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A capital market is defined as the availability of a financial domain in which long-term debt and equity-oriented securities are purchased. This concept is opposed to the money market, where short-term and current obligations are processed and purchased. Capital markets are preferred mainly by savers and investors who are looking for far-fetched initiatives. Such financial domains assist the long-term investors in capitalizing in establishments and companies that guarantee long-standing results and investments. Establishments and financial invigilators such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Bank of England, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission are responsible for supervising and regulating financial affairs administered in the capital market. They also prevent these authorities and companies from investment frauds and other scams.
What is Capital Market?
The capital market represents an organized financial exchange system where buyers and sellers buy and sell debt and equity securities. In addition, capital markets bring buyers and sellers (individual and businesses) together to trade stocks, bonds, currencies, and other financial assets.
Capital markets act as a financial platform when there is a noticeable exchange between savers and purchasers. Financial investments and wealth savings are transferred between those with enough capital to invest and those looking to purchase capital. Two types of entities are a part of the capital market. One involves an entity with the required capital, such as institutional investors, whereas the other involves establishments, businesses, governments, and people seeking monetary assistance. Thus, there are two categories of capital markets.
- Stock market
- Bond market
Taking part in capital markets is ideal for channeling and moving money between the savers and those seeking capital. This platform steadily brings consistency and enhances transaction efficiencies. It is considered a financial field to interact and connect two entities looking to exchange securities. To comprehend the concept of Captain Markets, it is imperative to analyze the fundamental function. In capital markets, entities are involved in trade and investment between different financial bodies. The exchange between entities may occur through the stock market, the bond market, and the currency or foreign exchange market. Currently, capital markets are saturated in the world’s financial hubs, including New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The structural composition of capital markets includes the presence of suppliers and users/pursuers of funds. The supplier of capital funds includes large-scale households and establishments responsible for serving them. Similarly, pension funds, companies providing life insurance, nonprofit and charitable organizations, and non-financial companies generate and produce the immeasurable amount of the cash supplied and supplied to the entities on the lookout for resources. These include the home and motor vehicle purchasers, companies, governments, individuals, authorities responsible for financing the infrastructure investment, and non-financial establishments. The buy and sell of financial articles include equities and security, making it the primary objective of capital markets. Equities are synonymous with stocks that are labeled as a significant share in a company. Securities, on the other hand, are interest-oriented IOUs.
Problems in Capital Market
Problems in Capital Market can be:
- The financial crisis and uncontrolled inflation
- Inefficiency
- Lack of adequate information about listed companies
- Poor capital markets regulation
- Low participation rate
- Low returns on investments and lack of volume and volatility
- Lack of transparency
- Bad capital market policy
- Poor customer service in capital markets system
Capital markets as an economic booster
Capital markets are considered a vital pillar in flourishing a country’s existing economy. Economic conditions are measured by the presence of monetary transactions and the transference of goods and services. Since capital markets are well known to move money from one place to another, it directly contributes to its economic sphere. Moreover, the channeling of additional funds from savers to specific institutions allows them to invest productively, therefore, directly contributing to the local economy.
Primarily, there are two featured types of securities. One is equity securities and debt securities. These entities are the types of investments that offer valuable output and evaluated risks to the users and receivers of the funds.
Equity securities
This category of capital market relates to the stock market. These are the ownership share of a particular business. When someone claims that they own equity security of a company or establishment, then it means that they have the legal ownership of a small portion of that company; therefore, they are authorized to earnings and profit assimilated by the company. However, the invested money in equity securities is not supposed to be paid back by the business authority.
Debt securities
Debt securities are known as the bond market and categorized as IOUs materialized in the shape of bonds or notes. This concept involves borrowing and lending money that needs to be paid back at an allotted date with surplus interest. The securities can be purchased and sold on the primary or secondary market.
The capital market consists of primary markets and secondary markets. The former involves the trading of newly issued stocks and bonds as well as other securities. The latter is mainly focused on the transference and exchange of current or previous securities.
Capital markets are tightly knitted with each other across the world. Because of their higher interconnectivity, a slight disturbance in a single capital market can create instabilities affecting other markets and financial institutes of the world.
Purpose of capital markets
Capital markets act as a credible and authentic platform to provide monetary assistance in terms of investment and liquidity of assets to the savers. Without this platform, there will be a massive gap between investors and savers. The flow of cash can become stagnant otherwise, therefore, damaging the economy. On the other hand, the smooth facilitation and movement of capital between investors and savers can be used constructively for economic projects, therefore, giving a chance to enrich the national income and the overall GDP. With the help of this platform, long-term financial investment goals are mobilized, and investors can utilize these assets and use cash for the emergence of financial investments.
Capital markets allow investors and savers to take part in the ownership of stocks and bonds, and other productive assets. In addition, financial instruments can be easily valued by taking part in financial markets. Lastly, capital markets facilitate settlement, provide insurance against derivative trading, and improve the overall constructiveness and productivity of capital allocation. More importantly, capital markets provide the investors with the easy availability and convenience of liquid cash and financial resources. Thus, companies can be easily sourced financially by taking part in the capital market and understanding its principles.
If capital markets are healthy and prosperous, businesses and entrepreneurs can acquire capital to use large-scale companies. They can also foster economic growth by creating new opportunities and ventures through business expansion. This significantly strengthens the economy. Businesses are provided with the availability of cash and liquid assets that can be provided to the global economies. Capital markets allow an influx of borrowers, lenders, spenders, and savers reliably to interconnect to formulate a balanced global economy. Individuals and companies can utilize funding acquired through the capital market to launch new businesses, expand the existing ones or invest in long-term plans.
