This guide is for ACCT 370 Week 5 Excel Project Part 3, start to submission. Horizontal and vertical analysis of the statements, 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 | 5 |
| Points | 50 points |
| Length | Excel workbook (Part 3) |
| Sources | The Part 1 statements |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Microsoft Excel |
What ACCT 370 Week 5 Excel Project Part 3 asks for
Part 3 is horizontal and vertical analysis of the financial statements. It is due in Module/Week 5 with Revsine et al. chapters 10 and 11. Worth 50 points.
Where it fits in ACCT 370
In the published schedule, Excel Project Part 3 is one of 6 graded written assignments in ACCT 370. It follows Week 3 Excel Project Part 2 and comes before Week 7 Excel Project Part 4.
How ACCT 370 Week 5 Excel Project Part 3 is graded
Liberty grades Excel Project Part 3 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. Open the rubric before you draft and read across each row: the top column describes what full credit looks like, and the gap between columns tells you what costs points.
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 5 method, step by step
Set up the data before the write-up
Work through the Excel Project Part 3 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
Give the key figures in a labeled table and mention each 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
Submit every file requested and check that formulas, output and the write-up agree (Excel workbook, Part 3).
Build the horizontal analysis as a column of formulas such as =(C5-B5)/B5 beside each line, and the vertical analysis as each line divided by total revenue or total assets with an absolute reference to the base cell. Format both as percentages with one decimal place, and use conditional formatting sparingly to highlight changes larger than 10%, which are the trends to explain.
A structure for ACCT 370 Week 5 Excel Project Part 3
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal analysis | Year-over-year change in each line. | ~360 words |
| Vertical analysis | Each line as a percentage of sales or total assets. | ~360 words |
| Observations | Trends worth explaining in the report. | ~180 words |
A topic angle that works
Use vertical analysis to compare companies of different sizes (cost of sales as a percent of revenue) and horizontal analysis to find trends within one company. Flag the three most important trends for the report.
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.
Vertical analysis shows the company's SG&A at 21.4% of sales against 19.8% and 20.1% for its two competitors, so it spends more to sell each dollar.1 Horizontal analysis shows SG&A growing 9% a year while sales grow 5%, which is the trend most worth explaining in the report.
- Uses both analyses.
- Compares across companies.
- Finds the key trend.
Mistakes that cost points on ACCT 370 Week 5
- Percentages without a base.
- No observations.
- Formula errors in growth rates.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Excel workbook (Part 3)
- 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 3?
Horizontal and vertical analysis.
How many points is ACCT 370 Week 5 Excel Project Part 3 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 5 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.