Essays and Research Papers on Finance

A 3 page paper comparing traditional US cost reduction and Japanese target costing. Both apply in new product development, where cost reduction occurs much differently. The bottom line is that the Japanese approach dispenses with lost time and effort in returning to product design to achieve greater cost advantage. A product being ...

This 4 page paper undertakes a financial analysis of Apple Inc. and Sony for the financial years 2007 and 2008. The paper compares a range of ratios including profit margins, asset utilization, liquidity and capital structure. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

This 8 page paper looks at issues concerning the way brand equity is measured and why it is important. The first part of the paper considers the measurement of brand equity including looking at brand assets and liabilities. The second part of the paper looks at what it meant by hard equity and why it ...

This 5-page paper examines various accounting concepts and ties the costing elements into pricing decisions for Starbucks. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 4 page paper looks at 4 issues in accounting in the UK. The first is the way that non current assets are accounted for, the second looks at the problems encounter when valuing stock, the third considers the challenges of the historical costing convention and the last part discusses the use of ratio analysis ...

A 12 page paper assessing the 2005, 2006 and 2007 business results of Ford and GM. At a time when all are crying for loans from congress, it is evident that the current financial distress among the former "big three" has been building for some time and should have taken no one at all ...

This 12 page considers Ahold and Groupe Casino as potential take overt targets for Tesco, undertaking a financial analysis of their FY 2006 and 2007 results in order to assess performance. The bibliography cites 7 sources.

This 7 page paper discusses at currency hedging, defining what it is and looking at how it is used and the way that currency hedging can reduce exposure to risk of currency exchange rates. The bibliography cites 4 sources.

Companies face a range of financial risks; these can include exchange rate fluctuations and changes in interest rates. This 5 page paper looks at the way a firm may reduce their exposure to these risks. Strategies considered include the use of long and short hedging and the use of currency and interest rate swaps. ...

This 4 page paper looks at a case study supplied by the student. A university needs to increase financial control and is looking at introducing profit centers for each academic department. The paper answers three questions, the first looks at the goals and the potential problems, the second part looks at specific problems with the ...

This 7 page paper is based on a case study supplied by the student. The paper presents the potential covering notes and address to stakeholders that can be included in an annual report. The aspects covered include the business and strategy, the risk factors, financial condition, creditworthiness, competitive position and financial and accounting procedures. The ...

A 3 page paper discussing the benefits and uses of responsibility accounting. The antidote to micromanaging is delegation, but with that delegation arises the need for managers delegated to, to be accountable for their decisions. Responsibility accounting fills that need and is practiced at many companies, including Coca-Cola. Bibliography lists 3 sources. ...

A 3 page paper discussing forecasting and budgeting at an apparel manufacturer. The result of the combination of an accurate forecast and a budget based on that forecast is function at optimum levels for the organization's success. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 3-page paper focuses on the rise of the Japanese yen against the US dollar, and steps that the central banks in the G-7 nations can take to reduce the value. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper looks at what economic indicators may be useful for Black and Decker and discusses what they might mean for the firm and how the firm will react to different changes in these indicators. The paper then looks specifically at the new housing statistics to consider what these mean for Black and ...

This 3-page paper examines consumer spending and economic outlooks in the United States Federal Reserve as a whole and in the Fed's Sixth District of Atlanta. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3-page paper examines some accounting methods of Simon & Hobbs, discussing revenue recognition, salaries payables and expenses. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 7-page paper focuses on the purpose of a statement of cash flows (cash flow statement) and what it is. Also discussed are cash flow ratios. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 4-page paper discusses management assertions in connection with Mattel, financial fraud, and Arthur Andersen.

This 5 page paper undertakes a financial analysis of Chipotle Mexican Grill 2004 – 2009, looking at profitability efficiency and liquidity, comparing the performance to the industry and looking at the performance of the stock price. The bibliography cites 3 sources.

This 7 page paper looks at the argument in favor of global financial reform, looking at whether or not there should be an international response to the international problems caused by the 2008/9 recession and if measures, such as the creation of a global bank to manage and control may be a good move. The ...

This 3 page paper highlights points in this article and provides a reaction to the situation. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 13 page paper. This essay reports and discusses what many analysts have said caused the crisis. Some present a historical overview, which provides more insight into the current situation. Federal policies and mandates were catalysts for the housing bubble and even sub-prime loans. The paper also comments on the role of ethics in ...

This 8-page paper discusses how the concept of mark-to-market valuation, also known as "fair market" valuation, might have contributed to, and could be prolonging, the current financial crisis. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 4 page paper looks at the performance of Toyota, how it is performing in the 2007 – 2009 period and compared the performance the automotive industry and compares the performance directly to General Motors, its' nearest competitor. The sales levels and financial performance are compared. The bibliography cites 6 sources. The bibliography cites 5 ...