Business Finance and Quantitative Analysis
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 36 hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
Prerequisites
50 credit points from Postgraduate Studies
Aims and objectives
This unit deals with the financial uncertainties of the future. The principal objective of the unit is to foster a robust financial awareness in students and enable them to make informed investment and financing decisions for sustainable value creation. This unit aims to foster an understanding of the financial techniques necessary for correct evaluation of a firm’s financing and investment options. It is intended to create appropriate practical skills of seeking out information, looking at a problem from the perspectives of leadership challenges, marketing imperatives, technological changes, strategic fits, and financial prudence, and engaging into meaningful debate on those issues.
1 Critically evaluate the nature of financial ‘opportunities’ and ‘traps’ and the relationship between risk and reward
2 Develop quantitative analysis skills to enable mathematical and statistical insight into the functioning of business
3 Critically evaluate financial techniques necessary for correct evaluation of a firm’s financing and investment options and making valid decisions for long-term survival and success of the firm in an ethically challenging and globally complex world
4 Apply coherent and advanced knowledge of appropriate practical skills in seeking out relevant information and engage in meaningful debate on issues emanating from that information.
5 Communicate proficiently in a professional manner to a wide range of audiences as a member of a diverse group
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
2 Develop quantitative analysis skills to enable mathematical and statistical insight into the functioning of business
3 Critically evaluate financial techniques necessary for correct evaluation of a firm’s financing and investment options and making valid decisions for long-term survival and success of the firm in an ethically challenging and globally complex world
4 Apply coherent and advanced knowledge of appropriate practical skills in seeking out relevant information and engage in meaningful debate on issues emanating from that information.
5 Communicate proficiently in a professional manner to a wide range of audiences as a member of a diverse group
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Face to Face
Class 36 hours (12 x 3) weekly
or
Block Mode:
This unit will be delivered in block or intensive mode. Block mode may consist of blended, intensive and immersive teaching, which can include full day teaching and weekend teaching requirements – as specified in the Unit Outline.
Independent Learning
114 hours (12 x 9.5)
For all teaching and learning structures (both face to face and online), students are expected to spend an average of 150 hours per unit in total over the duration of the study period
This includes all:
• Scheduled teaching and learning events and activities (contact hours timetabled in a face-to-face teaching space) and scheduled online learning events (contact hours scheduled in an online teaching space), and
• Non-scheduled learning events and activities (including directed online learning activities, assessments, independent study, student group meetings, and research)
• Read all prescribed materials and/or view videos in preparation for each class
• Attend and engage in all scheduled classes (face to face or online)
• Start assessment tasks well ahead of the due date, and submit assessments promptly
• Read / listen to all feedback carefully, and consider it for future assessment
• Engage with fellow students and teaching staff (don’t hesitate to ask questions)
Assessment
Semester Test (Individual) 10-20%
Assignment (Group) 30-40%
Final Class Test (Individual) 40-60%
Content
- Risk / return trade-off in financial decisions
- Time Value of Money (TVM)
- Investment project evaluation and project selection
- Equity and non-equity sources of capital
- Cost of capital and benchmarks for capital commitments
- Financial diagnosis and leverage analysis
- Working capital, cash and current asset management
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
Students are advised to check the unit outline in the relevant teaching period for appropriate textbooks and further reading.