Business Administration
Course Number:
BUAD 461
Course Title:
APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE
Credits:
3
Calendar Description:
This course uses the case method to build on concepts learned in
earlier finance courses by applying those concepts to specific
finance problems in a real business setting. Through the
discussion of key concepts such as cost of capital, capital
budgeting, optimal capital structure, financing alternatives and
business valuation, students learn the analytical techniques
necessary to make rational financial decisions.
Semester and Year:
Winter 2014
Prerequisite(s):
BUAD 195, BUAD 264, BUAD 296
Corequisite(s):
BUAD 340
Prerequisite to:
No
Final Exam:
Yes
Hours per week:
3
Graduation Requirement:
Elective – BBA, Finance Specialty area
Substitutable Courses:
No
Transfer Credit:
Special Notes:
Development Date:
August 2012
Revision Date:
August 2013
Chair’s Approval:
Signature
BUAD 461
Applied Corporate Finance
Winter 2014
Professors
Name
Derek Cook
Phone
762-5445 #4626
Office
Kelowna: C135
Email
dcook@okanagan.bc.ca
Course Description
This course uses the case method to build on concepts learned in earlier finance courses by
applying those concepts to specific finance problems in a real business setting. Through the
discussion of key concepts such as cost of capital, capital budgeting, optimal capital structure,
financing alternatives and business valuation, students learn the analytical techniques
necessary to make rational financial decisions.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:





Identify and successfully use the appropriate financial tool(s) in analyzing data
Perform financial analysis by applying relevant formulae and models
Critically evaluate the financial decisions in selected cases
Process financial theory and apply it to practical situations
Develop solutions to case studies involving complex variables
Required Texts/Resources
Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation, 7th Edition, Bruner, Eades &
Schill
Recommended Supplementary Textbook
 Foundations of Financial Management, 8th or 9th Canadian Edition, Block, Hirt & Short (Text
from BUAD195/296). (All instruction will be from the Bruner text which is primarily a case
text with limited conceptual material. Past students have found it useful to keep their Block
text from BUAD195/296 to review concepts as necessary. The weekly outline provides
suggested review readings from this text.)
Other Requirements
 A financial calculator will be required for every class – TI BAII+ recommended
 Cases frequently require analysis using a spreadsheet program such as Excel
Evaluation Procedure
Individual Component:
Individual Participation
10%
Mid-term Exam
30%
Final Exam
30%
Group Component:
Case Presentations – Verbal (2)
20%
Case Presentations – Written Reports
10%
Total
100%
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BUAD 461
Applied Corporate Finance
Winter 2014
COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change at discretion of professor)
Date
Topic
Dates
Jan
9
16
23
30
Feb
6
10 - 14
Mar
Introduction to the Course
Analysis of Finance Cases
Introduction to corporate finance and
valuation
Sustainable growth, working capital and
bank financing
Case: Horniman Horticulture (Case 11)
No team presentations but all students to be
prepared for case discussion.
Cost of Capital
Case: Nike Inc. (Case 15)
First team presentations
Capital Investment Decisions
Case: Aurora Textile Company (Case 21)
Second team presentations
Dividend Policy
Case: Gainesboro Machine (Case 29)
Third team presentations
Mid-term - Case Exam
27
Capital Structure:
Case: California Pizza Kitchen (Case 33)
Fourth team presentations
6
Valuation Principles
Case: American Greetings (Case 43)
Fifth team presentations
20
Bruner text – Analysis of Cases
Handouts – business valuation
Bruner: Horniman Horticulture case 11, p.175
Block: – review chapters 3 to 8 as needed to
prepare next week’s case.
Bruner: Best Practices in Estimating the Cost of
Capital (Case 13); Nike, Inc. (Case 15)
Block: Chapters 10 & 11 – Cost of Capital
Bruner: Aurora Textile Company (Case 21)
Block: Chapter 12 – The Capital Budgeting
Decision, Chapter 13 – Risk & Capital Budgeting
Bruner: Gainesboro Machine Tools Corporation –
Case 29
Block: Chapter 18 – Dividend Policy and Retained
Earnings
READING BREAK (Feb 10 – 14 no classes)
20
13
Pre-Reading / Review
Classes start week of Jan 6
Mon Feb 10 Family Day and Reading Break Feb 11 to 14
Fri Apr 11 Last day of regularly scheduled classes
Fri Apr 18 Good Friday Exam Period – no exams scheduled
Mon Apr 21 Easter Exam Period – no exams scheduled
Evaluating terminal values
Case: Arcadian Microarray Technologies,
Inc. (Case 44)
Sixth team presentations
IPO Valuations
Case: JetBlue Airways IPO Valuation
(Case 45)
Seventh team presentations.
