Saturday, December 28, 2019

A Friend in Need Is a Friend in Deed - Short Essay

ENGLISH PROJECT: A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED Meaning Almost always it is the origin of a phrase or saying that requires the most research; the meaning being well understood. This phrase is interesting because there are various interpretations of its meaning. Firstly, is it a friend in need is a friend indeed or a friend in need is a friend in deed? Secondly, is it a friend (when you are) in need or a friend (who is) in need? If the former, then the phrase means: someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend. If the latter, it is someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it.†¦show more content†¦Those who stand up for the latter are probably correct, but they will have a hard time changing the mind of the indeed contingent. Its fun to say because it rhymes, but Ive never understood the meaning, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Of course, you know who your friends are when they are there when you really need them. I can say that Tasha is a true friend. She was at the hospital with me on the night that my Daddy died and that meant a lot to me because being alone would not have been any fun. Its not a big deal if she is busy with a canoe trip and cannot make it to a birthday meal. However, coming late to the hospital when we rushed my Daddy there and me feeling very uncertain about what to think or feel and having her there helped, even though at first the doctor said he was going to be okay. We soon learned it wasnt and the doctor said Id need a friend and she did stay. That meant lots. Gracie did not tell me about her having her gastric bypass surgery because it was so close to the time that my Daddy died, so being in a hospital would not have been an ideal situation for me. That was very nice of her. So, why is a friend in need a friend indeed? There are plenty of ways to interpret the phrase, and I am interpreting it one way as I explain what I think, but it is not the way I think of the phrase. However, it can be interpreted that way that a friend (when you are in need) is a friend indeed. There are four ways that theShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Iliad Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesBoth stories are similar in goals and destinies and how it affect the main characters. Most people believes that destiny or fate is pre-set and it is changed only by decisions we make that may be selfish and vindicated. Hopefully by the end of the essay the readers will get a better understand of stories similarities and differences. In Gilgamesh it s discovered that he was two thirds god and one-third man, and his knowledge is the significant to his fate. 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Thursday, December 19, 2019

Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society

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One of the many pros and cons to communicating on a networking site is the abilityRead MoreEssay On Pros And Cons Of Social Media1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Benefits of Social Media in Todays Society Just like everything else in life, social media has pros and cons. However, the pros outweigh the cons. Social networking assists businesses in various different ways. While also helping people communicate more with others and to become more connected with them too. A fast and effortless way to spread and receive crucial information is through social media. In the beginning, it was just kids spending their time on websites like Facebook, MyspaceRead MoreSocial Networks988 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Networking Sites The Internet and technology are growing bigger and bigger every day and before we know it technology is going to pass us by. With the invention of the Internet and Social Networks, the possibilities are endless. Social networking sites provide us the opportunity to explore the whole world, make friends, and share moments with the rest of the world through the Internet. Everyday more and more people become part of the different social networking sites available now, like Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society Nahida Sultana Dr. Rachel C. Henderson ENG 1101 18 November 2015 Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? We are living in the 21st century and technology began to change very promptly. After the Supercomputers were introduced in the 1960s, scientists and engineers started to develop the networks between those supercomputers, and later they discovered the internet, which is a global communication device where people all around the world can meet and talk about pretty much anything. The development of the internet age has enabled people to inhabit a life at a faster speed. In today’s society, many people across the world are accessing the internet multiple times a day. It makes people’s lives very easily from different side. Many people use the internet on their smartphones and check their email, Facebook, bank account balance, etc. via the internet. However, one of these things, most of the people busy with their social networking sites than the others. Social networks are an essential part of today’s Internet and used by more than a billion people worldwide. A socia l networking website is an online platform that allow people to share ideas and interact with other people, from childhood friends to unknowns. This interaction reveals much information, often including personal information noticeable to anyone who wants to view it. There are a bunch of social networking sites in the world. Most of the people especially teenagers have several accounts in socialShow MoreRelatedAre Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?3384 Words   |  14 PagesAre Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? Are social networking sites good for our society? 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Social networking sites provide us the opportunity to explore the whole world, make friends, and share moments with the rest of the world through the Internet. Everyday more and more people become part of the different social networking sites available now, like

