Public Markets & Portfolio Management Track

Track Overview

This free, self-directed track teaches the operational mechanics of public market investing and portfolio management. Students learn how investors analyze securities, construct portfolios, execute trades, measure performance, and manage risk across equity, fixed income, ETF, derivatives, and multi-asset portfolio environments.

The through-line is simple: public market investing allocates capital across tradable securities using structured research, portfolio construction, execution, monitoring, and governance systems. Professional investors evaluate opportunities, implement positions, monitor exposures, and maintain disciplined decision frameworks over time.

Students gain practical literacy in security analysis, portfolio construction, trading execution, portfolio accounting, performance measurement, risk monitoring, compliance controls, and institutional investment governance.

Track Units

• Layer 1: Foundations

  How public markets and portfolio management systems function.

• Unit 1: Financial Foundations for Public Markets

  Asset pricing, return measurement, diversification, and the economics of portfolio investing.

• Unit 2: Structure of Public Financial Markets

  Exchanges, broker-dealers, institutional investors, market makers, and global securities markets.

• Unit 3: Asset Classes in Public Markets

  Equities, fixed income, ETFs, derivatives, and multi-asset portfolio environments.

• Unit 4: Investment Risk and Market Volatility

  Market cycles, volatility, correlation, drawdowns, and systemic market risk.

• Layer 2: Investment Instruments and Portfolio Activities

  What investors allocate capital across.

• Unit 5: Equity Investing and Public Companies

  Corporate analysis, valuation frameworks, earnings drivers, and equity portfolio construction.

• Unit 6: Fixed Income Investing

  Government bonds, corporate debt, credit spreads, and bond portfolio strategies.

• Unit 7: Exchange-Traded Funds and Index Investing

  ETF structures, index construction, passive exposure, and index tracking.

• Unit 8: Derivatives and Portfolio Hedging Instruments

  Futures, options, swaps, and derivatives used for hedging or tactical positioning.

• Unit 9: Multi-Asset Portfolio Allocation

  Asset allocation models, diversification frameworks, and strategic portfolio design.

• Unit 10: Factor Investing and Quantitative Strategies

  Factor models, systematic investing, quantitative signals, and rule-based portfolio strategies.

• Layer 3: Operational Infrastructure

  Systems supporting portfolio data, research, and investment operations.

• Unit 11: Portfolio Accounting and Position Systems

  Position tracking, valuation inputs, accounting records, and portfolio administration.

• Unit 12: Market Data and Pricing Infrastructure

  Market data feeds, pricing services, and securities valuation inputs.

• Unit 13: Research Platforms and Investment Information Systems

  Analyst research systems, financial databases, and investment research infrastructure.

• Unit 14: Order Management and Trading Systems

  Order management systems (OMS), trade capture, broker connectivity, and execution infrastructure.

• Unit 15: Execution Management and Trading Analytics

  Execution management systems (EMS), trade analytics, and broker performance evaluation.

• Unit 16: Performance Measurement and Attribution Systems

  Return calculations, benchmarking tools, attribution analysis, and performance evaluation.

• Unit 17: Risk Monitoring and Portfolio Analytics Systems

  Risk models, exposure analytics, scenario testing, and portfolio monitoring tools.

• Layer 4: Execution Workflows

  How investment decisions become implemented portfolio positions.

• Unit 18: Security Research and Investment Analysis

  Fundamental analysis, valuation models, research reports, and investment memos.

• Unit 19: Portfolio Construction and Position Sizing

  Position sizing rules, portfolio optimization, and allocation decisions.

• Unit 20: Portfolio Rebalancing and Allocation Adjustments

  Periodic rebalancing, exposure adjustments, and allocation changes.

• Unit 21: Trade Execution and Broker Coordination

  Trade placement, broker relationships, execution strategies, and market interaction.

• Unit 22: Trade Confirmation and Post-Trade Monitoring

  Trade verification, settlement coordination, and post-trade reconciliation.

• Unit 23: Portfolio Monitoring and Ongoing Adjustments

  Performance reviews, exposure monitoring, and position adjustments.

• Layer 5: Risk & Controls

  How investment organizations maintain discipline and risk control.

• Unit 24: Portfolio Risk Measurement and Analytics

  Volatility analysis, drawdown monitoring, scenario testing, and risk metrics.

• Unit 25: Diversification and Exposure Limits

  Sector limits, geographic exposure controls, position limits, and concentration management.

• Unit 26: Investment Policy and Compliance Monitoring

  Portfolio mandates, regulatory restrictions, and compliance oversight.

• Unit 27: Trading Controls and Execution Oversight

  Pre-trade checks, trade approvals, and best execution monitoring.

• Unit 28: Behavioral Discipline and Decision Risk

  Behavioral biases, investment process discipline, and maintaining consistent judgment.

• Layer 6: Institutional Management / Governance

  How investment organizations operate at scale.

• Unit 29: Investment Team Structure and Functional Roles

  Portfolio managers, analysts, traders, risk officers, and investment operations teams.

• Unit 30: Investment Committees and Decision Governance

  Committee review processes, portfolio oversight structures, and investment approvals.

• Unit 31: Client Reporting and Investor Communication

  Performance reporting, portfolio transparency, and institutional client relationships.

• Unit 32: Strategic Asset Allocation and Long-Term Portfolio Governance

  Strategic allocation frameworks, long-term portfolio policy, and governance oversight.