PUBPOL 741 - Principles of Finance and Global Financial Markets

The first half of this course will introduce the principles of finance. We will explore how stocks and bonds are valued, the measurement and management of financial risk, and the lessons and limitations of finance theory. The second half of the course will examine institutions and current practices in (developed and emerging) financial markets. We will examine the use of derivative instruments to hedge currency and interest rate risk, the relationship between the development of financial markets and economic growth, and the financing of developing country debt. The overall course objective is to learn the theory and practice of modern global finance. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 555 (Microeconomics).