14Investment_AnalysisKevin_SessionsUniversity_of_Arizona_Global

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Investment Analysis

Kevin Sessions

University of Arizona Global Campus

BUS 405 Principles of Investments

Mark Stricklett

Mar 20, 2023

Investment Analysis

If I won $100,000 in a lottery, I would be excited at the opportunity to invest it wisely and grow my wealth over time. However, my current financial situation could be more pleasing, and I have a substantial debt that I need to pay off. I am struggling to maintain the interest payments on the debt. My income potential is high and my work stability is certain, long-term financial planning is challenging due to my lack of dollar for dollar accountability utilizing a zero based budget.

In terms of current investments, I do not have any significant investments aside from a traditional 401k and some savings that I accumulated over the past 23 years. A lottery win would provide me with a substantial windfall, and I would like to invest it prudently to help protect my financial future. Considering my current financial status, my top two investing priorities would be to pay off my mortgage and save more for retirement. My mortgage is close to $340,000, so it's a sizable burden that I want to pay off as quickly as possible. The interest I pay on my mortgage would be lowered, and long-term savings would be realized if I used any of my lotto winnings toward paying it off.

In addition, I would like to save more for retirement, as I am only contributing five percent towards a retirement plan, and my future is fairly-certain regarding employment. When the time comes for retirement, I can rest easy knowing I have enough money for my needs. Real estate is one type of investment that I consider as part of my investment plan. Real estate investment has a long history of popularity due to its potential for reliable returns and sustained growth (Waldron, 2018). As someone in my financial condition, I know firsthand the importance of having a stable feeling of security, which can be provided by owning property.

Real estate is a significant investment decision for many reasons. First, it has the potential to bring in a regular stream of cash through rent. Real estate also has a history of steady price increases that can add up to substantial profits over time. Furthermore, real estate ownership can positively impact my tax return through deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes.

In terms of stocks, I would consider investing in, Apple, Amazon, PayPal Holdings, Diageo plc, and EOG Resources Inc. These corporations have proven records of success and are leaders in their respective fields.

Apple Inc. is a multi-trillion-dollar company, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world. The company is well-known in the market for its long tradition of innovation and commitment to producing only the highest quality goods. In addition to a healthy cash flow, the company's balance sheet boasts over $200 billion in reserves.

Amazon is another digital giant that has expanded rapidly in recent times. Its market valuation is almost $1.5 trillion, and the corporation has expanded into many other industries, from e-commerce to cloud computing. In addition, the firm has shown remarkable financial performance, growing its revenues by more than 20% annually on average.

PayPal Holdings is a leading online payment service provider with over $300 billion in market capitalization. The company has shown remarkable financial performance over the years, with annual sales growth of over 20% (ZXhang et al., 2023). Nevertheless, the firm's financial sheet is robust, with over $14 billion in cash reserves.

Diageo plc is a leading producer of alcohol and has a market capitalization of over $110 billion. Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Smirnoff are just a few well-known brands the corporation owns. The firm has also shown consistent success, with annual sales growth above 5%.

EOG Resources Inc. is an oil production company with over $50 billion in market capitalization. The corporation owns shale oil and gas deposits, among other assets, and has regularly shown strong financial performance. The firm has a proven history of dividend payments, now at a yield of around 2%.

I chose these specific stocks based on available data and company information. These companies have proven reliable throughout time by producing consistently solid financial outcomes. In addition to being at the forefront of their fields, each of these businesses has a significant edge over its rivals.

Furthermore, these stocks have a promising future, with a significant opportunity for growth in their respective industries. Apple Inc. stands to gain from the rising need for wearable technology and the ever-expanding smartphone market. Both Amazon and PayPal Holdings stand to gain from the expansion of online shopping, but Amazon stands to gain more from the change to digital payment methods (Bhandary, 2019). Diageo plc is set to benefit from the intensified demand for premium alcoholics and the increasing popularity of craft beer. EOG Resources Inc. is also set up to profit from the rising demand for oil and gas, especially in developing economies.

