5:45 – 8:25 Wednesday Evenings

TEXT: Fundamentals of Investment Management, 6th Edition by Geoffrey Hirt & Stanley Block.

OFFICE HOURS: Before or after class and by appointment.

COURSE OBJECTIVE: A technical and analytical investigation into investment products and procedures.

Jan 8 -- Introduction. Chapter 1.

Jan 15 -- Finance Math & Time Value of Money.

Jan 22 -- Chapter 19. Mutual Funds.

Jan 29 -- Chapters 11, 12, 13. Fixed Income Securities

Feb 5 -- Chapters 11, 12, 13. Fixed Income Securities. Continued.

Feb 12 -- Fixed Income Derivative Securities.

Feb 19 -- Exam 1

Feb 26 -- Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8. Analysis & Valuation of Equity Securities.

Mar 5 -- Mardi Gras holiday.

Mar 12 -- Valuation of Equity Securities (Cont.)

Mar 19 -- Exam 2.

Mar 26 -- Chapters 15, 16, 17. Derivative Securities.

Apr 2 -- Chapters 15, 16, 17 continued.

Apr 9 -- Chapters 15, 16, 17 continued.

Apr 16 -- Chapter 9 - Technical Analysis and Market Efficiency.

Apr 23 -- Chapter 21 - Portfolio Management 

Apr 30 -- FINAL EXAM

GRADING:

90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
Below 60 = F

DISTRIBUTION

Exam 1 - 30% of total grade.
Exam 2 - 30% of total grade.
Final - 30% of total grade.
Homework Assignments (Wall Street Journal) - 10% of total grade

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Students are required to bring the WSJ to each class. The Wall Street Journal is an integral part of the course. I take attendance and measure class participation by choosing a piece of the WSJ that is due for each day’s class. I will ask for journal sections in this class between fifteen and twenty times over the duration of the semester. They will be worth 10 points each. I will curve this homework assignment by counting, for example, 15 of the 20 that I may ask for during the semester. Therefore, you will have 5 occasions in that example to "miss" the assignment. This was an example only. Actual numbers may vary.  Other assignments may be given throughout the semester, they will be treated like a Journal assignment.

THIS IS THE RULE: You are required to bring the WSJ for that day's class.  We will meet on Wednesday evenings this semester, bring Wednesday's paper.

When an assignment is picked up: I want the day’s journal that is required for that day.

I do not accept a different day’s journal.

I do not accept the assignment late (after that day’s class).

I do not accept the excuse that you did not get the paper.

I do not accept a photocopy of the journal.

I do not count more than one name on each assignment (i.e. no sharing)

If you are having subscription problems call 1-800-JOURNAL

Do not take the Journal assignment lightly. The points are significant to your final grade. This assignment is as easy as it can be – JUST BRING IT IN! There are no other "extra-credit" assignments to improve your grade. Bring in the paper for easy points.

I will also require special sections of the Journal to be brought in after they are published. The paper produces tables and information on an irregular basis that is valuable to an investment course, I will give you sufficient time to bring them in. An example is the end-of-month data on mutual funds; this is produced once a month and would be a good example of a report that we should review.  There is also a quarter-end journal report that is much more comprehensive than the month-end.  We will look at this report.

MISSED CLASS: Make arrangements with a colleague to secure notes.

TEXT: The text is a formal university investment text routinely used in finance curriculums. Unlike the text used in the Introduction to Investments course, this text has a much more rigorous approach to investment analysis.

CALCULATORS: Bring a financial or scientific calculator to every class and every test.

EXAMS: There are three examinations; two inter-semester exams and a final exam, each is worth 30% of your grade. Exams are primarily multiple choice. There will be a significant number of calculation problems which may be answerable in multiple choice form, others will ask that you furnish a numerical answer. The exams are given on the dates listed. In the case of a missed exam, I expect the makeup to be taken at the next class period.