A83011 Financial Modelling and Management

At the end of the course students will be at ease with

• data
• as well as qualitative and quantitative procedures

that come in useful in the fields of financial analysis, discretionary portfolio management, and financial consulting.

In addition, they will be

• familiar with the regularities of US financial markets,
• aware of the possible cognitive biases of investors and traders,
• and well informed about equity research and value investing.

This course, worth 8 ECTS credits, is about financial analysis and discretionary portfolio management. It deals with some validated models and procedures that support decisions on the management of, say, a private portfolio, an endowment, or a mutual fund according to the requirements in terms of liquidity, diversification, income/growth, risk/return. The presentation is both qualitative and quantitative.

Emphasis is placed on data and procedures that are used or taken into consideration by financial advisors, financial analysts, and portfolio managers, e.g. of mutual or hedge funds. Students will learn which data to analyse and how to go about financial analysis and discretionary portfolio management, especially in connection with stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds. After drawing a distinction between trading and  long-term investing, students will also understand in depth

• how to diversify between asset classes, i.e. how to obtain the greatest possible long-term return from a financial portfolio with a given degree of risk;
• how to take advantage of social, technical, economic, or political trends by following a top down approach;
• how to pick mispriced stocks or bonds by relying on fundamental analysis, i.e. a bottom up approach. As for equity research and value investing, students will focus on whether a listed company benefits from a stable competitive advantage and whether stock price and fundamental value are consistent. In doing so, Benjamin Graham’s, Philip Fisher’s, and Warren Buffett’s guidelines will be mentioned;
• how hedge funds typically trade in stocks and bonds. The link between short-term macroeconomic bets and financial crises may be examined briefly.

A problem-oriented and hence multidisciplinary approach is adopted. Therefore,

• attention is paid to the empirical evidence on US financial markets, with historical data on their performance being appropriately classified;
• the informational and fundamental efficiency of US financial markets is discussed at length, with attendant neoclassical and behavioural interpretations being contrasted. As investment decisions are likely to be both rational and emotional, emphasis is placed on the possible occurrence of speculative bubbles caused by cognitive biases and hence irrational exuberance;
• teaching includes practical sessions, where use is made of electronic spreadsheets to display the most advanced procedures. Homework may involve the development of an electronic spreadsheet that processes historical data from various sources.

The main findings of selected empirical studies are consistently reported by means of educated summaries. Different inspiring regularities of US financial markets are taken into consideration, including the relationship between current forward rates and future spot rates, the performance of corporate bonds, heteroskedasticity and mean reversion of stock returns (price-earnings ratios and dividend yields as predictors of long-term returns), the dissimilar behaviour of growth and value stocks, the effects exerted on stock prices by the most unexpected news in quarterly reports, the performance of equity mutual funds and its persistence, the performance of hedge funds and its persistence. Such regularities lay the foundations for active portfolio management by individual and institutional investors alike. Notably, any kind of informational efficiency would be precluded from the lack of financial analysis and active portfolio management. At any rate, passive portfolio management is especially suited to uninterested or inexpert individual investors.

To take this course, students must be familiar with mathematics (basics of calculus and optimisation), statistics (sample statistics and their distributions, hypothesis testing, multiple linear regression) and accounting (reclassified financial statements, main accounting ratios). Knowledge of the financial system (markets and intermediaries as institutions and their functions, financial contracts and their use) is very helpful.

Individual active learning is needed on the basis of 1-2 hours per week, so as to keep up with all lessons and practical sessions (8 ECTS credits, 48 contact hours). As personal advice is likely to be needed as well, each student should meet the lecturer at least once during office hours.

Teaching includes practical sessions, which are computer assisted. Punctuality and active participation are strongly recommended and graded (9% of the best possible score).

After completing both individual and communal homework (36% of the best possible score) during the course, attenders will take a closed-book written exam (55%) at the end of the course. The exam for the remaining students is oral. Whether the final exam is written or oral, a pocket calculator is needed. Attenders can’t register for the exam, unless they have filled in an anonymous questionnaire on the course. Non-attenders may contact their lecturer for advice on how to go about this subject.