Introductory description

EC988-15 Economics of Financial Markets

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The syllabus may cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Firms’ Investment Decisions – How do firms choose investment?
• Investment- Lagrange Optimization: Adjustment Cost and Tobin’s Q
• Financial Constraints, Financial Market Imperfections, and Investment
• Introduction to Bank runs – Diamond Dybvig model
• Stock Market Bubbles and Investment
• Systemic Risk in Financial Markets
• Investment and Uncertainty

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...understand changes in financial markets & financial crises. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, independent study. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
• Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...understand debt and equity securities, firms’ investment decisions analysis. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, independent study. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
• Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of recent advances in financial markets. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, independent study. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
• Cognitive skills:...critically evaluate selected empirical techniques which form the basis of recent approaches to understanding the behaviour of firms in financial markets. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, independent study The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination"
• Subject Specific and Professional Skills:...appraise and synthesise the relevant literature explaining how theories have been tested and the results obtained. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, independent study. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.

Indicative reading list

Please see Talis Aspire link for most up to date list.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:
Analytical thinking and communication
Analytical reasoning
Critical thinking
Strategic thinking
Problem-solving
Abstraction
Analysis of incentives
Concepts of Simultaneity and Endogeneity
Analysis of optimisation
Understanding of Uncertainty and Incomplete Information

Transferable skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop:
Numeracy and quantitative skills
Written communication skills
Oral communication skills
Mathematical, statistical and data-based research skills