Företagsekonomiska
institutionen
Stockholm Business School
Study Guide
Course
Finance II, Investments
Semester
Spring semester 2023
Course Director
Course Coordinator
Teaching assistants
Student Office
Mia Hinnerich,
mia.hinnerich@sbs.su.se
Oskar Sjölander,
oskar.sjolander@sbs.su.se
(questions regarding Athena, schedule,
etc.) . Put “FIN2” in the email subject
when contacting him.
Anneli Nanji, Diba Zibari, Gustav
Strömberg
financeta@sbs.su.se
(questions regarding exercises, lectures,
course, further help or assistance in the
course). Put “FIN2” in the email subject
when contacting them.
studexp@sbs.su.se
(questions regarding grade reporting,
registration etc.) . Put “FIN2” in the email
subject when contacting them.
Content
1.
Course Content
2
2.
Intended Learning Outcomes
2
3.
Education
2
4.
Forms of Examination
3
5.
Literature
6
6.
Cheating and Plagiarism
6
7.
Additional Information
7
1
back to Content
1. Course Content
The importance of the knowledge of investment processes and
financial securities has risen over the last decades as the
importance of the financial industry has increased and individuals
have been given more responsibility to invest their pension
contributions. In recent years the importance of considering
Environmental, Social and Governance issues regarding
investments has increased. Topics discussed in the course include
financial markets, portfolio theory, financial instruments, market
efficiency, behavioural finance, portfolio performance evaluation
international diversification and principles for responsible
investments. The course provides an increased understanding of
financial instruments, portfolio management, investor psychology
and investment processes. The course consists of lectures,
seminars, tutorials, and a portfolio management exercise.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes
back to Content
Intended Learning Outcomes
The overall aim of the course is to introduce the students to
financial markets, asset management practises, investment
analysis, and performance evaluation.
Upon completion of the course, students shall be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
1. recognise and describe financial markets, market
participants, and financial instruments;
Skills and abilities
2. solve financial problems related to the portfolio choice of
an individual investor;
3. perform security and portfolio performance analysis;
Judgement and approach
4. assess the attractiveness of different investment
opportunities;
5. evaluate the performance of investment portfolios.
6. be familiar with principles for responsible investing.
back to Content
3. Education
The course workload is 200 hours equivalent to 7,5 ECTS (40 hours
per week equivalent to 1,5 ECTS).
2
The course consists of a combination of lectures, seminars and
group work and requires a significant portion of self-study on the
part of students. Assessment for the course will be continuous and
is carried throughout the different activities of the course.
The teaching assistants have on-campus open sessions and office
hours for additional and individual help in the course. Office hours
can be broadcasted via zoom.
The language of instruction is English.
Please note that all teaching and learning activities - such as
lectures, seminars, assignments and assessment tasks – are carried
out in English when the language of instruction is English.
The teaching activities are planned to be carried out on-campus.
Some teaching activities such as the calculation exercises and
office hours will also be broadcasted live in Zoom. The plan is
preliminary and may change due to COVID-19 and SBS policy
changes. More information will follow on the date of the first
lecture. Information and links to the teaching activities in Zoom
will be available on Athena under Planning/Detailed schedule with
reading instructions and zoom links.
4. Forms of Examination
back to Content
Assessment
Assessment for the course will be continuous and is carried throughout the different
course activities. Each assessment task is weighted in relation to its importance in the
overall assessment of the course. The students’ results from the different assessment
tasks are added up to a total course score that will then translate into the final grade for
the course.
Assessment tasks
The course contains the following weighted assessment tasks:
1. Individual final exam: assesses intended learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; constitutes
80% of total course points. You need to be registered for the exam in Ladok at least 8
workingdays before the exam.
2. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) assignment: assesses intended learning outcomes 1,
2 and 4; constitutes 10% of total course points. This assignment is to be done individually
and completed no later than April 25, 2023 @ 09:00
3. Portfolio management assignment: assesses intended learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
constitutes 10% of total course points. This assignment is to be done in groups of 2-3
students and completed no later than April 21, 2023 @ 09:00.
After completion of the course, students will receive grades on a scale related to the
intended learning outcomes of the course. Passing grades are A, B, C, D and E. Failing
3
grade is F
A course comprises 0–100 course points. Receiving a final passing grade requires ≥ 50
course points. The scale for the final grade is tied to fixed score intervals: A: 90-100; B:
80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69; E: 50-59; F: 0-49. The grades correspond to the total score
points a student obtains (over a total of 100) for all the weighted assessment tasks
combined as part of the continuous assessment for the course.
Each assessment task is awarded 0–100 points. The score for a single assessment task is
the number of points multiplied by its percentage weight, and the combined total of score
points for all weighted assessment tasks for the course are added up to a final score
between 0 and 100 which then translates into a corresponding final course grade between
A and F.
Assessment task 1, the final exam, is assessed on a 100-point scale.
Assessment task 2, MCQ, consists of 60 multiple choice questions (10% of total course
points).
-
Pass: at least 50 correct answers = 100 points
Fail: less than 50 correct answers = 0 points
Assessment task 3, the portfolio assignment, is assessed on a 100-point scale in two
intervals:
-
Pass: = or>50% = 100 points.
Fail: <50% = 0 points.
The student is responsible for completing the course’s assessment tasks: that a sufficient
amount of course points is earned, and a passing course grade is obtained. Assessment
task 1, the exam, can be taken twice:
1) during the course’s first scheduled occasion; and, if a passing result (≥ 50 course points)
was not achieved at the first occasion, 2) at the course’s second, scheduled occasion. All
other assessment tasks are offered once during the course.
A passing grade (A–E) in the course is obtained when a student has achieved ≥ 50 course
points.
