FIN X97 FIN 297, 397 Topics in Seminar: Investment Theory and Management 2-3 Hours
2,3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and Business Administration 285T or 385T.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
Topic 1: Investment Theory and Practice. Analysis of the investment decision-making process, asset allocation, security analysis, risk and expected return measurement, asset-pricing models, and international investment. Additional prerequisite: Credit or registration for Finance 286.
Topic 2: Portfolio Management and Security Analysis. Modern practices in managing investment portfolios, portfolio optimization methods, asset management for individual and institutional investors, and valuation of equity securities. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1), and credit or registration for Finance 394 (Topic 1: Advanced Corporate Finance).
Topic 3: Seminar in Securities Markets and Investment Banking.
Topic 4: Financial Risk Management. Studies how firms manage their financial risk exposures and how they use derivative securities. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1), and credit or registration for Finance 394 (Topic 1: Advanced Corporate Finance).
Topic 5: Fixed Income Analysis. Comprehensive analysis of debt securities and the techniques used to value these instruments. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1), and credit or registration for Finance 394 (Topic 1: Advanced Corporate Finance).
Topic 6: Special Topics in Investments. Issues and topics in the investment area that are not covered in other courses. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1), and credit or registration for Finance 394 (Topic 1: Advanced Corporate Finance).
Topic 7: Derivative Securities. Analysis and pricing of derivative securities, including forwards, futures, and options. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1).
Topic 8: Energy Derivatives. Analysis and pricing of derivative securities, including forwards, futures, and options, with emphasis on derivatives related to the energy industry. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1).
Topic 9: Alternative Investments. Overview of alternative investments, including hedge funds, private equity, and real estate. Additional prerequisite: Finance 286 and 397 (Topic 1).
Topic 10: Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing. A critical assessment of the actions of investors and corporations with regard to environmental, social, and governance policies, including the potential motivations and resulting consequences. Finance 397 (Topic: ENVIR/SOCIAL/GOV INVESTING ) and Finance 297, 397 (Topic 10) may not both be counted.
Topic 11: Quantitative Trading Strategies. Examine statistical analyses that can be used in a variety of application areas, including energy trading, and provide a cutting edge perspective on technical trading and valuation.
Topic 12: Investment Management. Explore investment principles, encompassing portfolio management, asset valuation, and performance evaluation. Learn critical financial skills to make investment-related decisions. Analyze equity, fixed-income securities, and derivatives within the global financial landscape using a combination of theory and practice.
Topic 13: Investments and Energy Finance. Focus on energy-related derivatives and different derivative products and how to apply them. Explore energy markets and learn how to measure and manage the financial risks created by volatile energy prices. Examine and evaluate energy finance.
Topic 14: Sustainable Finance. Focus on financial economics perspective to understand sustainability issues considered by managers, investors and participants in financial markets. Learn environmental, social, governance, strategy and other issues that affect manager and investor decisions from financial perspectives, particularly risk return aspects and measure sustainability risk exposures. Discuss how these issues are considered from a nonfinancial perspective such as sustainable and responsible investing, ethical investing and impact investing.
Topic 15: Artificial Intelligence-Powered Fund Management. Learn to use Artificial Intelligence tools to analyze and visualize data, financial statements, portfolios, and trading strategies.
Topic 16: Titans of Investing. Examine wisdom versus technical competence in leadership and decision making using readings from the most influential theorists and practitioners of 20th and 21st century investing, case studies and portfolio sector exercises in an institutional context, based on detailed assessment of global investment risks. Finance 397 (Topic: Titans of Investing) and 397 (Topic 16) may not both be counted.
Topic 17: Behavior, Game Theory, and Team Management. Explore how business leaders and managers can optimize the quality of decision-making and the cohesiveness of their organization. Analyze the problems through the lens of game theory, behavioral economics, and behavioral finance and find solutions to address them. Finance 397 (Topic: Behav/Game Thry/Team Mgmt) and 397 (Topic 17) may not both be counted.