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Principles of Finance

Learn how money works, how companies grow, and how to make smarter financial moves.

(PRIN-FINANCE.AS1) / ISBN : 978-1-64459-708-8
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About This Course

Numbers can be overwhelming. And uncertainty can lead to poor investment choices.

This Principles of Finance course cuts through the confusion. You’ll learn how to manage money, assess risk, and invest wisely. Discover best practices to navigate corporate finances, satisfy the stakeholders, and secure your job position.  

Skills You’ll Get

 

  • Master Finance Basics: Get a solid grip on key financial principles that everyone should know.
  • Wealth Management: Learn practical money management skills to make smarter, confident decisions.
  • Smart Investment Strategies: Discover how to evaluate and make smart investment choices.
  • Essential Corporate Finance Skills: Build powerful skills in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
  • Decision-Making Skills: Gain the confidence to make clear, effective financial choices in any situation.
Download Course Outline

1

Preface

  • About OpenStax
  • About OpenStax resources
  • About Principles of Finance
2

Introduction to Finance

  • What Is Finance?
  • The Role of Finance in an Organization
  • Importance of Data and Technology
  • Careers in Finance
  • Markets and Participants
  • Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Matters
  • Financial Instruments
  • Concepts of Time and Value
  • Summary
  • Video Activity
3

Corporate Structure and Governance

  • Business Structures
  • Relationship between Shareholders and Company Management
  • Role of the Board of Directors
  • Agency Issues: Shareholders and Corporate Boards
  • Interacting with Investors, Intermediaries, and Other Market Participants
  • Companies in Domestic and Global Markets
  • Summary
  • Video Activity
4

Economic Foundations: Money and Rates

  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics
  • Business Cycles and Economic Activity
  • Interest Rates
  • Foreign Exchange Rates
  • Sources and Characteristics of Economic Data
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
5

Accrual Accounting Process

  • Cash versus Accrual Accounting
  • Economic Basis for Accrual Accounting
  • How Does a Company Recognize a Sale and an Expense?
  • When Should a Company Capitalize or Expense an Item?
  • What Is "Profit" versus "Loss" for the Company?
  • Summary
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
6

Financial Statements

  • The Income Statement
  • The Balance Sheet
  • The Relationship between the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement
  • The Statement of Owner’s Equity
  • The Statement of Cash Flows
  • Operating Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF)
  • Common-Size Statements
  • Reporting Financial Activity
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
7

Measures of Financial Health

  • Ratios: Condensing Information into Smaller Pieces
  • Operating Efficiency Ratios
  • Liquidity Ratios
  • Solvency Ratios
  • Market Value Ratios
  • Profitability Ratios and the DuPont Method
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
8

Time Value of Money I: Single Payment Value

  • Now versus Later Concepts
  • Time Value of Money (TVM) Basics
  • Methods for Solving Time Value of Money Problems
  • Applications of TVM in Finance
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
9

Time Value of Money II: Equal Multiple Payments

  • Perpetuities
  • Annuities
  • Loan Amortization
  • Stated versus Effective Rates
  • Equal Payments with a Financial Calculator and Excel
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
10

Time Value of Money III: Unequal Multiple Payment Values

  • Timing of Cash Flows
  • Unequal Payments Using a Financial Calculator or Microsoft Excel
  • Summary
  • Problems
  • CFA Institute
  • Video Activity
11

Bonds and Bond Valuation

  • Characteristics of Bonds
  • Bond Valuation
  • Using the Yield Curve
  • Risks of Interest Rates and Default
  • Using Spreadsheets to Solve Bond Problems
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
12

Stocks and Stock Valuation

  • Multiple Approaches to Stock Valuation
  • Dividend Discount Models (DDMs)
  • Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Mode
  • Preferred Stock
  • Efficient Markets
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
13

Historical Performance of US Markets

  • Overview of US Financial Markets
  • Historical Picture of Inflation
  • Historical Picture of Returns to Bonds
  • Historical Picture of Returns to Stocks
  • Summary
  • Video Activity
14

Statistical Analysis in Finance

  • Measures of Center
  • Measures of Spread
  • Measures of Position
  • Statistical Distributions
  • Probability Distributions
  • Data Visualization and Graphical Displays
  • The R Statistical Analysis Tool
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
15

Regression Analysis in Finance

  • Correlation Analysis
  • Linear Regression Analysis
  • Best-Fit Linear Model
  • Regression Applications in Finance
  • Predictions and Prediction Intervals
  • Use of R Statistical Analysis Tool for Regression Analysis
  • Summary
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
16

How to Think about Investing

  • Risk and Return to an Individual Asset
  • Risk and Return to Multiple Assets
  • The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
  • Applications in Performance Measurement
  • Using Excel to Make Investment Decisions
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
17

How Companies Think about Investing

  • Payback Period Method
  • Net Present Value (NPV) Method
  • Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Method
  • Alternative Methods
  • Choosing between Projects
  • Using Excel to Make Company Investment Decisions
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
18

How Firms Raise Capital

  • The Concept of Capital Structure
  • The Costs of Debt and Equity Capital
  • Calculating the Weighted Average Cost of Capital
  • Capital Structure Choices
  • Optimal Capital Structure
  • Alternative Sources of Funds
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
19

Financial Forecasting

  • The Importance of Forecasting
  • Forecasting Sales
  • Pro Forma Financials
  • Generating the Complete Forecast
  • Forecasting Cash Flow and Assessing the Value of Growth
  • Using Excel to Create the Long-Term Forecast
  • Summary
  • Problems
  • Video Activity
20

The Importance of Trade Credit and Working Capital in Planning

  • What Is Working Capital?
  • What Is Trade Credit?
  • Cash Management
  • Receivables Management
  • Inventory Management
  • Using Excel to Create the Short-Term Plan
  • Summary
  • Video Activity
21

Risk Management and the Financial Manager

  • The Importance of Risk Management
  • Commodity Price Risk
  • Exchange Rates and Risk
  • Interest Rate Risk
  • Summary
  • CFA Institute
  • Problems
  • Video Activity

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This Principles of Finance course gives you practical, actionable knowledge. You’ll learn how to apply financial principles directly to personal finance, investments, and business decisions. It's designed to make you confident in real-world scenarios, not just theory.

Unlike theory-heavy courses, this one is hands-on and practical. You get flashcards, knowledge checks, 50+ interactive question types, 3 test modes, a built-in glossary, and a mobile app—everything designed to help you learn faster, retain more, and apply skills in real life.

You get both. This principles of corporate finance course includes practical case studies, examples, and hands-on lessons to help you connect finance theory with real-world applications.

Absolutely! This finance course is self-paced.  you can learn on your own schedule, around your work, family, or other commitments.

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