FM422E     
Corporate Finance

This information is for the 2020/21 session.

Teacher responsible

Professor Amil Dasgupta

Dr Dirk Jenter

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Finance (part-time). This course is not available as an outside option.

Pre-requisites

Aimed at people with a good undergraduate degree and good quantitative skills, with some knowledge of economics.

Course content

  • Financing
  • Valuation

This core course provides a broad introduction to the key issues in corporate finance. The first half of the course, the Financing Module, investigates how companies should finance their activities by issuing securities (debt, equity, and convertible claims) and the interaction of business policy with financial policy. The aim is to understand what factors determine optimal capital structure and how the interplay of these factors can affect financing decisions in a way that creates value. The second half of the course, the Valuation Module, covers firm and project valuation and establishes how companies should select among investable assets. The module focuses on fundamental valuation techniques based on discounting future cash flows. The course goes on to introduce further valuations methods, such as real options analysis, as well as key applications of valuation concepts to major corporate decisions such as mergers and acquisition and initial public offerings. The course interweaves key conceptual material with a series of cases.

Teaching

30 hours of lectures in the MT. 30 hours of lectures in the LT.

This course is taught in the interactive lecturing format. There is no distinction between lectures and classes/seminars; there are “sessions” only, and the pedagogical approach in each session is interactive.

Formative coursework

Regular classworks will be completed, handed in and marked as part of formative assessment for this course.

Indicative reading

The recommended textbook for this course is  Berk and DeMarzo, Corporate Finance. Other recommended readings from relevant journal articles will be included in a study pack.

Assessment

Continuous assessment (100%) in the MT and LT.

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.

Key facts

Department: Finance

Total students 2019/20: 47

Average class size 2019/20: Unavailable

Controlled access 2019/20: Yes

Value: One Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Commercial awareness
  • Specialist skills