FIN - Finance

FIN6110 Finance for Entrepreneurs

MSEL Course

1.5 Credits

This course will translate established principles and tools from corporate finance into the entrepreneurial environment. Specific topics include milestones and staging, alternative forms of funding, forecasting for new ventures, financial strategy, and valuation. Through hands on workshops and case studies, students will learn how to negotiate funding terms and establish metrics that will maximize the value of their entrepreneurial investment.

FIN6200 Financial Data Analysis and Practice
3 Credits

This course trains students how to use different data sets for research, how to develop appropriate financial memos and reports for various audiences, and provides some introduction to different aspects of the finance profession. At least four different datasets such as (but not limited to) CRSP, Compustat, Bloomberg, and Capital IQ will be introduced. Students will learn how to access and download data, analyze the data, create reports, and provide written and oral reports to different financial and non-financial audiences. In addition, students will be made aware of professional practices and standards in different financial professions to prepare students for rapid entry into the workplace.

For More Information:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIX4FKDDkbI&feature=youtu.be 

FIN7200 Introduction to Financial Management

2 Credits

This course introduces the managerial finance skills required of effective business managers operating in all functional areas of an organization as they seek to create shareholder value. Covers basic corporate finance topics including financial analysis, construction of pro forma financial statements and forecasting cash flows, the relationship between risk and return, the cost of capital, discounting future cash flows, assessing the viability of projects and capital budgeting, financing and capital structure issues, and the valuation of stock, bonds, firms and other entities.

FIN7502 Capital Markets
3 Elective Credits

This course provides a survey of modern capital markets and a framework for understanding their continuing transformation. The course is suitable either for a person looking to make a career in finance or a generalist looking to broaden their knowledge of financial markets. The course begins by studying the fixed income markets, concentrating on Treasury bonds and the determinants of the yield curve. The course also considers certain derivatives, such as options and interest rate swaps. Mortgage markets are studied by analyzing structured mortgage products as well as the role financial intermediaries play in mortgage finance. The course proceeds to consider the causes and the effects of the credit crisis on various markets and intermediaries, including investment and commercial banks, and the shadow banking system. The course then turns to the equity markets. In this section, we first consider corporate control contests, including a takeover of a U.S. firm by foreign bidder. We analyze the market for money management products, including mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and robo-advisers. The course concludes by considering traditional vs. new mechanisms for the trading of stocks, including electronic markets and high frequency trading.

Prerequisites: FIN7200, FIN7800 or MSF Program

FIN7503 Equities
3 Elective Credits

This course will address both theoretical and practical issues that arise in equity analysis and portfolio management. Students will develop a framework for equity investing that includes idea generation, security analysis, valuation techniques (e.g. Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and relative value analysis (COMPCO)), equity portfolio construction, and performance measurement. Equity valuation and equity portfolio management are as much art as science so the course will focus on the challenges equity professionals face in the pursuit of alpha.

Prerequisites: FIN7200, FIN7800 or MSF program

FIN7504 Risk Management

(Formerly Managing Financial and Corporate Risk)
3 Elective Credits

Risk management has risen to a new pre-eminence with firms being exposed to an ever-increasing range of risks. The reasons for this rise, and the techniques and instruments used by risk managers, are the subjects of this course. The course will first cover the concept of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and then analyze the key financial tools used in risk management, such as futures and options. Students will then use their knowledge to manage risk optimally and alter the risk/return characteristics of corporations. The course will apply these tools to risk management cases to cover a whole set of different sectors (airlines, automobiles, IT, etc.). The course will also go into some of the most pressing risks of our time, namely: climate change; diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I); and cybersecurity, as well as risks related to Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and executive compensation.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7511 Corporate Finance: Raising Capital

(Formerly Financing the Firm)

3 Elective Credits

This course is designed to help students develop analytical and communication tools and skills to build and present financing strategies and manage the right hand side of the balance sheet. It explores the theoretical and practical issues of capital structure design and considers firm financing alternatives, including equity, long-term debt, hybrid securities, leasing, securitization, project finance, and It also examines the processes through which securities are issued and capital is raised, such as angel financing, venture capital and private equity, and public offerings. The course also explores share repurchase, dividend policy, and risk management.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7513 Fixed Income (Formerly Fixed Income Portfolio Management)
3 Elective Credits

