Mergers Between Costco Wholesale Corporation and Pricesmart, Inc. Essay Example
MBA Module 4
Strategic Financial Analysis
Spring 2013
INSTRUCTOR: J. Dan Lehmann, Ph.D. Cell 612 803 9210 OFFICE HOURS: By appointment at Minneapolis Center or St. Paul campus + one hour before class E-MAILS: dlehmann01@hamline.edu CLASSES MEET: Tuesday (M27), Thursday (S28); 5:45 P.M. to 9:45 P.M. – Jan. 15 to Jan 31, 2013 Hamline University, Minneapolis (Tue) and St. Paul campus (Thu) MATERIALS: Readings provided in the custom text for Module 4 and in Blackboard. Microsoft Excel (required) -------------------------------------------------
Course Description
Strategic Financial Analysis is designed to sharpen analytical skills in the context of evaluating strategy performance. This course presents key financial analysis methods, develops skills in understanding the business behind the financial data, and teaches strategy target setting based upon financial analysis and business drivers. The course combines reading in strategy analysis, benchmarking, and balanced scorecard with exercises in financial analysis, financial model building, and company valuation. The combination of readings and exercises provides students with both theory and hands-on practice to analyze and support strategic decisions.
Learning Objectives
Value creation and competent financial analysis are central to good management and firm success. The goals of this course are to answer the following questions: 1) Is our strategy working? 2) What are the sources of problems, if they exist? 3) What corrective actions and targets should be established to get back on track? Specifically the key learning objectives are: 1. Learn financial analysis skills 2. Learn to evaluate company performance 3. Identify and understand the business drivers behind the financial metrics 4. Identify performance weaknesses and their causes 5. Learn benchmarking techniques
Strategic Financial Analysis
Spring 2013
INSTRUCTOR: J. Dan Lehmann, Ph.D. Cell 612 803 9210 OFFICE HOURS: By appointment at Minneapolis Center or St. Paul campus + one hour before class E-MAILS: dlehmann01@hamline.edu CLASSES MEET: Tuesday (M27), Thursday (S28); 5:45 P.M. to 9:45 P.M. – Jan. 15 to Jan 31, 2013 Hamline University, Minneapolis (Tue) and St. Paul campus (Thu) MATERIALS: Readings provided in the custom text for Module 4 and in Blackboard. Microsoft Excel (required) -------------------------------------------------
Course Description
Strategic Financial Analysis is designed to sharpen analytical skills in the context of evaluating strategy performance. This course presents key financial analysis methods, develops skills in understanding the business behind the financial data, and teaches strategy target setting based upon financial analysis and business drivers. The course combines reading in strategy analysis, benchmarking, and balanced scorecard with exercises in financial analysis, financial model building, and company valuation. The combination of readings and exercises provides students with both theory and hands-on practice to analyze and support strategic decisions.
Learning Objectives
Value creation and competent financial analysis are central to good management and firm success. The goals of this course are to answer the following questions: 1) Is our strategy working? 2) What are the sources of problems, if they exist? 3) What corrective actions and targets should be established to get back on track? Specifically the key learning objectives are: 1. Learn financial analysis skills 2. Learn to evaluate company performance 3. Identify and understand the business drivers behind the financial metrics 4. Identify performance weaknesses and their causes 5. Learn benchmarking techniques