Free online courseCorporate Finance course

Course Description

The Corporate Finance course spans 23 hours and 8 minutes, offering extensive knowledge into various facets of corporate finance. Falling within the Business Administration category, specifically under Corporate Finances, the course aims to rigorously prepare students for exams like CPA and CMA, despite receiving a low average rating of 1.0 stars out of 5.

This course starts by laying the foundational concepts with an Introduction to Finance and Corporate Finance. These initial lectures set the stage for more complex subjects, guiding students step-by-step through key financial principles and their applications.

One of the early topics discussed is the different Forms of Business Organizations, along with an in-depth look at the Agency Problem, Agency Theory, and Agency Cost. These form the cornerstone for understanding the structure and operational dynamics of corporations, which is crucial for anyone diving into corporate finance.

The curriculum then delves into the Corporation and the Financial Market, exploring primary and secondary markets. Understanding these markets is essential for grasping how corporations raise capital and how market mechanisms influence corporate finance.

With a solid grounding in the basics, the focus shifts to essential financial statements like the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. These lectures explore how these documents are constructed, interpreted, and used in evaluating a company's financial health.

Subsequent discussions cover Corporate Taxes, Cash Flow, and Common Size Financial Statements, which form the backbone of financial analysis. An entire section is dedicated to Financial Ratio Analysis and DuPont Analysis, providing tools to evaluate company performance comprehensively.

The course also emphasizes Financial Planning Models, including Pro Forma Financial Statements and the Financial Planning using the Percentage of Sales method. This part is crucial for students aiming to understand how companies forecast and plan their financial futures.

The Time Value of Money is another fundamental concept extensively covered, including Present Value, Future Value with Multiple Cash Flows, Annuities, and Perpetuities. Following this, Bond Valuation and related topics like Bond Features, Ratings, and Markets are examined in detail.

Equity valuation techniques are also explored, focusing on Common Stock Valuation methods, including Zero Growth, Constant Growth, and Nonconstant Growth models. This builds a comprehensive understanding of how equity markets function and how stock values are determined.

Further into the course, capital budgeting techniques are discussed, including Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Rule, Discounted Payback Rule, and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Students learn how to evaluate and choose among investment projects, an essential skill in corporate finance.

The course also tackles advanced topics such as Project Cash Flows, Cost-Cutting Proposals, Setting Bid Prices, and conducting What-If and Break-Even Analysis, ensuring that students can apply their knowledge practically.

The course rounds out with a discussion on Risk and Return, focusing on Operating Cash Flow, Sales Volume, Portfolio Variance, and Cost of Equity using models like the Dividend Growth Model and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). These are crucial for understanding the risk-return tradeoff in investment decisions.

Concluding topics include regulatory aspects like Registration Statements and Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), ensuring that students are well-versed in the compliance side of corporate finance.

Despite its low rating, this comprehensive course offers a deep dive into the principles and practices of corporate finance, making it a valuable resource for those preparing for professional exams or looking to enhance their understanding of corporate financial management.