This course covers the foundations of finance with an emphasis on applications that are vital for corporate managers. We will discuss many of the major financial decisions made by corporate managers, both within the firm and in their interactions with investors. Essential in most of these decisions is the process of valuation, which will be an important emphasis of the course. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, the use and valuation of derivative securities, and risk management. This course is targeted to those students who are new to finance and for those with little quantitative background. No previous background in finance is required or expected for this course. Content will be comparable to F201, but the majority of course lecture material will be delivered online, with in-class sessions devoted to applications of key concepts. This 'flipped classroom' version of the course is intended for self-motivated students with an interest in applications. Prerequisite material for the course will be posted online in the fall.
3 units · GSB Letter Graded
This course covers the foundations of finance with an emphasis on applications that are vital for corporate managers. We will discuss many of the major financial decisions made by corporate managers, both within the firm and in their interactions with investors. Essential in most of these decisions is the process of valuation, which will be an important emphasis of the course. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, the use and valuation of derivative securities, and risk management. This course is targeted to those students who are new to finance and for those with little quantitative background. No previous background in finance is required or expected for this course. Content will be comparable to F201, but the majority of course lecture material will be delivered online, with in-class sessions devoted to applications of key concepts. This 'flipped classroom' version of the course is intended for self-motivated students with an interest in applications. Prerequisite material for the course will be posted online in the fall.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.