# Stock Market Investing Course

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/stock-market-investing>

## Overview

Discover what drives stock prices and how investors determine a company’s value. In this course, you’ll cover the basics of valuation (including P/E ratios and DCF analysis), financial statements, and the core principles of stock investing. We’ll review recent earnings reports and valuation multiples from companies like Google and Apple to build a framework for conducting fundamental investment research.

This class aims to give participants a solid grasp of how financial markets operate, rather than promoting get-rich-quick trading tactics. The concepts taught here reflect the principles followed by value investors such as Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham.

## What you'll learn

- Learn the fundamentals of stock investing, including indices, dividends, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- Analyze companies using valuation techniques like P/E ratios, EV/EBITDA multiples, and DCF modeling
- Understand key financial indicators such as market capitalization, enterprise value, and cost of capital
- Explore the impact of earnings releases, interest rates, and Federal Reserve policy on stock movements
- Receive an introduction to bond investing, including bond types, yields, spreads, and credit risk assessment
- Delve into real estate investing topics like REITs, capitalization rates, and the effect of leverage
- Examine stock options, hedging strategies, and the Black-Scholes pricing model for options trading
- Investigate the causes and impact of the 2008 financial crisis, including mortgage-backed securities and credit default swaps

## Curriculum

#### Stock Investing

- Stock fundamentals
- Stock indices
- Liquidity
- Dividend yields
- Exchange traded funds

#### Stock Valuation

- Market capitalization
- Enterprise value
- P/E Ratios
- Shortfalls of P/E ratios
- EV/EBITDA multiples
- Intro to DCF modeling
- CAPM and cost of capital

#### Stock Movements

- Earnings releases
- Analyst earnings estimates
- Economic data
- Interest rates and the Federal Reserve
- Earnings transcripts and company presentations

#### Bond Investing

- Types of bonds
- Bond prices, yields, and spreads
- Credit ratings and risk
- Bankruptcy

#### Intro to Real Estate Investing

- Types of real estate assets
- Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS)
- Capitalization rates
- Mortgages and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios
- How does leverage impact returns?

#### Stock Options

- Call options
- Put options
- Option strategies and hedging
- Black-Scholes Model

#### Financial Crisis

- Mortgage-backed securities
- Credit default swaps
- How did the housing marketing collapse spread to the major banks and other financial institutions?
- Who is to blame for the financial crisis? (regulators, investment banks, homeowners, mortgage lenders, rating agencies)

## Schedule
- May 26, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online
- Jul 23, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online
- Sep 24, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online
- Nov 19, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $299