Finance (FNCE) 401
Investments (Revision 5)
Revision 5 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version
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Delivery Mode: Individualized study online or grouped study**
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Applied Studies
(Business and Administrative Studies)
Prerequisite: FNCE 370. MATH 260 or equivalent is recommended.
Precluded Course: FNCE 349 (FNCE 401 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for FNCE 349).
Centre: Faculty of Business
FNCE 401 has a Challenge for Credit option
Overview
FNCE 401 will examine financial instruments and their analysis in detail. The course comprises seven units: Units 1 to 3, which describe markets and review various portfolio theories; Units 4 to 6, which discuss investment vehicles; and Unit 7, which addresses portfolio management techniques, performance evaluation, managed funds, and international investing.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to Investments
- Lesson 1: The Investment Environment
- Lesson 2: Financial Markets and Instruments
- Lesson 3: Trading on Securities Markets
Unit 2: Portfolio Theory
- Lesson 4: Return and Risk: Analyzing the Historical Record
- Lesson 5: Risk Aversion and Capital Allocation to Risky Assets
- Lesson 6: Optimal Risky Portfolios
Unit 3: Equilibrium in Capital Markets
- Lesson 7: CAPM, Index Models, and Arbitrage Theory
- Lesson 8: Market Efficiency, Behavioural Finance, Technical Analysis, and Empirical Evidence
Unit 4: Fixed Income Securities
- Lesson 9: Bond Prices and Yields
- Lesson 10: The Term Structure of Interest Rates
- Lesson 11: Managing Bond Portfolios
Unit 5: Equities
- Lesson 12: Security Analysis
- Lesson 13: Financial Statement Analysis
Unit 6: Derivative Assets
- Lesson 14: Options and Other Derivatives
- Lesson 15: Option Valuation
- Lesson 16: Futures and Forward Markets
Unit 7: Active Portfolio Management and International Investing
- Lesson 17: Active Management and Performance Measurement
- Lesson 18: Managed Funds
- Lesson 19: International Investing
Evaluation
Your final mark for FNCE 401 will be calculated based on your performance on four assignments and a final examination. To receive credit for FNCE 401, you must achieve 50 percent on the final examination, and a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent). You are strongly encouraged to complete all four assignments—you will receive a zero (0) for any missed assignment. The weighting of each assessment activity is indicated in the chart below.
| Assignment 1 | Assignment 2 | Assignment 3 | Assignment 4 | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 40% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbook
Bodie, Z., Kane, A., Marcus, A. J., Perrakis, S., & Ryan, P. J. (2011). Investments (7th Cdn. ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. ISBN 978-007007170-4
Other materials
Students will access all other course materials online.
Challenge for Credit Course Overview
The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.
Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures
Challenge Evaluation
To receive credit for the FNCE 401 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the examination.
Paper Exam (3 hours)
Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 5, July 9, 2013.
View previous syllabus