- Docente: Francesco Bergamaschi
- Language: English
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Quantitative Finance (cod. 8854)
Learning outcomes
This crash course provides students with an introductory background to microeconomics and finance, and it is intended as a prerequisite to Economics and Finance courses during the first year of study. The crash course covers concisely the basic foundations of microeconomics (i.e., consumer theory and choice under certainty), macroeconomics (basics of fiscal and monetary policies) and finance (e.g., main financial products, basics of intertemporal valuation and interest rates). Lectures will be accompanied by problem sets which will help students to immediately apply the theoretical concepts presented in class. The list of topics covered is as follows. Economics (a) The market, (b) Budget constraint, (c) Preference and utility, (d) Choice under certainty (e) basic macroeconomics Finance (a) Time value of money, (b) Annuities and perpetuities, (c) Zero rates, bonds and yield curve.
Course contents
Microeconomics:
- The market
- Budget constraint
- Preference and utility
- Choice under certainty
Macroeconomics:
- National Accounts basics
- GDP, savings and other macro aggregates
- Keynesian multiplier and short-run equilibrium
- Central banks, interest rates, basics of fiscal and monetary policy
Finance:
- Time value of money, net present value (NPV), basics of capital budgeting, cash flows calculation
- Annuities and perpetuities
- Zero rates, bonds and yield curve
Readings/Bibliography
The course material will be distributed during the lectures and consists in slides and excercises.
Teaching methods
Lectures in class (sometimes with slides). Homeworks and review in class.
Assessment methods
No final test, this is a crash course.
Teaching tools
Blackboard, slides, economic/financial articles.
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Bergamaschi