1)Using financial reports data for a total of 5 years, 4 years pre-Covid-19 crisis (i.e., 2015-2019) AND Covid-19 crisis year (i.e., 2020). You areexpected to focus yourattention on the general strengths and weaknesses that the company had before the crisis, and any possible changes in the company circumstances during the crisis. Notice that as financial reports may not be complete for the whole year 2020, any partial reports and information could be used, and the constraints of the information made apparent in the “methodology” and the “analysis” section of the essay.
2)As the company selected as a case study may be a multinational corporation, youmustpay attention that the selected company’s performance may differ from other companies headquartered in the same country because their revenues may depend on countrieswhich were less/more affected by the crisis. This should be an interesting point to develop by looking at the particular location of operations that have suffered more during thecrisis, type of activities/operation in the company which have been more/less harmed, and to find out any possible variations in the short-term strategy of the company during 2020.
3)Clearly identify the specific financial and risk reports, accounts and ratios in the corresponding financial statements that comprise the relevant information for positive and negative consequences of the crisis versus the pre-crisis performance.Has the company changed its capital structure by taking/issuing more debt/equity? Has the company changed its Working Capital policies/ratios? Has the company fulfilled any investments during the crisis period or delayed investments which were planned in advance to 2020? Have the profitability indicators been acutely/slightly affected by the crisis?
4)Clearly identify the reports, accounts, ratios, and intelligence provided by analysts that incorporates relevant information about assistance/support received from government or central bank policies during the crisis.If commentaries are not clearly identified in the financial statements and accounts, youare expected to notice and remark possible reasons for the missing information/details.
5)Visibly ascertain the risk factors that the company should be surveying after the crisis (i.e., short-term and medium-term after the crisis),and relate each one of these risk factors to explicit financial reports, accounts and ratios that must be monitored by the corresponding financial manager, the executive and board of directors of the company, and any potential investors and stakeholders.
