M591 coursework assignment

Academic year 2008/9

Coursework Title:	How to lose the most money in 100 days
Coursework Due Date:	February 2, 2009
Lecturer:	C Nguyen

COURSEWORK DESCRIPTION

Imagine that you have $100,000 on December 1, 2008 which must be fully invested in a portfolio of financial stocks listed on a public stock exchange such as NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the London Stock Exchange (LSE) or the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The portfolio must contain at least 5 financial stocks. Prices of selected stocks in the investment portfolio must be available from Yahoo Finance.

100 days later on March 10, 2009, the stocks in the investment portfolio will be valued using the close of day prices.

The objective of the coursework assignment is to use risk analysis methods and news research to determine which portfolio of stocks which would yield the lowest possible value after 100 days.

Write a report that:

Describes which stocks you decided to purchase on December 1, 2008 using the full $100,000 investment (ignore any commission or taxes).
Describes the risks associated with the stocks in your portfolio supported with analysis and research.
Estimates the value of the portfolio on March 10, 2009.

The length of the report must be at least 2,500 words and no more than 3,000 words (excluding appendices and reference list). This coursework contributes 60% to the M591 unit mark.

The report should inform the reader in a way that is easy to understand and reflects your own personal style. You may use supporting images, charts, diagrams and other visual elements from outside sources as long as each source is properly cited within your report. Students are required to use the Harvard APA referencing and citation format for all external sources.

COURSEWORK SUBMISSION

Students are required to submit their coursework online using the Mosaic website.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(1) Report content (40 marks)

Marks	Criteria
29–40	The report content has a balanced mix of content that appeals to readers with a financial background and casual readers.
28	The report content is accessible to casual readers who may not have a financial background.
24–27	The report effectively uses visual techniques to support key concepts and claims.
20–23	The report effectively uses historical examples and pricing data as supporting evidence.
16–19	At a threshold level, the report indicates knowledge of financial stock transactions, valuation and potential sources of market risks.
0–15	The report content has minimal relevance to financial stocks and risk analysis.

(2) Analytical methods (40 marks)

Marks	Criteria
29–40	The report contains creative and convincing research, analysis and reflection about the process of estimating market risks for financial stocks.
28	The report follows a plan of inquiry and has thoughtful reflection about the advantages and disadvantages of using risk analysis methods which use historical information to estimate future risks.
24–27	The report follows a plan of inquiry supported by relevant market research and risk analysis methods.
20–23	The report follows a plan of inquiry supported by risk analysis methods.
16–19	At a threshold level, the report uses 5 risk analysis methods.
0–11	There is insufficient evidence of risk analysis methods in the report.

(3) Writing and style (20 marks)

Marks	Criteria
15–20	Report effectively uses a personal style that has a purposeful and easy to follow structure with very few grammar, punctuation or spelling errors.
14	Report has a purposeful and easy to follow structure with very few grammar, punctuation or spelling errors.
12–13	Report has a clear structure and few grammar, punctuation or spelling errors.
10–11	Report has an organizing theme and some grammar, punctuation or spelling errors.
8–9	At a threshold level, the report is organized to identify the portfolio, the analytical methods and the risks.
0–7	There are an unacceptable number of errors with grammar and organization of the report.