Programs

Structured education and applied competition in corporate finance and asset management

Modern Asset Management and Corporate Finance

Audience Years 9–12, no prior finance knowledge required
Academic Foundation Adapted from NYU Stern MBA Corporate Finance (Spring 2025)
Pedagogical Approach Intuition-first, decision-focused, low mathematical intensity

This course provides a structured introduction to corporate finance reasoning and asset management decision-making. The curriculum is adapted from Professor Aswath Damodaran's NYU Stern MBA Corporate Finance course, reframed for secondary students with no prior exposure to finance.

The course emphasizes conceptual understanding over technical mechanics. Students learn to think about value, risk, and capital allocation through frameworks that prioritize judgment and clarity over mathematical complexity.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop competence in:

  • Valuation reasoning: understanding how and why assets are priced
  • Capital structure logic: evaluating financing decisions and their implications
  • Incentive structures: recognizing how decisions align or misalign stakeholder interests
  • Financial judgment: applying frameworks to ambiguous, real-world scenarios
Flagship Program

Knox Corporate Finance Challenge

A six-week applied corporate finance competition in which students analyze real ASX-listed companies and construct defensible investment recommendations. This is not a stock-picking contest. Participants are evaluated on reasoning quality, valuation logic, clarity of argument, and demonstrated judgment.

The challenge is adapted from the capstone project in Professor Aswath Damodaran's NYU Stern MBA Corporate Finance course. Students work individually or in small teams to produce a final written report or presentation that synthesizes their analysis.

Structure

Six weekly sessions, each building toward the final recommendation:

Week 1

Company Selection & Risk Assessment

Identifying business model characteristics and primary risk exposures

Week 2

Capital Structure Analysis

Evaluating financing decisions and leverage constraints

Week 3

Cash Flow & Earnings Quality

Assessing sustainability and accounting integrity

Week 4

Valuation Frameworks

Applying DCF, multiples, and scenario-based approaches

Week 5

Synthesis & Sensitivity Analysis

Stress-testing assumptions and identifying key drivers

Week 6

Final Presentation or Report

Defending the recommendation and responding to scrutiny

Judging Focus

  • Reasoning clarity and internal consistency
  • Valuation logic and appropriate use of frameworks
  • Quality of argument and evidence marshaling
  • Demonstrated judgment in handling ambiguity and uncertainty

Standards and Evaluation

  • Assumptions must be explicit and tied to identifiable business drivers
  • Valuations must include sensitivity analysis on thesis-critical inputs
  • Claims must be supported by public, reproducible sources
  • Recommendations must withstand questioning and direct contradiction
  • All quantitative inputs must be traceable to disclosed data
  • Judging is calibrated using shared rubrics and exemplar cases

Use of AI Tools

AI tools are permitted but bounded. Students may use them for data retrieval, formatting assistance, or exploratory research. However, the analysis, valuation logic, and final recommendation must reflect independent judgment. Judgment cannot be outsourced.

There are no "correct" answers. Students are evaluated on the quality of their reasoning, not alignment with a predetermined outcome.

All AI use must be disclosed. Conclusions must be independently defensible when questioned. Random integrity checks and oral defense may be used to verify original reasoning.

Resources & Support

Students have access to a curated set of templates, datasets, and reference materials designed to support rigorous analysis without overwhelming complexity.

Valuation Templates

Knox-branded DCF models, comparable company analysis frameworks, and scenario planning tools

Capital Structure Templates

Debt capacity assessment, WACC calculations, and leverage policy evaluation frameworks

Public Data Training

Structured guidance on navigating ASX announcements, financial statements, and regulatory filings

Past Case Archives

Selected analyses from previous cohorts (when available), illustrating strong reasoning and common pitfalls

Growth & Vision

Capital Finance Club is currently piloting at Knox Grammar School. The program is designed with documented standards and judge calibration as foundational requirements, ensuring consistency before any consideration of expansion.

Expansion occurs only through strict adherence to evaluation standards, shared rubrics, and calibrated judging. Quality control takes precedence over growth. There are no informal chapters.

Participation is selective. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply for participation →