EC372-6-SP-CO:
Economics of Financial Markets and Intermediation

The details
2024/25
Economics
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
20 August 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(EC115 or BE300 or IA156 or MA101) and EC202
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA 5A84 Financial Economics (Including Placement Year),
BA L111 Financial Economics,
BA L118 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L195 Financial Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC 0Q64 Financial Economics (Including Placement Year),
BSC L114 Financial Economics,
BSC L117 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L194 Financial Economics (Including Year Abroad),
MECNL131 Financial Economics,
MECNLB31 Financial Economics (Including Placement Year),
MECNLB32 Financial Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BA L147 Financial Economics and Accounting (Including Placement Year),
BA L148 Financial Economics and Accounting,
BA L149 Financial Economics and Accounting (Including Year Abroad),
BA LX14 Financial Economics and Accounting (Including Foundation Year)

Module description

The objective of this course is to study the workings of the financial system, as constituted by the financial contracts and securities that are traded in markets, devoting special attention to financial intermediaries. We will analyze the reasons why and how money and credit flows from savers to entrepreneurs to create value.


Through a good understanding of the micro-structure of credit flows, students should get a better grasp of the macroeconomic consequences of regulation, monetary, and central bank balance sheet policies. The approach relies on a discussion of facts together with the analysis of formal, albeit simple, models.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To study the workings of the financial system, as constituted by financial contracts, securities traded in markets, the role of financial intermediaries.

  • To analyze the reasons why and how money and credit flows from savers to entrepreneurs to create value.

  • Through a good understanding of the micro-structure of credit flows, to get a better grasp of the macroeconomic consequences of regulation, monetary, and central bank balance sheet policies. The approach is resolutely analytical and a few simple mathematical models will be covered in class.


Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Evaluate empirical applications, concerning how financial systems operate and the consequences of regulation and central bank policies.

  2. Learn what are financial intermediaries and why they exist.

  3. Identify the main banking risks and propose management tools for these risks.

  4. Comprehend the implications of on and off balance sheet items.

  5. Grasp the implication of regulations on the funding and activities of banks and other intermediaries.

  6. Analyze the effects of banking regulation.

  7. Understand the importance of liquidity and its determinants.


Transferable Skills


Other employability skills also include the development of:



  1. Awareness of the operation of financial markets in advanced economies;

  2. Clear, concise and well organised answers to assigned questions;

  3. Personal time management, target-setting to achieve the timely completion of term assignments and other reading assignments.


Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

  • Two lectures
  • One (optional) class per week

in one term.

Feedback for this module will occur through class meetings where we will go over the answers to problem sets and where you will be able to ask questions about your own method of solution; answers that will be posted on moodle that will give you written guidance on the appropriate method to approach the problems on the problem sets, midterm tests and mock final; and academic support hours where any additional questions can be addressed. You should be sure that you use these methods to understand how to improve your own performance.

Lecture slides, problem sets, mock final and feedback (including solutions) are made available online via Moodle.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   EC372 Mid term-test  27/02/2025   
Exam  Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 100%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Piero Gottardi, email: piero.gottardi@essex.ac.uk.
Lectures: Prof Piero Gottardi / Classes: Mrs Avesta Abdulrahman
For further information, send an email message to fineco@essex.ac.uk.

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

Mr Teng Ge
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 377 hours, 27 (7.2%) hours available to students:
350 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Economics

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