FNCE 3171 - Fixed Income and Alternative Investments

Delivery Online, self-paced

Course Description

Students learn to design and analyze fixed income securities and alternative investments. The importance of interest rates, credit risk, and product features in the valuation of these assets is emphasized. Topics include an introduction to fixed income investments, fixed income markets, yield curves, bond pricing, valuation and volatility, credit analysis for firms and individuals, asset-backed securities, real estate, hedge funds and private equity.

Learning outcomes

Examine and describe various types and structures of debt instruments.
Differentiate between different types of bond issuers.
Interpret quantitative measures including price, yield to maturity, and duration for various fixed income securities.
Examine the risk-return characteristics of fixed income securities.
Apply the 4 Cs (capacity, collateral, covenants and character) of credit analysis.
Explain how asset-backed securities are created.
Contrast alternative investment asset classes versus traditional stock and bond investments and their roles in a portfolio.
Estimate the value of a real estate investment using various methods.
Contrast different private equity and hedge fund strategies, fees, structures and benchmarks.

Course topics

Module 1: Defining Features of Fixed Income Securities
Module 2: Fixed Income Markets
Module 3: Fixed Income Valuation
Module 4: Risk and Return
Module 5: Fundamentals of Credit Analysis
Module 6: Asset Backed Securities
Module 7: Alternative Asset Classes
Module 8: Real Estate
Module 9: Hedge Funds
Module 10: Private Equity

Required text and materials

Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own:

CFA Institute, Chambers, D. R., Anson, M. J. P., Black, K. H., Kazemi, H. B., & CAIA Association. (2023). Fixed Income and Alternative Investments for Thompson Rivers University. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Type: Custom E-textbook: ISBN: 9781394240647

Note: This item can be purchased directly from Campus eBookstore via Wolfie's Campus Store.

This custom e-textbook contains chapters from:

Donald R. Chambers, Mark J. P. Anson, Keith H. Black, Hossein Kazemi. (2020). Alternative Investments: CAIA Level I, (4th ed.). CAIA Association.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9781119604150
Jerald E. Pinto, Barbara Petitt, and Wendy L. Pirie. (2022). Fixed Income Analysis, (5th ed.). CFA Institute.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9781119850540

Assessments

Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course and 50% or higher on the mandatory final exam.

Assignment 1: Fixed-Income Securities, Markets and Valuation	15%
Assignment 2: Fixed-Income Risk and Return, Credit Analysis and Asset-Backed Securities	15%
Assignment 3: Proposal and Research Paper Part I: Proposal Part II: Research Paper	10% 20%
Mandatory Final Exam	40%
Total	100%

Recommended requisite(s)

FNCE 2120; or,
FNCE 2121, or equivalent with a minimum C+
ECON 2330; or
ECON 2331; or equivalent with a minimum C-

Exclusions

BBUS 4150
BBUS 4151
FNCE 3170

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FNCE 3171 - 70796

Start: Any Time

Online, self-paced

Available

Fixed Income and Alternative Investments

Any Time (30 weeks duration)

Online, self-paced

Canadian in BC/YT non-credit	$862.62	Click here to get more information
Canadian outside BC/YT non-credit	$971.70	Click here to get more information
International Student non-credit	$1,686.15	Click here to get more information

3 credits

Open Learning faculty member information

An Open Learning faculty member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.