A failing grade (F) in the course is obtained when a student has not achieved ≥ 50 course
points:
- If <50 course points are achieved, a grade F is obtained, implying that the entire course
must be retaken and that previously acquired course points are forfeited.
Re-registration implies that:
first-time registered students have priority access to the course's group registration;
- Assessment task 1, the exam, can be re-assessed without attendance at any of the
course's other learning activities and without points from the course’s other assessment
tasks are accredited.
Students receiving a passing grade may not retake the final examination or complete a
previously not completed assessment task to attain a higher grade. A passing grade may
not be turned into a failing grade upon the request of a student.
4
Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria are designed as overall assessments, combined qualitative
descriptions of what the student is expected to do in order to demonstrate how well the
course’s learning outcomes are achieved. The assessment criteria are based upon the
general abilities as expressed in the degree objectives of the Higher Education Ordinance
(appendix 2, System of Qualifications). The list of abilities below is a compilation of these
degree objectives. To pass the course (grade E) students should demonstrate general
ability to:
- recall, understand and explain course content, the course subject and its scientific basis
and methodology;
- apply course content;
- critically analyze course content;
- problematise course content;
- meet standards of written presentation and formal accuracy.
The following assessment criteria are used to decide to what extent students have
demonstrated these abilities and hence fulfil the course’s intended learning outcomes,
whereby a grading decision can be made. A higher grade-level presupposes the abilities at
lower levels.
A (Excellent)
The student demonstrates ability to evaluate and relate to the content of the course from a
comprehensive, critically reflective perspective, as well as to transfer and apply insights in
new, meaningful contexts.
B (Very Good)
The student demonstrates ability to, from an overarching and coherent perspective of the
field, understand and use concepts to explain how different aspects of the course relate to
each other, interconnect and become meaningful.
C (Good)
The student demonstrates ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex issues dealt
with in the course from several well-developed but mainly independent perspectives.
D (Satisfactory)
The student demonstrates satisfactory ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex
issues dealt with in the course in a way that, albeit in-depth and elaborate, is decidedly
one-dimensional.
E (Sufficient)
The student demonstrates sufficient ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex
issues dealt with in the course in a way that is decidedly one-dimensional.
F (Fail)
The student’s knowledge, skills and abilities display major flaws, overall or in
significant parts.
5
back to Content
5. Literature
Required Reading
Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane and Alan J. Marcus, Investments,
International Student Edition: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 12th edition
with online material ISBN: 9781447084280.
Comment: This edition contains an access code to the online
material including exercises with solutions. The publisher will
record a short youtube video containing the most important
information regarding the online material. The video is available
on Athena under Resources/General/Textbook.
A selection of academic articles
Reading instructions
Reading instructions are provided with the detailed schedule on
Athena under headline “Plans/Planering if you then click on
Schedule. There you also find the links to the lectures. To see all the
information it is important that you have the correct setting: At the
top of the page Plans/Planering make sure you have chosen "all"
("alla") to see all events (alla händelser) Then click on schedule.
6. Cheating and Plagiarism
back to Content
Cheating and plagiarism is a very serious offense at Stockholm
Business School. All staff are obliged by law to report all suspicions
of cheating to the Vice Chancellor at Stockholm University, as a
matter for the Disciplinary Committee at Stockholm University.
According to the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 10, section
1), disciplinary action may be invoked against students who “by the
use of prohibited aids or other means attempt to deceive during
examinations or other forms of assessment of student
performance”.
E.g. Cell phones during “sit in” exams (written examination) are
strictly forbidden, as well as notes, dictionaries and other prohibited
aids. Read the cover of your “sit in” exam carefully to find out what
aids
are
prohibited
during
your
exam.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating or deceit. The ordinance covers all
types of graded work, such as written examinations, take-home
examinations, quizzes and written assignments, as well as
unauthorized collaboration in connection with such work.
Plagiarism refers to the deliberate use of someone else’s work,
regardless of whether this work has been published, and passing it
off as your own without marking quotations or indicating the
6
source. Self-plagiarism refers to the deliberate use of self-written
text for another course without marking quotations or indicating
the source.
Plagiarism involves:
•
•
•
•
•
•
paraphrasing (a restatement of the meaning of a text or
passage using other words) someone else’s text without
referencing the original
paraphrasing or rewriting someone else’s text and
referencing the original, but where the rewrite is nonexistent or too close to the original
reusing other students’ work, e.g. seminar assignments,
take-home examinations, essays or papers without
referencing the original
reusing self-written text, so called “self-plagiarism”,
without referencing the original
using text from articles, books, websites or other types of
documents available on the Internet without referencing
the original
translating a text from one language to another without
referencing the original.
Stockholm Business School uses the text comparison tool Urkund
to verify the originality of graded texts. Because of this, students
should regularly and according to academic practice carefully
reference their use of their own and other people’s sources. All
assignments submitted via Athena are checked for originality
through Urkund.
7. Additional Information
back to Content
Exemption from an assessment task is granted if the student
presents a valid reason and a written certification (illness and a
medical certificate), whereupon the student may re-sit the
assessment task at a later date while maintaining previously
acquired course points.
Application for exemption should be submitted to the Director of
Studies immediately after or during planned absences, well before
the date when the assessment task is carried out. A granted
exemption expires at the end of the immediately following semester.
Students in need of targeted support
Students in need of targeted support have the opportunity to apply
for a Nais certificate via Stockholm University. If you have a Nais
certificate and are going to study at SBS this semester, you should
always send the certificate to studentstod@sbs.su.se.
You will then receive information about which of your
recommendations SBS will be able to grant, as well as whether you
also need to contact and inform the course director. Note that there
may be course-specific circumstances which make it difficult for
SBS to provide all recommended forms of support.”
7