FIN 310: Financial Investments

Course Description

This course introduces students to investment theory, financial securities, and portfolio construction. Topics include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, diversification strategies, and risk management. Emphasis is placed on evaluating investment opportunities and aligning them with investor goals and market conditions. (3 credits)

Prerequisites

• ACC 101: Financial Accounting
• ACC 102: Managerial Accounting
• BUS 201: Business Statistics (or equivalent)
• ECO 103: Macroeconomics OR ECO 104: Microeconomics
• ENG 101: English Composition 1
• ENG 102: English Composition 2
• FIN 210: Financial Management

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

1. Apply the concepts, theories, and relationships among the functional areas of an organization, including the ability to explain the nature and construct of an organization.
2. Design strategic marketing practices. This will include such areas as marketing research, consumer behavior, customer acquisition and retention strategies, and public relations. Additional areas include digital marketing including SEO techniques, social media strategies, leveraging artificial intelligence for targeted marketing campaigns, and driving brand loyalty.
3. Explain the global environment of business including the political, social, and intercultural sensitivities that exist in society that are important to the development of meaningful relationships and success in business and in life.
4. Demonstrate professional business behavior, social responsibility, and ethical decision making and conduct.
5. Demonstrate effective critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, organizational leadership, teamwork; oral and written communication skills utilizing tools such as AI, research databases, and other tools as required.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

1. Analyze and evaluate different classes of investments like equity (stocks) and fixed-income (bonds) using fundamental and technical analysis.
2. Apply modern portfolio theory and asset pricing models (e.g., CAPM) to build, optimize, and manage investment portfolios tailored to specific risk and return profiles.
3. Explain the implications of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) and evaluate whether active portfolio management can consistently outperform market benchmarks.
4. Critically assess the relationship between risk and return and demonstrate how to hedge investment portfolios against market volatility.
5. Analyze investment practices in a global environment and recognize the importance of ethics, sustainability, and legal regulations in financial decision-making.

Course Activities and Grading

Required Textbook

(Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle)

• Bodie, Z., Kane, A., and Marcus, A. J. (2023). Investments. (13th ed.) McGraw Hill.

Course Schedule

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.