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Principles of Financial Markets

Question: Discuss about the Principles of Financial Markets. Answer: Introduction Fundamental analysis is conducted in tow approaches namely a top down and a bottom up analysis. The former analyzes industrial factors that influence the economy with respect to a company in a given industry (Marta Brusuelas, 2009). A bottom up analysis, on the other hand, assesses the financial condition of a particular company and its contribution in an industry. The fundamental analysis compares companies in a sector and not those in different sectors (Murphy, 2013). Top Down Analysis The airline industry faces many significant financial risks that affect the vulnerable returns on stock. Often, these risk exposures emanate from the ever changing economic conditions, the unstable and volatile movements in oil prices, and fluctuations in the exchange rates (Berghfer Lucey, 2014). These three risk exposures are the biggest threats to the stock prices. The risks are related to a competition in price, cyclical demand, capital investment, elevated levels of gearing, regulatory impediments arising from landing rights and ownership restrictions, and the fixed labour and equipment restrictions (Yasmin-Yashodha, et al., 2016). Evidently, the management of these exposures will determine how firms in the aviation industry progress. Companies such as Qantas Airway Limited and the Virgin Australia Group have experienced challenges such as high fuel prices, dwindling revenues, and economic uncertainties. These challenges paved way for low cost carriers to enter the market, especially for the economy class returns. The global financial crisis implied a drop in profits by many companies due to the increase in fuel costs, one-off gains, and a slower demand (Jorge Augusto, 2011). Qantas Airways Limited recorded an underlying profit of 1.53 billion dollars whereas Virgin Australia Group realized a figure of 41.0 million dollars. Despite the high prices both carriers still managed to record profits. Exchange Rate Exposure and the Stock Price Virgin Australia and Qantas are exposed to several risks that influence the companies objectives, both short-term and long-term. Some other factors that determine the stock price include the effects of pandemics, over-capacity in the market, competition on fares, and the low entry barrier of getting into the market. Foreign currency exposure is the sensitivity of the firms market value to unanticipated exchange rate movements. The exchange rate movements are solely determined by the foreign exposure of the firm (Laux, Yan, Zhang, 2015). This foreign exposure is derived from the operating revenue, risks due to costs, and the operating cash flow margin. Currency hedging practices and measurements also determine the exposure. Most of the expenses incurred by airplane carriers are handled in terms of major currencies (Chew, 2008). Consequently, a fluctuation of the currency will affect the profitability of the airlines in a number of ways. When the borrowing costs are handled in different currencies, it is expected that some liabilities will change alongside the equity of the company. The influence of tourism demand from overseas will influence the exchange rate risk factor because of the levels of exchange rate and competition the company is likely to face locally (Lee Hooy, 2012). Companies can thus be forced to adjust their revenue from overseas ventures appropriately. The exchange rate exposure is related to a number of variables. The companys revenue is subject to this exposure. Tickets are sold both locally and to international customers so it is difficult to avoid the exposure (Lima Hong, 2014). The foreign activities may also involve exchange of currency from one value to another and this enhances the level of risk. There is also aggressive competition, particularly in the international routes. This translates to the conversion of currency into the local one. As aforementioned revenues are closely linked to the exchange rates, thus the pricing level can reduce the effects of the exchange rates (Lima Hong, 2014). From a competitive perspective, industry-related factors also significantly affect the exposure levels. The currency exposure movement has an ambiguous effect on revenues. A rise or drop in the value of the domestic currency can either increase or decrease the cost of borrowing foreign debt and other costs. Foreign demand for international and domestic flights moves inversely with the value of the home currency. The demand for domestic travel shares an inverse relationship with the home currency and a demand for international travel changes directly. Hence, any depreciation in currency increases the probability of the