Have you ever wanted to invest in financial markets, but were always afraid that you didn’t have the proper tools or knowledge to make informed decisions? Have you ever wondered how investment management companies operate and what fund managers do? AXA Investment Managers, in partnership with HEC Paris, will introduce you to the most important ideas and concepts in investment management, to help you better understand your financial future.
This course will enable you to:
• Define what type of investor you are, your investment objectives, and potential constraints.
• Identify the main investable assets and important players in financial markets.
• Understand basic portfolio management techniques.
• Apply these techniques in real case studies from the outset, through practical assessments.
Finally, we will provide a comprehensive overview of today's asset management industry: the product cycles, professionals, and regulations. For those who want to identify a talented fund manager to invest for you, we offer important criteria for selecting one. For those who are interested in learning more about this fascinating industry, we lay the foundation for your ongoing financial journey. Join us now to explore the world of investment management!
Course Specialists
The course has been developed in collaboration between HEC Paris, with Hugues Langlois managing the academic aspect, and AXA Investment Managers specialists, sharing their experiences and expertise and coordinated by Marion Le Morhedec. AXA Investment Managers participants include Maxime Alimi, Stephanie Condra, Nicholas Jeans, Elodie Laugel, Pierre-François de Mont-Serrat, Jean-Gabriel Pierre (AXA Group), Dorothée Sauloup, Irina Topa-Serry, Fiona Southall, Patrice Viot Coster, Susanna Warner, and Joachim Weitgasser.
Recommended Background
We expect most participants to have a basic level of knowledge in mathematics and economics. However this is not essential, and we believe that people from any background can succeed with commitment and a strong interest.
Be aware that in the case study, you will have to use Excel.
Course Format
This course will run for 4 weeks and consists of 4 modules, each with a series of lecture videos between 5 to 8 minutes long. Each module contains a set of practice and graded quiz questions. A complete portfolio management exercise covers concepts learned in all modules
Language
The course is in English, with Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles.
The Project
The preparation of this MOOC has been an exciting adventure for many professionals at AXA Investment Managers and HEC, both for the speakers and a wealth of contributors. Thank you to all of them.
We hope you enjoy this course as much as we enjoyed creating it!
As the first module of the course, we will start with helping you to identify which kind of investor you are, and what are your investment objectives. Then, we will give you an overall view of investible assets and the financial market. In addition, we will introduce the concepts of risk and returns in portfolio management which will help you to make better investment decisions.
What do you want to achieve as an investor?•7 minutes
Translating your objectives into financial metrics•10 minutes
Understanding how to measure asset risk and return•9 minutes
A glance at the universe of investable assets•12 minutes
Financial market participants at play•10 minutes
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
More about the course•10 minutes
Supporting material - computing returns and sample statistics•10 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Additional (optional) videos•10 minutes
Portfolio management exercise: part 1•10 minutes
Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
Graded Quiz Module 1•30 minutes
Portfolio management exercise - Getting Started with Investments•30 minutes
Quiz for honor track - part 1•30 minutes
Practice Quiz Module 1 Lesson 1•30 minutes
Practice Quiz Module 1 Lesson 2•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
Introduce yourself to your peers!•10 minutes
What type of investor do you think YOU are?•10 minutes
How to Build an Investment Solution
Module 2•4 hours to complete
Module details
This is the second week of our study. We first learn how to optimize a portfolio allocation given your investment objectives. Then we will learn how to integrate your investment constraints to find a feasible investment solution. You will use asset pricing models to improve your portfolio performance by improving your understanding of financial asset returns. Finally, you will apply different hedging techniques to remove unwanted risk in our portfolios.
What's included
6 videos7 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 50 minutes
Introduction to Module 2•1 minute
How to use quantitative method to optimize portfolio construction•9 minutes
How do constraints and regulations impact portfolio construction?•8 minutes
The importance of asset pricing in portfolio management•9 minutes
Strategic versus tactical allocation•11 minutes
Hedging techniques: how to protect portfolio against undesired risk•11 minutes
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Supporting material•10 minutes
Supporting material•10 minutes
Additional (optional) videos•10 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Suggested reading•10 minutes
Portfolio management exercise: part 2•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Graded Quiz Module 2•30 minutes
Portfolio management exercise - Let's Allocate Across Investments•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 2 Lesson 1•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 2 - Lesson 2•30 minutes
Exploring Specific Portfolio Management Techniques
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
We take in this module a closer look at investment strategies. We start by examining both quantitative active and qualitative strategies, and understanding their respective benefits. In the second lesson, we will learn how to apply these strategies in real life, including how to translate a strategies into transactions. We finish by examining extreme events in financial markets during which investment strategies were challenged.
What's included
7 videos8 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 57 minutes
Introduction to Module 3•1 minute
The economics of active management•8 minutes
Active management: quantitative approach•8 minutes
Active management: discretionary approach•11 minutes
Investment management decisions•9 minutes
How to manage trading efficiently•11 minutes
How to manage extreme events in financial markets•9 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Additional (optional) videos•10 minutes
Supporting material•10 minutes
Suggested reading•10 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Suggested reading•10 minutes
Supporting material and suggested reading•10 minutes
Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Graded Quiz Module 3•30 minutes
Quiz for honor track - part 2•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 3 - Lesson 1•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 3 - Lesson 2•30 minutes
The Asset Management Industry: Selecting or Becoming a Fund Manager
Module 4•5 hours to complete
Module details
In this final module, we cover the details of the asset management industry. We start by understanding what it takes to make a proper decision when hiring a fund manager. We will learn how to evaluate his or her performance, and to select the right one depending on our investment objectives. Then, we cover the functioning of an asset management firm. We will learn the different career paths within an asset management firm. We will also cover the different stages of the life cycle of an investment product, including the role of each department within the firm and the impact of regulations on their design.
What's included
7 videos7 readings5 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 53 minutes
Introduction to Module 4•1 minute
How to measure and monitor the performance of an investment•8 minutes
Selecting the right fund manager•7 minutes
Formalize your investment objectives•8 minutes
Professionals at work in an asset management company•8 minutes
Product cycles in asset management•11 minutes
What does regulation bring to the industry?•8 minutes
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Supporting material•10 minutes
What will you learn?•10 minutes
Suggested reading•10 minutes
Got any question? Ask us in a live session!•10 minutes
Portfolio management exercise - part 3•10 minutes
Next quiz for advanced learners (honor track)•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
Graded Quiz Module 4•30 minutes
Portfolio management exercise - Let's Evaluate an Investment Fund•30 minutes
Quiz for honor track - part 3•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 4 - Lesson 1•30 minutes
Practice Quiz - Module 4 - Lesson 2•30 minutes
Instructors
Instructor ratings
Instructor ratings
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
HEC Paris, founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is one of France’s oldest elite higher education Grandes Ecoles. Throughout its 130-year history, HEC Paris has consistently attracted individuals highly capable and talented, innovative and entrepreneurial, ambitious and open-minded, capable of becoming architects of a responsible world. What makes HEC unique is its conviction shared by the HEC community: knowledge determines the freedom and entrepreneurship required for a better world.
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S
SG
5·
Reviewed on Sep 23, 2020
The course was very stimulating and challenging. I learned a lot from the video lessons and the quizzes were really hard to pass. Nice course.
E
EW
5·
Reviewed on Apr 30, 2017
The theory part can be reduced and practical portion (AXA IM's speakers) needs to be added, especially on more advanced topics
S
SS
4·
Reviewed on Jun 30, 2020
Key principles and overview are excellent. Technicals and quantitative aspects were too fast and detailed for me. Probably more useful for analyst level interests
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