35817 - Financial Risk Management

Academic Year 2024/2025

Learning outcomes

On completion of the module students will be able to (a) evaluate the fundamental characteristics of major derivative instruments, (b) assess the function and impact of such instruments for corporate financing and risk management, and (c) more broadly, critically appreciate the recent research in the area of financial derivatives for investing and risk management purposes.

Course contents

The course include the following macro-topics.

  1. Measuring Credit Risk through ratio analysis techniques.
  2. Climate transition and its impact on the credit risk and firm's risk management: ESG factors and ESG Ratings.
  3. Term structure and fixed-income securities evaluation.
  4. Risk management of bond securities and their portfolio management.
  5. An introduction to the main derivative contracts: their mechanics, regulation, and trading mechanisms.
  6. Including Forwards and futures contracts in hedging strategies.
  7. Forward rate agreements (FRA), credit default swaps, and their pricing determinants.
  8. Trading and hedging strategies with options.

Readings/Bibliography

  • Hull, John C. (2018) Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives, Eleventh Edition. Global Edition. Pearson-Prentice Hall.
  • Booklet materials provided by the instructor will be available at the following link: "https://virtuale.unibo.it/".

Teaching methods

This course consists of 10 sessions during the 3rd subcycle of the academic year (total of 30h). The session will consist of traditional classroom-taught lesson and practitioners' guest lectures with the aim to bridge theoretical insights of the lectures with the industry practices.

Assessment methods

The 50min-exam consists of a written quiz containing 3 open (3 points each) and 11 multiple questions (2 points each). Both kinds of questions might be about either theoretical arguments or practical exercises.

This is the assessment grid:

  • (a) <18 insufficient;
  • (b) 18-23 sufficient;
  • (c) 24-27 average/good;
  • (d) 28-30 very good;
  • (e) 30 cum laude excellent/outstanding.

The course does not have mid-term exam.

Teaching tools

Lecture slides and additional research papers will be provided by the instructor when the course progresses. Furthermore, all the lecture slides will be provided by topic in advance.

The lecture materials is available at the following link: "https://virtuale.unibo.it/"

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/giovanni.cardillo2/avvisi

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Cardillo