This module forms part of the full course “Financial Markets: From Basics to Advanced”. It is designed to provide learners with a clear and structured foundation in financial assets, financial markets, and financial institutions. Students who find this overview valuable are encouraged to continue with the full course, where each topic is explored in greater depth and applied to more advanced financial concepts.

Many students who started with this batch of lectures shared similar feedback. They said the material was understandable and explained well, even when the concepts initially felt challenging. They also appreciated the interesting real-world examples and practical knowledge provided in the lectures, especially how the topics were linked to what was happening at the time. For many learners, seeing others gain clarity and confidence from these lectures made the decision simple—if it worked for them, it’s worth trying too.

In this batch, we focus on stock markets in relation to their characteristics and valuation methods. You’ll start learning about ordinary shares, including shareholders’ rights to profits and voting, and how dividends and risk differ from other securities. We also cover preference shares, explaining their hybrid nature between equity and debt, and their priority in dividends and capital repayment.

We’ll explore how to value stocks using models like the constant-growth Dividend Discount Model, and how to calculate total stock returns. You’ll also learn about asset risk, and how diversification can reduce or even eliminate unsystematic risk in your portfolio.

Finally, we examine the primary and secondary markets—where companies raise finance and where investors trade shares. Understanding these markets is crucial for seeing how prices are determined, how capital flows, and how information reduces costs for everyone involved.

Many learners have told me that once they understood equity markets through these lectures, they could interpret market news, evaluate stocks, and make smarter investment decisions. If others with no prior experience can gain this clarity and confidence, you can too.

Let’s get started.

Who this course is for:

• Beginner-level finance learners.
• Intermediate-level finance learners seeking solid foundational knowledge in finance.
• Advanced-level finance learners seeking more intuitive and structured knowledge of finance.