Finance (FNCE) 401
Investments (Revision 4)
View previous syllabus.
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
**Note:Students registering in grouped study, or grouped study international mode are advised that there may be some differences in the evaluation and course materials information indicated below. To obtain the most up-to-date information, contact the Faculty of Business Student Support Centre at 1-800-468-6531.
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, evaluation, 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
- Lesson 4: Mutual Funds and Institutional investors
Unit 2: Portfolio Theory
- Lesson 5: Return and Risk: Analyzing the Historical Record
- Lesson 6: Risk Aversion and Capital Allocation to Risky Assets
- Lesson 7: Optimal Risky Portfolios
Unit 3: Equilibrium in Capital Markets
- Lesson 8: CAPM, Index Models, and Arbitrage Theory
- Lesson 9: Market Efficiency, Behavioural Finance, Technical Analysis, and Empirical Evidence
Unit 4: Fixed Income Securities
- Lesson 10: Bond Prices and Yields
- Lesson 11: The Term Structure of Interest Rates
- Lesson 12: Managing Bond Portfolios
Unit 5: Equities
- Lesson 13: Security Analysis
- Lesson 14: Financial Statement Analysis
Unit 6: Derivative Assets
- Lesson 15: Options and Other Derivatives
- Lesson 16: Option Valuation
- Lesson 17: Futures and Forward Markets
Unit 7: Active Portfolio Management and International Investing
- Lesson 18: Active Management and Performance Measurement
- 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 a minimum grade of 50 percent on Assignment 4, 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.
| Assign. 1 | Assign. 2 | Assign. 3 | Assign. 4 | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 45% | 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. (2008). Investments (6th Cdn. ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. ISBN 9780070965454
Other materials
Students will access all other course materials online.
Special Course Features
The course materials for this course are shipped as a shrink-wrapped package. If the shrink wrap is broken, the materials are not returnable.
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 4, November 2, 2009.
View previous syllabus
Last updated by SAS 09/10/2013 11:52:40
