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Financial Modeling - Need to learn ASAP

post #1 of 48
3/21/11 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 
Hello. I have been going on a lot of interviews lately (mostly Corporate Finance jobs) and have been asked about my financial modeling skills. In truth, I have a very basic level of understanding on financial modeling and need to improve my skills/knowledge asap. Any suggestions? Books, online courses, etc..?

I should have taken the financial modeling course in grad school.
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post #2 of 48
3/21/11 at 2:07pm
I have no idea if it's any good, but:

http://breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/course-outline/
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post #3 of 48
3/21/11 at 2:23pm
Look for ebook versions of "Financial Modeling in Practice" and "Financial Modeling using Excel and VBA". edit: you went to NYU, professor Damodoran's website has great spreadsheets: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/
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post #4 of 48
3/21/11 at 2:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Staggerlee View Post
Look for ebook versions of "Financial Modeling in Practice" and "Financial Modeling using Excel and VBA".

edit: you went to NYU, professor Damodoran's website has great spreadsheets: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/

Thanks guys!

I forgot about Prof Damodoran's website.

This is the class i should have taken...

http://www.dangode.com/modeling/index.htm#Materials
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post #5 of 48
3/21/11 at 5:47pm
Is this financial models as in quantitative finance, or corp fin. There's a pretty big difference between the two.
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post #6 of 48
3/22/11 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JSC4President View Post
Hello. I have been going on a lot of interviews lately (mostly Corporate Finance jobs) and have been asked about my financial modeling skills. In truth, I have a very basic level of understanding on financial modeling and need to improve my skills/knowledge asap. Any suggestions? Books, online courses, etc..?

I should have taken the financial modeling course in grad school.

What are your degrees in?
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post #7 of 48
3/22/11 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by imageWIS View Post
What are your degrees in?

Mba - finance

Most of my classes were futures & options, debt instruments, other quantitative classes and various economics classes (roubini!!!!!). But most of my interviews have been corporate finance related and interviewers keep asking me if I can model M&A deals and things like that. wtf

I am just starting the job search and have been trying to learn from the interview process... what questions are asked, what skills are required, etc..?
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post #8 of 48
3/22/11 at 11:56am
You mean you didn't have one class focused on something like CAPM or pricing Acquisitions? My state school BS degree focused on that as well as corporate finance, options, debt instruments, ect. I hope you listened to Roubini and at least made a small fortune while in school.
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post #9 of 48
3/22/11 at 12:06pm
Go to Damodaran's website and follow his entire course (he still posts videos, right?). Do the assignments - particularly the ones around building comps and building a DCF.

Then pick a stock/company easy to understand, pull the 10K and use the last three years as historical financials, then build a full operating model (e.g. 5-year forecast), linking all the statements properly. This will not be easy - your nbalance sheet won't balance, you'll pull your hair out trying to figure out why, you'll go through all the lines one by one, it's irritating and frustrating and tiring, but it's necessary if you want to get it.
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post #10 of 48
3/22/11 at 3:36pm
One of the better books out there, and comes with a DVD with financial models you can customize to suit your own purposes:

http://www.amazon.com/Financial-Mode.../dp/0262026287
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post #11 of 48
3/22/11 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba View Post
You mean you didn't have one class focused on something like CAPM or pricing Acquisitions? My state school BS degree focused on that as well as corporate finance, options, debt instruments, ect.

I hope you listened to Roubini and at least made a small fortune while in school.

I did have a class like that.... but didn't go in to the detail needed for these types of job requirements. Also, i took that class about 1.5 years ago and haven't used that course material since then. I need a refresher course and also additional levels of understanding. Overall I focused more on the financial instruments and portfolio management courses (mostly quant oriented) rather than the corporate finance courses.

Roubini class has been very helpful in interviews. But that is because of his skill as a teacher and quality of the class rather than his recent fame or market outlook. I would assume that he was an excellent professor long before he was on the cover of the Financial Times, etc...

Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
Go to Damodaran's website and follow his entire course (he still posts videos, right?). Do the assignments - particularly the ones around building comps and building a DCF.

Then pick a stock/company easy to understand, pull the 10K and use the last three years as historical financials, then build a full operating model (e.g. 5-year forecast), linking all the statements properly. This will not be easy - your nbalance sheet won't balance, you'll pull your hair out trying to figure out why, you'll go through all the lines one by one, it's irritating and frustrating and tiring, but it's necessary if you want to get it.

Thanks! I will do exactly that (website, etc..). I didn't get to take Damodaran because I was a Langone student.
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post #12 of 48
3/22/11 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gnatty8 View Post
One of the better books out there, and comes with a DVD with financial models you can customize to suit your own purposes:

http://www.amazon.com/Financial-Mode.../dp/0262026287

Thanks. You are the 2nd person to suggest this book. I think the author teaches at one of the better business schools (wharton or maybe MIT). Going to take a look at Barnes & Noble.
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post #13 of 48
3/22/11 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
Go to Damodaran's website and follow his entire course (he still posts videos, right?). Do the assignments - particularly the ones around building comps and building a DCF.

Then pick a stock/company easy to understand, pull the 10K and use the last three years as historical financials, then build a full operating model (e.g. 5-year forecast), linking all the statements properly. This will not be easy - your nbalance sheet won't balance, you'll pull your hair out trying to figure out why, you'll go through all the lines one by one, it's irritating and frustrating and tiring, but it's necessary if you want to get it.

Funny - your name should have tipped me off that you were at Stern. Say '05 and it'll be even funnier.
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post #14 of 48
3/22/11 at 4:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alliswell View Post
Funny - your name should have tipped me off that you were at Stern. Say '05 and it'll be even funnier.

'05

(no not really, '02)
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post #15 of 48
3/22/11 at 5:03pm
There is a company called Training The Street that runs most of the analyst / associate training programs for major Wall Street investment banks. Their courses focus on corporate finance and modeling.

I believe they also hold independent classes (not sure if online) which you should be able to enroll in.
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