Financial acumen is an important skill for managers in the complex local and global business environment. The unit takes a multidiscipline approach to develop advanced analytical, planning and decision making skills. This unit proposes a theoretical framework for effective and efficient use of financial statement information for business analysis. It identifies and evaluates the key analytical framework components: financial statement, business strategy, accounting, financial, and prospective. This framework is then applied to a variety of complex decision making contexts including security analysis, credit analysis, corporate financing policies analysis, merger and acquisition analysis, and management communications analysis.

Unit details

Location:
City Flinders
Victoria University Online
VU Sydney
Study level:
Postgraduate
Credit points:
12
Unit code:
BAO5734

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Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. Apply a structured analytical framework to facilitate the preparation, interpretation and communication of analysts' reports which evaluate past performance and future prospects for sustainable value creation;  
  2. Generate, commission, interpret and/or communicate relevant, reliable and comprehensible performance information on external and internal factors critical to sustainable value creation (such as financial and non-financial key performance indicators (KPIs));  
  3. Review and evaluate the elements that shape value creation and triple bottom-line performance (including competitive environment, strategy, structure and value-creating activities) and translate them to disciplinary and professional practice; and  
  4. Critically reflect as part of an inter-disciplinary team on the broad range of elements that frame corporate values.  

Assessment

Melbourne campuses

Students studying under the VU Block Model.

Assessment type Description Grade
Test Theory questions and case studies 15%
Assignment Assignment 10%
Report Analyst's report on a publicly listed company (group assignment) 25%
Examination Final exam 50%

Other locations

Assessment type Description Grade
Test Online test on theories and small case studies 15%
Presentation Oral presentation 10%
Report Analyst's report - major international publicly listed company 25%
Report Final report 50%

Required reading

Business analysis and valuation: Using financial statements -Text and cases (2nd Asia-Pacific ed.).
Palepu, K.G., Healy, P.M., Wright, S., Bradbury, M., & Lee, P. (2015).
South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia.

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