Financial Times Guide to the Financial Markets

This comprehensive guide from Glen Arnold, a respected author and finance academic, serves as a powerful introduction and reference to the complex world of financial markets. Financial Times Guide to the Financial Markets offers a clear, structured, and engaging explanation of how the global financial system works—from the basics of money and interest rates to the intricate mechanics of derivatives, equities, bonds, and foreign exchange.

Ideal for students, professionals, and self-taught investors, this book breaks down each component of the financial world in a digestible format, supported by charts, case studies, and real-world examples. Whether you’re aiming to understand the role of central banks, the structure of capital markets, or how risk is managed through instruments like swaps and options, Glen Arnold equips you with the essential knowledge needed to navigate and analyze today’s fast-moving financial landscape.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• How money, interest rates, and financial instruments interact in the modern economy
• The structure and function of capital markets: stocks, bonds, and derivatives
• The roles of institutions like investment banks, central banks, and hedge funds
• How instruments such as futures, options, and swaps work and why they’re used
• Key concepts like yield curves, risk, valuation, and market efficiency
• Insights into foreign exchange markets, interbank lending, and regulation

💡 Key Benefits:

• Offers a comprehensive, readable overview of the global financial system
• Written by a leading expert in financial education with academic and real-world depth
• Suitable for beginners but thorough enough to support advanced learning
• Covers both theoretical foundations and practical financial market operations
• Features up-to-date data, case studies, and analysis from a professional perspective

👤 Who This Book Is For:

• Business and finance students seeking a foundational financial markets textbook
• Professionals working in banking, investment, or corporate finance
• Independent traders and investors aiming to strengthen their market literacy
• Anyone preparing for financial certifications like CFA, CIMA, or FRM

📚 Table of Contents:

1. The Financial System: Purpose and Players
2. The Money Markets and Interest Rates
3. Government Bonds and the Bond Market
4. The Stock Market and Share Valuation
5. Corporate Debt Markets
6. Derivatives: Futures, Options, and Swaps
7. Foreign Exchange Markets
8. Investment Banks and Financial Intermediaries
9. Central Banking and Monetary Policy
10. Risk Management in Financial Institutions
11. The Global Regulatory Environment
12. Financial Market Developments and Innovation