第03章 资本市场(讲义)简易版.docVIP

Section 3.1 Text Purpose and Participants Firms that issue capital market securities and the investors who buy them have very different motivations than they have when they operate in the money market. Firms and individuals use the money market primarily to warehouse funds for short periods of time until a more important need or a more productive use for the funds arises. By contrast, firms and individuals use the capital market for long-term investments. The capital markets provide an alternative to investment in asset such as real estate or gold. Meanwhile, the primary reason that individuals and firms choose to borrow long-term funds is to reduce the risk that interest rates will rise before they pay off their debt. This reduction in risk comes at a cost. However, most long-term interest rates are higher than short-term rates due to risk premiums. Despite the need to pay higher interest rates to borrow in the capital markets, these markets remain very active. The primary issuers of capital market securities are governments and corporations. However, governments never issue stocks. Corporations both issue bonds and stocks. One of the most difficult decisions a firm faces can be whether it should finance its growth with debt or equity. The distribution of a firm’s capital between debt and equity is its capital structure. Trading in the Capital Market Capital market trading occurs in either the primary market or the secondary market. Investment funds, corporations, and individual investors can all purchase securities offered in the primary market, where new issues of stocks and bonds are introduced. When firms sell securities for the first time, the issue is an initial public offering. The capital markets have well-developed secondary market. A secondary market is where the sale of previously issued securities takes place, and it is important because most investors plan to sell long-term bonds before they reach maturity and eventually to sell their holdings of s