Capital Markets: Free Tutorial and Video

Understand what capital markets are and how they operate in major financial centers such as New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Learn about the differences between primary and secondary markets, and their role in the larger financial markets.

Key Insights

Capital markets are financial markets where long-term debt or equity-backed securities are bought and sold. These markets aim to improve transactional efficiencies by providing a platform for suppliers and capital seekers to exchange securities.
Major capital markets include stock markets, bond markets, and currency and foreign exchange markets, predominantly concentrated in major financial centers like New York and London.
Regulation of these markets is overseen by financial regulators like the SEC in the US and the Bank of England in the UK to protect investors against fraud.
Primary capital markets are where new stock or bond issues are sold to investors, often via underwriting. The main entities seeking to raise long-term funds in these markets are governments and business enterprises.
Secondary markets are where existing securities are sold and bought among investors or traders, usually on an exchange or over-the-counter. The existence of these markets increases the willingness of investors in primary markets, as they know they'll be able to cash out their investments swiftly if needed.
The distinction between money markets and capital markets lies in the term of finance. While money markets deal with short-term finance, often for immediate operational expenses, capital markets deal with long-term finance, such as the purchase of shares/equities, or for loans that are not expected to be paid back for at least a year.

A capital market is a financial market in which long-term debt (over a year) or equity-backed securities are bought and sold, in contrast to a money market where short-term debt is bought and sold

Capital markets seek to improve transactional efficiencies. These markets bring suppliers together with those seeking capital and provide a place where they can exchange securities
The best-known capital markets include the stock market, the bond markets, and the currency and foreign exchange markets
Most markets are concentrated in major financial centers such as New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Financial regulators like SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission), Bank of England (BoE), etc. oversee capital markets to protect investors against fraud, among other duties

Primary Markets:

New stock or bond issues are sold to investors, often via a mechanism known as underwriting
The main entities seeking to raise long-term funds on the primary capital markets are governments (which may be municipal, local, or national) and business enterprises (companies)
Governments issue only bonds, whereas companies often issue both equity and bonds
The main entities purchasing the bonds or stock include pension funds, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, and less commonly wealthy individuals and investment banks trading on their own behalf

Secondary Markets:

In the secondary market, existing securities are sold and bought among investors or traders, usually on an exchange, over-the-counter, or elsewhere
The existence of secondary markets increases the willingness of investors in primary markets, as they know they are likely to be able to swiftly cash out their investments if the need arises
A second important division falls between the stock markets (for equity securities, also known as shares, where investors acquire ownership of companies) and the bond markets (where investors become creditors)

Money Markets vs Capital Markets:

The money markets are used for the raising of short-term finance, sometimes for loans that are expected to be paid back as early as overnight
In contrast, the "capital markets" are used for the raising of long-term finance, such as the purchase of shares/equities, or for loans that are not expected to be fully paid back for at least a year
Funds borrowed from money markets are typically used for general operating expenses, to provide liquid assets for brief periods. For example, a company may have inbound payments from customers that have not yet cleared but need immediate cash to pay its employees
When a company borrows from the primary capital markets, often the purpose is to invest in additional physical capital goods. which will be used to help increase its income. It can take many months or years before the investment generates sufficient return to pay back its cost, and hence the finance is long term
Together, money markets and capital markets form the financial markets.

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