Instructions: As a group, choose the M&A to research. Each group member must conduct his/her own r ...

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Instructions: As a group, choose the M&A to research. Each group member must conduct his/her own research to identify the M&A's strategic considerations and risks. You should focus on the acquirer's perspective but can include the acquired's considerations if that adds to the case. Each group member should keep individual research notes in a "View only" google doc linked to the final essay submission. After individual research has been completed, you must work together as a team to synthesize your information into a case analysis about the strategic rationale behind the merger and whether that rationale was sound. Minimize describing what happened but instead focus on analyzing why things happened the way they did, whether the M&A is a good idea, and what can be done to ensure its success. Make sure to back up all claims with citations/evidence from your group’s research. Select among issues we discussed in class like the following (you may choose your own topics and do not need to analyze all of these):  Valuation of the M&A (Sessions 15 and 16) Potential synergies that justify the M&A (Session 16) Capital structure optimization (Sessions 17 and 18) Segment risk analysis (Session 18) Financial options used in the M&A transaction (Session 19) Real options that can justify the M&A (Session 20) Potential changes in foreign currency risk (Session 21) Financial markets considerations (Session 22) Industry and competitive landscape analysis (Session 23) Competitive positioning and business model analysis (Session 23) M&A performance and value generation (Session 24) Corporate Social Responsibility considerations (Session 25) In an Appendix (not subject to the word count), provide a brief description of the role each team member played in generating this case study along with a link to each group member’s individual research notes in a "View only" google doc. Graded LO’s: Your assignment will be graded on 3 LO’s. Two of them will be #bizstrategy and #bizrisk so be sure you tag and provide sufficient analysis and material for grading these two LO's. Then, be sure to tag a third LO that your group wants to be graded on (if you like, it can be a repeat of #bizstrategy or #bizrisk). All team members will receive the same 3 LO grades. To increase the chance of earning 4's: focus your paper on analysis and not on describing what happened; be specific, go deep, provide evidence, and quantify using numbers when possible; apply financial metrics, concepts, or frameworks you learned in this or other classes. Assume your audience is knowledgeable about the accounting/finance concepts we’ve covered in class and is familiar with the case facts. Don't waste words explaining what synergies are. Jump right into the analysis. Go deep. When formulating a response, ask why. Then ask why again and justify your explanation. Back up your explanations with evidence. Integrate numbers into your arguments. **Use no more than two significant digits **for all numbers in the text and exhibits (12%, 3.5%, or 0.46%, not .12480294). Less is more. Displaying too many digits makes numbers hard to read and actually obscures its value and intuition. All exhibits you create yourself and referenced in your write-up must be included in the write-up itself and be properly formatted. You must also include a link to all your exhibits so that your calculations can be seen and checked (only those exhibits that appear in the write-up and are explicitly discussed will be assessed). Place your link at the very beginning of the write-up and be sure to grant your professor and peer tutors viewing privileges. Follow these guidelines (e.g. avoid including numbers in a calculation cell but instead, reference inputs/assumptions cells that do contain numbers; use black text for calculations and blue text for inputs). Check your spelling and grammar. Poor writing conveys carelessness and unprofessionalism. Tag 3 LO's. Two of them must be #bizstrategy and #bizrisk, and a third can be a LO of your choice (can be a repeat of #bizstrategy or #bizrisk).