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2010/2011  KAN-OE12  Asset Pricing

English Title
Asset Pricing

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Course Period Autumn
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Max. participants 25
Study Board
Study Board for MSc in Advanced Economics and Finance
Course Coordinator
  • Kristian Miltersen - Department of Finance
Main Category of the Course
  • Economics, macro economics and managerial economics
  • Finance
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
Students are required to:
  • Understand key utility concepts and risk aversion
  • Be able to perform mean-variance portfolio analysis
  • Understand advanced capital asset pricing models and practical implications
  • Be able to model asset prices in dynamic settings
  • Analyze dynamic asset allocation
  • Be able to structure basic empirical studies of asset pricing behavior
  • Be able to carry out performance analysis
Examination
Oral without preparation time
Assessment Oral Exam
Marking Scale 7-step scale
Censorship External examiners
Exam Period December/January
Aids Without preparation
Duration 20 Minutes
Examination
The duration of the exam is 18–20 minutes per student. Prepared overhead transparencies is a part of the exam. The exam has two parts:
Part 1 (10 minutes): A short presentation of one of the topics listed below. This presentation should be based on (prepared in advanced and ‘physically’ brought to the exam location) overhead transparencies. This presentation should last for 10 minutes including time for clarifying questions from the evaluators. The presentation will be evaluated based on its clarity, precision, and focus on the
central points (including that the student is able t get to these central points within the allocated 10 minutes.) Creativity (such as selfmade graphs and figures which illustrates an important point) will be rewarded. It is important to have understood (and be able to defend) all claims in the presentation. No other types of notes or exam aids are allowed. There is no limit to the number of prepared overhead transparencies, but it will be an integrated part of the evaluation which material
(and how much/how little) the student has decided to put on the slides. Also the timing of the presentation will be an integrated part of the evaluation. At the beginning of the examination, the student draws one of the topics at random and immediately thereafter gives the presentation.
Part 2 (8 minutes): The student is asked questions in parts of the curriculum different from the part covered in part 1. The questions will mainly focus on the curriculum covered as part of the other listed topics. For this part of the exam prepared overheads are not allowed. The implementation exercise given during the semester is included in the curriculum and there may be questions related to this exercise in this part of the exam. In general, short and concise answers will be rewarded. Both precision and the ability to get to the point and the the ability to get around and have an overview of the curriculum will be strongly rewarded.

Tentative list of topics for presentation during the exam:
1. Risk Aversion and Portfolio Choice
2. Mean-Variance Analysis
3. The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
4. Linear Factor Models such as, e.g., the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT)
5. One-Period Consumption-Savings Decisions and its Asset Pricing Implications
6. Multi-Period Discrete-Time Consumption-Savings Decisions and its Asset Pricing Implications
7. Consumption-Savings Decisions for Different Types of Utility: log utility, power utility, quadratic utility, and negative exponential utility

The exact list of question will be made available on the last class of the semester.
Prerequisites for Attending the Exam
Two written assignments, which the students have to pass before taking the final exam.
Prepared overhead transparencies is a part of the exam.
Course Content

The course provides the students with a profound knowledge of key concepts, relations, and models in general capital market theory. It is discussed how to represent uncertainty, the individuals and their preferences, assets and portfolios, and reasonable pricing systems in one- and multi-period settings, both discrete-time and continuous-time settings. The prices of financial assets are linked to the individuals’ optimal consumption choice, which lead to the Consumptions-based Capital Asset Pricing Model (C-CAPM). The empirical validity and practical use of consumption-based models as well as various factor models of asset pricing will be addressed and discussed. The theoretical content of the course will have an overlap with the course on Asset Pricing provided by the Danish Doctoral School of Finance. The course is a fundamental theoretical finance course with a focus on empirical applications. The course complements especially the courses on Corporate Finance and Econometrics; it is essential for fully understanding the second semester course on Derivatives and Risk Management and for understanding empirical investigations of asset pricing models.

Teaching Methods
The format of the course is based on three elements:
1. Class lecture devoted to the fundamental theoretical issues
2. Class exercises
3. Two written assignments, which the students have to pass before taking the final exam.