University of  Scranton

                                             The Arthur J. Kania School of Management

                                                      Economics/Finance Department

 

 

Course Number:  FIN 581                                           Semester: Spring 2002

Course Title:  Financial Institutions                                 Office:      Brennan Hall 310

Instructor:  Dr. John N. Kallianiotis                               Office Hours:  Tues.- Thurs.: 10:00 - 2:00

and 5:30 - 6:30 P.M.                                                                                                                and by appointment

Telephone:  941-7577 and  941-4048      

E-mail: jnk353@uofs.edu

 

REQUIRED TEXT:  Money and Capital Markets, Seventh Edition, by Peter S. Rose, Irwin, Homewood, Illinois, 2000.

 

The Wall Street Journal (subscription is suggested)

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE:

 

This course is designed to provide to MBA students details on the financial institutions in United Stated and on Money and Capital Market in general.  It will determine their functions, the major players in this market and their interrelations in the national economy.  Monetary and Fiscal policy and the most watched player, The Fed, will be covered in detail together with fiscal policy.  The money market instruments will be mastered, too.  Material covered will assist the student to better understand the economic, social and political science in America.

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

The major objectives of the course are:

 

1.         To familiarize the students with the principles, concepts, and terminology of the market players, the markets, and the instruments.

 

2.         To master topics on Financial Institutions, interest rates, monetary and fiscal policy.

 

3.         To learn how the economy works and to connect the monetary with the real sector of our economic system.

 

 

 

 

 


TOPICS COVERED:

 

Topics                                                             Classroom Hours

 

1.                  The Financial System in Perspective                       4

1.   The Role of the Financial System in the Economy

2.  Financial Assets, Money, and Financial Transaction

3.  Sources of Information for Financial Decision Making

In the Money and Capital Markets

 

II.       Goverment in the Financial Markets                   6

19.       Central Banking and the Role of the Federal Reserve

20.       The Tools of Monetary Policy

21.       Indicators and Goals of Monetary Policy

22.       The Treasury in the Financial Markets

23.       State and Local Governments in the Financial markets

 

III.      Financial Institutions in the Financial System            4

4.  Commercial Banks and Money Creation

5.  Nonbank Thrift Institutions: Credit Unions, Savings

and Loan Associations, Savings Banks and Money

Market Mutual Funds

6.  Insurance Companies, Pension Funds, and Other

Financial Institutions

1.              Regulation of Financial Institutions

 

IV   Interest Rates and Security Prices                        8

8.  Interest Rates in the Financial System

9.  Relationships between Interest Rates and Security Prices

10.       Inflation, Yield Curves and Duration: Their Relationship

to Interest Rates and Security Prices

11.       Marketability, Default Risk, Call Privileges, and Other

Factors Affecting Interest Rates

12. Interest Rate Forecasting and Hedging Against Interest Rate

Risk

13.       Financial Futures Contracts and Options on Futures

 

1.              The Money Market                                6

1.              Characteristics of the Money market

15.  Treasury Bills, Dealer Loans, and Repurchase Agreements

1.              Federal Funds, Negotiable Cds, and Loans from the Discount Window

2.              Commercial Paper and Federal Agency Securities

1.   International Money market Instruments: Bankers’ Acceptances and Euro dollars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


VI.       The Consumer in the Financial Markets                5

24.       Consumer Lending and Borrowing

25.       The Residential Mortgage Market

 

VII.      Business in the Financial Markets                    3

26.       Business Borrowing in the Money and Capital Markets

27.       Corporate Stock

 

CLASS MEETING:

 

The class meets for 14 sessions of  2 hours and 40 minutes duration, plus a final examination.

 

TEACHING METHODS AND ASSIGNED READINGS:

 

The teaching method will be lectures and classroom discussions of the daily economic scene.  Homework assignments and outside readings will be announced in the classroom. A group project will be announced in the classroom.   Material will be put on reserve library, too.  There will be two exams*  (33% each) and your assignments together with your attendance,  class participation and performance will count for 33% of the course.

 

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*  The midterm exam will be on March 21, 2002  and the Final on May 16, 2002.

 

    

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