MSc Finance, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc
Management, Finance and Accounting

MN7022 – FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCIAL
ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT
MODULE INFORMATION
Academic Year: 2013/14

Lectures: 10

Times: Please refer to the programme timetable

Semester: 1

Lectures venue: Please see timetable

Seminars: 2hrs

MODULE LECTURERS
Lecturers:

Alexandra Dias

Room:

KEB 415

Telephone:

0116 252 5019

Email:

Alexandra.Dias@le.ac.uk

Office Hours:

Wednesday 9:00-10:00

MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Aims
This course establishes the essential conceptual frameworks that lie at the foundations of modern financial analysis. They draw upon economics to establish a package of conceptual tools for financial managers who have to provide information across a variety of topics.
Emphasis is placed upon risk and uncertainty in the making of financial decisions.

Objectives
At the end of this module you should have an understanding of:
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the nature and role played by financial markets and financial intermediaries; the determinants of savings; investment and interest rates; key issues, debates and controversies in finance, such as those concerning the efficiency of financial markets; the principles underlying the pricing of financial assets/instruments; the capital asset pricing model; arbitrage pricing theory; the cost of capital and real options pricing and their use in the capital budgeting decisions.

TEACHING METHODS
The module will be taught through a series of two-hour lectures.

ASSESSMENT
This module is assessed through coursework (100%). You are required to write an essay.
Further advice on the question will be given in the classes.
Word limit: 3000 words. The assignment should be submitted online. The word count must be shown at the end of the assignment.
Submission deadline: 13 January 2013
Assignment guidance:
The following points may help you to produce a good piece of work:
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You must address the question asked and not try to re-define, or 'twist it round', to allow you to write about something else. 'Not answering the question' will result in a significant loss of marks.

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Your essay must be properly referenced: o only sources referred to specifically in the text of your answer should be included in the bibliography; o all sources (including those for any numeric examples used) should be acknowledged; o there should be no references in your answer to sources which are not in your bibliography BUT if you have not consulted the reference directly yourself you should indicate in the text of your answer the secondary source from which is comes. It is this secondary source which should be in your bibliography.

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Listing a reference in the bibliography does not make it acceptable to copy sections of the book into your answer. You must summarise the points in your own words.
Plagiarism is regarded as a most serious instance of academic misconduct and is dealt with accordingly.

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Being asked to discuss something is not the same as being asked to list things. A discussion will consider alternative points of view and your own thinking and evaluation should be apparent in the discussion of the topic.

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It is expected that you will consult academic and professional journals as well as textbooks. Many textbooks cover much the same information and you are only duplicating this when you consult numerous different textbooks. Textbooks tend not to have very up to date content and journal sources are vital for this.

Please see your programme handbook for more guidance and for more information on grading criteria, but if you are unsure about anything use my office hours to get more help.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ESSAYS
Below are a few tips about writing essays.
Criteria for a good essay:
 Evidence of reading beyond standard textbooks and lecture notes.
 Coherent, comprehensive, and reflective critique of