Project #1

Read the article “What is Money” post below first.  Answer the following questions and post your answers. Remember to use headings when answering questions.

1. What is money?  Using the information posted in the project Moodle packet, research the money supply data provided on the Federal Reserve’s website (www.federalreserve.gov).  Based on your research using the data as of the end of September 2018 (specifically, the September 24, 2018 seasonally adjusted weekly data) answer the following questions:

• What are the most recent amounts for M1 (Table 3) and M2 (Table 4).
• What is the most recent weekly amount presented for Currency (Table 3).
• What percentage of our money supply (M1 and M2) is comprised of currency (cash and coins)?   You must show your calculation to receive credit.

2. Go to www.fidelity.com.  From Fidelity’s homepage type “Fidelity Magellan” or “FMAGX” in the search box in the upper right corner.  Based on the information provided, answer the following questions:

• What is the fund’s investment objective?  Its investment strategy?
• What is the fund’s Net Asset Value (NAV)?  Provide the date of this quote.
• What has been the fund’s Quarterly-Average Annual Returns (at most recent date), for the prior 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years?  How has the S&P 500 (i.e., the “market”) performed over those same time periods?  As an investor in this fund, would you be satisfied with the fund’s performance?  Why or why not?
• What was the fund’s expense (fee) ratio for its most recent fiscal year-end?

       3.  Go to www.finance.yahoo.com.  Type in Apple or “AAPL” in search box at top of the page.  Based on the information presented, answer the following questions:

• From the Summary Tab, what is Apple’s current share price quote?
• From the Statistics Tab, what is Apple’s Inter-day market capitalization (“Market Cap”)?
• What is the implied number of shares outstanding (i.e., market cap ÷ current share price)?  How does this number compare to the actual shares outstanding presented on the Statistics Tab?  Hint – remember that market cap is generally in millions or billions while share prices quotes are not.
• Go to Apple’s balance sheet for the most recently completed quarter (within the “financials” tab).  What is the date of the balance sheet?
• How much cash and investments (current and non-current) does the company have?  What percentage of the total asset base of the company did these balances represent?
• Comment on Apple’s holdings of cash and investments (these types of holdings represent non-operating assets).  What potential benefits exist due these holdings?  What potential concerns are created by these holdings?