Assessment – 1
Activity 1
Identify and explain some necessary characteristics of a qualitative researcher.
(Identify sources and parties that provide relevant information for research on financial products).
Activity 2
Much of the innovation that occurred in the 20th century financial services industry was about providing access to money. For example, credit cards gave consumers a chance to pay without needing the cash on hand, while automatic tellers gave 24-hour access to cash. However, financial services innovation in the early 21st century has been about access to information.
Undertake some research of your own and discuss how the ‘smart connected world, where
everyone and everything is connected, intelligent and measured’, is impacting the outlook for future financial products.
(Describe the current economic climate and forecasted outlook for relevant financial products).
Activity 3
With the rapid advance of digital technologies in the Australian financial services industry, the use of traditional financial forecasting techniques to assess financial product markets has declined. Explain and discuss.
(Explain financial forecasting techniques and tools to be used to assess the market for financial products).
Activity 4
Conduct some research to discover and explain how open-source data analytic products, like Hadoop, are impacting local and international markets for financial products.
(Identify and outline local and international financial markets and investment outlook for financial products).
Activity 5
Explain why policies are normally separated from procedures in organisational documentation. Provide an illustrative example involving research policy.
(Describe organisational policy, procedures and requirements relevant to products and research).
Activity 6
Summarise the key features of the Code of Practice which covers the independence of experts who undertake financial product research.
(Identify and describe key features of industry legislation and codes of practice relevant to product research, and protocols to be followed).
Activity 7
Describe the research technique of conjoint analysis using a worked example.
(Describe techniques and tools for evaluation and interpretation of research data).
Assessment – 2 Requirements:
1. Download and review the research report ‘Morningstar equities Best Stock Ideas
2017_02_February, located in the Assessment Resources folder.
2. Download and review the Morningstar report “Inghams IPO”, located in the Assessment
Resources folder.
Activity 1
Explain why a research entity, like Morningstar, publishes a monthly Best Stock Ideas report.
Activity 2
How does a research company like Morningstar protect itself from law suits from investors, who have followed the recommendations in a monthly Best Stock Idea report, and who have subsequently lost money on these investments?
Activity 3
The Ingham’s IPO report certainly complies with relevant statutory disclosure requirements for publishing details and opinions about Initial Public Offerings (IPO). If you were an investor, apart from reading the IPO report, where else would you look to obtain accurate and comprehensive information surrounding Ingham’s proposed IPO?
Activity 4
Explain why research organisations, like Morningstar, document research findings into IPO’s like Inghams, concisely and clearly, before they distribute their research reports.