Learning objectives
The business finance course has the following objectives:
- Create the skills for the correct diagnosis of company financial problems;
- Make available models and logical assessments of financial solutions for businesses in different competitive environments;
- Strengthen the skills associated with the construction of valuation models.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of spreadsheet analysis
General program of corporate finance
General program of mathematics
Course unit content
The course focuses on the central issues of financial management of companies. In particular, it will be illustrated the fundamental theoretical models and the operational applications in corporate finance decisions: capital budgeting, the determination of the right measure of the cost of capital and the proper capital structure. These are the main fields of activity of the Financial Management Department. The course aims to introduce students to the world of business finance by providing them with a view of the theoretical models and their main applications in business, focusing on operational decisions.
Our first focus involves several issues about creditworthiness valuation. It is essential to understand the evaluation logic adopted by the lender.
The course's second main focus concerns identifying specific circumstances involving chief financial officers. Each circumstance should be analyzed regarding availability and the critical tools to bring it under control.
Full programme
Track 1 - Value
Track 2 – Financial evaluation
Track 3 - Risk analysis
Track 4 - Project finance
Track 5 - Debt policy
Track 6 - Dividend policy
Track 8 - Debt management
Track 11 - Merger & Acquisition
Bibliography
Brealey, Myers, Allen, Sandri, Principi di finanza aziendale, MCGrawHill, 2020.
Teaching methods
Acquisition of knowledge: lectures
Acquisition of the ability to apply knowledge: model construction
Acquisition of judgement skills: During the course, students will be encouraged to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the evaluation models and optimization of various aspects of corporate finance
Acquisition of learning skills: for each topic, students will start from the illustration of the problem to be solved, and the solutions will be analyzed critically, even concerning actual transactions in progress on the capital market.
Acquisition of technical language: terms commonly used by the financial community are used during lectures.
A part of the course is planned by business case discussion. The discussion will be about materials previously made available to students
Assessment methods and criteria
Midterm, final test or colloquium realize the learning evaluation. The written tests will last for 1 hour.
The knowledge will be assessed with two closed-ended questions that will count to 2 points each.
The ability to apply knowledge will be assessed with 1 exercise that will count up to 8 points.
The ability to communicate with the appropriate technical language will be assessed through two closed-ended questions about the meaning of the terms used by professionals in financial markets that will count up to 2 points each.
The autonomy of judgment and the ability to learn will be assessed with two open-ended questions that will count up to 7 points each.
The final mark will be 30 cum laude when all the parts of the exam (written text or oral exposition; teamwork or other forms of cooperative work) are excellent for completeness, clarity, brightness, vividness, and organization of the answers, the capacity of multidisciplinary connections. The vote will be published as soon as possible. Devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc., are forbidden.
The ability to apply knowledge will be assessed with 1 exercise that will count up to 8 points.
The ability to communicate with the appropriate technical language will be assessed through two closed-ended questions about the meaning of the terms used by professionals in financial markets that will count up to 2 points each.
The autonomy of judgment and the ability to learn will be assessed with 2 open-ended questions that will count up to 7 points each.
The final mark will be 30 cum laude when all the parts of the exam (written text or oral exposition; teamwork or other forms of cooperative work) are excellent for completeness, clarity, brightness, vividness, and organization of the answers, the capacity of multidisciplinary connections. The vote will be published as soon as possible. Devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc. are forbidden.
Other information
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