A Primer On Financial Markets & Institutions
A Primer On Financial Markets & Institutions
A Primer On Financial Markets & Institutions
Primary Markets versus Secondary Markets Money Markets versus Capital Markets Foreign Exchange Markets
Secondary Markets
markets where financial instruments are traded among investors (e.g. Bolsa Madrid, NYSE, NASDAQ)
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Capital Markets
markets that trade debt (bonds) and equity (stock) instruments with maturities of more than one year
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FI (Asset transformers)
Asset transformer:
Purchase primary securities by selling financial claims to households
These secondary securities often more marketable
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Types of FIs
Commercial banks depository institutions whose major assets are loans and major liabilities are deposits Thrifts and savings banks depository institutions in the form of savings banks, savings and loans, credit unions, credit cooperatives Insurance companies financial institutions that protect individuals and corporations from adverse events
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Securities firms and investment banks financial institutions that underwrite securities and engage in securities brokerage and trading Finance companies financial institutions that make loans to individuals and businesses Mutual Funds financial institutions that pool financial resources and invest in diversified portfolios Pension Funds financial institutions that offer savings plans for retirement
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Transaction Cost Services transaction costs are reduced through economies of scale Maturity Intermediation greater ability to bear risk of mismatching maturities of assets and liabilities Denomination Intermediation allow small investors to overcome constraints imposed to buying assets imposed by large minimum denomination size
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Transaction Costs
information and other transaction costs in financial system can be substantial How do transaction costs affect investing? How can financial intermediaries reduce transaction costs?
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Asymmetric Information
one party to a transaction has better information to make decisions than the other party
asymmetric information in financial market causes two main problems
adverse selection moral hazard
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Adverse Selection
asymmetric information problem that occurs prior to a transaction examples of adverse selection result of adverse selection is that lenders may decide not to make loans if they can not distinguish between good and bad credit risks
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Moral Hazard
asymmetric information problem that occurs after a transaction risk that borrower will undertake risky activities that will increase the probability of default result of moral hazard is that lenders may decide not to make a loan
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Lemons Problem
idea presented in article by George Akerlof in terms of lemons in used car market used car buyers are unable to determine quality of car - good car or lemon? What amount is buyer willing to pay for this used car of unknown quality? How can buyer improve information on quality?
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Principal-Agent Problem
define the principal-agent problem
Who is the principal and who is the agent? What problem does a separation of ownership and control cause? How could we prevent principal-agent problem?
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Future Trends
Weakening of public trust and confidence in FIs may encourage disintermediation Increased merger activity within and across sectors Citicorp and Travelers, UBS and Paine Webber More large scale mergers such as J.P. Morgan and Chase, and Bank One and First Chicago Growth in Online Trading Increased competition from foreign FIs at home and abroad Mergers involving worlds largest banks Mergers blending together previously separate financial services sectors
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END
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