In this project, learners will have a guided look through Power Bi dynamic reports and visualizations for financial data analysis. As you view, load, and transform your data in Power Bi, you will learn which steps are key to making an effective financial report dashboard and how to connect your report for dynamic visualizations. Data reporting and visualization is the most critical step in a financial, business, or data analyst’s functions. The data is only as effective if it can be communicated effectively to key stakeholders in the organization. Effective communication of data starts here.

This course provides the foundation for understanding the frameworks used to develop market risk management strategies. You will identify the market risks associated with each type of financial instrument. You will be introduced to techniques for estimating the risk associated with each class of investments. By the end of the course, you will be able to select the most effective derivatives for managing risk of a single asset and a portfolio of assets, develop asset selection strategies for managing risk in a portfolio, and model risk associated with a single asset and a portfolio of assets. Learners will complete a project covering the estimation and analysis of risk in a globally diversified equity portfolio. The portfolio will include allocations of equity indexes from the U.S., Japan, Hong Kong, and Germany. Data for the two years prior to March 2020 will be used to convert daily returns in each indexes' currency into dollar returns. Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall for the portfolio will be calculated using an equal-weighted sample and an exponentially weighted sample. Learners will then be given a new 2-year data set that includes the market data through August of 2020. They will be asked to re-evaluate risk for the portfolio using Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall.

Through this ESG Investing: Industry Impacts & Transformations course, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products can explore how certain financial market sectors have been transforming, amid a heightened focus on risk factors that underpin the three pillars of ESG. For example, what led age-old, iconic companies such as Borden and Dean Foods to file for bankruptcy? How are traditional oil giants BP and Exxon Mobil managing the energy transition? And what steps are firms such as International Paper and WestRock taking to align their business operations with forestry concerns? Through a series of video, webinar, and reading modules, among other objectives, you’ll learn how to conduct critical analyses about certain market sector changes, including dairy, tobacco, energy, and forest products, as well as examine the potential role for certain commodities, as industries such as the auto sector undergo transformation. You should also be able to assess the potential impacts on the creditworthiness of certain high yield companies amid shifts in ESG strategies.

This course is part of a Specialization titled “Strategy and Finance for a Lifecycle of a Social Business”. It is an introduction to time value of money and will help the learner understand the basics of finance with the ultimate goal of valuing a company from a societal lens. The beauty of the modern decision-making framework is that it can be used to understand value creation at any level – the individual, the corporate or nonprofit entity level and from the point of view of society. The applications however become increasingly complex as your lens expands from the individual to the corporate/nonprofit to the global society. In this Specialization we will therefore focus on understanding the frameworks and tools that an individual and an entity (a startup or an established corporation, private or public) can use to understand value enhancing decision-making. There are two building blocks of decision making – time value of money and risk. In this second course, we will use the same framework developed in the first course to evaluate decision-making by entities – businesses – to create value. We will realize how the evaluating value from the lens of multiple stakeholders is inherently more complex. You are also encouraged to think from a societal standpoint because that, ultimately, is the difference between a social and a private business. The societal perspective is the most complex and market prices are typically not available for both the benefits and costs. As indicated at the outset, the beauty of modern frameworks and tools of analysis is that they are logical and do not change depending on the purpose of business. However, to demonstrate social impact is very complex because prices for both the public good, and any harm created by our actions, are not available. It is also very challenging to determine the incremental effect of a business on society at large. The combination of these issues makes all social impact and value specific to a business, making it even more important to use the same frameworks and tools developed in this Specialization to value any business.

This course introduces core areas of statistics that will be useful in business and for several MBA modules. It covers a variety of ways to present data, probability, and statistical estimation. You can test your understanding as you progress, while more advanced content is available if you want to push yourself. This course forms part of a specialisation from the University of London designed to help you develop and build the essential business, academic, and cultural skills necessary to succeed in international business, or in further study. If completed successfully, your certificate from this specialisation can also be used as part of the application process for the University of London Global MBA programme, particularly for early career applicants. If you would like more information about the Global MBA, please visit https://mba.london.ac.uk/. This course is endorsed by CMI

The sudden rise in the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and its subsequent decline, focused the world’s attention on cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. Blockchain technology powers Bitcoin and has been hyped as the next new, transformative technology. In this course, we first discuss the technical underpinnings of blockchain and review key concepts such as decentralization and consensus algorithms. We then examine blockchain as an asset and review the dynamics of the cryptocurrency markets. Finally, we examine blockchain as a business solution, with a focus on understanding business cases in which blockchain does and does not make sense.

By the end of this project, you will be able to create a simple Gantt Chart using Google Sheets. You will have a better understanding of how to use this tool to help track and present project schedules. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing the same experience in other regions.

In this 2-hour long project-based course, you will learn how to examine the company’s performance on a yearly basis, as well as against their peers. The learners will be able to analyze the company’s performance in terms of profitability, liquidity, activity, and solvency. The learners then will be able to communicate their findings. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We're currently working on providing the same experience in other regions. This course's content is not intended to be investment advice and does not constitute an offer to perform any operations in the regulated or unregulated financial market.

Continue learning about blockchain technology by diving into the nature of ownership and how the blockchain is one way to approach decentralized transaction handling. This course also demystifies cryptography and hashing, which are critical for authenticating users and guaranteeing transaction privacy. This course requires the purchase of two books for the completion of assignments: Drescher, D. (2017). Blockchain Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction in 25 Steps. (ISBN-13: 978-1484226032) Antonoupoulos, A. M. (2017). The Internet of Money, Volume Two. (ISBN-13: 978-1947910065)

Begin your exploration of blockchain technologies with a look at fundamental blockchain concepts along with an application in which blockchain technology plays a critical role — cryptofinance. This course also introduces distributed digital systems in terms of software and network architecture, and shows how these systems underlie the functionality of the blockchain. In this and the following courses in the specialization you'll have a chance for hands-on-practice to cement your learning. This course requires the purchase of two books for the completion of assignments: Drescher, D. (2017). Blockchain Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction in 25 Steps. (ISBN-13: 978-1484226032) Antonoupoulos, A. M. (2017). The Internet of Money, Volume Two. (ISBN-13: 978-1947910065)