residents to favor domestic travel rather than international destinations (Treanor, Simkins, Rogers, Carter, 2014). The competition thus prevents the airlines from preventing their revenues from experiencing currency movements. The significance of the exposure as measured by share returns, is dependent on the specific exchange rate, and varies over time. Airlines with foreign routes or various country offices are likely to have additional foreign sales, and airlines with holdings of international assets are more likely to be exposed to exchange rate movements (Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, Habibullah, 2016). With all of these effects offsetting and counteracting each other, the final impact of the currency exposure is uncertain. Fuel Price Exposure The fuel price affects the operational costs of the airline. Of an airlines operational costs, jet fuel accounts for approximately 13% (Laux, Yan, Zhang, 2015). This risk has an economic significance to the airplane carriers in the transportation industry. It is also possible to invest very little especially when the fuel price is high despite the existence of investment opportunities. The investment opportunities and the jet fuel costs in the airline industry have a direct correlation even as the higher costs are consistent with a lower flow of cash (Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, Habibullah, 2016). While the costs of jet fuel can be hedged, the airlines may desire to expand and hence hedge future purchases of fuel. Hedging increase the value in capital investment. Short-term cash flows are likely to be directly related to changes in fuel prices due to price change inertia (Marta Brusuelas, 2009). Revenue responsiveness may initially be slow due to advance sales, pre-committed advertised package fares, pre-booked seats, and so on. The fuel price exposure is more likely to be specific to a firm and echo various degrees of competitive power and fuel efficiency across the various airlines (Murphy, 2013). The effects of the price are thus more likely to be transferred because of the uniformity in fuel costs. The cash flows of the airlines are inversely proportional to the changes in fuel prices (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). The profitability of the airline is thus reduced by the evident costs associated with jet fuel prices. Interest Rate Exposure The interest rate determines the loans, operating, and financial leases that are used to finance the acquisition of airplanes. The sector is relatively capital intensive due to the nature of the assets. Equity investment can be difficult to source because of the high earnings volatility. Equity financing is also greatly reduced due to the characteristic lower than average price-earnings ratios (Baker Filbeck, 2015). Borrowing costs are directly related to interest rate changes especially when the companies have variable rate leases and loans. The progression of the business cycle and the economic conditions are also affected by the interest rate (Berghfer Lucey, 2014). Eventually, the effects are felt in customer demand because here the demand is seasonal and cyclical. The exposure also brings financial distress on the airline industry. This distress is due to the forced sale of assets such as the aircraft fleet at heavily discounted prices because distressed airlines are forced to sell aircraft at below market prices, the purchase of new aircraft due to competition or contractual obligations, above industry average debt levels, and a decrease in revenue due to competition (Jorge Augusto, 2011). In the airline industry, an increase in the interest rates can increase the costs of distress as the operating and financial leverage is also high (Lima Hong, 2014). One reason why firms may under-invest is because of the distress costs. That behavior shows how the firm value can decrease as an indirect consequence of financial distress and under-investment costs. Profitability Analysis This analysis demonstrates how profits can be generated from the revenue. The ratios show how the companys investors have played a role in generating revenue for the company (Holtzman, 2013). The company uses this information to assess the managements effectiveness. The following table compares profitability ratios with respect to Qantas Airways Limited and Virgin Australia Limited. 2016 2015 2014 Gross Profit margin (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 1.11 1.29 1.06 1.14 1.03 1.11 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Return on Assets (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 0.97 0.76 0.88 0.72 0.72 0.68 Table 1: Comparative profitability analysis for the last 3-year period The gross margin ratio measures the companys ability to convert its inventory into cash when it sells (Jiambalvo, 2010). Therefore, a high value of gross margin is better because the company can fund its operations. The two companies reported values close to 1 (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). The return on assets ratio is used to evaluate how a company can generate profits from its assets.. This ratio compares the earnings of the company to its total assets (Holtzman, 2013). The ratio is derived from the net profit or loss and the total assets. A high return on assets ration values means that the business realizes more profits from its assets. The value thus indicates how the management make use of the companys assets to generate revenue (Jiambalvo, 2010). The return on equity makes