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ACC40940

Academic Year 2024/2025

Business Valuation & Analysis (ACC40940)

Subject:
Accountancy
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Mr Adam Lynch
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module provides students with an advanced understanding of performance measurement, business analysis, and valuation in a corporate finance context. The module bridges theoretical concepts with practical applications, enabling students to critically assess strategic financial decisions and provide evidence-based recommendations. By the end of the module, students will have the knowledge required to address the challenges of internal investment decisions, business valuation, and strategic financial management.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, the student should be able to:
-Understand and critically evaluate investment decisions, incorporating methods such as NPV, IRR, and payback analysis.
-Demonstrate advanced skills in identifying and advising on appropriate sources of finance for a variety of business scenarios, integrating knowledge of debt, equity, and other financial instruments;
-Carry out comprehensive company valuations using multiple methodologies (e.g., asset-based, earnings-based, and cash flow-based), including an awareness of limitations and practical considerations.
-Analyse and propose strategies for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including valuation, synergy evaluation, and deal structuring.
-Develop turnaround strategies for companies in financial difficulty, focusing on cash flow management, cost reduction, and financing options;
-Evaluate corporate financing decisions, including dividend policies, and their impact on shareholder value and financial strategy.
-Apply analytical skills to solve complex strategic and financial challenges, integrating performance measurement, company valuation, and strategic decision-making frameworks.

Indicative Module Content:

-Strategic Financial Management
-Investment Decisions (NPV, IRR, Payback)
-Sources of Finance
-Company Valuation Methods
-Mergers and Acquisitions
-Corporate Financial Strategy
-Companies in Financial Difficulty
-Financial Ratio Analysis and Forecasting
-Risk-Return Characteristics of Financial Instruments

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

86

Lectures

24

Total

110


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures; Active/task-based learning; Enquiry & problem-based learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Group Project on Relevant Case Study Week 5 Graded No
20
No
Exam (In-person): Final Examination End of trimester
Duration:
3 hr(s)
Graded No
80
No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Business Analysis and Valuation, IFRS edition / Krishna G. Palepu, Paul M. Healy, Erik Peek.
Fourth edition. Available through UCD library: https://librarym.ucd.ie/record=b2101540~S1.