In this course, you will gain an understanding of the theory underlying optimal portfolio construction, the different ways portfolios are actually built in practice and how to measure and manage the risk of such portfolios.
This course is part of the Investment Management Specialization
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Investment Management SpecializationUniversity of GenevaAbout this Course
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Course 3 of 5 in the
Approx. 8 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
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Try Coursera for BusinessSkills you will gain
- Portfolio Theories
- Risk Management
- Value At Risk (VAR)
- Portfolio Optimization
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 3 of 5 in the
Approx. 8 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for Business
Offered by
University of Geneva
Founded in 1559, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) is one of Europe's leading universities. Devoted to research, education and dialogue, the UNIGE shares the international calling of its host city, Geneva, a centre of international and multicultural activities with a venerable cosmopolitan tradition.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1 hour to complete
General Introduction and Key Concepts
In this introductory week, you will first be presented with a few mistakes you will no longer make after following this course. In order to avoid making these mistakes, you will start by gaining a foundation and understanding of the three main types of information we need in order to build optimal portfolios: expected returns, risk and dependence.
1 hour to complete
6 videos (Total 39 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
2 hours to complete
Modern Portfolio Theory and Beyond
The focus of this second week is on Modern Portfolio Theory. By understanding how imperfect correlations between asset returns can lead to superior risk-adjusted portfolio returns, we will soon be looking for ways to maximize the effect of diversification, which is at the heart of Modern Portfolio Theory. But we won’t stop there: we will also explore the implications of Modern Portfolio Theory on real-world investment decisions and whether or not these implications are followed by investors. Finally, we will see how Modern Portfolio Theory can be built upon to derive the most popular asset pricing model: the Capital Asset Pricing Model.
2 hours to complete
14 videos (Total 89 min)
2 hours to complete
Asset Allocation
This third week is dedicated to asset allocation. After a short introduction to investor profiling, we will delve into Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA). You will see how it relates to Modern Portfolio Theory and how it differs from Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA). We will look at how both asset allocations can be implemented separately but also in conjunction in order to build portfolios that fulfill investors’ needs and constraints while taking advantage of market opportunities.
2 hours to complete
14 videos (Total 96 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
2 hours to complete
Risk Management
This fourth and final week is dedicated to risk. We will start by looking in more depth at different sources of risk such as illiquidity and currency risk but also at the different tools available to investors to perform risk management. But how should we measure risk? We will see that it may be valuable to go a step beyond standard deviation, the risk measure we used so far, and look at the Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall which focus on potential large losses. Finally, we will use the financial instruments at our disposal to hedge market and currency risk.
2 hours to complete
14 videos (Total 95 min)
Reviews
- 5 stars75.28%
- 4 stars20.13%
- 3 stars3.77%
- 2 stars0.66%
- 1 star0.13%
TOP REVIEWS FROM PORTFOLIO AND RISK MANAGEMENT
by EMMay 3, 2018
Great course - wish there were more examples or exercises on the more technical, math-intensive topics like VaR and ES instead of just an extended explanation of the theory behind the formulas.
by AAApr 5, 2019
Very well structured, great lecturers with a good pace and way of explaining. Amazing guest speakers for a balance between practice and theory
by MASep 8, 2016
Great course - like the rest of the specialization it had a great mix of video (primarily) and questions, practical advice, timely data and quizzes. Learned a ton!
by SSSep 30, 2016
This is very good. I am grateful for the mathematics at the base of the theoretical structure, but I for one need more drilling. I am looking forward to the rest of the courses.
About the Investment Management Specialization
In this Specialization, you will understand how investment strategies are designed to reach financial goals in a global context. You will learn the theory that underlies strong investment decisions, as well as practical, real-world skills that you can apply when discussing investment proposals with your advisor, managing your personal assets or your client’s investment portfolio. You will start by developing a global understanding of financial markets and what impacts rational and irrational behaviors have in finance at the micro and macro levels. You will then learn how to adequately build and manage a portfolio with a long-term view while gaining an appreciation for novel research advances in finance and related areas as well as future trends that are shaping the investment management industry. In the final Capstone Project, you will create a sensible 5-year investment plan that accounts for an investor's goals and constraints in a dynamic economic landscape. Key speakers from UBS, our corporate partner, will contribute to this specialization by providing you with practical insights they have gathered through years of experience working for the world’s largest wealth manager.
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