School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Financial Analysis and Modelling
  • Unit Code

    ECF6130
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Ghialy Choy Lee YAP

Description

This is a capstone unit where students apply prior learned knowledge of investment finance, corporate finance, financial market instruments, economic theory and financial statement analysis to build adaptive financial models and make recommendations to investor clients. Students will also conduct extensive research on companies and academic literature in the area, in order to model and test theories using real-time financial market and economic data. The unit will develop advanced Excel skills, which are highly desired by employers. Students will consider the architecture and design of financial models, user interface, error handling and model flexibility. This is a demonstrated unit, where students apply a high level of critical thinking and technical skills to solve authentic business problems. In addition, students must demonstrate effective communication and teamwork skills in order to produce high-quality and insightful outputs for clients in the financial services area.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass ECF6110

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Build complex and adaptive financial models to solve problems for clients.
  2. Synthesise financial knowledge to analyse companies and make investment recommendations.
  3. Produce a contemporary research study using financial market data, drawing from financial theories and academic literature.
  4. Articulate findings of financial analysis and recommendations persuasively, individually and as a team in both oral and written formats, to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Unit Content

  1. Single-workbook model design.
  2. Excel toolkit.
  3. What-if analysis.
  4. Valuation of annuities and bonds; financial planning and amortisation.
  5. Valuation of shares; leverage analysis
  6. Estimation and forecasting using regression.
  7. Simulation.
  8. Optimisation: Linear, nonlinear and integer programming
  9. Financial statements modelling, leverage analysis, and cash flow forecasting.
  10. Financial risk analysis.
  11. Introduction to Empirical Finance Research

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Unit delivery is aimed at developing advanced capabilities to conceive, design, build and test financial models using Excel. This unit assumes students have prior knowledge of seminal financial theories and applications, and will build on this prior learning. The learning process will require students to work effectively in teams to generate ideas to solve complex financial problems and build financial models while reflecting on processes and assumptions. Students will also be required to access real-time financial market and economic data, from sources such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters Eikon, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestIn-class tests20%
ProjectMajor group project30%
JournalIndividual Journal Reflections15%
AssignmentIndividual assignment35%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestOnline tests20%
ProjectMajor group project30%
JournalIndividual Journal Reflections15%
AssignmentIndividual assignment35%

Core Reading(s)

  • n.d. (2016). Corporate Valuation: Measuring the Value of Companies in Turbulent Times (1. Auflage). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/975151779
  • Winston. (2016). Microsoft Excel 2016 data analysis and business modeling. Redmond: Microsoft Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/952370664

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

ECF6130|2|1

School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for this unit. All assessment changes will be published by 27 July 2020. All students are reminded to check handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Financial Analysis and Modelling
  • Unit Code

    ECF6130
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Ghialy Choy Lee YAP

Description

This is a capstone unit where students apply prior learned knowledge of investment finance, corporate finance, financial market instruments, economic theory and financial statement analysis to build adaptive financial models and make recommendations to investor clients. Students will also conduct extensive research on companies and academic literature in the area, in order to model and test theories using real-time financial market and economic data. The unit will develop advanced Excel skills, which are highly desired by employers. Students will consider the architecture and design of financial models, user interface, error handling and model flexibility. This is a demonstrated unit, where students apply a high level of critical thinking and technical skills to solve authentic business problems. In addition, students must demonstrate effective communication and teamwork skills in order to produce high-quality and insightful outputs for clients in the financial services area.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass ECF6110

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Build complex and adaptive financial models to solve problems for clients.
  2. Synthesise financial knowledge to analyse companies and make investment recommendations.
  3. Produce a contemporary research study using financial market data, drawing from financial theories and academic literature.
  4. Articulate findings of financial analysis and recommendations persuasively, individually and as a team in both oral and written formats, to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Unit Content

  1. Single-workbook model design.
  2. Excel toolkit.
  3. What-if analysis.
  4. Valuation of annuities and bonds; financial planning and amortisation.
  5. Valuation of shares; leverage analysis
  6. Estimation and forecasting using regression.
  7. Simulation.
  8. Optimisation: Linear, nonlinear and integer programming
  9. Financial statements modelling, leverage analysis, and cash flow forecasting.
  10. Financial risk analysis.
  11. Introduction to Empirical Finance Research

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Unit delivery is aimed at developing advanced capabilities to conceive, design, build and test financial models using Excel. This unit assumes students have prior knowledge of seminal financial theories and applications, and will build on this prior learning. The learning process will require students to work effectively in teams to generate ideas to solve complex financial problems and build financial models while reflecting on processes and assumptions. Students will also be required to access real-time financial market and economic data, from sources such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters Eikon, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExaminationTake-home exam 20%
ProjectMajor group project25%
JournalIndividual Journal Reflections and Teamwork Process20%
AssignmentIndividual assignment35%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExaminationTake-home Exam20%
ProjectMajor group project25%
JournalIndividual Journal Reflections and Teamwork Process20%
AssignmentIndividual assignment35%

Core Reading(s)

  • n.d. (2016). Corporate Valuation: Measuring the Value of Companies in Turbulent Times (1. Auflage). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/975151779
  • Winston. (2016). Microsoft Excel 2016 data analysis and business modeling. Redmond: Microsoft Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/952370664

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

ECF6130|2|2