Instructional goals
Objective of the course is to consolidate the knowledge of corporate finance with theoretical lessons, case studies and practice exercises with the aim to provide the skills required to solve and manage financial troubles.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basics of finance and financial mathematics
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
The students through class participation and workshops will acquire the knowledge to analyze and understand financial problems in business management.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
The students will develop the appropriate tools and methods to interpret financial data and solving practical problems like building and understanding financial model for business applications.
Making judgements:
The students, through the use of the methodologies acquired during the course, will acquire decision making capabilities in choosing among different financial sources. They will be able to evaluate with the appropriate methods: business plans, companies or business combinations
Communication skills:
At the end of the course the student will be able to use the business and technical vocabulary of corporate finance, addressing the specific issues at hand with terminological accuracy. Through the various activities that will take place during the course – lessons with discussion, workshops, conferences – the student will be able to put these communication skills into practice in various contexts, by adapting the terms used to the interlocutor in the specific case.
Learning skills:
The technical-economic knowledge acquired during the course will allow the students to autonomously understand and interpret corporate finance's techniques and adapt them to the specific reference context. The students will develop a solid knowledge of the fundamental aspects of the subject that will allow them to continue to deepen the topics addressed independently and to undertake the various post-graduate professional tracks.
Course Contents
Investment decision rules; financial statements analysis and key ratios with focus on net debt, cash flow and financial ratios; CAPM – How to calculate the WACC of a company; capital structure and leverage; debt: bank debt vs bonds; Equity Public Placement; Equity Private Placement; valuing firms; financial planning; M&A; derivatives; case studies and practice exercise
Reference Books
Berk, De Marzo – Corporate Finance Pearson.
Teaching notes and other materials provided by the teachers.
Teaching Methods
The course will include both theoretical lessons and practice exercises with some case studies
Assessment Method
Final written exam: 40%
Midterm: 30%
Project work: 30%
Thesis assignment criteria
Students that want to make the final paper on a subject of this course will be chosen considering the result of their exam and the attendance during the course
Week 1
Introduction to the course; Definition of cempany types, shares, debt, intermediaries and financial markets
Financial analysis focused on net financial position and key indicators
Week 2
Investment valuation criteria
Week 3
Capital budgeting and valuation methods with debt (WACC, APV)
Week 4
Capital Budgeting: +cash flow assessment, Sensitivity Analysis
Week 5
Operational aspects in investment valuation
Week 6
Planning and financial models: the business plan, industrial planning (revenues, EBIT and investments), financial planning (net result, cash flow and balance sheet)
Week 7
Financial planning and models: Construction and management of the financial plan
Week 8
Equity Private Placement: angel investors; institutional investors; corporate investors, private equity / venture capital funds (innovation finance). Analysis of a term sheet
Week 9
Equity Public Placement: description of the IPO, advantages and disadvantage, IPO actors and their roles, required documentation, timing and steps of a typical listing process, the green shoe, seasoned equity offering, accelerated bookbulding
Week 10
Debt contracts and issuings: senior debt, second lien, subordinated and mezzanine debt, PIK debt, ESG financing
Week 11
Business valuation and the market for corporate control. Mergers and acqusitions
Week 12
Final remarks & wrap-up