Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE BKF5041

 
TITLE Principles and Issues in Investment Management

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Banking, Finance and Investments

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit is designed to provide a firm understanding of the field of Investments while stimulating interest in this subject area. It is intended to provide a broad and rigorous understanding of Investment and Security Analysis, as well as of the important tools used by stockbrokers and investment managers over the course of their work.

The study-unit covers the following areas:-

- The introductory lectures are designed to familiarize beginners with an overview of what investing is all about. After a general discussion of the subject, the next few lectures describe the variety of securities available when investing directly, investing indirectly (investment companies), the markets in which they are traded.
- An analysis of Return and Risk, along with the basics of Portfolio Theory and capital market Theory. The primary emphasis is on the essentials of Markwotz Portfolio Theory. Furthermore the concepts of beta, systematic and non-systematic risk and the Capital Asset pricing Model (CAPM) are introduced.
- The basics of Valuation (and therefore the fundamentals of security analysis) as well as “how-to” tools and techniques for bonds and stocks respectively.
- The Efficient Markets Hypothesis and the controversy surrounding this topic.
- Fundamental Analysis, which is the heart of security analysis.
- Portfolio Management and the issue of Evaluating Portfolio Performance.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this study-unit, students should be in a position to :-
a) understand what the investment opportunities are
b) make good investment decisions
c) recognize where the investment problems and controversies arise and know how to deal with them.

Reading List:

The study-unit text recommended

- Jones, Charles, P. “Investments: Analysis and Management”, John Wiley & Sons, Latest edition;

Other reading material Useful for this study-unit includes:
- Z. Bodie, A.Kane and A. Marcus, “Investments”, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 6th Edition.
- James Pickford (editor), “Mastering Investment””(Financial Times Mastering Series), (2002), FT Prentice Hall, UK.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment See note below Yes 25%
Examination (2 Hours) See note below Yes 75%
Note: Assessment due will vary according to the study-unit availability.

 
LECTURER/S Kane Cortis

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit