Finance Homework

We are seeking a detail-oriented Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst to support academic-style and real-world corporate finance projects. This role involves building full integrated valuation models, analyzing company financials, and producing clear written explanations of the methodology and results. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, excellent Excel ability, and experience working with valuation frameworks commonly used in MBA-level finance programs.

Key Responsibilities

1. WACC Calculation & Cost of Capital Analysis

Gather data on beta, market risk premium, risk-free rate, and capital structure.

Calculate after-tax cost of debt and cost of equity.

Build a clean, auditable WACC calculation that aligns with academic and real-world standards.

2. Financial Forecasting & Cash-Flow Projections

Project revenue, margins, depreciation, capital expenditures, working capital, and free cash flow.

Build multi-year forecast models using both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

Clearly document assumptions and sensitivities.

3. Payout Policy Analysis

Review dividend history, share repurchases, and retained earnings strategy.

Assess how payout policies impact firm risk, leverage, and valuation.

4. Optimal Capital Structure Assessment

Analyze company leverage relative to peers.

Evaluate cost of capital under varying capital structures.

Provide recommendations supported by quantitative and qualitative reasoning.

5. Valuation Modeling

Perform discounted cash-flow (DCF) valuation.

Perform relative valuation using P/E, EV/EBITDA, and peer comparison.

Produce final valuation outputs, sensitivity tables, and summary conclusions.

Deliverables

A fully built and clean Excel model containing:

WACC

Cash-flow projections

Capital structure analysis

Payout analysis

DCF & relative valuation

A short written summary (Word or within Excel) explaining assumptions, analysis, and conclusions.

Comparison of chosen company vs. peers, supported with metrics and visuals.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Strong proficiency in Excel financial modeling (DCF, scenario analysis, sensitivity tables).

Knowledge of corporate finance concepts: WACC, beta adjustments, capital structure, payout policy, and valuation methods.

Experience using financial data sources (Yahoo Finance, 10-Ks, Bloomberg helpful but not required).

Ability to write clear, concise explanations of technical finance topics.

Attention to detail; ability to work independently and hit deadlines.

Preferred Background

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field (MBA a plus but not required).

Previous experience building valuation models for academic, investment banking, consulting, or equity research purposes.

Familiarity with Fortune 500 financial statements and peer-comparison analysis.