Structured education and applied competition in corporate finance and asset management
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.
Focused workshops on valuation reasoning, risk and return, capital structure, and dividend policy
Deep dives into real M&A deals, restructuring scenarios, and corporate strategy decisions
Finance professionals from institutions like PIMCO sharing career pathways and real-world applications
Students develop competence in:
Our flagship applied corporate finance competition where 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 in teams of 3–5 to produce a final written report or presentation that synthesizes their analysis.
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.
Students have access to a curated set of templates, datasets, and reference materials designed to support rigorous analysis without overwhelming complexity.
DCF models, comparable company analysis frameworks, and scenario planning tools
Debt capacity assessment, WACC calculations, and leverage policy evaluation frameworks
Structured guidance on navigating ASX announcements, financial statements, and regulatory filings
Selected analyses from previous cohorts (when available), illustrating strong reasoning and common pitfalls
The club's flagship publication featuring student research, analysis, and commentary on finance and markets. The Knox Business Review bridges theory and real-world practice, providing a platform for members to publish rigorous, well-reasoned work.
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 →