Overall, my choices of investment align with my financial goals. Real estate is an excellent way to diversify my portfolio since it offers the possibility of both stable income and long-term gain. To add to the benefits of diversifying my portfolio and lowering my risk, I can make high returns by purchasing these stocks. By paying off my mortgage and saving for retirement, I can ensure that I am on track to achieving my financial goals and securing my future.

According to Smart, S., & Zutter, C. J. (2020)."REITs typically offer investors some income in addition to their appreciation potential." With my future in mind, the accumulation and interest of real estate investment trust (REIT) sound exciting.

References

Bhandary, B. (2019). Amazon Pay: Banking on new thinking diagnosis white paper. Available at SSRN 3413354.

Smart, S., & Zutter, C. J. (2020). Fundamentals of investing (14th ed.). Retrieved from https://platform.virdocs.com.

Waldron, R. (2018). Capitalizing on the State: The political economy of real estate investment trusts and the ‘resolution’ of the crisis. Geoforum, 90, 206-218.

ZXhang, Y. X., Haxo, Y. M., & Mat, Y. X. (2023). PYPL PayPal Holdings Inc. Common Stock (No. Stock Analysis). AC Investment Research.

COM 385 EVENT REPORT

You are to write a 3-to-4-page report (not including title page and reference page) about an act of political violence. The assignment has 3 parts.

Part I: Choose Event (Due: Friday, February 17) /1

You will be assigned one of the following time-frames based on your discussion group: 1970s-80s; 1990s; 2000s; or 2010s. I will provide a list for each time period.

Submission Instructions: No incident can be done by more than one person (first come, first served), so you must submit your top three choices from the list provided.

Grading: complete/incomplete (1 point)

Note 1: If you are interested in an event that is not on the list, but within your timeframe, please run it by me as early as possible. Please note that I have purposefully left out the most well-known incidents—e.g., 9/11, 1993 WTC bombing, the Show Bomber, Oklahoma City, Boston Marathon, Pulse Nightclub, San Bernardino, Las Vegas—so I will not approve these as topic choices. This list is not exhaustive, and I retain the right to say no to others (but of course, will explain why).

Note 2: If you do not submit your choices, you will be assigned an event, but will NOT receive credit for this portion of the assignment.

Part 2: Find and Submit Sources (Due: Friday, March 31) /3

For the paper, you are required to use at least six (6) sources all of which should be from news outlets. To do so you MUST use UAlbany Library’s databases. Our subject Librarian, Priscilla Seaman put together the useful databases and recorded a short 3min video to help you navigate.

Requirements for your sources:

1. Sources may include newspaper articles, magazine articles, op-eds, or national and international broadcast media transcripts. You are expected to have a good mix of sources (i.e., not all from the same outlet, not all op-eds or transcripts, etc.).

2. Every source must have been published within one month of the event (e.g., if you choose an event that happened to occur on April 19, 1995, you can use articles between April 19 and May 19, 1995.) You are expected to have a good mix of dates (i.e., not all from the same day or week).

3. Every source must be at least 500 words in length.

4. At least three (3) sources must be over 1,000 words in length.

Submission Instructions: The Library’s databases allow you to save your found sources as pdfs. Via Blackboard, you are to submit all six so that I can ensure that (a) you used the school’s databases; (b) that you fulfilled the source requirements (length of articles, etc.).

Grading: Each submitted source is worth 0.5%. You will lose points if expectations listed above are not met.

Part 3: Final Report (Due: Wednesday, April 26) /11

You are to write a 3-to-4-page report (not including title page and reference page). Your report should follow this template/structure.

(1) Title Page:

Title will be the name of the event, your name, and the date.

(2) Introduction (1 page max):

Avoid any board and sweeping statements. The introduction should provide a detailed account of the who, what, where, when, and how of the event.

