ECON 4Introduction to Investments
Economics · 4 units · Undergraduate lower division (0-99)
Broad introduction to investments. No previous financial, economic, or math background needed. Students learn organizing framework with which to understand investing landscape with highlight on key concepts and functionality related to business and personal investments. Topics include why financial markets exist and how they work, efficient market hypothesis, risk versus reward, investment styles, valuation techniques, simple quantitative analysis, power of compound interest, financial crises, and role private equity, venture capital, innovation and start-ups, personal financial advisers, exchange rates, central banks, financial statements, value creation, interpreting financial ratios, understanding present value, diversification, capital asset pricing model, Sharpe ratio, and understanding asset’s beta, hedge funds. Serves as excellent introduction to career paths in finance and for those who want to increase their financial literacy.
P/NP or letter grading.
When it runs
Not on the schedule for any of Fall 2025 through Spring 2027. UCLA publishes only that window, so this does not mean the course is gone — check the official listing.
Requisites
UCLA lists no requisites for this course.
Requires
Everything that has to come before this course, not just the courses named in the requisite above.
Nothing — this is an entry point.
Unlocks
What this course is a requisite for, and what those courses lead to in turn.
No course in the catalog lists this as a requisite.