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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Global Financial Markets and Instruments by Rice University

4.5
stars
2,164 ratings

About the Course

Get a running start in the high-stakes world of financial investment! This first course is designed to help you become an informed investor by providing you with the essential concepts for long-term success in managing money. You’ll start by learning the role of financial markets and financial assets in a well-functioning economy. From there, you’ll learn about the wide range of financial instruments available in major asset classes, their features and valuations. You’ll explore how financial markets actually operate in the real world, focusing on how and where securities are traded and how various market types differ from one another in practice. You will also learn the basics of algorithmic trading, dark pools, buying on margin and short selling. By the end of the course, learners will be able to: • List and distinguish the different financial instruments available to an investor • Compare global financial markets • Explain the features of equity, debt, and derivative instruments • Define traditional and alternative asset classes • Discuss different trading venues and mechanics of securities trading • Discuss the current trends affecting today’s financial markets This course is designed to be accessible for students of all knowledge levels and gives you the actionable foundation needed to manage money in a post-crisis world. ________________________________________ WEEK 1 Module 1: Introduction & Review of Elementary Finance Tools This module introduces the Investment and Portfolio Management Specialization, which is made up of four courses. This module discusses how the first course, Global Financial Markets and Assets, is organized. It outlines the different stages of the investment management process, which guides the focus of the Specialization. It also reviews basic finance concepts and tools such as time value of money, computing returns, discounting and compounding. Topics covered include: • Familiarize with the organization of the class • Meet the professor and your peers • Explain the investment management process • Review elementary concepts in finance • Compute present value or future value of a single cash flow • Compute present value of future value of a stream of cash flows • Define an annuity or perpetuity • Apply time value of money tools to solve basic mortgage, loan or retirement problems ________________________________________ WEEK 2 Module 2: Financial system & financial assets: fixed income securities In this and the next two modules, we cover the key institutional features of financial markets and instruments. We ask the following questions: Why do financial markets exist? What role do they play? What are financial assets and how are they different than real assets? How does it all come together? Basically, this is where I hope you will get to see the big picture of the entire financial system and how it comes together. Module 2 focuses on fixed income securities. We'll get started with a review of basics of bond valuation. You will learn about short-term money market instruments, U.S. Treasury securities as well as corporate bonds. After module 2, you will be able to describe fixed income securities, be familiar with their institutional features, and identify their cash flows. Finally, you will learn how to value fixed income securities such as Treasury bills, zero-coupon or coupon-bonds and compute yields. Topics covered include: • Explain the roles of financial markets • Distinguish between real and financial assets • Define and explain money market instruments, zero-coupon and coupon- bonds and features • Identify the cash flows associated with fixed-income securities • Define and explain bond market features • List the different types of Treasury securities and explain pricing and quoting conventions • List and define other long-term debt instruments such as corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, sovereign debt • Find the value of a zero-coupon or coupon-bonds ________________________________________ WEEK 3 Module 3: Financial system & financial assets: equity securities and derivatives In Module 3, we continue our overview of financial markets and instruments. We next focus on two other major asset classes: equity securities and derivative instruments. You will learn about how equity differs from fixed income securities, the cash flows associated with stock and preferred stock and how to find the value of a share. You will also learn about option strategies. After completing module 3, you will be able to describe all major asset classes, including derivative instruments such as options, forwards and futures. You will be able to explain how these differ from each other and their payoffs. Topics covered include: • Distinguish between equities and fixed income securities • Define and explain the features of equity securities • Identify the cash flows associated with equity securities • Explain dividend discount model • Find the value of a share of common stock or preferred stock • Define and list different types of derivative securities • Explain option payoffs • Distinguish between a forward and futures contract • Explain forward and futures payoffs • Identify traditional and alternative asset classes ________________________________________ WEEK 4 Module 4: Organization of financial markets and securities trading In this module, we discuss how financial markets actually work. We will talk about different trading venues and the mechanics of securities trading. I will emphasize a lot of terminology and the latest trends in securities trading to familiarize you with the institutional workings of financial markets. After this module, you will be able to compare different trading venues, trading mechanisms, and be able to explain different types of orders, including transactions like margin buying and short- selling; you will be familiar with the language and terminology you need in order to become an informed practitioner of investments. Topics covered include • Explain the roles of corporations, households, government, and financial intermediaries in the financial system • Explain price discovery process • Define different type of orders • Distinguish between dealer vs. auction markets; different trading platforms • Explain margin buying and short-selling transactions • Understand the current trading environment such as algorithmic or high frequency trading, dark pools etc....

