Business Finance

The role of finance in business is essential. We use financial data to assess current trends, make projections regarding future activities, and to drive decision-making within an organization. This course provides students with an introductory theoretical framework for understanding and analyzing major financial problems of modern companies. Lectures, readings and case studies will illustrate the impact that financial decisions can have on corporate performance and value, and students will receive an overview of how to break down the components of a financial problem and apply the appropriate financial decisions to solve them. The main topics of this course include evaluation of a firm's financial performance, financial analysis, time value of money and interest rates, capital structure, risk and return relationship, cost of capital, and dividend decisions, among others. The knowledge gleaned through this course will be useful for any business student regardless of their intended career path.