FINM2415 – Corporate Finance - Semester 2/2022
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FINM2415 – Corporate Finance - Semester 2/2022
Group Assignment
Instructions
• You should answer the assignment questions in a report. The length of your report should be no more than 10 pages of text excluding list of references, and supporting results that may be placed after the list of references. There are no strict formatting requirements but the document should look professional and be easy to read your key results and discussions.
• Each group will turn in ONE report electronically through the link in the assignment folder in the Blackboard.
• Each group will need to assign only ONE member to submit one assignment file in PDF format, the file should be named in the following format: GroupNO._FINM2415.
o For example, if a group number is 999, then assignment file should be named: Group999_FINM2415
• The cover page must contain the names of all group members followed by your student IDs; the surnames of group members are in alphabetical order as listed below.
Group999_FINM2415 |
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Due date
• Due date for the assignment: 10 October 2022 at 14:00, Brisbane time
• Due date for the peer assessment: 10 October 2022 at 17:00, Brisbane time
Two submission links and peer assessment
• You are required to submit your assignment in “pdf” file two times:
Link 1. Upload your file to the link named “Assignment Similarity Report”
Link 2. Upload your file to the link named “Assignment Blackboard Submission” Please note that Link 1 is for checking similarity between your assignment and others while Link 2 is for marking your assignment. Your assignment will only be marked if the marker can find your assignment in both Link 1 and Link 2.
• You are required to submit your peer assessment: If you do not submit a Peer Assessment Form, you will receive a score of zero on the assignment. Peer Assessment is integrated into the Blackboard teams. Each team member will allocate 100 points between the members of their team. Justification of your distribution of points is essential if they are to be included in calculation of the final Peer Assessment Factor (PAF). In particular, if the score given to any team member deviates from the average by 10% or more, you must include a written justification. For example, in a team of 4, the average score will be 25. If you give someone 20 out of 25, you are saying that team member only deserves 80% (20/25) of the score on the team project. If everyone on the team gives the same score, then that team member will have a PAF of 0.8 and their project score will be 0.8 times the team score on the team assignment. Therefore, in a team of 4, all scores of 22.5 (27.5) and lower (higher) MUST be justified to count.
FINM2415 – CORPORATE FINANCE - GROUP ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Assume that you are a team of financial analysts, your task is to analyze Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.) using your knowledge of corporate finance. The company’s initial public offering (IPO) was on 18 May 2012 so stock price and accounting data are available from this date. You are required to perform analyses for the following two questions:
Question 1
1.1. Calculate annual leverage ratios (debt/total assets and debt/equity) for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012 to 31/12/2019.
1.2. Select two comparable companies with Meta, which are in the same industry with Meta (GICS code 5020) and have total assets similar to that of Meta (their total assets can be higher or lower than that of Meta but close) and calculate annual leverage ratios (debt/total assets, debt/equity) for each of these two companies.
1.3. Compare debt/total assets and debt/equity ratios of Meta with each of these two companies and comment on any differences.
1.4. Using your knowledge on capital structure theories, discuss the capital structure policy of Meta since its IPO.
Guidelines:
• Step 1: Go to the University of Queensland’s library website and search the business database: Osiris [Bureau van Dijk] , in “Companies” tab, enter the search term “Meta”, then look for the folder name “Financial data/Global detailed format”, then click on Export Tab nearly on the top row of the web page to download all data on both Balance Sheet and Income Statement of Meta Platforms, Inc. You will get the data and save them in your computer.
• Step 2: Calculation:
o Debt = Current Portion of Long-term (LT) Debt + Current loans & overdraft + Other Short Term Debt + Total LT Interest Bearing Debt
o Equity = Total Sharehoders Equity
• Step 3: Find comparable firms
o Click again the “Companies” tab and remove the earlier search for Facebook by click on the symbol X in the SEARCH STRATEGY
o Then look for “Industry” Tab and click “Global Industry Classification Standard”, and double click on the Folder of 50. COMMUNICATION SERVICES” and select 5020 Media & Entertainment and Click OK. The search results will show the total number of firms in the industry, then click “View list of results”, then click the last column label “Add”, and click “Financial Data” folder/Global detailed format/Industrial Companies/Assets, then select Total Assets and click OK, then select Last avail. year and click OK, then OK, after this process you will see a list of firms in the same industry with Meta and their total assets. Select two comparable firms where their total assets are close to that of Meta.
• Step 4: Calculation for comparable firms: Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 for these comparable firms.
Question 2
2.1.Using monthly data for Meta since its IPO date to 31/12/2019, estimate equity beta for Meta. Compare your estimate of Meta’s equity beta with the Facebook’s beta provided by Yahoo Finance and comment on any differences.
Guidelines:
- Go to Yahoo Finance (finance.yahoo.com/), then enter search term “Meta”, then click on “Historical Data” and get monthly prices (AdjClose) of Meta for the required period, and use this information to calculate the monthly return series for Meta.
- Go to Yahoo Finance (finance.yahoo.com/), then enter search term “S&P500”, then click on “Historical Data” and get monthly data (AdjClose) of S&P for the required period, and use this information to calculate the monthly market return series.
- Go to Yahoo Finance (finance.yahoo.com/), under the “Markets Tab”, you will find US Treasury Bonds Rates, then look for Treasury Yield 10 Years (listed symbol “TNX”) then click on “Historical Data” and get monthly data (AdjClose) of TNX for the required period, and use this information to calculate the monthly risk-free rate series.
- Use Excel to estimate Meta ’s equity beta. You will need to report the summary output of the regression in the report.
2.2.Assuming that beta you estimated in 2.1 is the true value of Meta’s equity beta, estimate the cost of equity for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012 to 31/12/2019. Comment on your estimate.
2.3. Estimate the cost of debt for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012 to 31/12/2019. Comment on your estimate.
Guideline: The cost of debt can be calculated as financial expenses/debt.
2.4.Estimate pre-tax WACC and WACC for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012 to 31/12/2019. Comment on your estimate.
Guideline: The tax rate can be calculated as Income taxes/Earnings before tax
2.5. Estimate free cash flow for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012 to 31/12/2019. Estimate yearly growth rate of free cash flow and the average of the yearly growth rates of free cash flow for the entire period. Comment on your estimate.
2.6. Assuming that in the future, free cash flow of Meta will grow at the average growth rate estimated in 2.5 and Meta will maintain its debt to equity ratio and cost of capital estimated in 2.4 for 31/12/2019, estimate firm value for Meta at 31/12/2019. Comment on your estimate.
2.7. Estimate free cash flow to equity for Meta for each financial year during the period from 31/12/2012-31/12/2019. Estimate yearly growth rate of free cash flows to equity and the average of yearly growth rates of free cash flow to equity for the entire period. Comment on your estimate.
2.8. Assuming that free cash flow to equity of Meta will growth at the average rate estimated in 2.7 and Meta will maintain its cost of equity estimated in 2.4 for 31/12/2019, estimate the Meta’s equity value at 31/12/2019. Comment on your estimate.
2022-10-03