Dr. P.V. Viswanath

 

pviswanath@pace.edu

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  Courses /FIN 663/ Course Outline and TimeTable  
 
 
     

FIN 663: Financial Strategy and Business Decisions
Course Outline and TimeTable - Spring 2026

 
   
 

Assignment Due Days

Topics

Projects, Deadlines, Resources

Module start
Jan 26

Module 1: Introduction to the Financial System -- Real and Financial
(Slides on the Financial System)

Start forming your teams; talk to your classmates. Consult Course Requirements in Syllabus for how to form your team.
Discussion on Module 1 begins

Feb 1

Quiz 1: What’s a financial system
Quiz 3: Functions of the financial system
Discussion on Module 1 ends

Module
Feb 2

Module 2: Real and Financial Decisions
(Slides on Operating and Financial Decisions)

Discussion on Module 2 begins

Feb 8

 

Financial and Operating Decisions Assignment due
Deadline to form your teams
Discussion on Module 2 ends

Module
February 9

Module 3: Porter Analysis, Corporate Strategy and Valuation
The interdependence of marketing/ management/ production decisions from the point of view of a project/firm value maximizing manager  (Slides)

Discussion on Module 3 begins

Feb 17

 

Quiz 4: Porter Analysis
Porter Analysis of Apple Inc. Assignment due
Discussion on Module 3 ends

Module 4
Feb 18

Module 4: Capital Structure Overview (Slides)

Discussion on Module 4 begins

Feb 22

 

Discussion on Module 4 ends

Module 5
Feb 23

Module 5: Capital Structure and Stockholder Incentives (Slides) Part 1 (Leverage and Excessive Risk-Taking; Credit Rationing)

Discussion on Module 5: Part 1 begins

Feb 28

 

Credit Rationing Assignment Due

Feb 24

 

Quiz 8: Capital Structure --  Modigliani-Miller
Discussion on Module 5: Part 1 ends

Module 5 (contd)
February 25

Module 5: Capital Structure and Stockholder Incentives (Slides) Part 2 (Leverage and Underinvestment; Leverage and Myopia)

Chapter 16, "Bankruptcy Costs and Debtholder-Equityholder Conflicts" in Grinblatt and Titman (2001)
Discussion on Module 5: Part 2 begins

March 1

 

Myopic Investment Incentives Assignment Due

March 2

 

Quiz 10: Debt and Perverse Incentives
Discussion on Module 5: Part 2 ends

Module 6
March 9

Module 6: Capital Structure, Game Theory and Competition (Slides) Part 1 (Introduction to Game Theory, Typology, Equilibria)

Discussion on Module 6: Part 1 begins

March 14

 

Assignment on Game Identification Due

March 15

 

Quiz 11: Capital Structure, Game Theory and Competition
Discussion on Module 6: Part 1 ends

March 16

Module 6 (cont'd): Capital Structure, Game Theory and Competition (Slides) Part 2 (Informational Games)

Discussion on Module 6: Part 2 begins

March 21

 

Assignment on Information Effects of Security Issuance Due

March 22

 

Quiz 12: Capital Structure and Competitive Strategy
Discussion on Module 6: Part 2 ends

Module 7
March 23

Module 7: Capital Structure and Competitive Strategy(Slides)

Discussion on Module 7 begins

March 29

 

Discussion on Module 7 ends

March 30-April 4 Semester Break  

Module 8
April6

Module 8: Capital Structure and Operating Strategy (Slides)

Discussion on Module 8 begins

April 12

 

Quiz 13: Capital Structure and Operating Strategy
Discussion on Module 8 ends

Module 9
April 13

Module 9: Risk Management -- Introduction and Tools (Slides)

Regression; Hedging Techniques – Options, Futures, Forwards;
Bodie, Merton and Cleeton, Chaps. 10 and 11
Discussion on Module 9 begins

April 19

 

Quiz 14: Risk Management Tools
Discussion on Module 9 ends

Module 10
April 20

Module 10: Risk Management and Strategy (Slides) Part 1

Discussion on Module 10 begins

April 26

 

Discussion on Module 10 ends

April 27

 

Quiz 15: Risk Management and Operating Decisions

May 4

 

Risk Management at Apache, HBS case 201113; write-up due by midnight.

May 9-11

Review

 

May 12-13

BrightSpace Test (based on Modules 5-10)

 

May 13

Take-home Final

 

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