About this course: Have you ever wanted to invest in financial markets, but were always afraid that you didn’t have the proper tools or knowledge to make informed decisions? Have you ever wondered how investment management companies operate and what fund managers do? AXA Investment Managers, in partnership with HEC Paris, will introduce you to the most important ideas and concepts in investment management, to help you better understand your financial future. This course will enable you to: • Define what type of investor you are, your investment objectives, and potential constraints. • Identify the main investable assets and important players in financial markets. • Understand basic portfolio management techniques. • Apply these techniques in real case studies from the outset, through practical assessments. Finally, we will provide a comprehensive overview of today's asset management industry: the product cycles, professionals, and regulations. For those who want to identify a talented fund manager to invest for you, we offer important criteria for selecting one. For those who are interested in learning more about this fascinating industry, we lay the foundation for your ongoing financial journey. Join us now to explore the world of investment management! Course Launching Date The first session of the course will be launched on April 11th, 2016. Course Specialists The course has been developed in collaboration between HEC Paris, with Hugues Langlois managing the academic aspect, and AXA Investment Managers specialists, sharing their experiences and expertise and coordinated by Marion Le Morhedec. AXA Investment Managers participants include Maxime Alimi, Stephanie Condra, Nicholas Jeans, Elodie Laugel, Pierre-François de Mont-Serrat, Jean-Gabriel Pierre (AXA Group), Dorothée Sauloup, Irina Topa-Serry, Fiona Southall, Patrice Viot Coster, Susanna Warner, and Joachim Weitgasser. Recommended Background We expect most participants to have a basic level of knowledge in mathematics and economics. However this is not essential, and we believe that people from any background can succeed with commitment and a strong interest. Be aware that in the case study, you will have to use Excel. Course Format This course will run for 4 weeks and consists of 4 modules, each with a series of lecture videos between 5 to 8 minutes long. Each module contains a set of practice and graded quiz questions. A complete portfolio management exercise covers concepts learned in all modules Language The course is in English, with Italian, German, French, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles. The Project The preparation of this MOOC has been an exciting adventure for many professionals at AXA Investment Managers and HEC, both for the speakers and a wealth of contributors. Thank you to all of them. We hope you enjoy this course as much as we enjoyed creating it!
Created by: HEC Paris
Taught by: Hugues Langlois, Assistant Professor of Finance
Finance department
Taught by: Marion Le Morhedec, Senior Fund manager
AXA IM
| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Italian, German, French, Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Defining Your Objectives and Universe
As the first module of the course, we will start with helping you to identify which kind of investor you are, and what are your investment objectives. Then, we will give you an overall view of investible assets and the financial market. In addition, we will introduce the concepts of risk and returns in portfolio management which will help you to make better investment decisions.
7 videos, 7 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: Introduction to the Course
- Discussion Prompt: Introduce yourself to your peers!
- Reading: More about the course
- Video: What kind of investor are you?
- Discussion Prompt: What type of investor do you think YOU are?
- Video: What do you want to achieve as an investor?
- Video: Translating your objectives into financial metrics
- Reading: Supporting material - computing returns and sample statistics
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz Module 1 Lesson 1
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: Understanding how to measure asset risk and return
- Reading: Additional (optional) videos
- Video: A glance at the universe of investable assets
- Video: Financial market participants at play
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz Module 1 Lesson 2
- Reading: Portfolio management exercise: part 1
- Reading: Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)
Graded: Graded Quiz Module 1
Graded: Portfolio management exercise - Getting Started with Investments
Graded: Quiz for honor track - part 1
WEEK 2
How to Build an Investment Solution
This is the second week of our study. We first learn how to optimize a portfolio allocation given your investment objectives. Then we will learn how to integrate your investment constraints to find a feasible investment solution. You will use asset pricing models to improve your portfolio performance by improving your understanding of financial asset returns. Finally, you will apply different hedging techniques to remove unwanted risk in our portfolios.
6 videos, 7 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Introduction to Module 2
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: How to use quantitative method to optimize portfolio construction
- Reading: Supporting material
- Video: How do constraints and regulations impact portfolio construction？
- Reading: Supporting material
- Video: The importance of asset pricing in portfolio management
- Reading: Additional (optional) videos
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 2 Lesson 1
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: Strategic versus tactical allocation
- Video: Hedging techniques: how to protect portfolio against undesired risk
- Reading: Suggested reading
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 2 - Lesson 2
- Reading: Portfolio management exercise: part 2
Graded: Graded Quiz Module 2
Graded: Portfolio management exercise - Let's Allocate Across Investments
WEEK 3
Exploring Specific Portfolio Management Techniques
We take in this module a closer look at investment strategies. We start by examining both quantitative active and qualitative strategies, and understanding their respective benefits. In the second lesson, we will learn how to apply these strategies in real life, including how to translate a strategies into transactions. We finish by examining extreme events in financial markets during which investment strategies were challenged.
7 videos, 8 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Introduction to Module 3
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Reading: Additional (optional) videos
- Video: The economics of active management
- Video: Active management: quantitative approach
- Reading: Supporting material
- Video: Active management: discretionary approach
- Reading: Suggested reading
- Video: Investment management decisions
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 3 - Lesson 1
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: How to manage trading efficiently
- Reading: Suggested reading
- Video: How to manage extreme events in financial markets
- Reading: Supporting material and suggested reading
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 3 - Lesson 2
- Reading: Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)
Graded: Graded Quiz Module 3
Graded: Quiz for honor track - part 2
WEEK 4
The Asset Management Industry: Selecting or Becoming a Fund Manager
In this final module, we cover the details of the asset management industry. We start by understanding what it takes to make a proper decision when hiring a fund manager. We will learn how to evaluate his or her performance, and to select the right one depending on our investment objectives. Then, we cover the functioning of an asset management firm. We will learn the different career paths within an asset management firm. We will also cover the different stages of the life cycle of an investment product, including the role of each department within the firm and the impact of regulations on their design.
7 videos, 7 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: Introduction to Module 4
- Video: How to measure and monitor the performance of an investment
- Reading: Supporting material
- Video: Selecting the right fund manager
- Video: Formalize your investment objectives
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 4 - Lesson 1
- Reading: What will you learn?
- Video: Professionals at work in an asset management company
- Video: Product cycles in asset management
- Video: What does regulation bring to the industry?
- Reading: Suggested reading
- Practice Quiz: Practice Quiz - Module 4 - Lesson 2
- Reading: Got any question? Ask us in a live session!
- Reading: Portfolio management exercise - part 3
- Reading: Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)
Graded: Graded Quiz Module 4
Graded: Portfolio management exercise - Let's Evaluate an Investment Fund
Graded: Quiz for honor track - part 3
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
HEC Paris
HEC Paris, founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is one of France’s oldest elite higher education Grandes Ecoles. Throughout its 130-year history, HEC Paris has consistently attracted individuals highly capable and talented, innovative and entrepreneurial, ambitious and open-minded, capable of becoming architects of a responsible world. What makes HEC unique is its conviction shared by the HEC community: knowledge determines the freedom and entrepreneurship required for a better world.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Great!
I enjoyed this course and the way it was presented with videos, and the excel based exercises were very useful however I feel like some of the more challengin work was very intuitive (which I suppose was the point) but unfortunately there was not a lot of guidance on how to complete those exercises and get the honors certificate.
Excellent programme.
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very nice, lots of useful information and the course is really good for people who have some kind of knowledge about the subject. Giving the course 4 stars just because it is too short. I would like it to include more practical assignments, examples etc.