27
Acquisitions
Case: The Timken Company (Case 47)
Eighth team presentations
Apr
3
Wrap up and Final Exam Review
Apr
14 - 28
Bruner: An introduction to Debt Policy & Value
(Case 31); Structuring Corporate Financial Policy
(Case 32); California Pizza Kitchen (Case 33)
Block: Chapter 11 – Cost of Capital (section on
optimal capital structure)
Block: Chapter 10 – Valuation & Rates of Return
(valuation of common stock)
Bruner: Methods of Valuation for Mergers &
Acquisitions (Case 42); American Greetings (Case
43)
Week 1 handouts on valuation
Block: Chapter 20 – Mergers and acquisitions
Bruner: Methods of Valuation for Mergers &
Acquisitions (Case 42); Arcadian Microarray
Technologies (Case 44)
Bruner: Methods of Valuation for Mergers &
Acquisitions (Case 42); JetBlue Airways IPO
Valuation (Case 45)
Bruner: Methods of Valuation for Mergers &
Acquisitions (Case 42); The Timken Company
(Case 47)
Block: Chapter 20 – Mergers & Acquisitions
Final Exam Period (Final Exam – Case)
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SKILLS ACROSS THE BUSINESS CURRICULUM
The Okanagan School of Business promotes core skills across the curriculum. These skills include reading, written and
oral communications, computers, small business, and academic standards of ethics, honesty and integrity.
STUDENT CONDUCT AND ACADEMIC HONESTY
What is the Disruption of Instructional Activities?
At Okanagan College (OC), disruption of instructional activities includes student “conduct which interferes with
examinations, lectures, seminars, tutorials, group meetings, other related activities, and with students using the study
facilities of OC”, as well as conduct that leads to property damage, assault, discrimination, harassment and fraud.
Penalties for disruption of instructional activities include a range of sanctions from a warning and/or a failing grade on an
assignment, examination or course to suspension from OC.
What is Cheating?
“Cheating includes but is not limited to dishonest or attempted dishonest conduct during tests or examinations in which
the use is made of books, notes, diagrams or other aids excluding those authorized by the examiner. It includes
communicating with others for the purpose of obtaining information, copying from the work of others and purposely
exposing or conveying information to other students who are taking the test or examination.”
Students must submit independently written work. Students may not write joint or collaborative assignments with other
students unless the instructor approves it in advance as a group/team project. Students who share their work with other
students are equally involved in cheating.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is defined as “the presentation of another person’s work or ideas without proper or complete
acknowledgement.” It is the serious academic offence of reproducing someone else’s work, including words, ideas and
media, without permission for course credit towards a certificate, diploma, degree and/or professional designation. The
defining characteristic is that the work is not yours.
“Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate presentation of another’s work or ideas as one’s own.” Intentional plagiarism can
be a copy of material from a journal article, a book chapter, data from the Internet, another student, work submitted for
credit in another course or from other sources.
“Unintentional plagiarism is the inadvertent presentation of another’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgement
because of poor or inadequate practices. Unintentional plagiarism is a failure of scholarship; intentional plagiarism is an
act of deceit.”
What are the Students’ Responsibilities to Avoid Plagiarism?
Students have a responsibility to read the OC Plagiarism Policy and Procedures outlined in the OC calendar, which is
available in online format www.okanagan.bc.ca. Students must acknowledge the sources of information used on all their
assignments. This usually involves putting the authors’ name and the year of publication in parentheses after the sentence
in which you used the material, then at the end of your paper, writing out the complete references in a Reference section.
“Students are responsible for learning and applying the proper scholarly practices for acknowledging the work and ideas
of others. Students who are unsure of what constitutes plagiarism should refer to the UBC publication “Plagiarism
Avoided; Taking Responsibility for your Work”. This guide is available in OC bookstores and libraries.
Students are expected to understand research and writing techniques and documentation styles. The Okanagan School
of Business requires the use of the APA or MLA style, but suggests that students cite references using the APA guidelines
th
(see Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 edition (2001). A copy of the APA manual is
available in the reference section and also available for circulation from OC libraries. The library website has access to
these two major citing styles.
What are the Penalties for Plagiarism and Cheating?
The Okanagan School of Business does not tolerate plagiarism or cheating. All professors actively check for plagiarism
and cheating and the Okanagan School of Business subscribes to an electronic plagiarism detection service. All incidents
of plagiarism or cheating are reported and result in a formal letter of reprimand outlining the nature of the infraction, the
evidence and the penalty. The Dean of the Okanagan School of Business and the Registrar record and monitor all
instances of plagiarism and cheating. Penalties for plagiarism and cheating reflect the seriousness and circumstances of
the offence and the range of penalties includes suspension from OC.
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