(3) Body (2-to-3 pages):

Use at least one source from the course to help you answer the following sets of questions:

(a) Is the act called “terrorism” in media coverage? If so, who is calling it terrorism? That is, who is quoted as saying the incident is a terrorist attack (i.e., government official, bystander, other)? Or is it the author of the piece who makes this decision (i.e., they refer to it as a terrorist attack without citing or quoting anyone)? Does this distinction about who calls an act of violence terrorism matter? Why?

(b) Who (which individuals and organizations) are the primary sources cited by the reporters whose articles, op-eds, and transcripts you have read? Does the make-up of sources matter based on what we have discussed in class? Why or why not?

(c) Do your articles provide an answer to the “why” of the event? That is, does the media coverage provide any historical or political context surrounding the incident?

(d) What information do news outlets give us about the perpetrator(s) (e.g., personal history, affiliations, etc.)? Do the articles mention the perpetrator’s “identity” (i.e., nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, etc.)? Do you think these facts are or are not important for the audience to know? Why? Does the media coverage you have read give you more about the identity of the perpetrator than the historical context? Does this difference matter? Why?

(4) Reference List

List your six (6) media sources as well as your sources from the course in proper APA format.

Formatting: double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-pt font, and 1” margins all around. I will not accept pdfs.

Submission Instructions: submit your final report as a Word document (.doc or.docx) on Blackboard.

Grading ( /11)

Title Page and Proper Formatting: /1

Introduction: /3

Clear explanation of who, what, where, when, and how that integrates sources.

Body: /6

Clear, logical, and well written answers to each set of questions. This includes grammar, spelling, and citation.

Reference List: /1

Week 3 Journal

In the Week 2 - Assignment , you provided a high-level analysis of your current investment situation and overall goals. You also identified at least two types of investments you want to consider as part of your Investment Portfolio (e.g., stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, etc.). This journal assignment will help you complete your Investment Portfolio assignment due in Week 4 and the final presentation due in Week 5.

Prior to attempting this journal assignment,

· Review the Week 4 – Assignment .

· Review the Week 5 – Final Presentation .

In your journal,

· Explain the progress you are making toward completing the Investment Portfolio paper that is due in Week 4.

· Explain what stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment types you might incorporate into your overall portfolio.

· Discuss any questions or concerns you have about the Week 4 or Week 5 assignments.

The Investment Portfolio Check-In journal

· Must be 200 to 300 words in length.

· APA formatting, a title page, and reference pages are not required for this journal assignment.

Carefully review the Grading RubricLinks to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 4 - Assignment

Investment Portfolio Paper

[WLOs: 4, 5] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

For this assignment, you will be creating an investment portfolio allocating $100,000 in funds you won in a hypothetical lottery (see the scenario below). An investment portfolio is a collection of assets and can include investments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds. Two of the most important things to consider when creating a portfolio are your diversification strategy and personal risk tolerance.

For this week’s assignment, you will be further developing your investment portfolio that you started in Week 2. You will also need to create and include a graphic (e.g., table, chart) that illustrates your dollar or percent allocation of the $100,000 investment funds.

Scenario: Imagine you have just won $100,000 in a lottery. You want to invest this money wisely so it can grow over time and help you achieve your overall investment goals.

Prior to beginning work on this assignment,

· Read Chapter 13 of your textbook and consider reviewing the chapters covered in the previous weeks of this course.

· Review your Week 2 Assignment and any instructor feedback given on that assignment.

· Read How to Build an Investment Portfolio Links to an external site. .

· Create a graphic (e.g., pie chart, table) that illustrates your dollar or percent allocation of investment funds. For help creating and inserting this graphic into your paper, consider reviewing these resources:

· Present Data in a Chart Links to an external site.

· Add a Chart to Your Document in Word Links to an external site.

In your paper, include:

Financial Situation and Goals

· Describe your current financial situation at a high level.

· Consider discussing your current and future income potential, current debt, current investments, and anything else significant that can impact your investment strategy.

· Review what you submitted for your Week 2 Assignment and incorporate any instructor feedback provided.

· Create at least two investment goals for yourself that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound).

· Review what you submitted for your Week 2 Assignment and incorporate any instructor feedback provided.

