Finance for Business
Course Description
This course introduces the student to the essential elements of finance for business. Emphasis is placed on financial management, financial markets, and the tools, techniques, and methodologies used in making financial decisions. Topics include: Financial planning, working capital management, capital budgeting, long term financing, and international finance.
Topics and Objectives
Introduction to Finance and Analysis
- Define basic financial terminology.
- Explain how financial markets work in the U.S.
- Assess the role of ethics and compliance in the finance environment.
- Evaluate financial performance using financial ratios.
Financial Planning
- Describe the relationship between strategic planning and financial planning.
- Prepare a cash budget.
- Perform a break even analysis.
- Calculate present value and future value of cash flows.
Working Capital Management and Capital Budgeting
- Evaluate effective working capital management techniques.
- Evaluate alternative capital projects.
- Identify the decision-making factors in lease versus buy.
Long Term Financing
- Identify the impact of financing strategies on cost of capital.
- Calculate the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of a firm.
- Compare and contrast IPO and merger & acquisitions growth strategies.
International Finance
- Compare and contrast methods to mitigate foreign exchange rate risk.
- Analyze the impact of globalization on financial decisions.