78489 - INTRODUCTION TO FINANCE

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

The integrated course “Management” provides students with a foundational understanding of managerial and financial principles essential to business decision-making. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: - understand the main concepts, functions, and processes of business management; - apply basic analytical and methodological tools to support decision-making in marketing, finance, human resources, and operations; - evaluate financial assets and investment projects using standard valuation and selection criteria; - utilize quantitative tools such as annuities, amortization plans, and investment appraisal techniques; integrate managerial and financial perspectives to interpret and address fundamental business problems. The course equips students with the essential knowledge and tools for understanding firms’ management and financial decision-making within a general management framework.

Contenuti

The main topics and concepts covered in this course are:

• Time Value of Money

• Valuation of Real Assets: Capital Budgeting Decisions

• Valuation of Financial Assets: Stocks and Bonds

• Risk and Rates of Return

• Financial Statement Analysis: Annual Reports, Ratio Analysis, and Related Tools

• Cost of Capital

Testi/Bibliografia

Books:

Melicher, Ronald W., and Edgar A. Norton. Introduction to Finance: Markets, Investments, and Financial Management. 17th ed. Wiley, 2021.

Besley, Scott, and Eugene F. Brigham. CFIN. 7th ed. Cengage Learning, 2022.

Course materials:

Presentation slides, exercises, and lecture notes, will be made available on Virtuale.

Metodi didattici

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

2- Labs to practice financial modeling

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

 

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

A written exam is expected at the end of the course, composed of multiple-choice questions and exercises. 

You need to obtain at least 18/30 to be able to register the final score together with the "Management" score.

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.

Note: only 3 exams are allowed within the same academic year. overpassing the year without passing (18/30 at least) the course requires following again the course.

Generative AI. The use of generative artificial intelligence during the examination is prohibited. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

1- Professor office hours 

2- Online comunications using virtuale, and online lectures when is needed

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/).

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Marcin Dominik Borsuk