FIN320：topic;Analysis of a large commercial bank’s quarterly earnings

 Article (Draft and Submission) FIN320 has a writing requirement. In my section, I encourage students to choose a topic based on their personal or career interests. The project is a group assignment, so you will need to self-select into a group of 2 or 3 (note that there will be a slightly higher standard for groups of 3). I recommend forming a group around a topic idea. A draft of the article must be submitted for review mid-quarter (Article Draft) and a final version submitted for grading at the end of the quarter (Article Submission). The goal is to produce a piece of written analysis (1000 to 1500 words) that could be submitted to SeekingAlpha. The format should be similar to analysis articles found in SeekingAlpha. My goal is to help several students publish their work online. This is not an academic essay or a summary piece. This is a short written “analysis” on a particular market, institution, event, or topic. It should start with a short question or statement that draws the reader in. It should then put forward an investment thesis: a statement that takes a position (i.e., argument). The rest of the article is the analysis to support this position. This is not a “stock picking” class, but market ETFs are good investments for macro strategies. The analysis should also include a chart (one or two) that is an original creation of the students. The chart is key to article, because it should be a picture that “tells the story.” In other words, it should directly relate to the thesis of the article. 4 Ideally, it would even help make the argument. In the process of determining the idea for the article, students should think about how to collect data to produce the chart. Deciding on the right chart is critical to a successful article. Grading of the draft will take into consideration the quality of analysis as well as the quality of organization and communication. Grading of the final submission will be based on the response to my feedback. I encourage each group to seek input from me at each stage of the project, from initial idea to execution. This will also help me gauge each group members’ contribution.