GSM 535 Financial Modeling
Financial Modeling is an applied practitioner's course that will hone skills for spreadsheet modeling of present decisions of forecasted financial performance. By the end of the class the student will be able to fully understand a future financial opportunity, model it with multiple decision measures, and discuss/professionally write about the modeling and potential outcomes. The student will become more confident about making financial decisions involving risk. Financial modeling will be done on future Income Statements, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow Statements, Cash Budgets, capital budgeting opportunities, short-term and long-term loans, stock options for hedging and speculations, dividend policy and company valuation. The class will include lecture to review financial concepts and issues, practice work with fully-prepared spreadsheet models, and small group/individual work to create financial models on a chosen company's financial opportunities. One research project and presentation will focus on the review of empirical research of importance to the student's chosen company and why knowledge of this research will help to increase company value and/or decrease risk. The class will be heavily influenced by current business and world events. All students will be expected to have done the assigned work before class so that they can add to the class learning/discussion, or ask questions on assigned material. A final portfolio of each student's financial models, with analytical and descriptive writing explaining the modeling and decision process should help with gaining internships, post-MBA jobs or career advancement