a comparison between the net income and the stockholders equity (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, 2014). The ratio is thus a measure of the profits that an investment from the shareholders has the potential to generate. This ratio is derived by finding the quotient between the net income and the average stockholder equity (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). High values of ROA are preferred because they underline how management utilizes the stakeholders investments to create more income (Warren, et al., 2014). On comparison, Qantas Airways Limited is more likely to generate better returns as compared to Virgin Australia Limited because the former has performed better. Financial Strength Analysis This method analyzes the business capabilities of paying its long-term and short-term debts (Jiambalvo, 2010). The table below compares the financial strengths of Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia Limited. 2016 2015 2014 Debt to Equity Ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 4.13 4.11 4.09 4.01 3.98 3.95 Debt Ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 0.80 0.98 0.80 0.96 0.81 0.95 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Table 2: Financial strength analysis for the past 3-year period The debt to equity ratio represents a companys financing in relation to its creditors and investors. When this ratio is high, it implies that much of the business finance comes from the creditors (bank loans) and not from the shareholders (Holtzman, 2013). The debt to equity ratio is determined from the total liabilities and the shareholders equity by finding their quotient (Holtzman, 2013). Lower values of this ratio are preferred since they indicate less risk in investing into the company (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). The debt ratio measures the level of debt or the liabilities of the business with respect to the total assets (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). It is determined by finding the quotient of the total debt incurred and the total assets of the company. The ratio measures of the quantity of debt that is being financed by the assets owned by the company. The total debt refers to both long-term and short-term debt. A comparison of the ROE value between the two companies shows that investment into Qantas Airways is more likely to generate better returns as compared to investing into Virgin Australia because the former has a higher value. Management Efficiency Analysis Management of efficiency analysis determines how efficient a manager is (Jiambalvo, 2010). To perform the analysis the ROE, fixed asset turnover, and total asset turnover were used for this case. The analysis from the two companies is broken down in the table below. 2015 2014 2013 Asset turnover ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 4.68 3.98 3.13 4.07 2.85 4.13 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Total Asset Turnover Qantas Virgin Australia 0.96 0.62 0.89 0.61 0.83 0.57 Table 3: Management efficiency analysis A high total asset turnover figure demonstrates how the company can generate sales despite having limited fixed assets. A low ratio, on the other hand, may indicate that the business has many fixed assets or it needs to rejuvenate its sales (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). The total assets and net sales are used to determine the ratio. The asset turnover evaluates a business efficiency when it utilizes its assets to create revenue. The sales are analyzed with respect to the assets (Warren, et al., 2014). If the companies were to generate more revenue from very few assets, it will indicate their efficiency at managing their assets (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, 2014). Recommendations Not much research has been documented on the financial risk exposures affecting the aviation industry. However, the fundamental analysis carried out with respect to Qantas Airways Limited and Virgin Australia Limited is sufficient to determine the financial performance of the two companies and the state of the aviation sector in the transportation industry. The financial risks under study: the exchange rate exposure, fuel price risk, and the foreign currency all play a crucial role in the value of a companys stock in this particular industry. The financial analysis helped to underline individual financial performance of the companies. Qantas Airways performed better than Virgin Australia as it had higher values in various ratios. While the company recorded a net profit of $1.54 billion, Virgin Australia managed $41 million in profits. References List Baker, K. Filbeck, G., 2015. Investment Risk Management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Berghfer, B. Lucey, B., 2014. Fuel hedging, operational hedging and risk exposure Evidence from the global airline industry. International Review of Financial Analysis, Volume 34, pp. 124-139. Chew, D. H., 2008. Corporate Risk Management. New York: Columbia University Press. Holtzman, M. P., 2013. Managerial Accounting For Dummies. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Jiambalvo, J., 2010. Managerial Accounting. New York: John Wiley Sons. Jorge, M. J. d. S. Augusto, M. A. G., 2011. Financial risk exposures and risk management: evidence from european nonfinancial firms. RAM. Revista de Administrao Mackenzie, volume 12 issue 5, pp. 65-97. Krause, T. A. Tse, Y., 2016. Risk management and firm value: recent theory and evidence. International Journal of Accounting Information Management, volume 24 no. 1, pp. 56-81. Laux, P. A., Yan, H. Zhang, C., 2015. Cost, risk-taking, and value in the airline industry, Delaware: s.n. Lee, C.