Attendance:
I will track attendance throughout the semester.
Readings:
To start, there will be several regular but very manageable readings. It is essential to your success in this class that you do them. (See Trading Log below).
Quizzes:
There will be several graded quizzes over the course of the semester.
Trading Log:
Each student will maintain a diary of sorts. See the course schedule for due dates (roughly every other Monday). In this document, students are required to record thoughts on readings, ask questions (yep, I'll answer in your log), relate insights, record trades, etc. Highlight your questions in yellow and I will respond in your Trading Log.
For every assigned reading, for every new trade, there should be a corresponding entry in your Trading Log. If there is no entry for an assigned reading, I will assume that you did not do the reading and deduct points. Since there are no sit-down, written exams, you should think of this as an exam. If you plagiarize, you face Academic Integrity consequences as outline in Policy 6.33. You could fail the class.
Focus Market Presentations:
Every few weeks, students will be asked to "pitch" their position and give the class a detailed update on their focus market. You will be graded on your ability to research your market and the broad economy, speak articulately about the dynamics of your market, and to cogently and articulately pitch your position. You will receive a detailed rubric in advance. If you use images, charts, or text that are not your own, you must site the source on the slide. Plagiarism is not tolerated.
Trade Tracker:
Students will trade markets and track their trading performance. I grade on soundness of plan, risk management, and the variety of markets traded - not on trading performance. You are trading fictitious money; have fun, trade often, and learn about markets other than your focus market. Keep accurate records. I do check them for accuracy, so if I find that you have fabricated your trading records I will have to give you a zero on the your Trade Tracker. Since there are no sit-down, written exams, you should think of this as an exam.
Models:
Each trader will build both a fundamental, multi-factor model and a technical model. Both will be used to forecast prices in your focus market. You'll be graded on your ability to rationalize or justify each step in the process. You will not necessarily be evaluated on the models predictive accuracy.
Grading Policy
Attendance | 10%
Trading Log | 25%
Models | 25%
Presentations | 20%
Trade Tracker | 10%
Quizzes | 10%
The following grading standards will be used in this class:
A | 100% to 90%
B | < 89% to 80%
C | < 79% to 70%
D | < 69% to 60%
F | < 60% to 0%
I might add a + or - to your final grade based on my assessment of your diligence, conscientiousness, and professionalism.