Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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Faculty of Business and Law
School of Economics, Finance and Accounting
Assignment Brief Mode E and R Regulations


Module Title: Principles of Finance Assignment
Number:
Coursework 2
Module Code: 5015FIN Assignment Title: Individual Coursework
Year Sep - Dec 2022 Assignment
Weighting:
10 Credits (50%)

Release Date: 17/10/2022 Module Leader: Rumana Huq
Submission
Date/Time:
6.00pm (UK time),
Thursday, 1st December,
2022

Submission
Time and Place:
Online submission
through Turnitin ONLY



Assessment Information

This coursework is designed to assess learning outcomes:

3. Assess the structure of the financial system and the role of banks as financial intermediaries.
4. Evaluate the theories which underpin finance practice today.


This coursework (essay) is an individual assignment.

Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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Overview:

Suppose you are an Investment Banker in the Investment Banking Department at the Royal Bank of
Scotland, London Office. During October 2022, your department has received a request from NEXT
PLC for obtaining some loan (funding). The Head of the Investment Banking Department has given
you the task to carry out the Analysis of Financial Statements of NEXT PLC and present him your
findings, that whether Royal Bank of Scotland should extend loan to NEXT.

Brief on NEXT PLC:

NEXT plc is a United Kingdom-based retailer offering clothing, footwear, accessories, beauty and
home products. Next plc designs, manufactures, and distributes clothing and home furnishing and
accessory items to nearly 330 Next retail stores and through the company's Next Directory mail
order sales catalog. Almost all of Next company-owned stores are located in England and Ireland.

The Company’s segments include NEXT Online, NEXT Retail, NEXT Finance, NEXT International Retail,
NEXT Sourcing and other. NEXT Online is its online business for selling clothing and homeware in the
United Kingdom and Eire. NEXT Retail is a chain of over 500 stores in the United Kingdom and Eire.
NEXT Finance provides consumer credit for NEXT customers to purchase products online and in its
stores through nextpay and next3step. next3step is a credit account, which allows customers to
spread the cost of orders over three months in three equal payments, without incurring an interest
charge. NEXT Sourcing designs and sources NEXT branded products. The NEXT International Retail
segment comprises franchise and wholly owned stores overseas. The Company's franchise partners
operate approximately 199 stores in over 32 countries.

Next pursues a strategy of selling almost exclusively company-designed clothing, accessories, and
other merchandise under the Next and other brand names. In this way, the Next product offerings of
womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, and home furnishings are available only through the Next
retail and catalog channels. Targeted at an age range between 20 and 46, with a focus on the 25--35
age group, the Next product range features high-quality, contemporary but not trendy styling, priced
at levels affordable to the company's targeted middle-class market. The company employs its own
design staff to keep an eye on seasonal trends and to create each year's clothing offerings
accordingly.


Financial Statements of NEXT PLC:

The Head of Investment Banking Department provides you with the following financial statements of
NEXT PLC, for the latest three years. Your main focus should be the latest year’s financial statements
of NEXT PLC and you should do all the analysis for the latest year. You may use the financial
statements for previous years if you want to calculate the increase or decrease for any item in the
financial statements (Trend Analysis). All financial statements are consolidated, where consolidated
refers to the combined financial statements for all different segments (subsidiaries) of NEXT PLC.

a) Balance Sheet
b) Income Statement
c) Cash Flow Statement
d) Stock Price Information
e) Peer Comparison




Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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Required:

Your ultimate goal is to recommend to your Head of the Investment Banking Department, whether
to extend the loan to NEXT PLC or not. In order to arrive at your ultimate goal, you need to perform
an in-depth analysis of Financial Statements of NEXT PLC. While doing the Financial Statement
Analysis, please show the calculations for all relevant ratios which you will discuss in your analysis.

Specifically, you are required to perform the following.

a) Please describe what is the main purpose of the “Analysis of Financial Statements”. Also
mention the main strengths and weaknesses of this method. You are also provided with
various Financial Statements of NEXT PLC. Using these financial statements, please calculate
the following set of ratios for NEXT PLC.

i) Liquidity and Profitability Ratios
ii) Asset Management and Debt Management Ratios
iii) Market Valuation Ratios
iv) Du-Pont Analysis
v) Peer Analysis of NEXT PLC (as compared to its peers/competitors).
(50 marks)


b) Using all the financial ratios and peer analysis of NEXT PLC, which you have calculated in part
(a) above, please comment on the overall financial health of NEXT PLC. In your opinion, how
NEXT is performing from the perspective of liquidity and profitability, asset management
and debt management, market valuation and Du-Pont Analysis? Also comment on the Peer
Analysis of NEXT PLC i.e. overall financial performance of NEXT PLC as compared to its
peers/competitors. Finally, please advise that whether you would recommend to your Head
of the Investment Banking Department to give loan to NEXT PLC? If you recommend giving
loan to NEXT PLC, what is the total amount of loan you would recommend (amount in
GNEXT)? Please provide reasons for your decision. And if you recommend not to give any
loan to NEXT PLC (based on the analysis of financial statements and peer analysis), please
provide relevant arguments for your decision. Please remember, that whatever your
decision is, you should provide specific arguments and reasons to support your decision.
(50 marks)

Total: 100 marks


Criteria for Assessment
Your coursework (essay) should be written in an essay form using the following formatting:

Font: Times New Roman (Body), Size 12
Spacing: 1.5 with justified text
Referencing style: APA








Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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Marking Criteria
The following criteria will be used for marking the essay.

The following guidance is about part (a) of the essay (mentioned above).

