Economics and Finance

VALENTINA PERUZZI

The course provides the basic empirical tools used to address the main issues of applied economics and finance. Through the study of theoretical models and the analysis of data, students will acquire knowledge concerning: the functioning of financial markets; the real effects of financial development; firms’ financial choices and economic performance.

Specific goals.

After completing the course, students should be able:
A) to organize and manage datasets for carrying out empirical analyses on economics and finance topics;
B) to carry out basic empirical analyses on economics and finance topics;
C) to understand the obtained empirical results in line with the main theoretical models.

Economia politica.

The course program is organized into two main modules.

In the first module, the following topics in economics and finance will be addressed from a descriptive standpoint:
- Financial development, poverty, and growth.
- Legal origins and finance.
- Competition in the financial sector and growth.
- Bank-based vs. market-based financial systems.
- Financial systems and industry dynamics.
- Financial frictions and firm decisions.

In the second module, econometric models will be used to empirically test the topics covered in the first module.

Readings provided by the instructor.

Theoretical and empirical lectures, with related discussions in class.

Written exam.