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Xi Yang

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Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

About this Course

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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.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

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.

Skills you will gain

Capital Budgeting
Accelerated Depreciation
Common Stock
Finance

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.82/5 (20 Ratings)

Xi Yang

Offered by

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Get a head start on your degree

This course is part of multiple online degree programs from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted to a full degree program, your coursework will count towards your degree learning and all of your progress will transfer with you.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Course Orientation

In this course, 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.

2 hours to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 8 readings, 1 quiz

5 hours to complete

Module 1: Bond Valuation

In this module, you will be introduced to basic terms of bonds: coupons, face value, coupon rate, maturity, and yield to maturity. You will be presented with the ways to value level-coupon bonds and zero-coupon bonds. You will learn why companies would like to have their bonds rated, and what the factors are that determine the bond ratings. You will also identify the structure of bond market and the major players of the bond market.

5 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 58 min), 2 readings, 7 quizzes

8 videos

1-1.1. Module 1 Overview3m1-2.1. Bond: Basic Concepts4m1-3.1. Bond Valuation: Introduction11m1-3.2. Bond Valuation: Interest Rate9m1-3.3. Bond Valuation: Zero-coupon Bonds8m1-4.1. Types of Bonds8m1-4.2. Bond Ratings8m1-5.1. Module 1 Wrap Up3m

2 readings

Module 1 Overview10mModule 1 Readings10m

6 practice exercises

Lesson 1-1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1-2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1-3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1-4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1-5 Practice Quiz10mBond Valuation Graded Quiz1h

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Module 2: Stock Valuation

In this module, you will learn the basics of stock valuation. You will be presented with the fundamentals of stock market structure, and how companies issue stocks in the market. In addition to that, you will explore the different types of stocks, including common stocks and preferred stocks. You will also identify/find how to get real-time information of individual stocks, and how to read stock quotes.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 71 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes

8 videos

2-1.1. Module 2 Overview4m2-2.1. Stock: Basic Concepts13m2-3.1. Stock Valuation: Introduction10m2-3.2. Stock Valuation: Parameter Estimation8m2-3.3. Stock Valuation: Growth Opportunities8m2-3.4. Stock Valuation: P/E ratio5m2-4.1. Stock Markets15m2-5.1. Module 2 Wrap Up4m

2 readings

Module 2 Overview10mModule 2 Readings10m

6 practice exercises

Lesson 2-1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2-2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2-3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2-4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2-5 Practice Quiz10mStock Valuation Graded Quiz1h

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Module 3: Capital Budgeting

This module is the application of the capital budgeting process. First, you will learn/encounter/see/be exposed to some common scenarios when we evaluate which cash flow should be accounted for in the capital budgeting analysis. Then, you will be introduced to the treatment of after-tax salvage value and accelerated depreciation schedule. This information will be combined to determine whether a project is worthwhile to explore or not. You will also discuss the impact of inflation on capital budgeting decisions. As a result, this module will help you establish a big picture of the company’s investment decisions.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 40 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes

7 videos

3-1.1. Module 3 Overview2m3-2.1. Incremental Cash Flows5m3-3.1. Opportunity Costs2m3-3.2. Sunk Costs3m3-3.3. Side Effects3m3-4.1. Capital Budgeting: An Example18m3-5.1. Module 3 Wrap Up2m

2 readings

Module 3 Overview10mModule 3 Readings10m

6 practice exercises

Lesson 3-1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3-2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3-3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3-4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3-5 Practice Quiz10mCapital Budgeting Graded Quiz1h

Week4

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Module 4: Risk and Return

In this module, you will review the historical record of return and risk for major categories of financial instrument, and reveal that there exists a trade-off between risk and return. You will also learn how to calculate return and risk based on the real data collected from financial markets. The trade-off between risk and return reveals that investors should set reasonable expectations of return based on their risk preferences.

6 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 81 min), 4 readings, 7 quizzes

10 videos

4-1.1. Module 4 Overview4m4-2.1. Returns (Part 1)12m4-2.2. Returns (Part 2)5m4-3.1. Risks11m4-3.2. Systematic risk and unsystematic risk11m4-3.3. Beta Coefficient (Part 1)6m4-3.4. Beta Coefficient (Part 2)10m4-4.1. The Capital Asset Pricing Model11m4-5.1. Module 4 Wrap Up4mGies Online Programs3m

4 readings

Module 4 Overview10mModule 4 Readings10mCongratulations!10mGet Your Course Certificate10m

6 practice exercises

Lesson 4-1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4-2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4-3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4-4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4-5 Practice Quiz10mRisk and Return Graded Quiz1h

Reviews

4.6

9 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
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1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO FINANCE: THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL MARKETS

by PEDec 14, 2020

Great content on the financial markets and a solid format to learn the fundamentals on this subject matter.

by RKMar 2, 2023

it gives us the best insights and basic understanding of financial world.

by ABJan 13, 2021

It helped me understand the terminology and valuation of bonds. I preferred to read the transcript, but videos are also a good option.

by HJDec 8, 2020

it was an amazing experience. Professor Xi has covered most of the important aspects of financial markets in this MOOC.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets

Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain