Ateneo - UPO

The course deals with topics related to standard banking and finance undergraduate courses, such as the structure and regulation of the financial system, the organization, structure, and performance of the financial markets and institutions, the typologies and contractual features of the main typologies of financial products and services. The emphasis of the course is both on the theoretical understanding of key concepts and on computational issues related to the different financial instruments.

Ferrari A., Gualandri E., Landi A., Vezzani P., "Il sistema finanziario: funzioni, mercati e intermediari". Giappichelli Editore, 7th edition.
The instructor will provide other compulsory teaching material by the course official web page at the following link: https://eco.dir.unipmn.it. The login to the web page requires a password. Please contact the instructor to get the password.
- Other suggested reading:
Munari L. "Strumenti finanziari e creditizi", McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, 2015.
The instructor is willing to indicate a study plan in English for Erasmus and free mover students.

Knowledge and understanding: the students will acquire the knowledge necessary to understand the features and the development of the financial system, the aims of financial supervision, the role and the economics of financial intermediaries, the characteristics of financial needs and of financial instruments.

Applying knowledge and understanding: the students will acquire the ability to apply knowledge in order to evaluate financial instruments and to satisfy financial needs.

Making judgments: the students will acquire the ability to judge the suitability of the financial system to solve financial problems of the economic system and to choose the instruments to satisfy financial needs.

Communication skills: the students will acquire the ability to use technical language of the financial system.

Learning skills: the students will acquire both theoretical and applied learning skills in order to increase awareness of the problems in financial system and to be able to examine in depth these problems in other courses and in the world of work.

Students must have passed the exam of following courses: Business Administration.

Knowledge and understanding: traditional lessons and self-study based on teaching materials.

Applying knowledge and understanding: exercises carried-out by the teacher during the course and exercises based on previous written exams carried-out by the students (homework).

Making judgments: students will be induced to judge strengths and weaknesses of financial instruments, intermediation models and current Italian financial supervision.

Communication skills: the meaning of the terms used by professionals of the financial system will be explained.

Learning skills: every topic will be discussed beginning from the illustration of the problem and then analyzing the given solution.

Class participation is not compulsory.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

One compulsory written exam (closed books and closed notes).

The knowledge of the topics of the course will be find out by 1 or 2 multiple-choice questions each evaluated 2 marks and 1 or 2 open questions evaluated up to 10 marks.

Applying knowledge will be find out by 1 or 2 exercises each evaluated up to 10 marks.

Communication skills, making judgments and learning skills will be find out by analyzing the answers to the 1 or 2 open questions cited above.

During the period of teaching all students may sit for a partial test covering the first part of the course contents.

- Course Introduction: teaching goals, contents, teaching methods, course evaluation
- The financial system: pillars, actors, and functions
- The financial instruments: technical and contractual features; risk-return profiles
- The financial markets: major segments and distinctive features
- Theory of financial intermediation: information asymmetries, transaction costs, agency costs
- Banks and financial institutions: business models, products and services, performance measures
- Direct and indirect finance: competitive and complementary relationship between capital markets and banks
- Regulation and supervision of financial markets and institutions
- Checking accounts and other bank liability contracts
- Domestic payment instruments: from banking currency to virtual currency
- Short and medium-long term lending facilities: unsecured credit lines, mortgage loans
- Government bonds: yield and rating
- Insurance companies and pension funds.

-ESG criteria for financial investments (intro).

By giving a written exam, students must show:
KNOWLEDGE
To be aware of the major pillars of the financial system (regulation, financial instruments, intermediaries and markets), their functions and operations

COMPETENCES
- To be able to select and evaluate on a comparative basis the financial tools best suited to meet a given financial need.
- To be able to identify the financial institution or segment of capital markets to get access to achieve a given financial goal
TRANSVERSAL SKILLS
- To be able to interconnect among each other’s topics faced in different chapters of the course
- To be able to present a set of clear and structured arguments dealing with the selection and valuation of financial tools
- To know the technical terminology used by professionals and bank managers at both the domestic and the international level
- To be able to read, comprehend and comment technical material from books, financial journals or other source.