ACM015: Business Finance

Module code: ACM015

Module provider: Finance and Accounting; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Jessica Yang , email: j.h.yang@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 14 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to introduce students to the nature of business finance and its role in business decision-making and provide a suitable foundation for advanced study.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Explain the nature and importance of capital investment decision-making, apply various techniques of investment appraisal to a  range of investment scenarios and make business recommendations thereon.

2. Explain the concept of risk, return and diversification in relation to investment and discuss methods proposed for dealing with risk.  

3. Explain and demonstrate how the capital structure of a business impacts on investment decision-making. 

4. Discuss the factors which must be taken into account when managing the working capital of a business 

Module content

1. The nature of business finance 

2. Capital investment decision-making 

3. Sources of finance and capital structure 

4. Risk and return 

5. Diversification and portfolio theory 

6. Cost of capital, capital structure and decision making 

7. Dividend policy 

8. Working capital management 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures will be used for the exposition of the major concepts, principles and techniques under consideration. Workshops will focus on student driven application. 

Study hours

At least 36 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Level 3 (i.e. foundation modules for Part 0) and Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessments are available in the text book for all topics.  

In addition questions are available on Blackboard and students will practise questions in workshops. Marking guides and feedback are provided where appropriate so that students can assess their own performance.

Reassessment

Additional costs