This study session introduces quantitative concepts and techniques used in financial
analysis and investment decision making. The time value of money and discounted
cash flow analysis form the basis for cash flow and security valuation. Descriptive
statistics used for conveying important data attributes such as central tendency,
location, and dispersion are presented. Characteristics of return distributions such as
symmetry, skewness, and kurtosis are also introduced. Finally, all investment forecasts
and decisions involve uncertainty: Therefore, probability theory and its application
quantifying risk in investment decision making is considered.
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Reading 6 The Time Value of Money
Reading 7 Discounted Cash Flow Applications
Reading 8 Statistical Concepts and Market Returns
Reading 9 Probability Concepts
STUDY SESSION 3 Quantitative Methods (2)
This study session introduces the common probability distributions used to describe
the behavior of random variables, such as asset prices and returns. How to estimate
measures of a population (mean, standard deviation) based on a population sample
is shown. A framework for hypothesis testing, used for validating dataset hypotheses,
follows, along with techniques to test a hypothesis. The session ends with coverage
of technical analysis, a set of tools that uses asset price, trading volume, and other
similar data for making investment decisions.
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Reading 10 Common Probability Distributions
Reading 11 Sampling and Estimation
Reading 12 Hypothesis Testing
Reading 13 Technical Analysis