The University of Melbourne · S2 2026 · FACULTY OF FINANCE

FNCE90018 Corporate Financial Policy

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FNCE90018 Overview

Corporate Financial Policy
— A source-grounded FNCE90018 guide to Net Present Value, Discount Rate, Mutually Exclusive Projects and the current published assessment structure.
  • Faculty of Business and Economics
  • Semester 2, 2026
  • Postgraduate coursework
  • Graduate finance subject

FNCE90018 Corporate Financial Policy develops capital-budgeting, financing, payout, acquisition and risk-management decisions. It is taught within Faculty of Business and Economics. It is Postgraduate coursework.

  • FNCE90018 grading Assessment weighting: 20% for in-class tests, 20% for the mid-semester test and 60% for the final examination; the best five in-class results count.
  • FNCE90018 exam control The Subject Guide gives a two-hour final; the timetable and live LMS control the sitting details.
  • FNCE90018 reasoning load Value the incremental cash flow first, then test financing, tax and risk consequences.
  • FNCE90018 rule check Confirm any component-level pass requirement in the live LMS before relying on the aggregate mark.
FNCE90018 · The University of Melbourne
An independent, AskSia-authored study guide. AskSia is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The University of Melbourne; the course code and name are used for identification only.
Assessment

How FNCE90018 is assessed

ComponentWeightFormat
In-class tests20%The best five results from eight lecture tests contribute to the grade
Mid-semester test20%A one-hour test covering the opening teaching period
Final examination60%A two-hour examination covering the subject

The current LMS assessment page and Subject Guide agree on the three weights. Live LMS instructions control the exact test and examination operation.

20%In-class tests20%Mid-semester test60%Final examination
Assessment map. Current published components and weights or Pass/Fail status.
Contents · every chapter, one map

What FNCE90018 covers

Read Investment Decisions and NPV as the foundation, Capital Structure and Tax Shields as the main change in method, and Risk Management and Hedging as the final application of the course.

01

Investment Decisions and NPV

Net Present Value · Discount Rate · Mutually Exclusive Projects · compare stand-alone and mutually exclusive investments using cash-flow timing and value creation
02

Project Cash Flows and Capital Budgeting

Incremental Cash Flow · Opportunity Cost · Net Working Capital · construct free cash flow without mixing project consequences with sunk or financing items
03

Equity and Debt Financing

External Equity · Initial Public Offering · Debt Contract · compare financing instruments through control, promised payment, information and flexibility
04

Leasing and Financing Alternatives

Operating Lease · Finance Lease · Lease-Equivalent Loan · compare leasing with ownership on an after-tax present-value basis
05

Cost of Capital and Project Risk

Weighted Average Cost of Capital · Cost of Equity · Cost of Debt · match a projects risk and financing assumptions to a defensible required return
06

Capital Structure and Tax Shields

Levered Firm Value · Interest Tax Shield · Debt-Equity Ratio · separate operating value from the financing side effects of leverage
07

Financial Distress, Agency and Information

Financial Distress · Agency Cost · Trade-Off Theory · evaluate leverage after adding distress, incentive and information consequences
08

Payout Policy

Dividend · Share Repurchase · Ex-Dividend Price · compare dividends, repurchases and retention through investor cash flow and firm value
09

Mergers and Acquisition Value

Synergy · Control Premium · Acquisition NPV · value an acquisition without confusing total synergy with value captured by the acquirer
10

Risk Management and Hedging

Risk Exposure · Hedge Position · Forward Contract · design a hedge that matches the direction, amount and timing of the corporate exposure

It is positioned as Graduate finance subject.

The subject links project value to the design of claims on corporate cash flow, so the same policy must be tested from firm, debt-holder and equity-holder perspectives.

Assessment in FNCE90018 is distributed as follows: In-class tests 20%; mid-semester test 20%; final examination 60%.

The current Subject Guide states that the best five of eight in-class tests count.

The operational assessment conditions matter here.

The final assessment is a two-hour examination during the examination period and covers all subject topics; check the live LMS and timetable for its style, permitted materials and exact sitting.

What makes FNCE90018 demanding is concrete: Students must connect valuation, financing, tax, agency and risk-management consequences without allowing a familiar ratio to replace incremental cash-flow reasoning.

Hurdle status is unknown from the verified course material and must be confirmed in the live LMS.

