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

Coursera Project Network
Python for Finance: Beta and Capital Asset Pricing Model
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Plotly, Data Visualization, Investment Management, Financial Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Financial Data, Risk Modeling, Market Data, Finance, Equities, Data Analysis, Pandas (Python Package), Python Programming
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
45 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
Illinois Tech
Managerial Economics: Buyer and Seller Behavior
Skills you'll gain: Market Dynamics, Supply And Demand, Game Theory, Economics, Market Trend, Business Economics, Market Analysis, Consumer Behaviour, Operating Cost, Business Strategy, Competitive Analysis, Cost Management, Strategic Decision-Making, Decision Making
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
46 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Corporate Finance Institute
BI Essentials for Finance Analysts (Power BI Edition)
Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Power BI, Snowflake Schema, Data Modeling, SQL, Business Intelligence, Dashboard, Microsoft Excel, Excel Formulas, Pivot Tables And Charts, Data Import/Export, Business Reporting, Databases, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Financial Statements, Data Analysis Software, Data Manipulation, Data Analysis, Relational Databases
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
186 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
ESSEC Business School
The Fundamentals of Revenue Management: The Cornerstone of Revenue Strategy
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Management, Forecasting, Budgeting, Hospitality, Financial Forecasting, Hotel Operations, Strategic Marketing, Target Market, Market Dynamics, Consumer Behaviour, Competitive Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.1K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Yonsei University
Valuation and Financial Analysis For Startups
Skills you'll gain: Capital Budgeting, Financial Statements, Financial Statement Analysis, Business Valuation, Financial Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Strategic Decision-Making, Cost Benefit Analysis, Financial Modeling, Income Statement, Return On Investment, Entrepreneurial Finance, Cash Flows, Balance Sheet, Microsoft Excel, Financial Management, Investment Management, Financial Forecasting, Forecasting, Finance
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
498 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Administración financiera y su función en la empresa
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Management, Corporate Finance, Performance Measurement, Capital Budgeting, Financial Analysis, Budgeting, Financial Modeling, Business Management, Stakeholder Management, Governance
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
1.7K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Corporate & Commercial Law II: Business Forms, Financing & Governmental Regulation
Skills you'll gain: Bankruptcies, Securities (Finance), Commercial Laws, Loans, Banking, Financial Regulations, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Business, Financial Regulation, Organizational Structure, Governance, Mergers & Acquisitions
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
383 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Interactive Brokers
ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux
Skills you'll gain: Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Corporate Sustainability, Investment Management, Financial Market, Investments, Financial Data, Market Trend, Market Analysis, Business Ethics, Regulatory Compliance, Environmental Issue, Capital Markets, Risk Analysis, Governance, Financial Services, Fixed Asset, Financial Analysis, Data Collection, Equities, Due Diligence
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
121 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Cape Town
Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries
Skills you'll gain: Economic Development, Environmental Policy, Environmental Issue, Mitigation, Policy Development, Policy Analysis, Socioeconomics, Mathematical Modeling, Systems Thinking, Economics, Research, Innovation
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
583 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Accounting Analysis I: The Role of Accounting as an Information System
Skills you'll gain: Balance Sheet, Revenue Recognition, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Accounting, Income Statement, Financial Statements, Cash Flows, Accrual Accounting, International Financial Reporting Standards, Financial Analysis
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
693 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Copenhagen Business School
FinTech and the Transformation in Financial Services
Skills you'll gain: FinTech, Payment Systems, Financial Services, International Finance, Mobile Banking, Digital Transformation, Financial Regulations, Financial Market, Banking, Emerging Technologies, Regulatory Compliance, Fundraising and Crowdsourcing
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Copenhagen Business School
Digital Competition in Financial Services
Skills you'll gain: Technology Strategies, FinTech, Digital Transformation, Business Technologies, Financial Services, Financial Regulation, Business Strategy, Market Dynamics, Competitive Analysis, Business Modeling, Systems Thinking, Innovation, Governance
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
987 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months