Contemporary Issues in Finance module (BU51035)

Stock markets have evolved from their origins in the 18th century, in this constant time of change new questions are constantly being generated and the research is still answering them, this module looks at the Contemporary Issues in Finance giving you the tools to understand and provide possible solutions.

Having an awareness of the current day issues in the world of finance will help you if you choose a career in this industry or if you choose to invest. Researching the recent academic discussion in this area you will be able to form your own opinions answer the Contemporary Issues in Finance.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• understand and discuss contemporary issues in empirical finance
• gain knowledge and how to apply these findings to both you professional and/or personal life
• explore contrarian strategy on the equity market - when investors buy when the majority is selling, and sell when the majority is buying
• discuss the strategies used by asset management companies
• develop your skills in managing a mutual fund portfolio

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand and apply different tools to select equity portfolio managers that are likely to demonstrate strong performance in the future
• discuss various profitability strategies on equity markets and understand basic application of these strategies
• explain different views on the impact of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors on stock prices
• debate a company's decision to have overseas listing for its stocks
• explore the factors affecting the evolutionary battle between “wolf” (single-country) and “eagle” (multi-country) funds on emerging equity markets

Assignments / assessment

• coursework (20%)
• final exam (80%)

Teaching methods / timetable

You should expect weekly lectures, these will be recorded to use for revision. You will also have in-person tutorials and be expected to have completed the reading and tasks in preparation of contributing to the class.

For this module, the exact dates of teaching and/or reading weeks are to be confirmed.