines Design Title Page Develop Cite Credible Sources Build a Sources List Use these rules when working on a PowerPoint or slideshow assignment! https://ask.library.strayer.edu/faq/323416 https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/ Strayer Writing Standards 5
Use consistent 12-point font.
Include appropriate images or media links that connect directly to discussion topic/content.
Use appropriate language and be concise.
Write in active voice when possible. Find tips here.
Use spelling/grammar check and proofread to keep work error free.
Provide credible sources to support your ideas/work when required. Find tips here.
Cite sources throughout your discussion response when you borrow someone else’s words or ideas.
Cite quotes and paraphrases correctly: Include the source number in parentheses after the body text where quotation or paraphrasing occurs.
Don’t forget: Cite and add your textbook to the Sources List if used as a source.
Type the word “Sources” at the end of your post, and below that include a list of any sources that you cited.
Number all sources in the order they appear. Discussion Post Guidelines Design Develop Cite Credible Sources Use these rules when working on a Discussion Forum post or response! For more information on building a Source List Entry, see Source List section. SAMPLE POST: The work is the important part of any writing assignment. According to Smith, “writing things down is the biggest challenge” (1). This is significant because… Sources 1. William Smith. 2018. The Way Things Are. http:// www.samplesite.com/writing If you pulled information from more than one source, continue to number the additional sources in the order that they appear in your post. SAMPLE POST: The work is the important part of any writing assignment. According to Smith, “writing things down is the biggest challenge” (1). This is significant because… The other side of this is also important. It is noted that “the act of writing isn’t important as much as putting ideas somewhere useful” (2). Sources 1. William Smith. 2018. The Way Things Are. http:// www.samplesite.com/writing 2. Patricia Smith. 2018. The Way Things Really Are. http://www.betterthansample.com/tiger Examples https://ask.library.strayer.edu/faq/323416 https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/ Strayer Writing Standards 6 Credit to Authors and Sources Option #1: Paraphrasing Rewording Source Information in Your Own Words · Rephrase source information in your own words. Avoid repeating the same words of the author. · Remember, you cannot just replace words from the original sentence. · Add the author’s last name and a number to the end of your paraphrase as a citation (which will be the same on your Source List). Examples ORIGINAL SOURCE “Writing at a college level requires informed research.” PARAPHRASING As Harvey wrote, when writing a paper for higher education, it is critical to research and cite sources (1). When writing a paper for higher education, it is imperative to research and cite sources (Harvey, 1). Option #2: Quoting Citing Another Person’s Work Word-for-Word · Place quotation marks at the beginning and end of quoted information. · Limit quotes to two or fewer sentences (approximately 25 words) at a time. · Do not start a sentence with a quotation. · Introduce and explain quotes within the context of your paper. · Add the author’s last name and a number to the end of the quote as a citation (which will be the same on your Source List). Examples ORIGINAL SOURCE “Writing at a college level requires informed research.” QUOTING Harvey wrote in his book, “Writing at a college level requires informed research” (1). Many authors agree, “Writing at a college level requires informed research” (Harvey, 1). Use these rules for using evidence and creating in-text citations! General Credit · Credit quoted or paraphrased sources using an in-text citation. An in-text citation includes the primary author’s last name and the number of the source from the Source List. · Before using any source, first determine its credibility. Then decide if the source is appropriate and relevant for your project. Find tips here. · Well-researched assignments have at least as many sources as pages (see assignment instructions). https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/evaluate https://library.strayer.edu/research_strategies/evaluate Strayer Writing Standards 7 Web sources are accessed through an internet browser. Home Pages A home page loads when typing a standard web address. For instance, typing Google.com into any web browser will take you to Google’s home page.