Investment Banking: M&A and Initial Public Offerings (Coursera)

Investment Banking: M&A and Initial Public Offerings (Coursera)

This course focuses on examining various practical applications of the fundamental financial analysis and valuation techniques employed in the investment banking industry. Specifically, we will examine how to analyze how a private equity firm or other financial sponsor completes a leveraged buyout of a company, how a public company analyzes the impact of acquiring a company on its earnings per share, and how a company completes an initial public offering.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The course will benefit anyone who desires to increase their ability to understand and execute M&A and capital markets transactions, including (but not limited to), entrepreneurs, consultants, bankers, investors, analysts, corporate managers, marketers, strategists, and dealmakers of all types.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Introduction and Module 1: Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions
This module begins with describing the different types of M&A projects and roles investment banks play in them. It then moves on to the motivations and strategies which drive M&A transactions, the different approaches to selling a business, and the process steps to running a sell-side auction process. Finally, the module explores how buyers finance, structure, and analyze M&A transactions.

WEEK 2
Module 2: Leveraged Buyout Analysis
Most of the M&A deals that take place in today’s market are completed by private equity firms. The vast majority of these transactions are classified as “leveraged buyouts (LBOs)”, as the consideration is a mix of equity and debt (leverage). This module will explore how a private equity firm determines the price that it can pay for a specific target company in an LBO transaction given an assumed return threshold, financial forecast and capital structure.

WEEK 3
Module 3: Merger Consequences Analysis
When a corporation acquires a business, in addition to assessing the target’s standalone valuation, it will also assess whether the completion of the transaction will have a positive impact on its prospective earnings per share (EPS). This module will explore how an acquirer analyzes whether the acquisition has an accretive (positive) or dilutive (negative) impact on its EPS, given assumptions of the target’s valuation, expected transaction synergies, a proposed financing structure, and the impact of both financial and accounting transaction adjustments. This module will also demonstrate how to prepare a pro forma balance sheet for the buyer given the specifics of the M&A transaction.

WEEK 4
Module 4: Overview of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
Owners of businesses sometimes decide to take their business public as an alternative to an outright sale. This model explores the similarities between selling and an IPO as well as the differences. This module will define commonly used IPO terms and discuss the IPO process on a stage by stage basis. Finally, this module will highlight the key IPO valuation considerations and end with discussing what happens after a company is public.
Course Conclusion

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Alternative Approaches to Valuation and Investment (Coursera) Coursera
University of Melbourne

Alternative Approaches to Valuation and Investment (Coursera)

In this course, participants will develop an understanding of the intuitive foundations of asset and investment valuation, and how alternative valuation techniques may be used in practice. This is part of a Specialization in corporate finance created in partnership between the University of Melbourne and Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon).

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Beyond the Financials: Insights, Analysis and Valuations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Beyond the Financials: Insights, Analysis and Valuations (Coursera)

The objective of this course is to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze, interpret, understand and use financial information to make informed decisions. We will discuss financial reporting from a user’s perspective, use a variety of tools to break apart financial reports into meaningful units for analysis, forecast financial statements, and value a firm. This course is intended to give you exposure to the issues facing users of financial statements. You will better understand your role in the financial reporting process if you know how the financial statements will ultimately be used.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Financial Analysis for Decision Making (edX) EdX
Babson College

Financial Analysis for Decision Making (edX)

Learn how to analyze business opportunities for their financial viability and secure funding to start and grow your business. How do you find the money necessary to effectively manage your business? How do you know if a business opportunity is worthwhile? When should you invest in a stock, bond or company? Do you fear the financial side of growing your organization?

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Financial Analysis of Organizations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Financial Analysis of Organizations (Coursera)

This course focuses on adopting and implementing a financially analytic mindset when analyzing organizational activities, position and performance. This course begins with an overview of an organization’s financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, as well as the transactions that comprise these statements.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Finance of Mergers and Acquisitions: Designing an M&A Deal (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Finance of Mergers and Acquisitions: Designing an M&A Deal (Coursera)

This course focuses on the theory and practice of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a focus on the Finance. The Finance of M&A uses tools from different areas of Finance to help managers and investment bankers design successful M&A deals. In particular, we will learn to value and price M&A deals and how to choose the optimal financing mix for an M&A deal. The course focuses on all the major types of M&A deals including strategic M&A, private equity leveraged buyouts (LBOs), and restructuring deals such spinoffs and asset transfers.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Corporate Financial Decision-Making for Value Creation (Coursera) Coursera
University of Melbourne

Corporate Financial Decision-Making for Value Creation (Coursera)

In this course, participants will learn about the key financial decisions modern corporations face, as well as the alternative methods that can be employed to optimize the value of the firm’s assets. This is part of a Specialization in corporate finance created in partnership between the University of Melbourne and Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon).

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Corporate Strategy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Corporate Strategy (Coursera)

In this course you will learn how corporations create, capture, and maintain value, going beyond the management of a single line of business. It is thus a complement to (and should typically follow) a course on Business Strategy, which focuses on developing and sustaining competitive advantage for a single business unit. Here, you will be able to better understand and learn the tools to analyze and manage decisions from a corporate-level perspective, which emphasizes the management of multiple businesses and multiple stakeholders. Examples of such decisions include vertical integration, diversification, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, international expansion, global strategy, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

Jul 6th 2026
4 Weeks
Financial Statement Applications (Coursera) Coursera
Illinois Tech

Financial Statement Applications (Coursera)

This course is designed for students to develop an advanced financial analysis skill set. Throughout this course, students will be exposed to various quantitative tools and qualitative methods to determine the financial health and risk of selected U.S. public companies. The skills developed in this course will have direct application to credit analysis, financial analysis, and investment analysis.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Financial Statement Analysis (Coursera) Coursera
Intuit

Financial Statement Analysis (Coursera)

In the final course of this certificate, you will apply your skills towards financial statement analysis. If you have the foundational concepts of accounting under your belt, you are ready to put them into action in this course. Here, you will learn how to reconcile different types of accounts, check for accuracy, and troubleshoot errors. Additionally, you will practice how to apply different analytical methods to key financial statements and understand how these methods inform a variety of business decisions.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks
Consolidando empresas: Estrutura jurídica e financeira (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Consolidando empresas: Estrutura jurídica e financeira (Coursera)

Com a presença de profissionais nas áreas de direito, contabilidade e investimento, aprenda como oficializar a sua empresa. Entenda mais sobre como conseguir um CNPJ, como oficializar uma sociedade e as minúcias de capital SA, LTDA e EIRELI. Aprenda os diferentes tipos de contratação, regulamentação, como funcionam investimentos e valuation para startups, básicos em planejamento fiscal e gestão financeira, como funciona a proteção intelectual, entre outros temas importantes para dar o próximo passo no seu negócio.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Create Compelling Business Cases (Coursera) Coursera
Coursera Instructor Network

Create Compelling Business Cases (Coursera)

In this one-week course, we’ll focus on the 5 most crucial elements of a business case, including what is a business case and how it is used to make investment decisions. Whether you are a student or a professional, this course will give you the fundamentals you need, from defining the problem to gathering data and performing a financial analysis.

Oct 19th 2026
1 Week