Portfolio Theory

Catalog description

This course examines the foundations of investment theory and practice. It begins by elaborating the concepts of risk and risk aversion, wealth allocation between risky and riskfree assets, and optimally risky portfolios. The course proceeds to develop various asset-pricing models, paying special attention to the CAPM and APT. The course will also examine the concept of market efficiency and review the empirical evidence for and against efficiency. The second half of the course examines theories and strategies for managing investment portfolios. This includes surveying how securities are actually traded and cleared. It then examines theories of active portfolio management ranging from the Peter Lynch approach to more formal models such as the Treynor-Black model. Issues of asset allocation, extended (e.g. global and real asset) diversification, and investment company organization and policy formation are studied. The course concludes with a study of portfolio performance measurement.