Discuss various measures of capital market efficiency and how efficient capital markets contribute to the efficiency in the market for goods and services (including productive capital). As part of your discussion, consider the implications of the fact that the bulk of trading in capital markets is in outstanding securities and analyze the meaning of the terms “depth,” “breadth,” and “resiliency” as descriptions of capital markets. Include in your discussion the types of legislative and regulatory reforms that might be or have recently been instituted in order to improve the efficiency of capital markets and the role of “insider trading” and the SEC as they affect market efficiency.
(b) Compare money and capital markets and identify the major issuers of securities in the different markets and the difference among the various types of securities within and between each of the markets. Within your discussion of the money markets include a consideration of the role of the Federal Reserve System (Fed) and the banking system as they interact through required reserve maintenance, needs for liquidity and monetary policy actions by the Fed. Consider in your analysis the types and significance of the links between the money and capital markets via the term structure of interest rates, issuers of debt and equity and the presence of interest rate and credit risk derivatives.
