AEM 5670 - Investments

Fall, Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only (no audit).

Prerequisite: coursework in introductory finance. Co-meets with AEM 4670.

Fall: Staff; Spring: J. Murfin.

The course provides a broad overview of investment management, focusing on the application of finance theory to the issues faced by portfolio managers and investors in general. Topics include asset allocation, asset pricing models such as the capital asset pricing model and arbitrage pricing theory, active portfolio management, and performance evaluation. These tools provide a disciplined way of thinking about investment decisions, while simultaneously framing how we think about the historical performance of markets. While particular attention will be given to equity markets, we will also touch on implications for fixed income and derivative securities. Finally, we will spend time looking at alternative asset classes such as hedge funds and private equity.