Investment Types and Rationale

· Identify at least three major types of investments you would invest in that align with your goals.

· Explain your rationale for why you chose those three specific investment types, including how it aligns with your SMART goals or how it supports your overall diversification strategy.

Investment Allocation

· Explain how you would allocate the $100,000 to invest in the three investment types (e.g., $50,000 to several stocks, $40,000 to bonds, and $10,000 to mutual funds).

· Include a graphic (e.g., pie chart, table, etc.) that illustrates your dollar or percent allocation of investment funds.

Financial Returns and Risks

· Discuss what financial return you estimate the investment portfolio to deliver 5 years from now using data and calculations. In other words, how much will the portfolio be worth 5 years from now?

· Be sure to show and . Links to an external site.

· Explain two key assumptions you used to arrive at the estimated financial return 5 years from now.

· Consider using historical or forecasted data to support the estimated amount.

· Discuss one potential risk to your overall portfolio to achieve your desired return.

Portfolio Monitoring

· Explain the importance of monitoring your investment portfolio routinely.

Tip: Consider using the bold headings above as level headings to help organize your paper. For help with level headings, review the “Level Heading” section on the APA Style Elements Links to an external site. guide.

The Investment Portfolio paper

· Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style Links to an external site. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word Links to an external site.

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

· Title of paper in bold font

· Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.

· Student’s name

· Name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)

· Course name and number

· Instructor’s name

· Due date

· Must include one graphic (e.g., table or chart). For help with including this figures, review the Tables, Images, & Appendices Links to an external site.

· Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice Links to an external site. resource for additional guidance.

· Must use at least two scholarly, peer-reviewed or credible sources in addition to the course text. Wikipedia and Investopedia are examples of sources that are NOT acceptable for this assignment.

· The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources Links to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.

· To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view the Quick and Easy Library Research Links to an external site. tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.

· Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper Links to an external site.

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List Links to an external site. resource in the Writing Center for specifications.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 5 - Final Presentation

Investment Portfolio Presentation

[WLO: 4] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

This week, you will be creating an eight- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation based on your Week 4 Investment Portfolio assignment. This presentation should address the main components of your investment portfolio as if you are presenting it to a trusted friend or relative to get their opinion, perspective, and input. It should be based on the following hypothetical scenario:

Scenario: Imagine you have just won $100,000 in a lottery. You want to invest this money wisely so it can grow over time and help you achieve your overall investment goals.

In addition to creating your eight to 10 slides, you must also include slide notes (also called Speaker Notes). For each slide, your slide notes should contain a minimum of 100 to 200 words describing and expanding information on that slide. For help with your slide notes, review this guide Add Speaker Notes to Your SlidesLinks to an external site. .

Your presentation must also include at least two graphics (e.g., charts, trend line, tables) to illustrate your key points and make the presentation look professional. Once you have created your presentation, you will also need to save it as a PDF file with your slide notes visible and submit it to Waypoint.

Prior to beginning your presentation,

· Review your Week 4 Assignment submission and any feedback provided.

· Review Use Charts and Graphs in your PresentationLinks to an external site. .

In your eight- to 10-slide presentation, include the following:

· Describe your current financial situation at a high level.

· State your two SMART investment goals.

· Discuss your three major types of investments and your rationale for why you chose those three specific investments types.

· Explain how you would allocate the $100,000 to invest in the three investment types.

· Include two graphics that illustrate your dollar or percent allocation of investment funds or that visually support your investment portfolio.

· Discuss what financial return you estimate the investment portfolio to deliver 5 years from now.

· Explain two key assumptions you used to arrive at the estimated financial return 5 years from now.

· Discuss one potential risk to your overall portfolio.

· Describe your plan for monitoring your investment portfolio routinely.

Remember: Add at least 100 to 200 words of explanation to the Speaker Notes section of each slide. Be sure to include at least two graphics.

Submission Instructions

· Submit your PowerPoint to Waypoint as a PDF document with the Speaker Notes visible. To do this, follow these instructions:

· Select File.