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5.4.1 Capital Markets

The capital market comprises a network of individuals, corporations, governments, financial institutions, and specialized markets that exist to bring together those with excess funds and those want wish to spend more funds than they currently have. Those with excess funds are known in technical terms as savings surplus units and those who want the excess funds are known as savings deficit units .

Funds don't often flow directly from the surplus units to the deficit units, and happens through the services of financial intermediaries operating in the capital market . The capital market includes the money market and the securities market.

The money market deals in short-term credit and loan arrangements that mature in anything from an overnight period up to a year. The securities market deals in long-term financial instruments with maturing periods of later than one year. The two main types of financial instruments referred to are long-term debt (debentures, mortgages and government bonds maturing beyond one year) and ownership equity (shares in listed public companies).

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