NEW YORK—Fordham University’s Schools of Business are offering a unique graduate-level course in equity analysis during the spring semester that features a series of highly regarded guest lecturers who are sharing their professional expertise with aspiring analysts.
“We are tapping into New York City’s enormous wealth of talent to offer our students valuable insight into the intricacies of the industry,” said Christopher Blake, Ph.D., a professor of finance who serves as the course moderator. “We are in the financial capital of the world and these professionals are considered the top in their field all over the world.”
Fordham University Trustee Lawrence Kudlow of CNBC’s Kudlow & Cramerkicked off the course with a lecture on Wed., Jan. 7. Kudlow told students that the stock market is the most basic and important aspect of an analyst’s forecast and that profits are a key variable for evaluating the economy.
“The big story for 2003 was the rise of the stock market, like Lazarus rising from the dead,” said Kudlow. “No one expected it.” He predicted that increased productivity in the United Stateswill drive a bullish market in 2004.
“Things are looking up,” he said.
Other guest speakers will include Jack Rivkin, the chief investment officer at Neuberger Berman, who will lecture on Jan. 14; Bruce Wilcox, the chairman of the money management firm Cumberland Associates, who will lecture on Jan. 21; and analysts from Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and other firms, all of whom are considered star analysts by publications such asInstitutional Investor and Forbes.
The course covers the economic issues analysts face, the investment process for money managers and how equity analysis is used in making investment decisions. Students will also focus on equity analysis within specific industries, including financial services, energy and technology.
Fordham’s Schools of Business, which date back to 1920, employ a portfolio approach to business education, offering students the flexibility to shape their course work to maximize their investment and diversify their skill-sets to help them compete in the ever-changing global economy. Both the undergraduate college and the graduate school have been recognized nationally for the quality and innovation of their programs.