This advanced quantitative course is designed for students interested in fixed income portfolio management, as well as students interested in the sales and trading of fixed income securities and their related structured products. Topics covered include: (i) bond pricing and day count conventions; (ii) relative value and yield curve construction; (iii) duration, basis point value, and convexity; (iv) pricing and hedging of interest rate currency swaps; (v) Treasury bond futures, conversion factors, and the concepts of cheapest-to-deliver and implied repo; (vi) the repo (GC and special) market; (vii) credit risk and the pricing of high yield bonds and credit default swaps; and (viii) securitization, mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 OR FIN7800

FIN7516 Corporate Finance: Evaluating Opportunities
(Formerly Strategic Corporate Investment)
3 Elective Credits

If you have taken and passed FIN7506, you cannot register for FIN7516, as these two courses are equivalent

This course is designed for those interested in evaluating complex long-term strategic investment proposals and valuing firms and subsidiaries for merger and acquisition purposes. Building on the foundation of the finance core, it explores finance theory to identify pitfalls, common mistakes, and best practices in corporate valuation. It expands valuation skills by introducing the equity approach and the adjusted present value (APV) valuation method, the preferred approach when capital structure is changing over time (e.g. in private equity transactions). It also covers the identification and valuation of real options embedded in strategic initiatives.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7517 Finance and Sustainability
(Formerly Finance in a World of Changing Values)
3 Elective Credits

This course extends the rigor of traditional financial theory to the concept of sustainability. There is broad and growing interest in socially conscious, mission, green and/or triple-bottom line investing. The course will concentrate on practical applications through case analysis and supporting theory will be presented through lectures and course notes. The United Nation’s Principles of Responsible Investment as well as mainstream certifications, such as the CFA Institute’s certificate in ESG and the GARP Sustainability and Climate Risk certificate, will serve as a backdrop for the course. Students will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of sustainable finance and to apply financial principles for decision-making through discussion, case analysis, and student presentations. In addition, students will be challenged to find their own place in the inevitable future of the field of sustainable finance, whether as an informed observer or as an active participant.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7518 Managing Portfolios
3 Elective Credits

Managing Portfolios is designed for students interested in investment management, portfolio
management, and/or risk management. The course will augment and extend students' basic finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance courses and in other courses in the Investments concentration curriculum. In the context of a variety of individual and institutional investor types, from high net worth individuals to endowments, students will explore the simultaneous management of positions in multiple securities using heuristic, statistical and other mathematical tools. Topics covered include client assessment, investment objective setting, investment strategy formulation, security selection, allocation of risky assets, optimal portfolio selection, and the use of derivatives to meet investment objectives. Through projects and readings, students will explore these topics in portfolio theory and practice. Tools and theories used widely by portfolio management professionals are fundamental to this course. In addition to the traditional course work, the students will study and prepare investment proposals, periodic client communications and conduct portfolio performance evaluations.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7519 Personal Financial Management
3 Elective Credits

This course teaches students to negotiate the retail financial landscape, emphasizing issues that have a large impact on their future financial well-being. It assumes no finance knowledge other than first-year finance. The course covers topics such as selecting a financial adviser, financing the purchase of a house, college saving, retirement saving, behavioral finance, trusts, and investment frauds and scams. Specific investment products studied include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, municipal bonds, emerging markets, alternative investments (including hedge funds, private equity funds, and commodities), annuities, and insurance products. Consideration will be given to the problem of an entrepreneur or start-up employee who has a substantial fraction of personal wealth invested in a single business venture, including evaluating stock- and option-based compensation plans. Over the duration of the course, students may work to develop a personal financial plan for themselves, or if they prefer, for a fictional person with a defined set of financial traits.

Prerequisites: None but it is recommended that students take FIN7200 or FIN7800 first

FIN7525 Finance for New Ventures
3 Elective Credits

FIN7525 is meant for entrepreneurs and small business owners that want a detailed understanding of the financial implications of strategic decisions as they start and grow their ventures. The focus is on forecasting integrated financial statements, valuation, and deal structure. The course covers equity investment (angels and VCs) from both the entrepreneur’s and investor’s perspectives, including pre- and post-money value, capitalization tables, dilution, and liquidation preferences. The impact of debt financing on financial statements and returns is also covered. Valuation methods include discounted cash flow, multiples, and the VC method. Risk management techniques incorporating staging, milestones, real options, and simulation are used to better assess uncertainty and then structure transactions to mitigate risk.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 OR FIN7800

