15.535  Business Analysis Using Financial Statements

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you all know that I have posted on Stellar all of the final project write-ups for those teams that did not request theirs be kept off.  Please review if you would like.  It's a great way to benefit from the insights of your classmates.  Lastly, I wanted to thank you all again for a very enjoyable semester.  Have a great holiday, and I look forward to seeing you all in the new year.

Thanks,

Chris 

Hi all,

I have had a few requests from your fellow classmates inquiring whether they could read the team project write-ups.  I can post them to Stellar but will give individual teams the ability to opt out.  If you do not want your write-up posted, just send me an email.

See you in class,

Chris 

Hi all,

I wanted to reiterate the schedule for next week’s team presentations:

A hard-copy of your team’s final project write-up is due at the beginning of class next Monday, December 12.   You can also email me an electronic version, but I like to grade on hard-copy so you will do me a favor by saving me the trouble of printing.

Email to Ophir and me a copy of your presentation slides before class next Monday so we can have them loaded onto a single computer. This will allow us to save time on presentation transitions.

Other reminders:

Everybody should be prepared to present first thing next Monday. Actual order of presentations will be determined at random by Ophir and will be announced one at a time. It’s more suspenseful this way!

You have 6-8 minutes to present with a few extra minutes for questions.

Presentations are not graded.

Not everyone on the team need speak during the presentation.

While presentations are not graded, we are still tracking class participation next week so attendance and asking good questions are a way to finish the semester on a high note.

If you have any questions/issues between now and next Monday, feel free to contact me or Ophir.

Thanks,

Chris

For those who took Quiz 2 on Monday, you do not need to come to class tomorrow unless you have set up an appointment to discuss your project. There is nothing to prepare for class next Monday. Next Wednesday, we will have our final case discussion of the semester, a look into the recent housing/financial crisis.

Questions for New Century Case:

1.) What was New Century’s business model? What were the primary risks faced by New Century?

2.) Describe in words how New Century accounts for the different ways it treats a mortgage? How were the primary risks faced by New Century reflected in its financial statements?

3.) Why did New Century fail?

Just to confirm, you are allowed to bring any study materials to the quiz next week.  You are also allowed to bring a calculator or laptop.  You can use your laptop for anything you'd like but access to the internet should be confined to the course Stellar page or the electronic version of the textbook.  If any questions come up while you are preparing, feel free to contact me.  Thanks.