REPORTING AND INVESTOR RELATIONS IN BANKS

Degree course: 
Corso di Second cycle degree in ECONOMIA, DIRITTO E FINANZA D’IMPRESA (EDIFI)
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2024/2025
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2024/2025
Course type: 
Compulsory subjects, characteristic of the class
Language: 
Italian
Credits: 
6
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
40
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (40 hours)
Requirements: 

There are no propaedeutic constraints for taking the “Reporting and investor relations in banks” examination

Final Examination: 
Orale

Examination methods and syllabus are the same for attending and non-attending students.
The course does not include an intermediate examination.
The examination consists of a written test lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. The test covers the entire syllabus and includes:
Part A and Part C: two open-ended questions and an exercise in the construction/interpretation of financial performance indicators
Part B: an open-ended question and an exercise in interpreting a section of bank sustainability reporting
Part D: an open-ended question
In assessing the answers, the lecturer values completeness, correctness in using calculation methodologies, critical reasoning skills, and the use of specialist language.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths. The examination is passed if a minimum mark of 18/30 is obtained. The maximum mark achievable is 31/30, equivalent to an honors grade.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

The course provides elements of knowledge and insight into the financial and non-financial disclosure prepared by banks, offering a significant example of financial operators' disclosure due to its level of complexity. The course is structured in four parts. The main objective of Part A is to provide an adequate knowledge of the specific regulations, structure, and the most relevant classification and valuation criteria for bank financial statements, compulsorily following the IAS/IFRS international accounting standards. Part B will explore the issues of integrated financial statement construction, focusing on sustainability reporting aspects, after illustrating the regulatory framework in the specific banking context. Part C is devoted to practical exercises based on the analysis of case studies. Part D deals with the techniques and methods of communicating financial results to the market.
This course is co-teached with professionals from the Intesa Sanpaolo Group.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to
- know the logic, regulation, principles, and criteria that guide banks' financial and non-financial reporting
- apply this knowledge to the preparation of banks' financial statements and sustainability reports
- analyze the economic and financial information presented in bank financial statements and interpret the accounting and management choices reflected therein
- appreciate the financial results of the banking group
- know the regulation, the standards adopted by the EC, and their implementation process to draw the non-financial disclosure (i.e., sustainability report)
- analyze sustainability reports to identify the main elements that define the sustainability profile of the bank and its portfolios
- know and understand the banks' communication to the market

PART A - BANK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: regulation, international financial and reporting standards (IFRS/IAS), structure and analysis (16 hours)
A1) Regulation, structure, and analysis of bank financial statements (4 hours)
A2) Financial instruments (6 hours)
A3) Debt and Equity (2 hours)
A4) Equity investments and Equity instruments (2 hours)
A5) goodwill and other intangible assets arising from business combinations and the real estate portfolio (2 hours)
PART B - Integrated Reporting: Regulation and Reporting Standards (8 hours)
B1) Regulatory framework (4 hours)
B2) The ESRS reporting standards (4 hours)
PART C – Case studies (8 hours)
C1 - The Intesa Sanpaolo Group's financial statements (4 hours)
C2 - The Intesa Sanpaolo Group's sustainability reporting (4 hours)
PART D - Communication to the market (8 hours)
D1) Communication to the market and Investor Relations (4 hours)
D2) Drafting press releases - dry run (4 hours)

PART A - BANK FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: regulation, international financial and reporting standards (IFRS/IAS), structure and analysis (16 hours)

A1) Regulation, structure, and analysis of bank financial statements (4 hours)
1. Reference Regulations
a. International Financial and Reporting Standards (IFRS/IAS) and the European endorsement process
b. Scope of application of IAS/IFRS in Italy: Regulation (EC) 1606/2002 and Legislative Decree 38/2005
c. The general criteria for preparing financial statements
d. Circular 262/05 issued by the Bank of Italy

2. Structure of bank financial statements
a. General framework
b. Structure of bank financial statements:
i. Financial statements structure and content (balance sheet assets and liabilities, income statement, statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity, and cash flow statement)
ii. Structure of the notes to the financial statements
iii. Management report and introduction to reclassified financial statements and alternative performance indicators

A2) Accounting and reporting standards of particular relevance to banks. Topics in asset classification and valuation: financial instruments (6 hours)
1. Definition and classes of financial assets
a. Debt instruments
b. Equity instruments
c. Derivatives

2. IFRS 9 - Rationale and objectives of the standard

3. Classification drivers for financial assets
a. The business model
i. The drivers of analysis
ii. Business Model categories: Hold to collect; Hold to collect & sell; Other/trading
b. The Solely Payments of Principal and Interest Test - (SPPI test)
i. General framework: elements and date of performance
ii. Instances of failure and passing the SPPI test
iii. Particular structures

4. Criteria for the Recognition of Financial Assets

5. Subsequent measurement of financial assets
a. Fair value (Hold to collect & sell - Other/trading)
i. FV hierarchy
b. The amortized cost (Hold to collect - Hold to collect & sell)
i. The measurement of the Expected Credit Loss at a glance

6. The classification of financial assets (Hold to collect - Hold to collect & sell) by risk class
i. Staging according to IFRS9 (Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3)
ii. The classification of impaired loans according to EBA / Bank of Italy definitions

7. The measurement of financial assets (Hold to collect & sell) by risk class
i. Stage 1
ii. Stage 2
iii. Stage 3

A3) Accounting and reporting principles of particular relevance to banks. Topics in asset classification and measurement: liabilities (2 hours)
1. Debt vs Equity
2. Equity

A4) Accounting and reporting standards of particular relevance to banks. Asset classification and measurement issues: equity investments and equity instruments (2 hours)
1. Recall (from the previous module) the definition of an equity instrument under IAS 32

2. Equity and equity-like instruments
a. Ordinary and preference shares
b. Equity instruments
c. Participating Financial Instruments
d. Shareholders' loans

3. Units of UCIs with a focus on credit funds investing in portfolios of impaired loans (Credit Funds)

4. Subsidiaries
a. Definition of control in accordance with IFRS 10
b. Accounting treatment in the separate financial statements
c. Accounting treatment in consolidated financial statements

5. Associates
a. Definition of significant influence under IAS 28
b. Definition of joint control under IFRS 11
c. Accounting treatment in the separate financial statements
d. Accounting treatment in consolidated financial statements

6. Other investments in equity instruments
a. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss (FV/PL)
b. Financial assets measured at fair value with impact on comprehensive income (FVOCI)

7. Impairment test of equity investments

A5) Accounting and reporting standards of particular relevance to banks. Classification and measurement issues of assets: goodwill and other intangible assets arising from business combinations

The course includes lectures and workshops dedicated to analyzing and discussing practical cases in the classroom. The course will be conducted in a mixed format, with some lectures in the classroom and others “in distance” in synchronous mode (recording is not allowed). Workshops dedicated to the analysis of case studies will be held in presence in order to enable direct interaction with the students, who will be able to ask questions and, in turn, be prompted on specific issues. The lecturer uses the e-learning platform to publish teaching material.

The schedule and topics treated in each lecture will be available on the e-learning platform before the course start.

The teaching material will be disclosed at the beginning of the course.

Lecturer e-mail address: giovanna.gavana@uninsubria.it

Professors