04521 - Corporate finance

Learning outcomes

The objective of the course is to provide the necessary tools to analyze the financial decisions made by companies in the different phases of their life cycle. At the end of the course, the student will be able to: (a) select the investments that a company should undertake; (b) calculate the company's cost of capital; (c) identify the different sources of financing available to companies.

Course contents

1- Introduction to corporate finance: chapter 1

2- Financial statements and financial analysis: chapters 3 & 4

3- Time value of money and bonds: chapter 2

4- Stocks: characteristics and valuation: chapter 5

5- Project evaluation and capital budgeting: chapters 6 & 7

6- Risk and portfolio theory: chapters 9 & 10

7- Risk-return and the cost of capital: chapter 11

8- Introduction to business valuation: chapter 18

9- International finance: chapter 25

Readings/Bibliography

PRINCIPI DI FINANZA AZIENDALE 9ed (2024) di Richard A. Brealey, Stewart C. Myers, Franklin Allen, Sandro Sandri (BMAS).

Teaching methods

1- Classes by the professor explaining the contents of the course.

2- Applying the valuation models to real-wold cases

3- Excel lab to practice financial modeling

4- A dedicated tutor that will be nominated at the beginning of the course

Assessment methods

The evaluation process
Compulsory written exam
Optional: A project to be presented in the class

To take the exam, you must have previously registered according to the rules and deadlines specified in the ALMAESAMI procedure (https://almaesami.unibo.it/).

Final score grid:

- 18-23: sufficient preparation and ability to analyze but relating to a limited number of topics covered in the course, use of an overall correct language;
- 24-27: technically adequate preparation but with some limits with respect to the topics covered, good operational skills, even if not particularly articulated, expressed in correct language;
- 28-30: very good knowledge of a large number of topics covered in the course, good operational and critical skills, high-level usage of specific terminology;
- 30L: excellent and very in-depth and exhaustive knowledge of the topics covered in the course, critical analysis and connection skills, very high-level usage of specific terminology.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations projected during lectures and exercises on business cases and financial securities will be made available during lectures on the Virtual Platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).

Office hours

See the website of Murad Harasheh