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2017/2018  KAN-CCMVI2017U  Graduate Financial Modeling

English Title
Graduate Financial Modeling

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration Summer
Start time of the course Summer
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 60
Study board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Course instructor - Dr Hassan Tanha, Victoria University, ht.acc@cbs.dk
    Sven Bislev - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
In case of any academic questions related to the course, please contact the course instructor or the academic director, Sven Bislev at sb.msc@cbs.dk
Main academic disciplines
  • Finance
Last updated on 25/04/2018

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • Learn to use Data tables to do sensitivity analysis
  • Use of random number generation (Uniform-Normal) for financial simulations
  • Generate correlated random numbers that can be used in finance
  • Understand log-normality of financial data
  • Monte Carlo simulations of investment performance
  • Implement option models: the Black-Scholes model and the binomial model
  • Simulate option models using Monte Carlo methods
  • Calculate the var-cov matrix and Find optimal portfolios
Course prerequisites
Completed Bachelor degree or equivalent. At least two previous courses in finance (Introduction to finance or corporate finance and an investments course) plus a basic knowledge of Excel (advanced concepts will be covered in class).
Examination
Graduate Financial Modeling:
Exam ECTS 7.5
Examination form Written sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer, Ordinary exam: 31 July - 3 August 2018

Retake exam: September - October 2018

3rd attempt (2nd retake) exam: November - December 2018

Exam schedule is available on https:/​/​www.cbs.dk/​uddannelse/​international-summer-university-programme-isup/​courses-and-exams.
Aids Limited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • Any calculator
  • Language dictionaries in paper format
The student will have access to
  • Advanced IT application package
At all written sit-in exams the student has access to the basic IT application package (Microsoft Office (minus Excel), digital pen and paper, 7-zip file manager, Adobe Acrobat, Texlive, VLC player, Windows Media Player). PLEASE NOTE: Students are not allowed to communicate with others during the exam : Read more about exam aids and IT application packages here
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
4 hour written sit-in exam, new exam question
Exam form for 3rd attempt (2nd retake): home project assignment, max. 15 pages.
Course content and structure

This course focuses on simulation and Monte Carlo techniques in financial markets. We will use Excel throughout. The course is numerically intensive and requires a considerable amount of student input. It will be taught in a computer lab. The course topics include random number generation, financial analysis under uncertainty, savings and consumptions  problems, Monte Carlo simulation to compute financial values of complex assets, option pricing with Monte Carlo (Black-Scholes, binomial model, structured securities, exotic options). 

The learning objectives of this course are to deepen the student’s understanding of advanced financial models under uncertainty. We will emphasize numerical proficiency in Excel, the most widely used computational tool in finance. The combination of Excel as a numerical tool to implement financial modelling is a winning combination.

 

For the Preliminary Assignment there are two readings to prepare for Class 1. A chapter from the course textbook Financial Modelling covering Data Tables (Excel’s way of doing sensitivity analysis). 2. A short reading on the basics of VBA and Excel’s personal notebook. Both of these readings will be discussed thoroughly in the first class.

Class 1: Preliminary Assignment; Simple VBA, Data Tables, Excel Personal Notebook (Pre-reading, Ch 31)

Class 2: Introduction to portfolio theory and risk diversification (FM4 Chapter 8)

Class 3: Calculating the Var-Cov Matrix (FM4 Chapter 10) + Calculating Efficient portfolios (FM4 Chapter 9)

Class 4: Estimating Betas and the Security Market Line (FM4 Chapter 11) + Efficient Portfolios Without Short Sales (FM4 Chapter 12)

Class 5: Black-Litterman Model (FM4 Chapter 13)

Class 6: Introduction to options (FM4, Chapter 15) + Black-Scholes model and structured securities (FM4, Chapter 17)

Feedback activity

Class 7: The binomial model (FM4 Chapter 16)

Class 8: Random numbers (FM4, Chapter 24)

Class 9: Introduction to Monte Carlo (FM4 Chapter 25)

Class 10: Lognormality — generating price simulations (FM4 Chapter 26) + Monte Carlo for investments (FM4, Chapter 27)

Class 11: Simulating option strategies (FM4 Chapter 29) +Monte Carlo for options (FM4 Chapter 30) + comprehensive review.
Teaching methods
I teach interactively—a combination of lecture, theory of finance, Excel. I expect students to follow along with my lectures, implementing in Excel the models that are explained in class. Home works are an important part of this process—the student must learn to independently implement the financial models.
Feedback during the teaching period
TBA
Student workload
Preliminary assignment 20 hours
Classroom attendance 33 hours
Preparation 126 hours
Feedback activity 7 hours
Examination 20 hours
Further Information

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings or video clips to be read or viewed before the start of classes with a related task scheduled for class 1 in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.

 

Course timetable is available on https://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/international-summer-university-programme-isup/courses-and-exams.

 

We reserve the right to cancel the course if we do not get enough applications. This will be communicated on https://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/international-summer-university-programme-isup/courses-and-exams end February 2018 at the latest.
Expected literature

Mandatory readings:

 

Textbook: Financial Modelling (MIT Press, 4th edition) by Simon Benninga
Last updated on 25/04/2018