FIN7527 Real Estate Financial Modeling
3 Elective Credits

This course will address the practical and theoretical issues involved in estimating cash flows and values of a wide variety real property, financial interests, investment interests and deal structures using discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques and sensitivity analyses. Students will solve real estate cash flow and DCF problems using models for property, portfolio, debt and equity interests for a variety of commercial real estate property types. Students will detailed modeling applications necessary to estimate both cash flows and values in the world of real estate finance and capital markets. Students will use and learn both Excel and industry standard software applications in the process of modelling lease by lease cash flows at the property level, portfolio cash flow consolidations, related debt structures, including first mortgage and mezzanine debt, and equity waterfall structures. This course includes explanation of the theoretical issues and concepts involved in these practical applications. This course is intended for students who have an interest in real estate or who desire to expand their knowledge of finance to include real estate.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800 or students enrolled in MSF

FIN7528: Behavioral Finance  

3 Elective Credits 

In this course we will examine how individuals and firms make financial decisions, and how those decisions may deviate from those predicted by traditional financial theory. We will explore psychological biases in financial decision making, and examine the impacts these biases have on financial markets and financial decision making. In addition, we will examine how the insights from behavioral finance complement and conflict with the traditional finance paradigm of efficient markets populated by rational participants.  

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or MSF Program

FIN7532 FINTECH

3 Elective Credits

The financial services industry is changing rapidly with the emergence of financial technology (FinTech). This course is designed to introduce key financial technology and its applications in financial services. Students will develop a broad and solid understanding of the recent innovations in FinTech, and their benefits and limitations. Students will also have hands-on problem-solving experiences that are useful in the FinTech venture. Ultimately, this course aims to help students identify entrepreneurial opportunities in FinTech and equip them with relevant knowledge and skills. The course will use a mixture of lectures, case studies, guest speakers, and group projects. This course emphasizes and builds on Entrepreneurial Thought & Action, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the context of the financial services industry.

Prerequisites: None

FIN7545 Financial Trading Strategies
3 Elective Credits

In this course, students learn to develop and implement institutional (firm-level) financial trading strategies. These strategies are guided by quantitative models that identify, quantify, and manage risks and expected return. In so doing, students learn how to make decisions in an uncertain environment. The course is based on an experiential learning approach, in which trading simulation software provides a platform for delivering learning-by-doing cases. Specific cases covered in the course include: agency trading; principal (liability) trading; algorithmic market making; managing risk capital with value-at-risk; transportation, storage, and production arbitrage in commodity futures markets; and agricultural hedging. The course also covers fundamental concepts in market microstructure, such as bid-ask spreads, price discovery, information asymmetry, liquidity, and inventory risk.

FIN7550 Derivatives: Theory and Practice
3 Credits

This course examines the pricing and use of derivatives in depth. It will cover the mathematical underpinnings of forwards, futures, options, swaps and more exotic derivatives, as well as the practical uses of these derivatives to hedge and manage risk. This course will cover the Black-Scholes option pricing formula, binomial trees and risk-neutral pricing. Applications include financial hedging of foreign exchange risk, commodity risk, and interest rate risk; as well as portfolio immunization techniques.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7565 Real Estate Investments
(Formerly Real Estate Investment Fundamentals)
3 Elective Credits

This course provides in depth coverage of real estate investing and investment decision making for income producing properties. Topics include valuation, financing, capital markets, development and operations of income-producing real property and issues surrounding the ownership, financing and regulation of real estate. Through readings, lectures and case studies, we will explore how investors identify projects, determine value, design marketing strategies, and obtain financing in the debt and equity markets. This course will include an introduction to the value creation process of real estate development. The course will cover how investors evaluate and finance development projects. Topics include the unique debt and equity financing considerations for both income producing rental properties and for sale condominium projects. The course will also cover Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT’s) as an investment vehicle.

The course will use lecture materials, case studies and an example property to illustrate key real estate investment concepts for both investing in existing properties and for developing properties.  

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7566 Real Estate Transactions
3 Elective Credits

This course will examine the fundamentals of commercial real estate transactions from a legal and managerial perspective. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the major laws and regulations which impact business strategy, allocation of risk, and ultimately deal structures in real estate transactions. Through course readings, assignments, and analysis of industry examples, students will learn how the business strategy components of a term sheet are integrated into the provisions of a transaction's legal documentation. Course topics will include the following: acquisition and disposition, real estate finance, management, development, leasing, tax considerations, distressed property, including loan workouts and commercial foreclosures, and recent legal developments. The course is designed to introduce students to commercial real estate and appeal to real estate entrepreneurs and students interested in careers in the real estate industry.

