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This is a course of 12 short webcasts (about 12-20 minutes apiece), designed to introduce you to the basics of finance.  It is meant to provide the foundtatons that I build on in my corporate finance , valuation  and investment philosophy classes. With each session, you can download slides for that session and a post-class test to go with it (and solutions). If you have my book, the relevant sections of the book are highlighted. The class webcasts are on You Tube and you will need to be online, to watch them.

Class Webcasts

 

Session Webcast

Short Description

Supplementary Material

1

Introduction

Lays out the foundations for both corporate finance & valuation.
  1. Slides

2

The Structure of a Business

Introduces the notion of a financial balance sheet and the choices when it comes to funding, linking to the idea of a corporate life cycle.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

3

Cash Flows

Define cash flows, contrasts with earnings and differentiates incremental & residual cash flows.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

4

What is risk?

An introduction to risk and how risk aversion plays out in risk measurement.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

5

Measuring Risk

Introduction to the risk/reward tradeoff and how diversification enters and alters that trade off.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

6

The Time Value of Money

Looks at the intuition behind why money has time value and the mechanics of present value.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

7

Valuing Contractual Claims (Bonds)

Presents the structure for valuing assets with contractually set claims (like bonds) and how default risk affects that value.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

8

 Valuing Residual Claims (Equity)

Lays the foundations for valuing claims on residual cash flows (like equity) and how risk plays out in that value.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

9

Valuing Contingent Claims (Options)

Sets up the process for valuing assets with cash flows contingent on something happening, and the basics of option pricing models.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

10

Inflation

Examine the drivers and measures of inflation and how they play out in valuation.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

11

Interest Rates

Looks at both the forces that cause interest rates to change over time and the institutions involved in the process (central banks, markets)
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution

12

Exchange Rates

Covers the forces that make exchange rates change over time and ways of forecasting exchange rates.
  1. Slides
  2. Post-class test & solution