What are financial markets?

Financial markets are the online trading mechanisms where traders and investors work to buy and sell stocks and bonds, commodities and derivatives, foreign exchange, and more. There are stock markets, bond markets, cryptocurrency markets, foreign exchange markets, and others. Businesses go to financial markets as well to raise money for expansion, and companies join financial markets to raise visibility and reduce risks. Financial markets exist to create financial liquidity for companies to grow and for entrepreneurs to seek funding for their business ventures. Financial markets can increase investor confidence in an economy by making information available, thus reducing risk.

Why is it important to learn about financial markets?

It's important to learn about financial markets to gain insights on risk management, financial principles, and stock trading and see how the banking and securities industries operate. The financial markets represent the lifeblood of the world's economic drivers, including the major markets around the world, as well as the lesser ones in different countries. You'll need to know how financial markets operate, if you want to work in the area of finance, as a trader, investor, entrepreneur, or within a company as a financial analyst, market maker, or similar role.

What career opportunities can arise from learning about financial markets?

A few career opportunities available to someone with a good education and interest in financial markets include portfolio manager, bond trader, risk manager, investment banker, and similar roles. After proving yourself in these jobs, there may be opportunities later in venture capital, underwriting, and private equity fields. In the stock trading area, there may be jobs open to become a buy-side trader, a sell-side trader, or a hedge fund trader. Working in the financial markets ensures there are many other interesting areas to move into and explore later on.

How can taking online courses help me learn about financial markets?

Taking online courses about the financial markets can give you knowledge about interest rates, stocks, bonds, commodities, and more. You can learn how and why stocks and bonds move up and down relative to risk factors. You may also learn to analyze a stock's performance over time and learn more about risk and return opportunities. Over time, you may get insights into the operations of hedge funds, stock portfolios, and emerging markets.

What are the benefits of taking an online Financial Markets course?

Online Financial Markets courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Financial Markets skills. Choose from a wide range of Financial Markets courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Financial Markets courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Financial Markets, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Financial Markets Courses - Learn Financial Markets Online

Explore the Financial Markets Course Catalog

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Selling to Chinese Consumers
Skills you'll gain: Consumer Behaviour, Brand Management, Marketing, Global Marketing, Digital Media Strategy, Market Dynamics, Advertising, E-Commerce, Cultural Sensitivity, Cultural Diversity, Social Sciences, Sociology
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
285 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free
University of Rochester
The Power of Markets I: The Basics of Supply and Demand and Consumer Behavior
Skills you'll gain: Supply And Demand, Market Dynamics, Economics, Consumer Behaviour, Resource Allocation, Cost Benefit Analysis, Market Analysis, Policy Analysis, Decision Making, Budgeting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
266 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research
Strategic Brand Management
Skills you'll gain: Brand Strategy, Brand Management, Branding, Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Product Lifecycle Management, Strategic Marketing, Marketing Management, Integrated Marketing Communications, Market Share, Value Propositions, Portfolio Management, Competitive Analysis, Business Metrics, Consumer Behaviour, Storytelling
Build toward a degree
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
9 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Dartmouth College
Superbosses: Managing Talent & Leadership
Skills you'll gain: Talent Management, Professional Networking, Collaboration, Organizational Effectiveness, Team Motivation, People Management, Talent Acquisition, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership, Creativity, Employee Coaching, Mentorship, Employee Retention
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
161 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Sapienza University of Rome
Macroeconomic Financial Accounts
Skills you'll gain: Financial Systems, Financial Data, Financial Market, International Finance, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Economics, Financial Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
11 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
Coursera Instructor Network
Mastering Portfolio Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Financial Analysis, Data Analysis, Risk Management, Quantitative Research, Market Data, Financial Modeling, Investments, Asset Management, Performance Metric
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
25 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Entrepreneurship
Skills you'll gain: Entrepreneurship, Market Opportunities, Innovation, Business Planning, Business Leadership, Business Development, New Product Development, Financial Analysis, Business Strategy, Market Research, Presentations, Growth Strategies, Financial Modeling, Fundraising
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
286 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Michigan State University
Launch Strategy: 5 Steps to Capstone Experience
Skills you'll gain: Customer Acquisition Management, Business Planning, Entrepreneurship, Resource Allocation, Business Modeling, Resource Management, Sales Strategy, New Business Development, Business Strategy, Customer Engagement, Go To Market Strategy, Marketing, Innovation, Fundraising and Crowdsourcing, Budgeting
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
125 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
University of New Mexico
Entrepreneurial Strategic Management
Skills you'll gain: Strategic Decision-Making, Business Strategy, Business Metrics, Organizational Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Competitive Analysis, Performance Measurement, Market Dynamics, Innovation, Business Economics
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
321 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Illinois Tech
Mastering Excel Essentials to Enhance Business Value
Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Excel, Data Visualization, Data Management, Data Entry, Spreadsheet Software, Data Cleansing, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Business Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Productivity Software, Financial Modeling, Decision Making, Business Modeling
Build toward a degree
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
23 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Colorado Boulder
Marketing Strategy for Engineers and Technologists
Skills you'll gain: Value Propositions, Consumer Behaviour, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Competitive Analysis, Market Research, Digital Media Strategy, Marketing Analytics, Web Analytics and SEO, Business Modeling, Marketing Psychology, Strategic Marketing, Customer experience strategy (CX), Technical Management, Marketing, Media Planning, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Campaign Management, Customer Relationship Management
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
14 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Business Analytics Executive Overview
Skills you'll gain: Business Analytics, Data Presentation, Analytics, Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Advanced Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Big Data, Predictive Analytics, Data Strategy, Data Warehousing, Data Science, Real Time Data
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
279 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks