Module ASB-3210:
Advanced Corporate Finance
Module Facts
Run by Bangor Business School
20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits
Semester 1 & 2
Organiser: Dr Ayan Orujov
Overall aims and purpose
To advance knowledge and understanding of corporate finance, with particular emphasis on corporate governance and options. The module also aims to address issues like risk hedging in a corporate setting.
Course content
The module examines the theory and practice of corporate investment and financial decisions. Topics include: capital structure, dividend policy, efficient capital markets, agency theory, mergers and restructuring, foreign exchange and interest rate risk. Particular emphasis will be placed on topical areas within corporate governance and investments.
Assessment Criteria
threshold
D- to D+ (40-49%): No major omissions or inaccuracies in the deployment of information/skills. Some grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Integration of theory/practice/information present intermittently in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives.
good
B- to B+ (60-69%): Very good performance Most of the relevant information accurately deployed. Good grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Good integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.
C- to C+
C- to C+ (50-59%): Much of the relevant information and skills mostly accurately deployed. Adequate grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Fair integration of theory/practice/information in the pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Some evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.
excellent
A- to A+ (70%+): Outstanding Performance. The relevant information accurately deployed. Excellent grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practice elements. Good integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Strong evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.
Learning outcomes
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Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of corporate finance issues by examining both empirical and theoretical research.
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Apply insights from corporate finance theory to solve numerical problems.
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Appraise strength and weakness of various theories in finance.
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Demonstrate teamwork skills in analysing a contemporary issue.
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Understand the fundamental principles of capital structure and payout policy.
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Demonstrate ability to understand and analyze finance-related news in the context of a specific corporate finance event.
Assessment Methods
Type | Name | Description | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Group Report | 20.00 | ||
2.5hr Exam S2 | 70.00 | ||
MCQ Tests | 10.00 |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Hours | ||
---|---|---|
Lecture | Two 1-hour lectures per week for 10 weeks each semester (including revision). |
40 |
Tutorial | One 1-hour tutorial per fortnight. 10 tutorials per student in total. |
10 |
Private study | preparation and revision |
150 |
Transferable skills
- Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
- Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
- Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
- Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
- Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
- Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
- Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sentistevely with others
- Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
- Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
- Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
Subject specific skills
- knowledge of theories and empirical evidence concerning financial management, risk and the operation of capital markets (in cases of degrees with significant finance content).
- An appreciation of the nature of the contexts in which finance can be seen as operating, including knowledge of the institutional framework necessary for understanding the role, operation and function of markets and financial institutions (e.g. the economic, legal, regulatory and tax environment, both national and international; the firm; the capital markets and the public sector).
- A knowledge of the major theoretical tools and theories of finance, and their relevance and application to theoretical and practical problems (e.g. concept of arbitrage and examples of its use; financial mathematics and capital budgeting criteria; informational efficiency; optimal risk sharing; portfolio theory; asset pricing models and the valuation of securities; cost of capital; derivative pricing; risk management; information asymmetry; principal agency relationships; signalling; Fisher separation and capital budgeting criteria; behavioural finance; term structure and the movement of interest rates; determination of exchange rates and financial intermediation).
- An ability to interpret financial data including that arising in the context of the firm or household from accounting statements and data generated in financial markets. The interpretation may involve analysis using statistical and financial functions and procedures such as are routinely available in spreadsheets (eg Microsoft Excel) and statistical packages. It may assume the skills necessary to manipulate financial data and carry out statistical and econometric tests (e.g. estimation and interpretation of asset pricing models; financial modelling and projections; event studies and residuals analysis; elements of time series analysis, such as serial correlation mean reversion, and stochastic volatility).
- An understanding of the relationship between financial theory and empirical testing, and application of this knowledge to the appraisal of the empirical evidence in at least one major theoretical area. The appraisal should involve some recognition of the limitation and evolution of empirical tests and theory (eg the efficient markets hypothesis; anomalies; pricing of derivatives and other securities; bond portfolio management; exchange rates; raising capital and capital structure).