Prerequisites: None

FIN7572 Babson College Fund

3 Elective Credits

The Babson College Fund is a two-semester course, where selected students manage a portion of the Babson College endowment. The Babson College Fund Office selects undergraduate and graduate students to be analysts and portfolio managers.

By learning the basics of security analysis and portfolio management, it is hoped that students will be prepared to take jobs in the Investment Management and Investment Banking industries post-graduation.

The Program Director and Executives in Residence are committed to helping this pursuit as much as possible. The course also requires that students refine their networking skills and develop a proficiency in the analytical tools available through the Cutler Center to maximize their employment prospects.

Prerequisites: Program Director (Patrick Gregory) Permission

FIN7573 Investment Banking and Financial Modeling
(Formerly Investment Banking and Financial Advisory)
3 Elective Credits

The course will provide students with the opportunity to develop a practical understanding of investment banking and the activities performed by various professionals within the industry. The course will explore the history and evolution of the investment banking industry and the role played by investment banks in the broader capital markets and economy. The course will also examine the organizational structure of investment banks and the characteristics and focus of different functional areas within a firm.

The course focuses on the practical application of corporate finance concepts to “real world” situations and activities commonly performed by investment banks on behalf of clients. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the role played by an associate in building complex financial models to help analyze and execute common investment banking transactions such as: Initial Public Offerings, Fairness Opinions, Valuations, Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory, and Leveraged Buy-Outs. As such, the class will utilize case studies involving real companies and there will be a heavy emphasis on the practical financial research and Excel skills necessary to develop and customize such models. LAPTOPS ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH CLASS.

This course is designed for students interested in careers in investment banking, private equity, sell-side equity research or corporate finance.

Prerequisites: FIN7200 or FIN7800

FIN7578 Real Estate Development  

1.5 Credits  

This course examines the process of creating value by modifying real property to a higher and better use. Using real-world examples, students will look at the steps in the real estate development process, including concept creation and refinement, market analysis, feasibility determination, entitlement and approvals, design and construction, capital structures, start up and operations, and harvesting. Students will also consider how to structure the financing of real estate developments.  

Prerequisites: FIN7565, Real Estate Fundamentals, AND Evening: FIN7000 or MBA8510 or FIN7200 Fast Track: MBA7335 or (ECN7201 and MIS7200) One Year: MBA7210 or FIN7200 Two Year: MBA7320 or FIN7302 or FIN7200

FIN7580 Independent Research

1.5-3 Credits

Independent research is available for all academic divisions. Registration is manual for students through Graduate Programs and Office of Graduate Academic Services.

Independent Research provides an opportunity to conduct in-depth research in areas of a student’s own specific interest. Students may undertake Independent Research for academic credit with the approval of a student-selected faculty advisor, the appropriate division chair, and Graduate Academic Services. Please note that a student is responsible for recruiting a faculty advisor through the student’s own initiative and obtain the advisor’s prior consent/commitment before applying for an independent research project. The research project normally carries 1.5 or 3 credits.

For more information and a proposal outline please visit: http://www.babson.edu/Academics/graduate/mba/Pages/independent-research.aspx

FIN7800 Finance

2 Credits (Core MBA)

If you have taken and passed FIN7200, you cannot register for FIN7800, as these two courses are equivalent

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of financial decision making. It introduces the foundation concepts of the time value of money, the valuation of securities, and forecasting. These concepts are used to show how managers can analyze the risk and return of capital investment proposals and identify those projects that are expected to create shareholder value. The concepts also are used to estimate the value of an enterprise for purposes of initial public offering (IPO) and corporate acquisitions. Financial modeling will be at the heart of the course using Excel.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete ACC7800 prior to taking this course.

FIN9510 Residential Real Estate: Acquisition, Disposition, Finance, and Leasing
1.5 Intensive Elective Credits

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge to efficiently and effectively navigate the residential real estate marketplace in the United States. The course is designed to introduce students to the residential real estate housing market and appeal to real estate entrepreneurs and both domestic and international investors. We will explore the major issues and considerations that impact the valuation, financing, acquisition, disposition, and leasing of residential real estate. Course topics will include: market valuation and appraisal, real estate finance, including residential mortgage types, borrower financing decisions, and primary and secondary mortgage markets, applicable laws and regulations, property inspections, environmental issues, title insurance, brokering and closing the transaction, landlord and tenant issues, tax considerations, and default ownership issues. Throughout the course, we will emphasize practical application of the course topics and examine current examples from the industry and marketplace.

Prerequisites: None