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University of Southern California
Marshall School of Business
NEW ELECTIVE COURSE SPRING 2008:
THE RHETORIC OF INVESTING AND VALUATION
Professor:
Office:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Sandy Green
719 HOH
(213) 740-3476
(213) 740-3582
[email protected]
COURSE NUMBER AND TIMES
BAUD 499 – THE RHETORIC OF INVESTING AND VALUATION (4 units)
Monday and Wednesdays 6:00pm to 7:50pm
WHO SHOULD AND CAN TAKE THIS COURSE?
Students who want to:
 Learn more about the investing “game."
 Learn from several industry players who will come and speak to the class.
 Analyze and uncover the arguments and assumptions underlying the major investing and valuation models.
Our analysis and learning will span across multiple disciplines. Therefore, this course is open to students from all
majors within and outside of the Marshall School.
WHAT WILL YOU GET OUT OF THIS COURSE?
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Understand several theories used to explain the behavior of stock prices from efficient markets, to
behavioral finance and sociological models of contagion.
Analyze the rhetorical forms and techniques used to justify fundamental analysis, technical analysis, value
investing, momentum investing, and indexing.
Have the opportunity to speak directly with influential industry players and learn how they partake in the
valuation process.
Be one of the first to enter a new field of valuation research that attempts understand how logic, rhetoric,
and the stories shape valuation models and asset pricing.
Work with a Golden Apple Award winning professor.
PROESSOR’S BACKGROUND
Sandy Green is Assistant Professor of Management and Organization. He received his Ph.D. in Business
Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business and a Masters in Sociology with an emphasis in the
Sociology of Knowledge from Harvard University. He earned a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Rhetoric from the
University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Green’s research interests focus on the intersection of rhetoric, knowledge,
and action. He has written several theoretical and empirical papers on the role of rhetoric in the diffusion of
managerial practices and behaviors. When he is not researching or teaching, he is designing and developing trading
systems and programs.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Bubbles and busts have visited financial markets since the beginning of their creation. Although several theories
from efficient markets, to behavioral finance, as well as sociological models of contagion attempt to explain the
behavior of stock prices, this course will introduce you to the rhetoric (an ancient and powerful perspective) of
investing and valuation. By analyzing the rhetoric of several classic investment texts and news reports on investing
and the financial markets this course hopes to shed light on how rhetorical arguments shape and influence the
valuation and investing process. What are the common narratives used to justify the purchase or selling of a stock?
What literary forms dominate the financial press during the upswing and downswing of major market moves? These
are some of the many questions we will examine in this class. Moreover, we will analyze the rhetorical forms and
techniques used to justify fundamental analysis, technical analysis, value investing, momentum investing, and
indexing. We know that the valuation of an asset price is always accompanied with a story. In fact one could argue
that the story and valuation processes are inextricably intertwined. What we will attempt to understand is whether or
not there are recognizable patterns in these stories. If so, making these patterns explicit has tremendous theoretical
and practical benefit. For those taking this class, I welcome you to the “The Rhetoric of Investing and Valuation”.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students taking this course should develop a detailed knowledge of the role of rhetoric in financial markets.