Dr. David Krause, director of the Applied Investment Management (AIM) program,
will be teaching three investments-related courses
This semester, Dr. David Krause, the director of the AIM program, will be completing his 25th
year teaching in higher education (his 21st at Marquette University). He is excited for the new
semester to begin – in part because of his newest course offering – FinTech Topics.
Courses Krause will be teaching this semester include:
FINA 4320
(Research and Financial Analysis). This second AIM course is about the analysis
of financial information for making investment decisions. The primary focus is
on equity valuation – with some attention given to credit analysis and fixed
income valuation. The methods of fundamental analysis are examined in detail
and applied to actual investment opportunities. The course does not assume that
markets are perfectly efficient; rather it develops the techniques for
identifying inappropriately priced investments.
Building on the concepts learned in the previous AIM course, students
will apply their understanding of key investment concepts and tools – including
quantitative research methods, economic relationships, and financial statement
analysis and modeling. During this course students will analyze and manage three
portfolios of domestic and international equities and fixed income securities.
FINA 4065
(Fixed Income Securities). This course focuses on securities (mainly bonds)
that promise a fixed income stream and all related securities whose valuation
are influenced by interest rates. This course is focused on the concepts and
tools that are useful to managers and investors who want to use these
securities, whether for investing, hedging, market-making, or speculating.
While the cash flows of fixed income securities are contractually specified,
which makes the payoffs relatively easy to quantify, the subtleties of interest
rate movements and credit risk make the valuation of bonds particularly
challenging. This course, which is mandatory for AIM students, requires a moderate level of quantitative skill.
FINA 4931 (FinTech Topics).
This new course covers a variety of topics are related to financial sector
innovations that involve technology-enabled business models. FinTech is
revolutionizing how existing firms create and deliver products and services –
which in turn raises other issues related to individual privacy and regulatory
challenges – and cyber risks. Entrepreneurial opportunities abound, while
existing legacy financial firms are moving quickly to expand their products and
services in order to meet consumer demands and to improve operational
efficiency. Blockchain and data analytics, involving large unstructured data sets,
are literally changing overnight the world of equity and credit research. Cybersecurity
is also a key topic in the course.
In short, the new FinTech
course is intended to introduce students to the breadth of current financial
technology topics. Students will be exposed to the technical underpinnings of
FinTech – including the use of R, R Studio, Power BI and Tableau. Students will
be introduced to the basics of FinTech which will help them adapt to the
changing landscape. The course topics include:
• An Industry Overview of the Latest FinTech Developments
• Changes in Markes, Payments, Lending and Wealth
Management
• Robo Advisors and Algorithmic Trading Systems
• Blockchain and Digital Currencies
• Data Analytics Related to Credit Modeling and Research
• Risk Management, Compliance and Regulatory Issues
• Future Trends Related to Personal Finance and Payments
• Cybersecurity
