Hogeschool Gent
Geraard de Duivelstraat 5 - 9000 Gent
Tel: 09 243 33 33 - E-mail: info@hogent.be
Website: www.hogent.be
Financial Markets23763/3977/1718/1/41
Study guide

Financial Markets

23763/3977/1718/1/41
Academic year 2017-18
Is found in:
  • International Curriculum, programme stage 1
This is a single course unit.
Study load: 4 credits
Weight: 4,00
Total study time: 100,00 hours
Possible deadlines for learning account: 01.12.2017 () or 15.03.2018 ()

Organisation of education

Teaching Activities, Learning Activities, Assessment Activities
Lecture24,00 hours
Self-study64,00 hours
Seminar12,00 hours
This course unit is marked out of 20 (rounded to an integer).
Re-sit exam: is possible.
It is not possible to enrol in this course unit under
  • exam contract (to obtain a credit).
  • exam contract (to obtain a degree).
Special admission is required to enrol in this course unit under credit contract.
Co-ordinator: D'Hondt Sven
Language course: No
Languages: English
Scheduled for: Semester 1 or Semester 2

Objectives

This course aims to give students a general insight in the structure of the Belgian financial sector and capital market. This is the introduction to other courses as ‘Stock Exchange and Investment’ and ‘Credits’ in senior years.

The students have to know and be able to evaluate the basic retail investment products (sight deposits, savings accounts,bank bonds, …) offered by the financial institutions. Above all, they have to gain information autonomously and process it accurately and critically.

Contents

 1. Overview of financial markets 

     • The Belgian financial sector 
     • Traditional role of the different Financial Institutions 
     • Banking risks 
     • Deontology (‘good practice’) 
     • Financial mediators

2. The capital market 

    • Basic principles 
    • The stock exchange 
    • Segmentation of the capital market 
    • Capital market (market functioning, players, products) 
    • Primary and secondary market

3. The money market 

    • Interbanking market 
    • The money quantity 
    • Inflation/deflation 
    • The monetary policy of the ECB

4. Financial Institutions 

    • Equity 
    • Debt capital 
        • Deposits and bonds privately owned (simple retail investment products: return, risk, tax law and costs) 
        • Interbanking deposits 
        • Financial instruments (bonds, subordinated instruments, derivatives,…) 
 
    • Credit supply 
    • Ethical banking 
    • Solvability (ratio’s, Basel I, II en III) 
    • Liquidity 
    • Rentability

5. The foreign exchange market 

    • Exchange rates 
    • Interdependence of exchange rates 
    • International trade- and capital flows

6. Evolutions in the financial world 

    • Disintermediation 
    • Diversification 
    • Deregulation 
    • Technological progress 
    • European financial and monetary integration 
    • The financial crisis

7. Money transfer systems 

    • IBAN and BIC 
    • Control of the money transfers 
    • Settlement systems

8. International financial institutions 

    • IMF 
    • Worldbank 
    • FED / ECB 

Order of enrolment

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Prerequisites

English, level B2

Final objectives

1. The student has insight in the financial markets, the legislation and deontological prescriptions and can compare basic retail investment products by using different investment criteria.

Indicators:

  • The student understands the structure, organisation and functioning of the capital market.
  • The student knows the functioning of the money market.
  • The student knows the functioning of the capital market.
  • The student knows the financial products who are traded on the money- and capital market.
  • The student understands the role of the different financial mediators in the financial system.
  • The student can explain the functioning of the most financial institutions.
  • The student understands the role of the monetary governments.
  • The student has insight in the monetary policy of the ECB.
  • The student has insight in the market operations done by the ECB.
  • The student knows the settlement systems.
  • The student knows the deontological prescriptions and legislation concerning the financial sector.
  • The student has insight in the regulation and monitoring of the financial institutions and transactions.
  • The student has insight in the control of financial risks.
  • The student understands the interest rate risk and can determine the consequences for the financial players.
  • The student can interpret the interest rate curve.
  • The student understands the role of financial institutions and their prospective evolution.
  • The student knows the basic retail investment products and can compare them based on different investment criteria.
  • The student can make basic calculations of the return before and after taxes.
  • The student knows the causes, consequences and control of inflation and deflation.
  • The student knows the functioning of the exchange market.


2. The student is able to professionally handle tasks.
Indicators:

  • The student can professionally and systematically search and process information.
  • Shows studiousness and willingness to continuous actualisation of knowledge

Organisation of education

Lectures, interactive conversation

Evaluation

  • First exam opportunity:
    • non-period bound evaluation: 20% task
    • period bound evaluation: 80% written exam
  • Second exam oppertunity:
    • 100% written exam




 

Key words

Finanical Markets
IWETO-code: S181 Financial science