From financial analysts and individuals seeking to work in finance to teachers and tradespeople, the financial system has become a fundamental part of daily life. However, with words like ‘inflation’, ‘assets’ and ‘debt’ increasingly being used in casual discussion, understanding economic principles and concepts could be significant to any individual. In this short course, we will introduce you to the basics of finance, emphasising financial markets, instruments and corporate finance, which involves funding and investment decisions by enterprises.
We will begin with an introduction to free-market economies, which form the backbone of most financial systems. You will learn about the all-important ‘time value of money’ (TVM) and crucial financial instruments and concepts like stocks, bonds, derivatives, interest and annuities. Then investigate the ‘efficient market’ theory, ‘portfolio’ theory, risk and return, interest tax shield and cost of financial distress. Discover how to use methods like the net present value (NPV) to assess the viability of projects and analyse various financial ratios.
Furthermore, we will explore the two methods for market analysis (technical and fundamental analysis) and investigate their merits and demerits. You will also study debt and equity, the two major sources of funding for a business. Finally, we will explain financial forecasting, time series, seasonality and quantitative methods for collecting financial data. By the end of this course, you would have gained sufficient knowledge to plough the fields of corporate finance and financial markets as a whole. So sign up and start learning today.
What You Will Learn In This Free Course
View All Learning Outcomes View Less All Alison courses are free to enrol study and complete. To successfully complete this course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment. Once you have completed this course, you have the option to acquire an official , which is a great way to share your achievement with the world.
Your Alison is:
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Alison offers 3 types of s for completed courses:
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All s are available to purchase through the Alison Shop. For more information on purchasing Alison , please visit our FAQs. If you decide not to purchase your Alison , you can still demonstrate your achievement by sharing your Learner Record or Learner Achievement Verification, both of which are accessible from your Account Settings.