Southampton Solent University Assessment Brief

Assessment Details
Unit Title: Unit Code: Unit Leader: Level: Assessment Title: Assessment Number: Assessment Type: Restrictions on Time/Length : Individual/Group: Assessment Weighting: Issue Date: Planned Feedback Date: Mode of Submission:

Economics and Finance ECO315 David Collinson 5 Full Time; 6 Part Time Analysis of Persimmon plc AE2 Written report 2,500 words Individual 50% Week commencing 23 January 2012 Week 1 Week commencing 28 May 2012
Turnitin

Assessment Task Requirement Public companies may choose to report the basis on which their financial forecasts and estimates are prepared, within the body of their published financial statements. These published statements however, are prepared based on the legal requirement to report historic performance in a timely manner. You are required to write a report on Persimmon plc, a public limited company, whose shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Your report should consider the performance issues relevant for a potential investor. The word count has been restricted to require students to present the most relevant issues in a concise manner as would be required by an investor with very little time to wade through a lengthy report. The report must be fully referenced, with an introduction and conclusion. Any calculations used should be attached to the report in numbered appendices.

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Your analysis should include the following information regarding the company: a) Important general points about the company, the business environment in which it operates, including its position with respect to its competitors. (20%) b) A brief analysis of the key aspects of company performance using a selection of interpretation tools. It is suggested that you use a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years of figures over which to form your opinion. You should consider carefully the context of your results. (30%) c) A brief appraisal of the performance of Persimmon plc against a peer company. (20%) d) An appraisal of the degree to which the company utilise social and environmental reporting in their published financial statements. (20%) e) Credit has been allowed for style, presentation, communication and referencing, in order to encourage good practice amongst students. (10%)

Additional Instructions
1. Ratios should be calculated and shown in the appendices rather than extracted from the FAME database. 2. Other appendices may be provided if this additional information would be of benefit to the reader. These should be referred to in the body of the text. 3. Appendices are not included in the word count. 4. A reasonable report would identify the ratio, provide the text book definition of that ratio, show the calculations for one or two years and describe how that ratio had changed. A better report would include an indication of whether this change suggested an improvement or deterioration in the companys performance. An excellent report would suggest reasons for this change in performance. 5. Knowledge of your companys competitors would also enhance the analysis. 6. Avoid cutting and pasting from the companys web site. This is not a review of the information. As a source of information, a companys website will be biased and it is therefore important to include alternative sources in order to obtain a balanced view. 7. Where information is selectively used from the companys web site, it is important that it is sourced, otherwise it is plagiarised. It is also important that information obtained from elsewhere is also identified in your work.

Assessment criteria (weightings indicated for each criterion)

Analysis of Persimmon plc (AE2) 50%

Extent of knowledge about the companys business environment. (20%) Brief analysis of financial performance. (30%) 0% - 39% Limited range. Copied from companys literature. Some analysis but lacking depth. Copied from companys literature. Only one year. 40% - 59% Reasonable range of knowledge demonstrated. Some analysis, but limited in breadth. Some calculation errors. 60% - 69% Good relevant range of knowledge, expressed in own terms. Good range of analysis in context of corporate objectives over a reasonable period of financial reporting. Evidence of own calculation of ratios. Good appreciation of differences between Persimmon plc and peer company. Good range of critical evaluation in context of use of social and environmental reporting. Good presentation and structure. Well referenced. 70% + Excellent range of knowledge, drawn from broad sources and expressed in own terms. Evidence of appropriate analysis of performance and management, relevant to corporate aims and policies. Thoughtful selection of appropriate ratios.

Appraisal of performance against a peer company. (20%)

Little, if any, mention of peer company.

Some reference to the peer company, but lacking in focus. Some evaluation, but limited in breadth.

Appraisal of use of social and environmental reporting. (20%)

Descriptive rather than evaluative.

Interesting comparative appraisal. Well articulated with clear evidence of an approach beyond the mainstream. Interesting evaluation. Well articulated with clear evidence of an appraisal beyond the mainstream. Interesting, informative, clear structure. Sources accurately referenced.

Style, presentation, communication, and referencing (10%)

Satisfactory presentation. Grammatical errors. Poor / no referencing.

Presentation clear. A few grammatical errors. Reasonable referencing.

Learning Outcomes

This assessment will enable students to demonstrate in full or in part the learning outcomes identified in the unit descriptor:
Knowledge and Understanding 1. Identify the basic principles used in presenting company accounts. Cognitive Skills 3. Evaluate information presented in company reports. Practical and Professional Skills 5. Report on (economic and) financial variances. Transferable and Key Skills 6. Be able to respond to and communicate information effectively. Extenuating Circumstances The Universitys Extenuating Circumstances procedures are in place if there are genuine circumstances that may have affected your academic performance. Remember however you need to be fit to study, this means that you can either submit your assessed work or declare extenuating circumstances, but you cannot do both. A summary of guidance notes for students is given below: http://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=ASQS/PPG/1234570925 Academic Misconduct Any submissions must be your own work and, where facts or ideas have been used from other sources, these sources must be appropriately referenced. The Universitys Academic Handbook, includes the definitions of all practices that will be deemed to constitute academic misconduct. You should check this link before submitting your work. Procedures relating to student academic misconduct are given below: http://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=ASQS/PPG/1234570157 Ethics Policy The work being carried out by the student must be in compliance with the Ethics Policy. Where there is an ethical issue, as specified within the Ethics Policy, then the student will need an ethics release or an ethical approval prior to the start of the project.