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Financial System

Code: 102099 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500002 Accounting and Finances OT 3
2500002 Accounting and Finances OT 4

Contact

Name:
Anna Matas Prat
Email:
anna.matas@uab.cat

Teachers

(External) Alberto Clemente Muniesa

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to follow the course successfully.


Objectives and Contextualisation

Objectives

The syllabus of this subject includes the following topics: financial intermediaries, financial markets, specific techniques for management and assessment, and financial markets regulation.

The educational objectives of this subject can be summarized as follows:

1. Encourage interest towards the finance of the economy, firms and organizations

2. Learning how the financial system works in the diversity of its institutions and markets

3. Get acquainted with the basic techniques necessary for professional practice and financial analysis


Competences

    Accounting and Finances
  • Communicating in oral and written form in Catalan, Spanish and English, in order to be able to summarise and present the carried out project in both forms.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the functioning of the financial system and the plan of action of various intermediaries, specially banks, saving banks and insurance companies, in order to negotiate effectively.
  • Efficiently searching information, discriminating irrelevant information.
  • Identifying the specific characteristics of business and family property management in order to solve complex problems and situations, especially in relation to financial advise.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Managing multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Organising the work, regarding order and planning.
  • Planning and conducting the accounting organization of a company or group of companies.
  • Preparing and interpreting financial statements and reports for accounting, fiscal, financial and organizational purposes.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify points for improvement.
  2. Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
  3. Applying the specific marketing strategies of intangible goods like the ones commercialised by banks and insurance companies.
  4. Communicating in oral and written form in Catalan, Spanish and English, in order to be able to summarise and present the carried out project in both forms.
  5. Determining the economic-financial situation of a company.
  6. Efficiently searching information, discriminating irrelevant information.
  7. Establishing the financial statements of a company taking into considerations the current accounting regulations in accordance with the size, format and model of the company.
  8. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  9. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within the area of your own knowledge.
  10. Knowing the functioning of several financial intermediaries.
  11. Knowing the micro and macroeconomic functions that shape the financial system.
  12. Managing multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  13. Naming the specific accounts of banks and insurance companies, managing them and knowing how to interpret their evolution in subsequent years.
  14. Naming the way in which people must be lead and working in teams.
  15. Organising the work, regarding order and planning.
  16. Specifying interventions in order to implement a process of change.
  17. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  18. Understand the operation of financial markets. 

Content

1. Introduction to the financial system

2. Credit institutions

3. The balance sheet of credit institutions

4. The profit and loss account of the credit institutions

5. Liquidity and solvency regulation of banking (financial) institutions

6. Indicators for the management of credit institutions

7. Financial risks

8. Financial markets

9.  The fixed income market

10. The equity market

11. The financial derivatives market

12. Collective investment and pension plans and funds

13. Insurance operations

14. Venture capital


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Case studies and exercises 17 0.68 2, 1, 6, 14, 16, 12, 9, 8, 15, 17, 4
Lectures 32.5 1.3 2, 1, 3, 13, 10, 18, 11, 5, 7, 9, 8, 17
Type: Supervised      
Practices on current economic events 4 0.16 1, 6, 14, 10, 18, 11, 5, 7, 12, 8, 15, 17, 4
Tutorials 2 0.08 6, 14, 16, 7, 15, 4
Type: Autonomous      
Study and recomended activities 88.5 3.54 1, 3, 6, 13, 10, 18, 11, 5, 7, 8, 15, 17, 4

The teaching methodology consist on:

Lectures. Standard lectures in class. Class attendance is essential, but needs to be complemented with personal work at home.

Essays on current events and case studies. Students may be asked to work in small groups for some of these, which may include discussions, presentations and specific analyses on key issues, as well as the treatment of statistical information sources. Some tutorials may take place at the computer room.

