This book covers the fundamentals of financial management and investment management without getting into the highly technical topics and mathematical rigor. It also provides a practitioner-oriented approach to financial and investment management.The field of finance covers several specialty areas. The two most important ones which set the foundations for the other specialty areas are financial management and investment management, and these are the two major topics covered in the book. After touching on the basics — the financial system and the players, financial statements, and mathematics of finance — the authors then cover financial management and investment management in greater depth. For financial management the authors focus on financial strategy and financial planning, dividend policy, corporate financing decisions, entrepreneurial finance, financial risk management, and capital budgeting decisions. The investment management coverage includes the different types of risks faced in investing, company analysis, valuing common stock, portfolio selection, asset pricing theory, and investing in common stocks and bonds. The last chapter of the book covers financial derivatives and how they are used in finance to control risk.

The fifteenth edition of Introduction to Finance: Markets, Investments, and Financial Management builds upon the successes of its earlier editions while maintaining a fresh and up-to-date coverage of the field of finance. Distinguished authors Ron Melicher and Edgar Norton continue to cover the three major financial areas: institutions and markets, investments, and financial management. Their effective structure equips instructors with maximum flexibility for how the course is taught, and students with an integrated perspective of the different foundations of finance. This survey of the basic knowledge, concepts, and terms of the discipline is appropriate for all students. For those who do not plan to take additional courses in finance, it provides a valuable overview. For those who want to take additional coursework in finance, it provides a solid foundation for their future studies and careers.

FINANCE Financial managers and investment professionals need a solid foundation in finance principles and applications in order to make the best decisions in today's ever-changing financial world. Written by the experienced author team of Frank Fabozzi and Pamela Peterson Drake, Finance examines the essential elements of this discipline and makes them understandable to a wide array of individuals, from seasoned professionals looking to fine-tune their financial skills to newcomers seeking genuine guidance through the dynamic world of finance. Divided into four comprehensive parts, this reliable resource opens with an informative introduction to the basic tools of investing and financing decision-making financial mathematics and financial analysis (Part I). From here, you'll become familiar with the fundamentals of capital market theory, including financial markets, financial intermediaries, and regulators of financial activities (Part II). You'll also gain a better understanding of interest rates, bond and stock valuation, asset pricing theory, and derivative instruments in this section. Part III moves on to detail decision-making within a business enterprise. Topics touched upon here include capital budgeting that is, whether or not to invest in specific long-lived projects and capital structure. Management of current assets and risk management are also addressed. By covering the basics of investment decision-making, Part IV skillfully wraps up this accessible overview of finance. Beginning with the determination of an investment objective, this part proceeds to demonstrate portfolio theory and performance evaluation, and also takes the time to outline techniques for managing equity and bond portfolios as well as discuss the best ways to use derivatives in the portfolio management process. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Finance puts this field in perspective. And while a lot of ground is covered in this book, this information will help you appreciate and understand the complex financial issues that today's companies and investors constantly face.

Introduction to the three areas of finance: Institutions and Markets, Investments, and Financial Management.