FINANZA D'IMPRESA E VALUTAZIONE DEGLI INVESTIMENTI

1. Knowledge and understanding:

Students will be able to (a) elaborate autonomously a “conceptual map” of the main topics treated during the course; (b) analyze the main issues faced by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO); (c) intersect information and data in order to define value judgments, projects and proposals concerning various financial issues.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding:

Even though the course has the ambition to provide a strong theoretical basis, it is at the same time oriented toward practice. At the end of the course, students will be able to cover operational roles within a firm’s financial function. Students will acquire practical knowledge regarding balance sheet analysis, evaluation of investments, financing decisions and firm evaluation. The approach followed will emphasize the continuous interactions between theoretical knowledge and the acquisition of professional competences. We will often complete the presentation of theoretical arguments, case study analysis, and class exercises. Class exercises (and maybe additional reports) will help students in the acquisition of the ability to implement analytical and conceptual instruments required to interpret and solve financial problems.

3. Making judgements:

At the end of the course, students will be able to elaborate complete judgments with regard to financing and investing decisions, and to prepare a relation to evaluate the firm’s financial capital following the best professional practices. Furthermore, students will be able to integrate the knowledge acquired during this course with the one previously acquired during the overall degree. In particular, students will understand the relevance of those multiple, common elements linking finance and management (a knowledge developed during the course of Economia e Gestione delle Imprese). In this way, students will develop superior capabilities to re-elaborate and critically apply the numerous competences overall developed in their studies. Finally, after attending this course, students will be facilitated in learning the topics and issues typical of financial intermediaries (e.g. banks) that will be studied within the course of Economia e Gestione degli Intermediari Finanziari (during next semester).

4. Communication skills:

Students will be able to exhibit, in both oral and written form, the main principles of finance through the practice of a technical and adequate jargon. Moreover, since the course is strongly practice oriented, students will be stimulated to present analyses, projects, and proposals concerning complex financial problems. Such communication abilities will mainly develop through case analysis and national and/or international financial press in-class discussion.

5. Learning skills:

At the end of the course, students will have matured a wide picture of the main theoretical notions, adequately supported by practical examples. Such knowledge will provide them with sufficient skills regarding the content of finance and its strategic connections to the other main functions of a firm.

The Finance course treats the main economic and managerial topics, their basic rationales, and the instruments regarding the leadership and management of the financial function of both manufacturing and service firms. A particular focus will be dedicated to investments decisions and their financing alternatives, and also to the evaluation of the firm’s capital structure.