Corporate Finance
5th Edition
About This Book
A comprehensive textbook covering the core principles of corporate finance, including valuation, capital budgeting, risk and return, and capital structure, utilizing a unified valuation framework based on the Law of One Price.
Book Review | Amerbach
Corporate Finance by Jonathan Berk and Peter DeMarzo is a foundational text that has become a standard in the study of modern financial theory. The book is structured around a central, unifying theme: the Law of One Price. By grounding every concept—from basic time value of money to complex capital structure decisions—in this fundamental principle, the authors provide students with a consistent framework for understanding how financial markets function and how firms make value-maximizing decisions. The scope of the book is extensive, covering the essential pillars of the discipline, including valuation, investment decision rules, risk and return, capital budgeting, and the intricacies of debt and equity financing. The depth of the material is balanced, offering rigorous mathematical foundations while maintaining accessibility through clear, step-by-step explanations and real-world applications. A notable characteristic of this book is its pedagogical approach; it utilizes a modular structure that allows instructors to navigate the material in various sequences, making it highly adaptable for different course designs. The inclusion of contemporary case studies and data-driven examples ensures that the theoretical concepts are connected to current market practices, which is essential for students transitioning from academic theory to professional application. The authors emphasize the importance of financial intuition, encouraging readers to think critically about the implications of financial decisions rather than merely memorizing formulas. The text is designed specifically for undergraduate students, providing the necessary rigor for those specializing in finance while remaining approachable for general business students. In the context of academic study, this book serves as a primary resource that bridges the gap between introductory financial concepts and advanced financial management. It is widely regarded for its clarity, logical progression, and its ability to synthesize complex topics into a coherent narrative. For students and educators alike, it represents a comprehensive and reliable guide to the principles that govern corporate financial decision-making in the modern global economy.
Academic Use
Core curriculum for undergraduate corporate finance courses.
Who Is It For?
Undergraduate students pursuing degrees in finance, economics, or business administration.
Table of Contents
- Part 1: Introduction. 1. The Corporation. 2. Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis. 3. Financial Decision Making and the Law of One Price. Part 2: Time, Money, and Interest Rates. 4. The Time Value of Money. 5. Interest Rates. 6. Investment Decision Rules. 7. Fundamentals of Capital Budgeting. Part 3: Valuing Bonds and Stocks. 8. Valuing Bonds. 9. Valuing Stocks. Part 4: Risk and Return. 10. Capital Markets and the Pricing of Risk. 11. Optimal Portfolio Choice and the Capital Asset Pricing Model. 12. Estimating the Cost of Capital. 13. Investor Behavior and Capital Market Efficiency. Part 5: Capital Structure. 14. Capital Structure in a Perfect Market. 15. Debt and Taxes. 16. Financial Distress, Managerial Incentives, and Information. 17. Payout Policy. Part 6: Valuation. 18. Capital Budgeting and Valuation with Leverage. 19. Valuation and Financial Modeling: A Case Study. Part 7: Options. 20. Financial Options. 21. Option Valuation. 22. Real Options. Part 8: Long-Term Financing. 23. Raising Equity Capital. 24. Debt Financing. 25. Leasing. Part 9: Short-Term Financing. 26. Working Capital Management. 27. Short-Term Financial Planning. Part 10: Special Topics. 28. Mergers and Acquisitions. 29. Corporate Governance. 30. Risk Management. 31. International Corporate Finance.