Students

AFIN2050 – Investments

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and lecturer
Fan Yu
afin2050@mq.edu.au
Teaching assistant and tutor
Shauna Ferris
shauna.ferris@mq.edu.au
Contact via afin2050@mq.edu.au
Tutor
Wendy Zheng
wendy.zheng@mq.edu.au
Tutor
Arena Hu
arena.hu@mq.edu.au
Tutor
Kenny Mok
kenny.mok@mq.edu.au
Tutor
Qinqin Xia
summer.xia@mq.edu.au
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 Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Skills development: Investments in practice 30% No Week 5 Individual No Open AI
Professional practice: Case study 30% No Week 9 Group No Open AI
Formal and observed learning: Exam 40% No Exam Period Individual No Observed

Skills development: Investments in practice

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is to understand and apply professional ethical principles in practice and complete a finance industry simulation. You will prepare a reflection presentation based on the activities.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Communication skills
  • Work readiness

Deliverable(s): Completions of simulation and ethics modules plus presentation

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Source and analyse real financial data as applied to an investment problem and communicate the findings clearly and effectively in a professional environment.
  • Evaluate ethical principles and their application in the investment profession.

Professional practice: Case study

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

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 and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Communication skills
  • Work readiness
Deliverable(s): Written submission [max. 3,000 words]
Group 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.

Formal and observed learning: Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

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(s): 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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

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.

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.

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule (Tentative)

Week

Topic

Notes

1

Introduction

No tutorial in week 1

2

Investment vehicles

 

3

Risk and return

 

4

Efficient diversification

 

5

Asset pricing

Assessment on skills development is due

6

Market efficiency

 

7

Special tutorial

No lecture

8

Fixed income securities

 

9

Industry analysis

Assessment on professional practice is due

10

Equity securities

 

11

Futures contracts

 

12

Option contracts

 

13

Revision

 

 

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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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.

Changes from Previous Offering

The assessment structure has been changed from previous offerings. 

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook