BU9201

Investments

Academic Year : 2013/2014 Semester 1
Pre-requisites : BU8201/MB102
No. of AUs : 3
Course Coordinator : Mr. Pang Caiji
Email : cjpang@ntu.edu.sg

Course Description and Scope

This is an introductory course in investments. The objective of this course is to
provide students with a broad understanding of investments and portfolio
management. The course begins by describing the background for the study of
investments which include an understanding of the various investment alternatives,
allocation of assets, the markets where securities are bought and sold, and how to
evaluate and manage an investment portfolio. The analyses and valuation of equity
and fixed-income securities will then be discussed. The course ends with a discussion
of derivative securities.

Textbook

Essentials of Investments. Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane and Alan J. Marcus. McGraw-Hill, 8th
edition. (Call No. HG4521.B667E, Reserve HG4521.B667)

Method of Instruction

12 Seminars (3 hours per week) from week 1 to week 13. Week 7 will be an
E-learning week.

Course Assessments

Components Weight Individual/Group
Coursework 40% Mixed
1. Class Attendance and Participation 10% Individual
2. Tutorial Presentation

10% Group
3. Quiz (1-hour closed-book)
#
20% Individual
Final Exam (2-hour Closed-book)
*
60% Individual
Total 100%

* Formula sheet will be provided for the final exam. Final exam consists of 5
structural questions; any 4 of them need to be answered.
# Quiz consists of 20 MCQ questions, which covers from seminar 1 to seminar 6.
Proposed Weekly Seminar Schedule

Week Date Topics Readings
1 Aug 12 Investments: Background and
Issues
Asset Classes and Financial
Instruments
Elements of
Investments
C1 , C2
2 Aug 19 Securities Markets
Mutual Funds and Other
Investment Companies
C3, C4
3 Aug 26 Risk and Return: Past and Prologue
Efficient Diversification
Portfolio
Theory
C5, C6
4 Sep 2 Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH)
C7, C8
5 Sep 9 Portfolio Performance Evaluation C18
6 Sep 16 Financial Statement Analysis C14
7 Sep 23 E-Learning (Investments Ethics)
RECESS
8 Oct 7 Quiz
Bond Prices and Yields
Debt and
Stock
Security
Analysis
C10
9 Oct 14 Managing Bond Portfolios C11
10 Oct 21 Stock Valuation C13
11 Oct 28 Option Markets Option
Analysis
C15
12 Nov 4 Option Valuation C16
13 Nov 11 Revision and Final Exam Briefing