Top reviews

ZE

May 30, 2020

Arzu Ozoguz is an exellent teacher - so nice and calm, I liked her explanations very much! There were some problems with quizzies but with solutiom=ns it becomes clear.Thank you for the opportunity!

OY

Apr 17, 2022

T​he subject was simplified for beginners in the field of financial market instruments. Instructor explained all the details very clearly. Overall I had a very positive experience with the class

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76 - 100 of 425 Reviews for Global Financial Markets and Instruments

By Anqiergerile Y

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Feb 16, 2019

Awesome course! A valuable introduction to different aspects of finance and investing. One of the best professor and course I've studied on Coursera.

By Matthew T O

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Apr 27, 2020

I learned a lot of new things about Financial Markets from this course. Kudos to Rice University, Cousera and Dr. O for putting this together.

By CEDRIC A J T

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May 15, 2021

I love this course so much. If it was possible, I would have done it twice and more. It gave my a broad idea about the current business world

By Olivio A C J

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Mar 30, 2021

A very good course. The explanations of professor Arzu Ozoguz are very clear and the exercises provided helped a lot to understand the theme.

By Gaetan G

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Jun 6, 2019

A really great course, very complete, very well explained and the professor is nice to watch. I would love to have her as a real professor :)

By Joshua M M

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Jan 6, 2021

Very interesting a friendly approach to Corporate Finance. If you know the basics this could help you brush on the math and the concepts.

By Fahim A R

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Jun 25, 2020

This course is very helpful in building your basic understanding of finance if you practice all the mathematical problems in the quizzes

By Wajahat H

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May 8, 2022

It was very helpful to understand the most important fundamentals of finance. I really enjoyed a alot throughout and learned to much.

By Sergio O A A

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Feb 26, 2021

An excellent course, even if I know some of the topics this course make me to understand better those topics and new someone news.

By Prem M

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Apr 4, 2023

Very practical. Learned a lot from this course. Thanks to Coursera, Rice University, and the Professor for providing this course.

By Oliver A A

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Apr 4, 2020

Just perfect and matching what I needed and surpassing my expectations about quality of the lectures' videos and materials.

By Shubham C

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Aug 1, 2020

An amazing insight about all the tools and their ways by Professor O. Was delighted to have this course in my pocket.

By Ingrid C

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Dec 14, 2021

This course is perfect to who want to learn more bout investments and profitable math formulas.

I really enjoyed it.

By Mahima p

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Sep 17, 2020

need focus and concentration must. overall it was good and easy to understand and apply the things . thank you :)

By Tino M

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Oct 25, 2020

The course is very intuitive. very clear explanations. It could be better if more related readings are provided.

By Ruth R M

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Mar 9, 2018

ALTHOUGH THIS COURSE WAS VERY HARD FOR ME, SINCE I FINISHED MY DEGREE 30 YEARS AGO AND HAD TO REMEMBER MY MATHS!

By Deovrat P

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Mar 26, 2020

The course was a great learning for me and made me understand the Investment & Capital & Money Market Concepts

By Lorena R

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May 11, 2022

Great teacher and videos are short to make math more digestible to people who feel math is another language.

By Daniel V

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May 16, 2017

Excellent course for an introduction on how financial markets works and what kind of instruments it offers.

By Federico V

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Dec 1, 2017

A great introductory course to the basic financial concepts. Complete, well structured and easy to follow.

By Gabriel L

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Jul 14, 2020

Very good course. The instructor was good and engaging and the material was challenging and beneficial.

By Vuyiswa M

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Oct 12, 2021

Great content and pace! I would love to continue with the rest of the courses in this Specialisation!

By David F

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Jan 9, 2020

Excelente. Los temas son claros y permite afianzar los conceptos básicos para iniciar en este tema

By Federico L B

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Apr 10, 2020

Extremely well designed! I wouldn't have expected less from a Rice's course! Enjoyed it very much

By Juan M U

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Dec 9, 2020

Exceptional course. Thanks to all the team of Coursera and Rice University for this opportunity!