Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer
In this case, you will put to use what you have learned about reading financial statements to write a 6-page analysis of the health of a company. US Silica Holdings was ranked #1 on Forbes list of America’s best small companies in 2014. Use the links below to view their 2014 annual report and financial statements. Like many companies, the full financial statements are not in their summary report published on their website, but rather located in what is called a 10K – which is a more technical report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Thus you will need to review both the annual report and sections of the 10-K.
2014 Summary Annual Report. (2014). Retrieved from http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=247793&p=irol-reportsannual
2014 Form 10-K . (2014). Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. p. 67. Retrieved from http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=247793&p=irol-reportsannual
Hint: To find the financial statements, click on the 2014 Form 10-K link. This will take you to a table of contents. Scroll down to Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (Item 8) and click the link. There you will find links to the Balance Sheet, Income Statement (called the Consolidated Statement of Operations in this report), and Statement of Cash Flows. There are other statements, but these are the ones you will want to review.
Case Assignment
Your analysis should address the following questions:
1.What does this information tell me about the company’s performance?
2.Has the company done well compared with other financial periods?
3.Has the company exceeded its own targets?
4.How does it compare with other companies in the same industry?
5.What are the future prospects of
a.The firm
b.The local (national) economy
c.The global economy
d.Customers and suppliers
e.Political reform
f.Social, environmental, and ethical considerations
Keys to the Assignment:
•Use evidence and data from the annual report and specified financial statements.
•Stress analysis – simply reporting the data is not sufficient. You must interpret what it means.
•Conduct research to assess global, economic, political, environmental, and ethical considerations impacting the company. This should include at least three library resources.
• You may also include Internet sites such as Bloomberg, Google Finance, or Yahoo! Finance. Be sure to site any ideas or analysis you retrieve from them in your report.
•Cite all sources and provide a reference list using APA format.
•Proofread and edit the paper. The goal is zero errors.
•Submit your paper to TLC by the due date for this module.
For instruction on writing papers, citing sources, proper referencing, and so forth, use Trident University's: Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper.
Assignment Expectations
Your papers will be evaluated using the following five criteria:
•Assignment-Driven Criteria: Does the paper fully address all assignment requirements? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignments addressed accurately and precisely, using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
•Critical Thinking: Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
•Business Writing: Is the paper well-written (clear, developed logically, and well-organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the assignment, or is justification/support conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
•Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy): Does the paper demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by the student’s use of relevant and quality library sources? Do additional sources used in the paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
•Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been cited within the body of the paper?
