INNOVATION FINANCE
Instructional goals
The course has the objective to lead students to build
operative,Excelbased models for capital budgeting decisions,
stock valuation,
calculation of the cost of capital, company valuation (IPO and M&A).
To reach this
objective, the course will strengthen the theoretical and methodological
bases of the students and present data cases to apply theories and
methods to real world problems.
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
The course will strengthen the theoretical and methodological
foundations of advanced topics in corporate finance. It will offer also
practical tools to manage real financial problems.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to assess the role of the financial manager and the
impact of his decisions on company’s value creation process, to apply
Investment decision making techniques, within different scenarios and
uncertainty; to apply the main analytical tools, functions and online
resources for business and financial modeling.
Making judgements
Students are expected to acquire the ability to collect and interpret real
financial data in order to deal with investment decision analysis and to
judge company’s value creation process. The Course will lead students to
solve and manage real business cases both at Corporate and Business
levels.
Communications Skills
Students will develop the ability to communicate the problem solving and
the financial analysis both in written form (texts and exercises) and in
oral form by attending individual and group teaching activities. The
enhancement of written and oral communication skills will be also
encouraged by the optional participation in group work and business
cases’ analysis during the Course. The communication skills will in
particular be oriented to the critical analysis and solution of financial
management problems within the company in different economic and
business contexts, as well as to the development of active and critical
comparisons with respect to the business issues addressed.
Learning skills
Students will acquire the knowledge and analysis tools that will allow
them to deal with financial problems in a complex and dynamic context.
Students will acquire the basic theoretical and practical knowledge to act
as independent financial analyst. They will be able to develop
discernment skills of the various problems relating to investments and
the acquisition of financial resources by companies following strictly
financial logics; these skills will be preparatory to the development of
further advanced specialized knowledge which can be acquired through
both further studies foreseen in the Degree Program and the learning
experiences in the workplace.
Course Contents
ADVANCED CAPITAL BUDGETING
1) Free cash flow models
2) Sensitivity analysis
VALUING STOCKS
1) Valuing stocks
RISK AND THE COST OF CAPITAL
1) Capital markets and the pricing of risk
2) Applications and estimation of Capital asset pricing model
CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND VALUATION
1) WACC (DCF method)
2)Flow to Equity
3) Business Valuation (multiples method)
Equity Private Placement
1) angel investors, institutional investors
2) PE e VC
START-UP VALUATION
DEBT FINANCING FOR INNOVATION
Reference Books
Finanza aziendale (I-II VOL) Fourth Edition.
J. Berk -P. De Marzo Pearson Edizione italiana by O. Morresi and D. Venanzi
Slide, papers and xls file will be available at Luiss Learn
Teaching Methods
The course is structured into online and on campus sessions focused on
the following learning levels:
• Theory: the presentation of the main financial issues, rules and
techniques
• Applied theory, that is a focus on practical application of the financial
rules in real contexts
• Practice, that is, the ability to solve financial problems and to test the
techniques presented.
In addition to that, classroom exercises, data cases, assignments and
external professional guests will complete the educational offer.
In details, sessions will focus on:
- traditional lectures
- individual exercices
- cases studies
- presentations and assignments
- computer lab sessions
Assessment Method
Attending Student's assessment is composed by
- Final written exam (30%)
- Mid Term Exam (30%)
- project work (40%)
The written exam is targeted at appraising the theoretical and practical
comprehension of the topics covered. The evaluation will be based on the
assessment of the knowledge of the theoretical contents and on the
students capability to apply them for the solution of practical financial
problems, multiple choice questions and open questions. Students’
participation during lectures is strongly encouraged also with
the participation to project work.
Detailed info will be available during the first session of the course
Thesis assignment criteria
Only students that have passed the exam can apply for the "thesis
assignment process"
Students have to prepare a research proposal based on a short
presentation
(maximum 3000 words
in .doc) which must include:
- Object (research question, business scope/market or industry/product or
service)
- Research objective
- Literature review
- Main contribution of the research
- Research Method/Data Collection
Additional info are available at Luiss Learn folder "Criteri assegnazione Tesi"
Week 1
Course Presentation
Fundamentals of capital budgeting: FCF models theory and
practice
References:
Chapter 8. I Cap 8. I fondamenti di capital budgeting
Slides and files available at Luiss Learn
Week 2
Break even analysis and sensitivity
Exercises
Lab session on capital budgeting
References:
Chapter 8. I fondamenti di capital budgeting
Slides and files available at Luiss Learn
Week 3
Stock valuation theory and practice
Business valuation: Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) e del Flow to Equity (FTE)
Ref.
Ch.9 La valutazione delle azioni
Ch.18 Capital budgeting e valutazione in presenza di debito
Slides and additional files available at Luiss Learn
Week 4
Business Valuation: Multiples method
Lab session: Business valuation Models
Ref: Ch. 9 La valutazione delle azioni
Ch.18 Capital budgeting e valutazione in presenza di debito
Slides and files availables at Luiss Learn
Week 5
-Lab session: Multiples
- Estimation of cost of capital (I part)
Ref. Capitolo 9 La valutazione delle azioni
Cap 12. La stima del costo del capitale
Slides and additional files available at Luiss Learn
Week 6
MID TERM EXAM
- Estimation of cost of capital (II part)
Lab session: estimation of cost of capital
Ref. Ch.12. La stima del costo del capitale
Slides and materials available at Luiss Learn
Week 7
Case study: Business Valuation
Equity private placement
Ref. Ch. 19 Valutazione e modelli finanziari: un caso di studio
Slides and additional materials available at Luiss Learn
Week 8
Equity private placement: VC (I PART)
Ref.
Cap 11. (Vol 2) L'emissione di capitale proprio.
Additional materials will be available at Luiss Learn
Week 9
VC (II PART)
-Case study: VC
The evaluation of start-up companies
Slides and additional materials available at Luiss Learn
Week 10
The evaluation of start-up companies: the tech and deep tech start-ups
Slide and materials available at Luiss Learn
Debt financing instruments for innovation
Slide and materials available at Luiss Learn
Week 11
Debt financing instruments for innovation
Slide and materials available at Luiss Learn
Week 12
Mock Exam
PW: groups discussion