The course provides a graduate-level analysis of corporate finance and financial markets and supplies students with the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle corporate finance problems. Students will learn about the workings of mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance and basic valuation of companies and investment projects through a group work assignment. The basic concept of present value is applied also to financial market instruments, such as stocks and bonds. Students are introduced to the theories of firm capital structure, starting from the Modigliani-Miller propositions, and adding complexity by introducing various real-world frictions such as taxes, costs of financial distress, agency costs and benefits of debt, as well as asymmetric information. The course concludes with an advanced treatment of the valuation of investment projects if a mix of debt and equity is used to finance them

20 hours of lectures (2 hours per week for 10 weeks)

Tutorials: 4 hours (4 x 1 hour tutorial).

On campus.

None

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

Normally, the group-based assessment listed above cannot be reassessed.

The course aims to provide students with a sound knowledge of corporate finance theories and techniques and the appropriate skills to demonstrate and apply them. The course will make students understand how companies formulate decisions regarding corporate governance, capital structure, and mergers and acquisitions. The course will also demonstrate how firms raise different types of debt and equity financing.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. show understanding of the theory and applications of corporate finance.

2. demonstrate your critical thinking through presentations, discussions, and exams.

3. reason logically and work analytically.

4. communicate effectively and clearly in written and oral formats in groups or individually.

5. demonstrate your ability to successfully work in diversified groups and collaborate with your peers.

6. Work collaboratively in a group to produce a combined piece of coursework, by liaising with other class members, allocating tasks and co-ordinating group meetings.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.