1. Introduction (150 – 200 words): (10 marks)

In the introduction section of this essay, we expect you to describe what is “Analysis of
Financial Statements i.e. what is the nature of this kind of analysis and why financial analysts
use financial ratios to analyze the Financial Statements of any firm (NEXT PLC in this case).
Moreover, please also mention the strengths and weaknesses of “Analysis of Financial
Statements” i.e. when this kind of analysis is beneficial and what are the limitations as well.

2. Analysis of Financial Statements - Ratio Analysis (750 – 800 words): (40 marks)

In this section, students are expected to calculate all the relevant ratios studied during
lectures in this module. For example, you are asked to calculate “Liquidity and Profitability
Ratios” for NEXT PLC. You should calculate all the “Liquidity and Profitability Ratios” studied
during our lectures for NEXT PLC and adopt the similar approach for all other types of ratios
as well (mentioned in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v)). You are also supposed to show calculations for
Du-Pont Analysis. Finally, for Peer Analysis, you may calculate few ratios for peers of NEXT
PLC (from the given data of Turnover, Net Income and Total Assets) or rank the Turnover,
Net Income and Total Assets of NEXT PLC and its peers. Please remember to show all the
relevant calculations and formulas while calculating all the ratios. Also please remember
that you are not supposed to discuss or elaborate any of the financial ratios in part (a). All
the discussion surrounding financial ratios of NEXT PLC and the overall health of the NEXT
PLC is to be done in part (b). In this part, you are expected to only calculate all the financial
ratios of NEXT PLC, which are mentioned in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v).

The following guidance is about part (b) of the essay (mentioned above).

1. Overall Financial Health of NEXT PLC – Discussion about Ratio Analysis (750 - 800 words):
(40 marks)

In part (a) of this essay, you have performed the “Analysis of Financial Statements” of NEXT
PLC i.e. you have calculated all the financial ratios. In this section i.e. part (b), you are now
supposed to analyze the overall financial health of NEXT PLC, using all the financial ratios
which you have calculated in part (a). You need to discuss how NEXT PLC is performing from
the liquidity and profitability perspective, and how NEXT PLC is performing with regards to
asset management and debt management. You need to look at various financial ratios of
NEXT PLC and then write your analytical comments (commentary of various financial ratios
of NEXT PLC). Similarly, you also need to discuss the market valuation of NEXT PLC using
various market valuation ratios. You are also expected to comment on the overall results of
Du-Pont Analysis of NEXT PLC. Finally, you should analyze the results of Peer Analysis of
NEXT PLC and comment on the overall performance of NEXT PLC as compared to its peers
i.e. how well NEXT PLC is performing as compared to its peers/competitors. In this section,
you need to provide an analytical commentary about the overall financial health of NEXT
PLC, by using all the financial ratios calculated in part (a).


2. Conclusion – Decision of lending to NEXT PLC (150 – 200 words):
(10 marks)
Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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This is the overall conclusion of your essay. Based on the calculations of financial ratios in
part (a) and then the analysis of overall financial health and the peer analysis of NEXT PLC in
part (b), you must mention your decision in this section i.e. whether you would recommend
lending (giving loan) to NEXT PLC. If yes, please also mention the total amount of loan, you
would recommend to NEXT PLC (amount in GNEXT). Please remember, that whatever your
decision is (Yes or No), you should support your decision by concrete arguments. The most
important thing is the conciseness and accuracy of your arguments in support of your
decision. There is no right or wrong decision in this case and the most important aspect is
the objectivity of your arguments in support of your decision.

Word Count
The word count is 2,000.

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark (after internal moderation) for work exceeding the
word limit by 10% or more.
The word limit includes quotations and citations, but excludes the references list (bibliography).


How to submit your assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 18:00:00 (BST) on 2 December 2022. No paper copies are required. You
can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care
to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will
receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised
by the module leader.
• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be
given a mark of zero.
• The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean
that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and
not easy to predict. If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to two weeks,
or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for
example, to the resit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline.
You will find information about the process and what is or is not considered to be an event beyond your
control at https://share.coventry.ac.uk/students/Registry/Pages/Deferrals-and-Extension.aspx
• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking
websites.


GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THIS ASSIGNMENT

Plagiarism

As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your
coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge someone else’s writing, thoughts or ideas and that
you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work. Doing so is known as plagiarism. It is not acceptable to
copy from another source without acknowledging that it is someone else’s writing or thinking. This includes
using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to correctly cite and reference the works of
others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure,
please visit www.coventry.ac.uk/caw. You can also check your understanding of academic conduct by
completing the Good Academic Practice quiz available on Moodle.

Self-plagiarism or reuse of work previously submitted
Coursework Brief: 5015FIN
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You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your
current course or for another qualification of this and any other university, unless this is specifically provided
for in your assignment brief or specific course or module information. Where earlier work by you is citable, i.e.
it has already been published/submitted, you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted
concurrently will also be considered to be self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is unacceptable because you cannot
gain credit for the same work twice.

Moodle includes a plagiarism detection system and assessors are experienced enough to recognise plagiarism
when it occurs. Copying another student’s work, using previous work of your own or copying large sections
from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. Please familiarize
yourself with the CU Harvard Reference Style (on Moodle) and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or
cheating being brought. Again, if you are unsure, please contact the Centre for Academic Writing, your
Progress Coach or a member of the course team.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have marked work returned to you on (15 working days for level 4 and 5, 10 working days
for level 6 and 7 level). If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be
provided online/in class/face to face. As always, marks will have been internally moderated only, and will
therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has
completed his / her review.