FIN 620 - Mutual Fund Investments

3 Credit(s)

This course presents an in-depth review of the mutual fund industry. The course focuses on explaining why investors use financial intermediaries, how a mutual fund operates, and why a mutual fund differs from other financial intermediaries such as banks or insurance companies. The portfolio management philosophy and techniques are very instrumental in the success of a fund. The course also looks in detail at the key characteristics of U.S. equity and bond markets and then focuses on the investment process for portfolio managers of stock and bond funds. In addition, it gives an overview of mutual fund marketing, with emphasis on the development of new products, pricing structures, and distribution channels. The course consists of lectures, class discussion, case analysis, and a group project. Lecture and discussion along with case study are designed to demonstrate and illustrate the important concepts and practices facing the mutual fund industry.
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate finance, BUS 655, FP 601, or permission of the instructor.