-H. Hooy, C.-W., 2012. Determinants of systematic financial risk exposures of airlines in North America, urope and Asia. Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 24, pp. 31-35. Lima, S. H. Hong, Y., 2014. Fuel hedging and airline operating costs. Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 36, pp. 33-40. Loudon, G. F., 2004. Financial Risk Exposures in the Airline Industry: Evidence from Australia and New Zealand. Australian Journal of Management, 29(2), pp. 295-316. Maher, M. W., Stickney, C. P. Weil, R. L., 2012. Managerial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts, Methods and Uses. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Marta, T. Brusuelas, J., 2009. Forex analysis and trading : Effective top-down strategies combining fundamental, position, and technical analyses. New York: Bloomberg Press. Murphy, J. J., 2013. Intermarket analysis : profiting from global market relationships. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Poitras, G., 2013. Commodity Risk Management: Theory and Application. New York, NY: Routledge. Rich, J. et al., 2012. Cornerstones of Financial and Managerial Accounting. Mason, OH: Cengage Brain. Treanor, S. D., Simkins, B. J., Rogers, D. A. Carter, D. A., 2014. Does Operational and Financial Hedging Reduce Exposure? Evidence from the U.S. Airline Industry. The Finanical Review, 49(1), pp. 149-172. Warren, C. S., Reeve, J. M. Duchac, J., 2014. Financial Managerial Accounting. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, B. A. Habibullah, M. S., 2016. Financial risk exposures of the airlines industry: Evidence from Cathay Pacific Airways and China Airlines. International Journal of Business and Society, 17(2), pp. 221-244.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Students Need To Be Able To Learn How To Become Effective Problem Solv

Students need to be able to learn how to become effective problem solvers. They should be able to identify problems, evaluate those problems and then decipher a way to transfer their learning to those problems in a way that will bring about a solution. If a student is able to perform in a problem solving situation a meaningful learning should then occur because he has constructed an interpretation of how things work using preexisting structured. This is the theory behind Constructivism. By creating a personal interpretation of external ideas and experiances, constructivism allows students the ability to understand how ideas can relate to each other and preexisting knowledge. A teacher must then recognize the importance of the cognative and social approaches for learning and teaching so that she may aid the students' development in constructivist learning. Both approaches are valuable because one will emphasize the role of cognative processes and the other will emphasize culture and social interaction in the role of meaningful learning. One, however, may wonder how to go about enforcing these approaches. One method is through scaffolding, providing a student with sufficient information to be able to complete a task on his own or, to present a gradual decrease in the amount of help availible allowing the student the capacity to work independantly. Situated learning will present the student with a set of learning tasks placed in realistic contexts. This will include the abilities to use knowledge in a functioning learning approach and acquiring inert knowledge based on the learning of isolated facts in limited conditions. Lastly, students should, through the use of multiple perspectives, be able to view problems and ideas. These ideas presented will then be able to shed light on the nature of problem solving. There are three most common types of problems, the first being well-structured problems. Well-structured problems are ones clearly stated with known solution procedures and evaluation standards; an example being a mathamatical process. Another type of problem are those that are ill-structured; they are stated vaguely, have unclear solution procedures, and vague standards of evalalution. The third type, issue problems, are ill-structured problems that will arrouse srtong feelings in the students. The first step in helping students become adaquate problems solvers is assuring they realize that a problem does exist. Once a problem is identifiedm students should be expected to understand the nature of the problem. The next logical step would then be for those students to compile all relevant information to their problem allowing them to formulate and carry out a solution. Lastly, the students would th en be required to evaluate their solutions working out the imperfections, clarifying the results. Problem solving is a very necessary abilty for a student which will, in a way, garuntee his future abilty to transfer knowledge. The student needs a firm base understanding of the problem solving concepts to induce a positive transfer of his later ideas. He should be able to recognize the need for different problem solving techniques and how to relate and separate theories in his knowledge. The teacher should be able to present the starting grounds to enable her students a method of producing the solutions to their problems. Bibliography Snowman, J., & Biehler, R. (2000). Psychology Applied to Teaching (9th edition) Boston, MA: Houghton Miflin Company.