COURSE
NUMBER: MBA223.1
This
course is cross-listed with the EWMBA Program.
COURSE
TITLE: Corporate
Financial Reporting (Real-Time Cases in Financial Analysis)
UNITS
OF CREDIT: 3
INSTRUCTOR: Alastair
Lawrence
E-MAIL
ADDRESS: lawrence@haas.berkeley.edu
CLASS
WEB PAGE LOCATION: bCourses
PREREQUISITE(S): EWMBA202 Financial
Reporting
CLASS
FORMAT: Weekly
real-time cases of publicly-listed companies.
REQUIRED
READINGS: Current
Form 10-Ks of U.S. public companies.
BASIS
FOR FINAL GRADE: Real-time case presentation, stock-pitch project, and
final exam.
CAREER
FIELD: Investment
Professionals, Portfolio Managers, Consultants, M&A Professionals, Venture
Capitalists, Managers, and Personal Investors.
ABSTRACT
OF COURSE’S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this course is to learn how to identify potential red flags in
financial reporting practices and to increase your proficiency in extracting
and using relevant information from financial statements (e.g., Form 10-Ks,
10-Qs).
Each
week we will go through a real-time case (written the week prior by the
professor) to appreciate current
financial reporting issues that users of financial
reporting information should be aware of. You will learn the subjectivity
inherent in applying accounting standards, and appreciate why a very strong
understanding of accounting is essential when wading through SEC filings.
The
course will benefit those who will be analyzing financial statements and SEC
filings as they pursue careers in investment banking, investment management,
business development, venture capital, as well as those in general
management/consulting, and those just looking to gain financial expertise for
personal investments. The skills developed in this class will also overlap with
those required by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program. In addition,
participants with CPAs and CFAs will still find this course very useful.
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH: Professor
Lawrence is an assistant professor in the accounting group at Berkeley-Haas.
His current research focuses on various corporate financial reporting issues,
and how investors and the markets use and price financial reporting
information.