Students

AFIN2050 – Investments

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Fan Yu
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(ACCG1000 and AFIN1002 and ECON1020 and (STAT1250 or STAT1170 or STAT1371)) or ACST2052 ​
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit covers concepts in investment management including asset pricing, fixed income, industry analysis and derivatives contracts. Students will acquire the analytical tools and financial theory necessary for making sound investment decisions and understanding the methodologies by which financial securities are valued. Students learn the principles of modern portfolio theories and apply them to empirical asset pricing models.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply the fundamentals of investment and asset pricing theory to portfolio management and performance evaluation.
  • ULO2: Source and analyse real financial data as applied to an investment problem and communicate the findings clearly and effectively in a professional environment.
  • ULO3: Apply macroeconomic and industry analysis, and financial statement analysis to the valuation of equity securities.
  • ULO4: Evaluate ethical principles and their application in the investment profession.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Skills development: Investments in practice 20% No Week 5 and Week 10
Professional practice: Case Study 40% No TBA
Formal and observed learning: Exam 40% No University Exam Period

Skills development: Investments in practice

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 5 and Week 10
Weighting: 20%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to apply your understanding and knowledge of key topics from the unit.   You will undertake two quizzes. Feedback on your performance will help you assess your progress through the unit content.   Skills in focus: - Critical thinking - Discipline knowledge - Problem solving   Deliverable: Two quizzes Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply the fundamentals of investment and asset pricing theory to portfolio management and performance evaluation.
  • Source and analyse real financial data as applied to an investment problem and communicate the findings clearly and effectively in a professional environment.
  • Apply macroeconomic and industry analysis, and financial statement analysis to the valuation of equity securities.
  • Evaluate ethical principles and their application in the investment profession.

Professional practice: Case Study

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 40%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to draw on unit topics and materials to assess an investment scenario and complete a finance industry simulation.   You will prepare a report analysing an industry based scenario or problem   Skills in focus: - Critical thinking - Problem-solving - Communication - Work Readiness   Deliverable: Written submission Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply the fundamentals of investment and asset pricing theory to portfolio management and performance evaluation.
  • Source and analyse real financial data as applied to an investment problem and communicate the findings clearly and effectively in a professional environment.
  • Apply macroeconomic and industry analysis, and financial statement analysis to the valuation of equity securities.
  • Evaluate ethical principles and their application in the investment profession.

Formal and observed learning: Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: University Exam Period
Weighting: 40%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise you have gained in this unit.   You will participate in a 2-hour exam held during the University Examination period. Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips.   Deliverable: Formal exam Individual assessment

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply the fundamentals of investment and asset pricing theory to portfolio management and performance evaluation.
  • Source and analyse real financial data as applied to an investment problem and communicate the findings clearly and effectively in a professional environment.
  • Apply macroeconomic and industry analysis, and financial statement analysis to the valuation of equity securities.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Required Text

Bodie, Z., Kane, A. and Marcus, A.J. (2024), Essentials of Investments, McGraw-Hill

 

Learning and Teaching Activities

There will be four components each week, i.e., lecture, homework, tutorial, and consultation.

Lecture

Students are strongly encouraged to attend the lecture each week. Please read the lecture slides and related textbook chapters before attending a lecture to get the most benefits from the lecture. There will be guest speakers from industry to expose you to real-world practices. The guest lectures will be held during regular lecture time.

Homework

After each lecture, please review the material before attempting the homework. The homework for each lecture is designed to help you understand the lecture on a basic level. It is a good practice to evaluate your review and to prepare for the tutorial in the following week.

Tutorial

The tutorial questions are more challenging than the homework. It is important that you review the lecture and practice the homework questions before attempting the tutorial questions. Your tutor will discuss the tutorial questions during the tutorial to help you understand the material on a deeper level. Please note that your final exam questions will be at a similar difficulty level as the tutorial questions.

Students will need to register for a tutorial. Tutorials are considered compulsory, but no marks are allocated. Tutorial enrolment or change of tutorial must be requested through the Student Portal in the first two weeks of the session. No tutorial changes are allowed after Week 2. Students should attend their allocated tutorial, but exceptions may occur on a one-off basis. That is, where circumstances prevent you from attending your own tutorial in a given week, you may attend an alternative tutorial if room is available.

Consultation

Additional learning support will be available in tutor consultation times. The lecturer and tutors have regular weekly consultation hours each week. The schedule will be posted on iLearn. You are free to attend any of them that fit you best when you require extra help.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook