Corporate Finance Essentials II

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/corporate-finance-essentials-ii

Introduction

**Course Review: Corporate Finance Essentials II on Coursera** **Introduction** If you have a solid foundation in corporate finance from the first course, *Corporate Finance Essentials*, and are looking to delve deeper into the intricacies of financial management, *Corporate Finance Essentials II* is your next step. Offered on Coursera, this course addresses key topics that are critical for understanding the financial workings of corporations in today’s dynamic environment. Let’s explore what this course entails, why it’s a smart choice, and how it can elevate your financial knowledge. **Course Overview** As a continuing course, *Corporate Finance Essentials II* is designed for those who want to expand their understanding of corporate finance beyond the basics. The course highlights significant issues including market efficiency, different types of bonds, stock valuation, capital structure, and dividend policy. ### Learning Objectives By enrolling in this course, you will achieve the following objectives: - **Understand Market Efficiency**: Grasp the core principles surrounding market efficiency, a fundamental concept in modern finance, and learn its implications for investment strategies. - **Explore Bonds**: Gain an insight into various bond types, their return (yield to maturity), default risk, and gain a foundational knowledge of different risk sources associated with bonds. - **Learn Stock Valuation**: Discover the methods for valuating stocks using relative valuation techniques and critical multiples used within the industry. - **Analyze Capital Structure**: Understand the different sources of financing a company employs, calculate the optimal debt-to-equity ratio, and appreciate the qualitative factors involved in these decisions. - **Understand Dividend Policy**: Discuss pivotal decisions regarding dividend payouts and the factors influencing a company’s dividend policy. ### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Course overview:** The course begins with a recap of key lessons from *Corporate Finance Essentials*, setting a strong foundation before diving into advanced topics. 2. **Market Efficiency:** Explore this cornerstone of modern finance, including its implications for investors, which serves as a crucial framework for many financial strategies. 3. **Bonds:** This segment covers bond terminology, types of bonds, their yields, and associated risks, equipping students with crucial knowledge regarding debt instruments. 4. **Stocks:** Learn the art of stock valuation through relative valuation methods, which will enable you to assess and compare stock performance effectively. 5. **Capital Structure:** This section tackles the sources of finance for businesses, addressing how to determine the optimal mix of debt and equity, along with relevant qualitative assessments. 6. **Dividend Policy:** Finally, the course wraps up by discussing strategic decisions around dividend payments, helping you understand how these decisions affect a company’s financial health and investor satisfaction. ### Why You Should Enroll *Corporate Finance Essentials II* is not just a course; it's an investment in your professional development. Here are a few reasons to recommend it: - **Structured Learning**: The course is designed sequentially; starting from the basics and smoothly transitioning into more complex concepts, making it ideal for learners with varying levels of experience. - **Accessible Expertise**: The knowledge imparted is important for anyone pursuing a career in finance, investment analysis, or business management. - **Practical Relevance**: The content is highly relevant for contemporary financial markets, helping you stay updated with industry practices and theories. - **Flexibility**: As with all Coursera courses, you can learn at your own pace, making it easier to balance your education with your professional responsibilities. ### Conclusion In summary, *Corporate Finance Essentials II* stands out as an essential course for finance enthusiasts and professionals eager to deepen their understanding of corporate finance dynamics. With comprehensive coverage of critical topics and a robust learning framework, it offers valuable insights that are applicable in real-world financial decision-making. Whether you aim to advance your career in finance, enhance your investment knowledge, or simply satisfy a personal interest in financial management, this course is highly recommended. Don’t miss the chance to elevate your financial acumen—enroll in *Corporate Finance Essentials II* on Coursera today and take your knowledge to the next level!

Syllabus

Course overview: A Look Back & a Look Ahead to Corporate Finance Essentials

In this first module we will first summarize the most important messages of all the topics discussed in Corporate Finance Essentials, and then introduce the topics we will discuss in this follow-up course

In this session we will discuss several issues related to the bedrock concept of market efficiency, one of the cornerstones of modern finance, including its meaning and important implications for investors.

In the third session we will discuss some introductory issues related to bonds, such as terminology, issuers, and types of bonds, as well as their return (yield to maturity) and default risk, including a brief discussion of other sources of risk

In the fourth session we will discuss the valuation of stocks through the method of relative valuation (multiples), including the most widely-used multiples and the issues an analyst needs to deal with in order to use multiples properly for valuation.

In the fifth session we will discuss the sources of financing companies use to obtain capital for their projects, a quantitative way to determine the optimal mix of debt and equity, and some relevant qualitative variables.

In the sixth session we will discuss two critical decisions all companies need to make, whether to pay dividends, and if so how much; we will also discuss the variables that must be considered when deciding a dividend policy