- An understanding of the financing arrangements and governance structures of business entities, and an appreciation of how theory and evidence can be combined to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of such arrangements (e.g. decisions as to sources of finance and financial structure; the pricing of corporate securities; the market for corporate control; corporate governance structures and mechanisms; financial planning and international dimensions of finance).
- An understanding of financial service activity in the economy, and an appreciation of how finance theory and evidence can be employed to interpret these services (for example, information asymmetry, adverse selection and moral hazard could be employed to analyse the fundamental nature of services, such as insurance, pensions, bank lending and consumer credit, and also explore fundamental problems arising in such financial service provision. Efficient market hypothesis could be used to explore evidence for fund manager performance and the effectiveness of equity and bond saving services).
- Problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.
- Numeracy: the use of quantitative skills to manipulate data, evaluate, estimate and model business problems, functions and phenomena.
- Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
- Self-management: a readiness to accept responsibility and flexibility, to be resilient, self-starting and appropriately assertive, to plan, organise and manage time.
Resources
Reading list
Hillier, Grinblatt and Titman, 2012, Financial Markets and Corporate Strategy.
Pre- and Co-requisite Modules
Pre-requisites:
Courses including this module
Compulsory in courses:
- NN4J: BSc Accounting and Finance (4 year with Incorp Found) year 3 (BSC/ACCF1)
- NN4H: BSc Accounting and Finance year 3 (BSC/ACCFIN)
- NN4F: BSc Accounting and Finance year 3 (BSC/ACCFINF)
- N402: BSc Accounting & Finance (with International Experience) year 4 (BSC/ACCFINIE)
- NN4P: BSc Accounting and Finance with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/ACCFINP)
- N406: BSc Accounting and Finance (Bangor International College) year 3 (BSC/BICAF)
- N202: BSc Business Man & Finance (Bangor Uni International Coll) year 3 (BSC/BICBMF)
- N106: BSc Business Stud & Finance (Bangor International College) year 3 (BSC/BICBSF)
- NN23: BSc Business Management and Finance year 3 (BSC/BMF)
- NN2B: BSc Business Man & Finance (4 year with Incorp Foundation) year 3 (BSC/BMF1)
- NN2F: BSc Business Management and Finance year 3 (BSC/BMFINF)
- NN2P: Business Management and Finance with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/BMFP)
- NN1H: BSc Business Studies and Finance year 3 (BSC/BSFIN)
- NN1J: BSc Business Studies and Finance (4 year with Incorp Found) year 3 (BSC/BSFIN1)
Optional in courses:
- N107: BA Business year 3 (BA/BUS)
- NL41: BSc Accounting and Economics year 3 (BSC/ACCEC)
- NL4B: BSc Accounting and Economics (4 year with Incorp Foundation) year 3 (BSC/ACCEC1)
- NL4F: BSc Accounting and Economics year 3 (BSC/ACCECF)
- NL4P: BSc Accounting and Economics with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/ACCECP)
- NL42: BSc Accounting and Economics with International Experience year 4 (BSC/AEIE)
- 8V55: BSc Banking and Finance (with International Experience) year 4 (BSC/BFIE)
- N391: BSc Banking and Finance year 3 (BSC/BFIN)
- N39B: BSc Banking and Finance (4 year w Incorporated Foundation) year 3 (BSC/BFIN1)
- N39F: Banking and Finance year 3 (BSC/BFINF)
- N39P: BSc Banking and Finance with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/BFINP)
- N324: BSc Banking and Finance (Bangor International College) year 3 (BSC/BICBF)
- L193: BSc Financial Economics (Bangor International College) year 3 (BSC/BICFE)
- N312: BSc Banking with Financial Tech year 3 (BSC/BKFT)
- L112: BSc Financial Economics with International Experience year 4 (BSC/FEIE)
- L111: BSc Financial Economics year 3 (BSC/FINEC)
- L11B: BSc Financial Economics (4 year w Incorporated Foundation) year 3 (BSC/FINEC1)
- L11F: BSc Financial Economics year 3 (BSC/FINECF)
- L11P: BSc Financial Economics with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/FINECP)