This guide is for ACCT 370 Week 3 Excel Project Part 2, start to submission. Ratio analysis for your company and its competitors, in Excel.
ACCT 370 is Financial Statement Analysis, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's BS in Accounting. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as ACCT370; it is the same course.
| Course | ACCT 370 Financial Statement Analysis |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 3 |
| Points | 50 points |
| Length | Excel workbook (Part 2) |
| Sources | The Part 1 statements |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Microsoft Excel |
What ACCT 370 Week 3 Excel Project Part 2 asks for
Part 2 is the ratio analysis for the company and its competitors. It is due in Module/Week 3 with Revsine et al. chapters 5 to 7. Worth 50 points.
Where it fits in ACCT 370
In the published schedule, Excel Project Part 2 is one of 6 graded written assignments in ACCT 370. It follows Week 2 Group Discussion Board Forum and comes before Week 5 Excel Project Part 3.
How ACCT 370 Week 3 Excel Project Part 2 is graded
Liberty grades Excel Project Part 2 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 50 points in the published guide. That is about 5% of the course's 1,010 points. The rubric rows are the real instructions. Draft against them, and you will rarely be surprised by the grade.
Course grades in ACCT 370 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 900 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The ACCT 370 Week 3 method, step by step
Set up the data before the write-up
Work through the Excel Project Part 2 calculations or software steps first and save the output. The written part interprets those numbers, so they have to be right before you explain them.
Show the method
Say which method, formula or test you used and why it fits the question. Graders want to see that the choice was deliberate.
Report the results plainly
Report each result with its value and what it measures. Tables and figures help when they are labeled and referred to in the text.
Interpret in the context of the question
Translate the numbers into a conclusion about the question. Say what decision they support and how confident you can be.
Name the limits
Name the assumptions and limits. A result with its limits stated reads as professional.
Submit the files the guide asks for
Check which files Canvas expects (spreadsheet, output, written document) and that each is complete and labeled (Excel workbook, Part 2).
Group the ratios on one tab with a column per company and a row per ratio, and add the industry median if you can find it in a source such as company filings or a library database. Comparing against both competitors and an industry benchmark keeps one unusual competitor from distorting your conclusions.
A structure for ACCT 370 Week 3 Excel Project Part 2
Word targets are planning numbers for about 900 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Liquidity ratios | Current and quick ratios. | ~180 words |
| Profitability ratios | Margins, ROA and ROE. | ~230 words |
| Efficiency ratios | Turnover and days measures. | ~220 words |
| Solvency ratios | Debt to equity, interest coverage. | ~160 words |
| Brief interpretation | What stands out. | ~110 words |
A topic angle that works
Build every ratio with formulas that reference the Part 1 tabs, and add a one-line note beside each ratio group saying which company leads and why. The numbers become analysis only with that comment.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
Return on equity is highest for Home Depot at over 1,000% in some years, but that reflects its very small equity after years of share buybacks, not superior operations.1 Return on assets, which is not distorted by buybacks, shows Home Depot ahead of Lowe's by a smaller margin, which is the fairer comparison.2
- Spots a distortion.
- Chooses a better measure.
- Clear comparison.
Mistakes that cost points on ACCT 370 Week 3
- Typed ratios instead of formulas.
- Ratios without interpretation.
- Inconsistent periods.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Excel workbook (Part 2)
- Sources: The Part 1 statements
- Calculations checked and output saved
- Every table and figure referred to in the text
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
What is in ACCT 370 Excel Part 2?
Ratio analysis for your company and its 2 to 3 competitors.
How many points is ACCT 370 Week 3 Excel Project Part 2 worth?
50 points in Liberty's published course guide for ACCT 370, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 5% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is ACCT 370 Week 3 the same in every section of ACCT 370?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for ACCT 370. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
Want a tutor to look at your draft?
Send the instructions and what you have so far. A Liberty tutor replies with what to fix first, usually within the hour.