6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL
Postgraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics
Coordinator(s)
Associate Professor Catherine Forbes
Unit guides
Synopsis
This unit focuses on the specification, estimation and testing of asset pricing models, including the capital asset pricing model and extensions; the statistical characteristics of financial data emphasising skewness, kurtosis and volatility aspects; volatility models such as ARCH models of financial time series, with applications to stock prices, derivatives, and exchange rates including the forecast performance of these models.
Outcomes
The learning goals associated with this unit are to:
- describe the time series and distributional features of financial data
- explain appropriate specification, estimation and testing of asset pricing models
- evaluate the need for volatility models for financial returns
- describe the specification and estimation of conditional volatility models
- critically analyse the use of time series in pricing of financial products.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 40% + Examination: 60%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information
Chief examiner(s)
Prerequisites
Students must be granted permission to undertake this unit to ensure an appropriate background in Finance and Econometrics.