For enrolment planning, Confirm current prerequisite and enrolment rules in the University of Melbourne Handbook or live enrolment system.

Read Investment Decisions and NPV as the foundation, Capital Structure and Tax Shields as the main change in method, and Risk Management and Hedging as the final application of the course.

Worked example · free

Integrated practice: resolve the changed evidence

Q [11 marks]. Reduce the expected persistence of debt and reassess how much tax-shield value belongs in the levered firm. Develop a response that uses Levered Firm Value, makes the role of Interest Tax Shield inspectable, and lets Debt-Equity Ratio alter the conclusion.
  • 3Fix the case-specific meaning and evidential scale of Levered Firm Value.
  • 3Show the operation or inferential link carried by Interest Tax Shield.
  • 3Use Debt-Equity Ratio to test the strongest plausible alternative.
  • 2Report the answer within this limit: The tax benefit of debt must be weighed against assumptions about debt permanence, distress and incentive costs.
The response first fixes Levered Firm Value at the scale stated in the scenario and excludes evidence that belongs to a different object. It then traces Interest Tax Shield through the relevant evidence rather than assuming the connection. The comparison supplied by Debt-Equity Ratio determines whether the initial position remains, narrows or reverses. The final claim stays conditional on this boundary: The tax benefit of debt must be weighed against assumptions about debt permanence, distress and incentive costs.
Sia tip — Put the decisive Interest Tax Shield evidence beside the first conclusion it changes; use the Debt-Equity Ratio counter-case to reveal any unsupported leap in chapter 25.
Glossary

Key terms

Net Present Value
The present value of incremental project cash flows after subtracting the initial investment.
Discount Rate
The required return used to translate cash flows at different dates into a common valuation date.
Mutually Exclusive Projects
Projects for which accepting one prevents acceptance of another because they compete for the same opportunity.
Incremental Cash Flow
A cash-flow change that occurs because the project is accepted and would not otherwise occur.
Opportunity Cost
The value of the best feasible alternative use sacrificed by committing a resource to the project.
Net Working Capital
Operating current assets minus operating current liabilities committed to support the project.
External Equity
Ownership funding raised from investors outside the existing shareholder group.
Initial Public Offering
The first public sale of a private firms shares under the applicable issuance process.
Debt Contract
A financing agreement that specifies promised payments, priority and enforcement rights for lenders.
Operating Lease
A lease arrangement whose economic analysis emphasises access to the asset and operating flexibility.
Finance Lease
A lease arrangement that transfers a substantial financing exposure associated with the leased asset.
Lease-Equivalent Loan
The borrowing pattern whose payments and tax consequences replicate the relevant lease cash flows.
FAQ

FNCE90018 FAQ

Where is the hardest reasoning in Corporate Financial Policy?

Students must connect valuation, financing, tax, agency and risk-management consequences without allowing a familiar ratio to replace incremental cash-flow reasoning. FNCE90018 Corporate Financial Policy develops capital-budgeting, financing, payout, acquisition and risk-management decisions.

How does assessment work in Corporate Financial Policy?

In-class tests 20%; mid-semester test 20%; final examination 60%. The current Subject Guide states that the best five of eight in-class tests count. The final assessment is a two-hour examination during the examination period and covers all subject topics; check the live LMS and timetable for its style, permitted materials and exact sitting.

What form does the exam or final task take in Corporate Financial Policy?

The final assessment is a two-hour examination during the examination period and covers all subject topics; check the live LMS and timetable for its style, permitted materials and exact sitting.

Which pass conditions apply in Corporate Financial Policy?

Hurdle status is unknown from the verified course material and must be confirmed in the live LMS. In-class tests 20%; mid-semester test 20%; final examination 60%. The current Subject Guide states that the best five of eight in-class tests count.

Which teaching period does this Corporate Financial Policy resource cover?

It is aligned to Semester 2, 2026; confirm your enrolled class and timetable in the current institutional system. FNCE90018 Corporate Financial Policy develops capital-budgeting, financing, payout, acquisition and risk-management decisions.

Who controls the official rules for Corporate Financial Policy?

The university does. This is an independent FNCE90018 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation. FNCE90018 Corporate Financial Policy develops capital-budgeting, financing, payout, acquisition and risk-management decisions.

Study strategy

How to study for the exam

Rebuild each finance model from its cash-flow logic, solve a changed scenario, and interpret the result for the relevant claim holder before checking the live assessment instructions.

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