I currently teach the following modules. For people with a valid University of Kent username, supporting material for these modules is available via Moodle.

CB611 – Futures and Options Markets

This module is concerned with International Investment Banks’ products and strategies that involve the description and analyses of the characteristics of more commonly used financial derivative instruments such as forward and future contracts, swaps, and options involving commodities, interest, and equities markets. Modern financial techniques are used to value financial derivatives. The main emphasis of the module is on how International Investment Banks value, replicate, and arbitrage the financial instruments and how they encourage their clients to use derivative products to implement risk management strategies in the context of corporate applications.

In particular, students will first cover the topics related to forward, futures and swap contracts. They will then be introduced to options and various strategies thereof. Valuing options using Black-Scholes model and binomial trees is also an important part of the module. The important finance concepts of no-arbitrage and risk-neutral valuation and their implications for pricing financial derivatives are also covered in the module. This will help students to learn the techniques used in valuing financial derivatives and hedging risk exposure.

Successful completion of the module will provide a solid base for the student wishing to pursue a career in International Investment Banking and Treasury Management. The students will have the knowledge of essential techniques of risk management and financial derivative trading.

CB6001 – Fixed Income Markets and Instruments

The world of fixed-income markets is becoming increasingly more complex with debt instruments that have varied payoffs structures and fixed-income derivatives that are growing in size and complexity. As a result of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis many key players in the fixed-income markets either collapsed (Bears Stearns and Lehman Brothers), or were bailed out by governments (Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, and HBOS, etc.). Hence, the aim of this module is to provide an introduction of the complex nature of fixed-income markets and securities and a discussion on the forces affecting prices and risks of such instruments. The module will also include a discussion on the appropriate management techniques to hedge the risks associated with fixed-income instruments.