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 .

Best Financial Markets Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Financial Markets Course Catalog

Status: Preview
Yale University
Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Investment Banking, Risk Management, Financial Market, Financial Regulation, Financial Services, Finance, Business Risk Management, Securities (Finance), Capital Markets, Behavioral Economics, Banking, Corporate Finance, Governance, Insurance, Underwriting, Derivatives, Market Dynamics, Mortgage Loans
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
32K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Geneva
Understanding Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Financial Market, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, Investments, Market Dynamics, Finance, Equities, Economics, Banking, Asset Management, Risk Management, Financial Analysis
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
5.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Corporate Finance Institute
Preparatory Certificate in Finance and Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Financial Statement Analysis, Annual Reports, Mergers & Acquisitions, Income Statement, Financial Statements, Financial Analysis, Business Valuation, Banking Services, Credit Risk, Loans, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Finance, Banking, Accounting, Capital Markets, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Balance Sheet, Financial Trading, Wealth Management
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
596 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Interactive Brokers
Practical Guide to Trading
Skills you'll gain: Derivatives, Equities, Risk Analysis, Financial Trading, International Finance, Investments, Securities Trading, Financial Market, Risk Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Market Analysis, Analysis, Capital Markets, Tax, Balance Sheet, Financial Regulations, Market Data, Technical Analysis, Market Dynamics
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
807 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Coursera Project Network
Investment Risk Management
Skills you'll gain: Investment Management, Risk Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Management, Risk Analysis, Portfolio Management, Financial Market, Investments, Return On Investment, Statistics
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
2.1K reviews
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Global Financial Markets and Instruments
Skills you'll gain: Financial Market, Investments, Securities (Finance), Financial Systems, Investment Management, Securities Trading, Capital Markets, Equities, Finance, Financial Services, Market Liquidity, Asset Management, Portfolio Management, Derivatives, Fixed Asset, Cash Flows
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
2.2K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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Status: Preview
London Business School
Fundamentals of Financial Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Analysis, Financial Statements, Balance Sheet, Financial Reporting, Financial Modeling, Income Statement, Return On Investment, Accounting, Investments, Cash Flows, Asset Management
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
84 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Financial Management
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Return On Investment, Risk Management, Balance Sheet, Accounts Receivable, Business Risk Management, Credit Risk, Income Statement, Financial Acumen, Risk Mitigation, Operational Risk, Resource Allocation, Proposal Development, Capital Budgeting, Cash Flows, Financial Analysis, Strategic Decision-Making, Operational Efficiency, Stakeholder Communications
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
278 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Business and Financial Modeling
Skills you'll gain: Risk Modeling, Financial Statements, Probability Distribution, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Portfolio Management, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Financial Modeling, Strategic Decision-Making, Risk Management, Presentations, Decision Making, Data Visualization, Microsoft PowerPoint, Predictive Modeling, Investment Management, Spreadsheet Software, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
11K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Python for Data Science, AI & Development
Skills you'll gain: Data Import/Export, Programming Principles, Web Scraping, Python Programming, Jupyter, Data Structures, Data Processing, Pandas (Python Package), Data Manipulation, JSON, Computer Programming, Restful API, NumPy, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Scripting, Application Programming Interface (API), Automation, Data Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
43K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Duke University
Behavioral Finance
Skills you'll gain: Behavioral Economics, Decision Making, Financial Planning, Finance, Consumer Behaviour, Financial Market, Financial Analysis, Economics, Psychology, Probability & Statistics, Risk Analysis
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
4.5K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Università di Napoli Federico II
Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Market Liquidity, Derivatives, Securities Trading, Financial Regulation, Financial Market, Securities (Finance), FinTech, Financial Systems, Banking, Financial Trading, Financial Services, Market Dynamics, Finance, Actuarial Science, Commercial Banking, Investments, Futures Exchange, Financial Statements, Risk Modeling, Equities
4.1
Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months