FINANCE 761 : Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis
Business and Economics
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the core principles of asset pricing (Capability 1 and 4.1)
- Understand current empirical research in the area of asset pricing (Capability 1, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Critically evaluate claims of successful investment strategies (Capability 2, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Identify interesting research questions in the field of asset pricing (Capability 3, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Create active class discussion (Capability 2, 4.1 and 4.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation 1 | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| Presentation 2 | 10% | Group Coursework |
| Critique | 5% | Individual Coursework |
| Empirical Assignment | 15% | Group Coursework |
| Referee Report | 5% | Individual Coursework |
| Participation | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 7 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| Presentation 1 | ||||||||||
| Presentation 2 | ||||||||||
| Critique | ||||||||||
| Empirical Assignment | ||||||||||
| Referee Report | ||||||||||
| Participation | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This is a standard course and students are expected to spend at least 10 hours per week. For this course, you can expect 3 hours of student seminar presentations with active student participation. Hours of reading and thinking about the content and hours of work on preparation for the various assessments will vary across individual students and across time although are not expected to be significantly above normal for a postgraduate paper.
Other Information
The empirical assignment will require the use of computers. We recommend that you use SAS, although any statistical programming language such as R, Matlab, EViews, Stata or Gauss will work as well. Excel may also work but it will be impractical and tedious without macro programming. Details about the empirical assignment will be announced later. Out of respect for all participants in FIN761, no food or drinks in the classroom, and mobiles/laptops/tablets need to be switched off!
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.