Week 8: Applying Analytic Techniques to Business

Instructions

After reviewing and integrating your instructor’s feedback on your previous assignment, update and finalize the report as follows:

• Business context or introduction. Rework your introduction or business context as necessary to account for the new 10 years’ of data and any feedback from your instructor.
• Stock data graphics and analysis. Rework the graphics and descriptive statistics tables with 10 years of data.
• Add a 60-day moving average line and trend line to your scatter plots. Use color to distinguish each type of line.
• Add a legend to your histograms.
• Rework the table you created in previous assignment. Pick two variables to add to your table on company and competitors. Change the time horizon on your table or variables to help address the limitations of previous data. Think timeframe.
• Add a scatter plot comparing your company and at least two competitors in terms of stock price.
• For each graphic you created, write at least one well-supported paragraph interpreting the same. What does that graphic represent? What does the shape of the graphic tell you about how the data have changed over time? How does your company data differ from competitors?
• Rework your descriptive statistics tables. For the first five statistics in each table, include several well-supported sentences explaining what the statistic represents. For example:
• What does the mean tell you? How do you know?
• What does it imply if the median is different from the mean?
• What does the standard deviation tell you about the volatility of the data?
• Conclusion. Write a revised conclusions section.
• Explain how these interpretations can be used in the company:
• What are some trends about which company leaders should be aware?
• How might the information you have provided be used in decision making in the company?
• What are other analysts indicating about the stock?
• Explicitly connect other analysts comments and recommendations to your interpretations to possible impact to the business context. What are other analysts’ indicating about the company and competitors?
• Make a clear recommendation. Should your company invest in or partner with the company or stock being evaluated? Briefly summarize why the data support this decision, referring to specific graphics.

Additional Requirements

Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:

• Use the
• to prepare a professional report of at least five (single-spaced) pages, including the following sections:
• Introduction or Business Context.
• Stock Data.
• Data Interpretation (graphics and written interpretations).
• Conclusion or Recommendations.
• References.
• Ensure your written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Provide an APA-formatted references page (remember to cite the source of your financial data, analyst comments and support for your interpretations). Use a minimum of six sources, though typically such a report would have at least 10 sources.