Do you enjoy following the stock market? Would you like to analyze investments and learn how to make sound financial decisions? Do you think quantitatively or aspire to learn about the inner workings of financial markets and institutions? If so, the Financial Markets Finance major may be a great fit for you.
The Financial Markets Finance major prepares students for careers in the financial services industry. This intensive academic and experiential learning major allows them access to state-of-the-art technologies designed to replicate a real-world investment setting. There they make strategic investment decisions to manage a portfolio of more than $3.3 million.
- Areas of Study
- Sample Plan
- Acquired Skills
- Career Opportunities
- Experiential Learning
- Program Lab
- Program Learning Outcomes
All undergraduate LSBE students are required to take business and economics core courses and concentration courses related to their major.
Core Courses
- Finance & Accounting
- Business Law
- Economics
- Information Technology
- Management
- Marketing
- Psychology
- Writing & Communications
- Mathematics
Major Courses
- Corporate & Managerial Finance
- Financial Markets & Institutions
- Investments
- Economics
- Business Ethics
- Portfolio Management
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Financial Modeling & Valuation
The sample plan linked below is one of several possible ways to complete this degree. Resources are available to customize a plan for your specific career and academic goals.
- Develop skills in investment research and be able to evaluate the appropriateness of investments in a broad array of portfolio applications.
- Create strategies for managing investment opportunities and risks, while being mindful of the importance of making sound, ethical financial decisions.
The Financial Markets Finance major prepares students for a variety of careers within the areas of trading, research, and portfolio management.
Graduates find exciting career opportunities in positions and fields such as:
- Securities Trader/Analyst
- Investment Banker
- Bonds/Common Stocks/Private Placements
- Asset/Money/Portfolio Management
- Operational Support
- Investment Research
Participant teams are established during the integration process of the program. Individual teams are assigned sectors of the S&P 500 according to interest. Students are involved in managing every aspect of the Bulldog Fund, LLC; from research and analysis through daily exposure oversight and comprehensive portfolio management.
Students are responsible for generating investment ideas consistent with the Bulldog Fund, LLC investment strategy; an enhanced S&P 500 strategy utilizing a "portable alpha" component. Based on their research, each team chooses a "relative value" opportunity from within its sector. Teams seek to identify opportunities to "arbitrage" value from like company stocks; in essence, they recommend going "long" and "short" certain stocks based on their analysis.
Students are exposed to three types of analysis; fundamental, technical and quantitative analysis. Students are expected to incorporate all three forms into their investment research and recommendation. Traditionally, there are four "rebalance" opportunities scheduled throughout the academic year. These dates allow students the opportunity to present formal recommendations to the program's Investment Oversight Committee.
The Investment Oversight Committee is comprised of several industry professionals who are responsible for granting the final decision on the students' recommendations.
The primary purpose of the LSBE Financial Markets Program is to give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding in a real-world investment setting. Through the creation of the Wells Fargo Financial Markets Lab, students have access into the inner workings of today’s global financial marketplace.
The Wells Fargo Financial Markets Lab is a 1,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility. Participating students are given their own work area which encompasses a designated PC workstation and ample storage space designed to replicate a “trading room” environment. Factset provides instant access to current events and information shaping today’s global financial markets. Participants become acclimated to industry-standard software programs such as Factset, Tradestation, Baseline, Thomson Analytics, Investors Business Daily Online, Barron’s Online and the Wall Street Journal Online. Students also become proficient using MS Excel and MS PowerPoint. In 2006, the entire technological platform of the Wells Fargo Financial Markets Lab was updated and brought in-line with industry standards. In 2014 a Rise Display was installed. It provides real-time financial information, follows the S&P 500, Nasdaq and various other indicies. It also streams a live feed of world and financial news.
- Demonstrate accurate, advanced level knowledge and ability to apply basic Security Analysis concepts and principles to the management and oversight of The Bulldog Fund LLC in written and oral form.
- Demonstrate accurate, advanced level knowledge and ability to apply basic Portfolio Analysis principles and concepts to the management and oversight of The Bulldog Fund LLC in a written and oral form.