BUS 197 — Introduction to Special Situation Investing
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Kenneth Jeffrey Marshall
Date(s): Feb 19—Mar 19
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Thursdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $435
Refund Deadline: Feb 21
Unit(s): 0
Status: Open
Quarter: Winter
Day: Thursdays
Duration: 5 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Feb 19—Mar 19
Unit(s): 0
Tuition: $435
Refund Deadline: Feb 21
Instructor(s): Kenneth Jeffrey Marshall
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
In January 2022, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $95 per share. As expected, Activision’s stock rose. But it remained volatile, dipping to $73 at one point. Investors who bought at that low earned a 28% gain when the deal closed in October 2023. This is the world of special situation investing, also known as event-driven investing, where opportunities arise from corporate events such as acquisitions, divestitures, liquidations, spin-offs, restructurings, recapitalizations, and tender offers. While these scenarios may appear complex, a disciplined approach can make them both clear and actionable. This course equips participants with a practical framework for evaluating special situation investing opportunities. Through plain language and timely case studies, we examine why the outcomes of announced events are often predictable and how to participate in them without assuming undue risk. You will leave with the tools and confidence necessary to analyze any major corporate event with the insight and discipline of a skilled investor.
No prior finance experience is required.
KENNETH JEFFREY MARSHALL
Chairman, Judicial Capital and Judicial Corporation
Kenneth Jeffrey Marshall is a value investor and the author of Good Stocks Cheap: Value Investing with Confidence for a Lifetime of Stock Market Outperformance, which was also published in Chinese, and Small Steps to Rich: Personal Finance Made Simple. He has taught more than 1,000 Stanford Continuing Studies students, and he has been featured on NPR and CNBC. He also teaches value investing at the Stockholm School of Economics and has lectured on personal finance in both Europe and the United States. He received a BA in economics/international area studies from UCLA and an MBA from Harvard. Textbooks for this course:
(Required) Kenneth Jeffrey Marshall , Good Stocks Cheap: Value Investing with Confidence for a Lifetime of Stock Market Outperformance (ISBN 978-1259836077)