Stock Performance Analysis Final Report The final report should be 10-12 pages (1.15 spacing) including the title page, table of contents, executive summary, introduction, findings and discussion, conclusions, recommendations, and references.
Take the following steps to complete the progress and analytical reports:
A. Analyze the data in the weekly values table. Consider the following, in addition to other points of interest you may find:
What is the overall gain or loss of the portfolio and of the S&P/TSX Composite Index?
Which individual companies gained value? Which gained the most?
Which lost value? Which lost the most?
How and when did the S&P/TSX Composite change in value?
Did any dramatic changes in value occur in the stock or in the S&P/TSX Composite? If so, when?
Which weeks had the most gain and the most loss for the stocks and for the Composite Index?
B. Gather information on the S&O/TSX Composite Index so you can briefly explain what the index is to your client in your report. Remember that the TSX Composite is not a dollar value, but rather an index number that is helpful only when comparing it to the index number from previous time periods. Answer the following questions in a couple of paragraphs as you explain the Composite Index to your client in your letter report.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report Writing Guideline
Be sure to provide appropriate citation and references.
What is the S&P/TSX Composite Index in general? What is its purpose?
When and why was it created?
How is the number determined? Is it a dollar value? Why not?
Who uses the S&P/TSX Composite Index, and why?
What does a comparison of the performance of the S&P/TSX Composite Index and the performance of specific stocks or portfolios of stocks show?
C. Create three graphics to support and reinforce the points you make in the report.
A table that shows the purchase and selling values and gain or loss of each stock and of the whole portfolio.
A multiple-line graph that compares the performance of the overall portfolio with the performance of the S&P/TSX Composite Index over the eight weeks Ms. Seacole has owned the stock. Because the portfolio value is a dollar amount and the S&P/TSX Composite Index is an index number, you cannot plot them directly in the same graph. You must convert both in some way so they can be legitimately compared. The most logical conversion is percentage of change so the reader can see the percentage of change each week compared to the first week and thus the overall gain or loss in value of the portfolio.
The formula for computing percentage of change is latter time period minus former time period divided by former time period: Week 2-Week 1 divided by Week 1. Be sure the decimals are correctly placed. For a legitimate comparison of the selling value with the purchase value, you should always use the purchase value as the “former” time period. That way, the comparison will show how much the stock went up or down since it was purchased. For example, for the third time period, the formula will be Week 3-Week 1 divided by Week 1.
One other graphic (not another table) that helps illustrate how the stock performed.
Label your graphics as Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 and provide a complete, appropriate title for each graphic that introduces the reader to the specific content of the graphic Capitalize the titles correctly, and include the figure number as part of the title. The client’s name should appear in each graphic’s title.
D. Determine the stock in which Ms. Seacole should invest further using the data and graphics you prepared in the prewriting stage and using research on the effects on the stock market.
E., Write a draft of your report telling your client how her stock has performed, what this performance means for future investment, and what recommendations you have.
Support what you say with the graphics you created from the data you collected weekly and with references to articles that discuss the companies or industries in which Ms. Seacole holds stock. These sources should help explain possible influences on the value of the stock. You should use at least six sources in explaining the effects on the stock values.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report Paper Format and Source Documentation
Be sure to document the source in your report in APA style.
Remember to do the following with the graphics you use in your report.
Insert the graphics in the report where appropriate to support what you are saying in the text. Be sure to refer to each graphic before it appears in the text.
If a graphic will not fit at the bottom of the page, put it at the top of the following page, and continue with text on the preceding page where the graphic would not fit.
In the report, when referring to the graphic and its content, avoid merely describing the overall content of the graphic. Point out two or three key pieces of information in the graphic or point out a conclusion that can be drawn from the content of the graphic.
E. Revise, edit, and format the report.
Revise the draft of the report. In revising, first the content. Should more be added in a section? Should some content be deleted? Check to see that the content is enough in each section to meet the purpose of the report—to let your client clearly understand how her stock performed and why you have made particular recommendations.
Follow the guidelines for formatting the report on the peer review sheet and rubric carefully. Ensure all citations and references are in APA 6th edition style.
