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

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mergers & Acquisitions Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Value Chain Management Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
West Virginia University
Master of Science in Software Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Unified Modeling Language, Verification And Validation, Threat Modeling, Security Management, Secure Coding, Scope Management, Application Security, Financial Statements, Proposal Development, Cash Flows, Object Oriented Design, Requirements Analysis, Software Design, Security Requirements Analysis, Incident Response, Database Design, Software Visualization, Business Process Management, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Mobile Development
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of London
Bachelor of Science in Marketing
Skills you'll gain: Process Design, Global Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Statistical Analysis, Organizational Change, Process Mapping, Customer Retention, Integrated Marketing Communications, Advertising, Innovation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Training and Development, Virtual Teams, Databases, Cost Accounting, International Finance, Research, Team Management, Economic Development, Cultural Diversity
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Business Analytics Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
O.P. Jindal Global University
M.A. Public Policy
Skills you'll gain: Econometrics, Survey Creation, Environment, Sampling (Statistics), Social Sciences, Data Collection, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Economic Development, Policy Analysis, Presentations, International Relations, Diplomacy, Economics, Health Systems, Tax, Complex Problem Solving, Research Methodologies, Public Policies, Governance, Socioeconomics
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Certificate in Taxation
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Science in Management
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Entrepreneurship and Strategic Innovation Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Global Challenges in Business Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Industrial Internet of Things Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: User Research, Project Design, User Experience Design, User Experience, Power Electronics, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Usability, Internet Of Things, Verification And Validation, Machine Learning Algorithms, Embedded Systems, Persona (User Experience), Failure Analysis, Usability Testing, User Centered Design, Product Planning, Debugging, Process Control, Machine Controls, Embedded Software
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Certificate in Accounting Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months