Understanding Capital Markets

Capital markets are a crucial area of finance—and investors aren’t the only ones impacted. Retirement, buying a house, and long-term savings are all affected by the rise and fall of the investment markets. While everyone’s circumstances are different, understanding how the stock market and investments like bonds work can make you more successful. In this course, Dr. Michael McDonald explores the world of capital markets, including stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, currencies, and commodities. Learn about stock valuation, bond valuation, options, bond yields, calculation of bond ratings, and how earnings reports and other market events impact stock investors. Dr. McDonald also demonstrates how to buy and sell financial products, and assess the risk that goes along with each one.

Learning objectives
Distinguish between the types of markets in which investments are traded.
Identify the oversight responsibilities of US governmental regulatory agencies.
Differentiate between the various types of brokerage offerings.
Compare municipal bonds to corporate bonds as investment options.
Explain arbitrage in the foreign exchange market.
Describe the factors involved in commodities pricing.