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Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets

Approx. 19 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course provides an introduction to the role of financial markets in the economy. It covers topics such as risk and return, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, and how to evaluate investment opportunities.

Key Learning Points

Understand the role of financial markets in the economy
Learn about stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
Evaluate investment opportunities

Learning Outcomes

Understand the basics of financial markets
Develop the ability to evaluate investment opportunities
Gain knowledge of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of math and statistics
Familiarity with Excel spreadsheets

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Online
Self-paced

Similar Courses

Financial Markets
Investment Management
Corporate Finance Essentials

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Warren Buffett
Suze Orman
Benjamin Graham

Related Books

Description

In Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets, you will be introduced to the basic concepts and skills needed for financial managers to make informed decisions. With an overview of the structure and dynamics of financial markets and commonly used financial instruments, you will get crucial skills to make capital investment decisions. With these skills, you will be ready to understand how to measure returns and risks and establish the relationship between these two. The focus of this course is on basic concepts and skill sets that will have a direct impact on real-world problems in finance. The course will enable you to understand the role of financial markets and the nature of major securities traded in financial markets. Moreover, you will gain insights into how to make use of financial markets to create value under uncertainty.

Knowledge

Understand and apply the time value of money in order to value financial and real asset investments, and to make investment decisions.
Master capital allocation across time, with an ability to analyze capital budgeting problems in a firm.
Understand the basics of measuring risk and return and the trade-offs.

Outline

Course Orientation
Learn on Your Terms
Syllabus
ePub
Formula Sheet
Glossary
Brand Description
About the Discussion Forums
Learn More About Flexible Learning Paths
Updating Your Profile
Orientation Quiz

Module 1: Bond Valuation
1-1.1. Module 1 Overview
1-2.1. Bond: Basic Concepts
1-3.1. Bond Valuation: Introduction
1-3.2. Bond Valuation: Interest Rate
1-3.3. Bond Valuation: Zero-coupon Bonds
1-4.1. Types of Bonds
1-4.2. Bond Ratings
1-5.1. Module 1 Wrap Up
Module 1 Overview
Module 1 Readings
Lesson 1-1 Practice Quiz
Lesson 1-2 Practice Quiz
Lesson 1-3 Practice Quiz
Lesson 1-4 Practice Quiz
Lesson 1-5 Practice Quiz
Module 1 Quiz

Module 2: Stock Valuation
2-1.1. Module 2 Overview
2-2.1. Stock: Basic Concepts
2-3.1. Stock Valuation: Introduction
2-3.2. Stock Valuation: Parameter Estimation
2-3.3. Stock Valuation: Growth Opportunities
2-3.4. Stock Valuation: P/E ratio
2-4.1. Stock Markets
2-5.1. Module 2 Wrap Up
Module 2 Overview
Module 2 Readings
Lesson 2-1 Practice Quiz
Lesson 2-2 Practice Quiz
Lesson 2-3 Practice Quiz
Lesson 2-4 Practice Quiz
Lesson 2-5 Practice Quiz
Module 2 Quiz

Module 3: Capital Budgeting
3-1.1. Module 3 Overview
3-2.1. Incremental Cash Flows
3-3.1. Opportunity Costs
3-3.2. Sunk Costs
3-3.3. Side Effects
3-4.1. Capital Budgeting: An Example
3-5.1. Module 3 Wrap Up
Module 3 Overview
Module 3 Readings
Lesson 3-1 Practice Quiz
Lesson 3-2 Practice Quiz
Lesson 3-3 Practice Quiz
Lesson 3-4 Practice Quiz
Lesson 3-5 Practice Quiz
Module 3 Quiz

Module 4: Risk and Return
4-1.1. Module 4 Overview
4-2.1. Returns (Part 1)
4-2.2. Returns (Part 2)
4-3.1. Risks
4-3.2. Systematic risk and unsystematic risk
4-3.3. Beta Coefficient (Part 1)
4-3.4. Beta Coefficient (Part 2)
4-4.1. The Capital Asset Pricing Model
4-5.1. Module 4 Wrap Up
Gies Online Programs
Module 4 Overview
Module 4 Readings
Congratulations!
Get Your Course Certificate
Lesson 4-1 Practice Quiz
Lesson 4-2 Practice Quiz
Lesson 4-3 Practice Quiz
Lesson 4-4 Practice Quiz
Lesson 4-5 Practice Quiz
Module 4 Quiz

Summary of User Reviews

Discover the role of financial markets with this introduction to finance course. Students have praised the course's comprehensive coverage of financial concepts and the engaging teaching style of the instructor.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

comprehensive coverage of financial concepts

Pros from User Reviews

Engaging teaching style of instructor
In-depth coverage of financial markets and concepts
Real-world examples and case studies
Interactive quizzes and assignments
Strong foundation for further study in finance

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course too basic or slow-paced
Lack of practical application exercises
Limited interaction with instructor and other students
Some technical issues with the Coursera platform
Not suitable for advanced finance professionals

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