Self-learning activities. Complementary to the course. The student is supposed to dedicate enough time and effort to understand and assimilate the contents of the course through reading and studying the notes, texts and other materials suggested by the lecturer, and through the completion of the exercises or essays indicated during the course.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Class attendance and participation 10 1 0.04 2, 1, 3, 6, 13, 10, 18, 11, 5, 7, 12, 9, 8, 17
Exercises and written essays 15 0.5 0.02 1, 3, 6, 13, 14, 16, 8, 15, 17, 4
Group assignment on current economic events 15 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 3, 6, 13, 14, 16, 12, 9, 8, 15, 17, 4
Two written tests 60 3 0.12 2, 3, 13, 10, 18, 11, 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, 4

Assessment will be carried out continuously throughout the course, in accordance with the following criteria: 

1. Two written tests: 60%

2. Exercises and written essays: 15%

3. Group assignment on current economic events: 15%

4. Class attendance and participation: 10%

The evaluation of the theoretical content of the subject will be carried out through two written tests. The first one will take place in the middle of the term and the second in the date set by the Faculty for the final exam.

Each of the tests has the same weight in the final assessment (30%).

Therefore, the average grade of the subject is obtained as: 30% (grade of the first test) + 30% (grade of the second test) + 15% (grade of exercises and written essays) + 15% (group assignment on current economic events) + 10% (attendance and participation).

In order to pass the subject, any student should meet the following two:

1. the average grade of the subject is equal to or greater than 5 and,

2. The grade obtained at each of the two partial exams is equal to or greater than 3,8.

Therefore:

• If a student meets the first requirement but not the second, he/she will have an average grade of the subject of 4.5 and will be attend the retake test, as explained below in the section "Retake process".

• If a student meets the second requirement but not the first, or doesn't meet any of them, he/she will obtain an

average grade of the subject that arises from the direct application of the previous weightings, and will be able

to attend the retake test (see "Retake process" below).

Any student who has not attended any of the two written tests will be considered as'non-assessable'

 

Comprehensive evaluation

Students are entitled to request a comprehensive evaluation. The comprehensive evaluation consists of an exam on the content of the entire course which will account for 100% of the final grade. The exam has a duration of three hours.

By requesting the comprehensive evaluation the student waives the option of continuous evaluation.

The comprehensive evaluation must be requested at the Academic Management (Gestió acadèmica) Campus de Sabadell The request must be filed according to the procedure and the deadline established by the administrative calendar of the Faculty of Economics and Business.

Student attendance is mandatory on the day of the comprehensive assessment. The date will be the same as that of the final exam of the semester as per the evaluation calendar published by the Faculty of Economics and Business and approved by the Faculty's Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee.

For the retake procedure, no distinction is made between students who have followed the continuous evaluation and those who have opted for the comprehensive evaluation. All will be re-assessed using the same test or evaluation evidence.

The review of the final qualification will follow the same procedure as for the continuous evaluation.

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities(midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announcedwell in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduled in the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 115. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). Studentsofthe Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule

https://eformularis.uab.cat/group/deganat_feie/application-for-exams-reschedule

Grade revision process

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

Retake Process

"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject." Section 3 of Article 112. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject between 3.5 and 4.8.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who takethis exam and pass, will get a gradeof5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 10of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).


Bibliography

Manzano, D. i Valero, F.J. (directores) (2019), Guía del sistema financiero español, Analistas Financieros Internacionales, 8a edició.

Additionally, students have to consult reports published by the CNMV, the Bank of Spain and the financial sector associations. Reports are available at: 

http://www.cnmv.es/Portal/Finanzas-Sostenibles/Indice.aspx

http://www.cnmv.es/Portal/Publicaciones/Guias.aspx

https://www.bde.es/bde/es/secciones/informes/

https://www.aebanca.es Asociación Española de Banca (AEB) 

https://www.ceca.es Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorro (CECA)

https://www.inverco.es Asociación de Instituciones de Inversión Colectiva y Fondos de Pensiones (Inverco)

https://epsv.org Federación de Entidades de Previsión Social Voluntaria

https://www.bmerf.es Fixed income market

https://www.bolsasymercados.es Equity market

 


Software

None in particular


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 501 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 50 Catalan second semester afternoon