HOW FINANCIAL MARKETS WORK
Demystifying Market Mechanics, Instruments, and Investor Behavior
Course Schedule
| Date | Venue | Fees (Face-to-Face) |
|---|---|---|
| 02 – 03 Jul 2025 | Doha, Qatar | USD 1995 per delegate |
Course Introduction
Understanding how financial markets operate is essential for professionals navigating today’s complex investment and economic landscape. From stock exchanges to bonds, derivatives, and central bank policy, the interplay of instruments, participants, and market forces shapes business decisions, portfolio strategies, and risk exposure.
This 2-day course provides a practical overview of how financial markets function, who participates in them, and how prices are influenced by economic indicators, sentiment, and regulations. It is ideal for non-finance professionals, analysts, and support roles who need to understand market structure, behavior, and basic products.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Understand the structure and role of global financial markets
• Distinguish between key financial instruments and asset classes
• Recognize the roles of investors, institutions, and regulators
• Track economic indicators and how they affect markets
• Interpret basic market data such as prices, yields, and indices
Key Benefits of Attending
• Gain foundational financial market literacy in a short time
• Bridge the knowledge gap for professionals interacting with finance teams
• Understand how news, policy, and macro trends impact investments
• Build confidence to follow, interpret, and engage in market discussions
• Strengthen your role in finance-adjacent departments or decision-making
Intended Audience
This program is designed for:
• Corporate professionals interacting with finance teams
• Junior analysts and new hires in banking and investment roles
• Internal auditors and compliance staff
• Support functions (HR, IT, legal) in financial institutions
• Anyone seeking to understand market structure and fundamentals
Individual Benefits
Key competencies that will be developed include:
• Basic understanding of financial instruments and trading
• Ability to interpret market trends and investor behavior
• Confidence in following and analyzing market developments
• Improved collaboration with finance and investment teams
• Aware of financial news impact on business and decisions
Organization Benefits
Upon completing the training course, participants will demonstrate:
• Improved cross-functional communication between finance and other teams
• Better informed decision-making influenced by market context
• Enhanced internal financial awareness and literacy
• Reduced risk from misinterpretation of financial data
• Support for regulatory and compliance understanding
Instructional Methdology
The course follows a blended learning approach combining theory with practice:
• Strategy Briefings – Market structure, regulation, institutional roles
• Case Studies – Market movements and investor reactions
• Workshops – Interpreting data, reading charts, market simulations
• Peer Exchange – Cross-industry views on financial awareness
• Tools – Index trackers, bond yield calculators, macro indicators guide
Course Outline
Training Hours: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Daily Format: 3–4 Learning Modules | Coffee breaks: 09:30 & 11:15 | Lunch Buffet: 01:00 – 02:00
Day 1: Introduction to Financial Markets and Instruments
- Module 1: The Role of Financial Markets in the Economy (07:30 – 09:30)
• Capital allocation, liquidity, investor confidence
Module 2: Key Market Participants and Institutions (09:45 – 11:15)
• Buy-side, sell-side, exchanges, regulators
Module 3: Overview of Market Instruments (11:30 – 01:00)
• Equities, bonds, money markets, derivatives
Module 4: Workshop – Match Instruments to Investor Goals (02:00 – 03:30)
• Product application exercise
Day 2: Market Drivers, Indicators, and Analysis
- Module 5: Economic Indicators and Central Bank Policies (07:30 – 09:30)
• GDP, inflation, interest rates, monetary tools
Module 6: Market Sentiment, Risk, and Volatility (09:45 – 11:15)
• Behavioral factors, VIX, fear and greed index
Module 7: Interpreting Financial News, Charts, and Indices (11:30 – 01:00)
• Stock movements, bond yields, index tracking
Module 8: Final Workshop – Analyze a Market Event in Groups (02:00 – 03:30)
• News impact case study and discussion
Certification
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion in How Financial Markets Work, validating their understanding of market fundamentals, instruments, and drivers necessary to engage confidently with financial information and decisions.