In this article we'll discuss and clarify:

• What you'll learn in Part I of the course
• Who this part is NOT for
• Learning-related FAQs

What You'll Learn

In Part I of the course, you'll learn and explore the core fundamentals of investment analysis.

You'll start by exploring what 'Price', 'Risk', and 'Return' mean, and more importantly, how they interact with one another. You'll then learn how to calculate stock returns and risk from scratch.

During that time you'll intricately explore how stocks really behave and why they may or may not be predictable (have we said too much? ;-))

After dealing with the single stock case, you'll move on to dealing with multiple stocks in investment portfolios. Here, you'll learn how to calculate portfolio returns (again, from scratch).

With the estimation of returns clear, you'll step things up by learning how to estimate expected returns using 'simple' techniques like the mean method, as well as more advanced / 'complex' techniques like Asset Pricing Models.

You'll end Part I of the course by exploring "risk" from scratch. That includes everything from what "risk" means, how to quantify it for individual stocks, and how to then translate those same principles to estimate the risk of portfolios.

Remember to pay particular attention to the concepts covered in this part. Because they're pre-requisites / assumed knowledge in Part II of the course.

Who This Part Is NOT For

Approximately 1 in 5 of you are enrolled on multiple courses by Fervent. There are some overlaps between this course and our sister courses on Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management.

You do not need to go over Part I of the course if you've:

• completed# our course on Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management - Core Finance (with Excel®) AND achieved at least 80% in the 'Test Towards Mastery', OR
• completed# our course on Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management (with Python) AND achieved at least 80% in the 'Test Towards Mastery', OR
• you already know and fully understand how to calculate stock returns, expected returns (using the mean method and Asset Pricing Models), stock risk (standard deviation), portfolio returns, and portfolio risk manually and on Excel®***

# "Completing our courses" means:

• going over every single lecture
• attempting all quizzes and assignments
• where available, at least passing a "Practice Test" (e.g., 'Test Towards Mastery')

*** If you already know these concepts, we still recommend going over the quizzes in Part I and completing the 'Test Towards Mastery' in this course. Doing so will give you a good refresher on any topics or concepts you might be a tad bit rusty on.

❗️Remember, all of the knowledge in Part I of the course are pre-requisites / assumed knowledge in Part II of the course. Several references are made to the fundamentals covered in Part I.

Learning Related FAQs

1. I've enrolled on the Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management course as well. Which should I start with?

Congratulations on enrolling on both courses - nicely done! You could choose to start with either course. Both courses are "stand-alone" courses designed to hold their own. Yes, there are overlaps because of the nature of the concepts covered. But neither course is a "pre-requisite" for the other.

If we had to pick one, we'd recommend starting with Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management and then moving on to this course. Importantly, this is NOT the only way to take either/both courses. You really could take either course first and then move on to the next.

2. I've completed the Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management course but skipped quizzes and/or assignments. Can I still jump to Part II of this course?

No. Quizzes and assignments in all our courses are designed to help you retain the knowledge and test yourself to see if you've genuinely understood the concepts covered.

If you skipped quizzes/assignments, then there's a risk that you may not have genuinely understood the core concepts covered. This in turn could make you feel "left behind" in Part II of the course. Several references are made to the fundamentals covered in Part I, and we assume you're very familiar with those concepts by the time you get to Part II.

3. Do I have to take the Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management course in order to take this course?

No. The Data Driven Investing (with Excel®) course is a standalone course. You do not have to enroll on the sister courses, but it can be helpful if you are enrolled on either of the two Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management courses.