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.