BUSINESS STUDIES MASTER

Simplifying Foundations of Business & Management for Class XI & XII

 

1. INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MARKETS

Need for Finance in Business

Businesses require finance right from their inception for:

  • Working Capital: Payments for raw materials, salaries, and daily operations.
  • Fixed Capital Expenditure: Investments in machinery, buildings, or expansion.

Example: Idea Cellular entered the Indian capital market to fund its expansion.

Raising Funds

  • Short-Term Needs: Managed through money markets.
  • Long-Term Needs: Raised through bonds and equity.
  • Methods: Private Placement (selling to select groups) and Initial Public Offer (IPO - first-time public offer).
2. CONCEPT & FUNCTIONS

Financial Market: A marketplace where financial assets like stocks and bonds are created and exchanged. It links savers (households) and investors (businesses) by mobilizing funds.

Functions of Financial Markets

  1. Mobilization of Savings: Transfers surplus funds from individuals to productive investments.
  2. Facilitating Price Discovery: Prices are determined by the interaction of supply (households) and demand (businesses).
  3. Providing Liquidity: Ensures easy buying and selling so assets can quickly convert to cash.
  4. Reducing Transaction Costs: Provides a common platform, saving time, effort, and money.

Mechanism: Funds are allocated either via Banks (intermediaries) or Financial Markets (direct investment in shares/debentures).

3. MONEY MARKET vs. CAPITAL MARKET

Money Market

Short-term funds with maturity up to one year. Low-risk, unsecured, and highly liquid instruments. Participants include RBI, commercial banks, large corporate houses (e.g., Tata Motors), and mutual funds.

Capital Market

Long-term funds (Debt & Equity). Channels savings into economic growth. Components include development banks and stock exchanges.

BasisMoney MarketCapital Market
ParticipantsRBI, Banks, Financial Institutions. Individuals participate less.Financial institutions, banks, corporates, foreign & retail investors.
InstrumentsT-Bills, Commercial Paper, Call Money.Equity shares, Debentures, Bonds.
Investment OutlayLarge sums (High value instruments).Small outlays (Low denominations like Rs 10).
DurationUp to 1 year.Medium and long-term.
LiquidityHighly liquid (DFHI arrangements).Generally liquid via Stock Exchanges.
SafetySafer (low default risk).Higher risk (fraud potential, market performance).
Expected ReturnLower returns.Typically higher (Capital gains & dividends).
4. PRIMARY MARKET: NEW ISSUES

Crucial for transferring funds from savers to businesses for new projects or expansion. Key methods of floatation include:

  • Offer through Prospectus: Advertising widely to attract public subscription. (Ex: Zomato IPO).
  • Offer for Sale: Selling in bulk to brokers who then resell to the public.
  • Private Placement: Allotting securities to institutional investors/select individuals. (Ex: Startups like Paytm).
  • Rights Issue: Existing shareholders get the right to buy new shares in proportion to holdings. (Ex: Reliance Industries).
  • e-IPOs: Issuing shares through online stock exchange systems. (Ex: LIC IPO).
5. SECONDARY MARKET & STOCK EXCHANGE

Where existing securities are traded. Provides liquidity and determines market prices.

Functions of Stock Exchange

  1. Liquidity & Marketability: Continuous market for existing securities. (Ex: Trading Infosys on NSE).
  2. Pricing of Securities: Based on demand and supply. (Ex: Tata Motors price fluctuations).
  3. Safety of Transactions: Membership is regulated by SEBI to prevent fraud.
  4. Economic Growth: Channels savings into productive investments.
  5. Equity Cult: Spreading share ownership to the public (Ex: Zomato IPO awareness).
  6. Speculation: Controlled speculation within legal limits for market liquidity.
6. TRADING & SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE

Traditional (Open Outcry) has been replaced by Screen-Based Electronic Trading. Benefits: Transparency, Efficiency, and Wider Access.

Steps in the Settlement Process

  1. Find a Broker: Approach a registered broker and sign an agreement (PAN, Bank details required).
  2. Open Accounts: Open a Demat Account (for shares) and a Bank Account (for money).
  3. Placing an Order: Give instructions to the broker (What, how many, at what price).
  4. Order Execution: Broker matches the order on the exchange electronically.
  5. Contract Note: Issued within 24 hours showing trade details and brokerage.
  6. Settlement (T+2): Deal is completed 2 days after the trade. Pay-in (delivering shares/money) must happen before this.
7. DEMATERIALIZATION & DEPOSITORIES

Dematerialisation: Converting physical share certificates into electronic form to avoid theft, forgery, and delays.

Key Entities

  • Depository: Electronic storage bank for securities. Two in India: NSDL (First/Largest) and CDSL (Started by BSE/Bank of India).
  • Depository Participant (DP): The link between you and the depository (Ex: HDFC Bank, ICICI Direct).

Process: Hand over physical shares to DP → DP converts them electronically → Settlement on T+2 basis.

8. NSE, BSE, & OTCEI

NSE (National Stock Exchange)

Founded 1992. Fully automated. Segments: Wholesale Debt Market (Govt bonds) and Capital Market (Equity).

BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange)

Established 1875. First stock exchange in Asia. Lists about 5000 companies, largest market cap in India.

OTCEI (Over The Counter Exchange)

Platform for small/medium companies to raise finance. Fully computerized model similar to NASDAQ.

9. SEBI: REGULATOR OF MARKETS

Established April 12, 1988. Statutory status in 1992. Mumbai HQ.

Reasons for Establishment

To curb malpractices like price rigging and fraud (Ex: Harshad Mehta Scam 1992) and restore investor confidence.

Functions of SEBI

Function CategoryKey Activities
RegulatoryRegistration of brokers/mutual funds, regulating takeovers, conducting inspections, levying fees.
DevelopmentTraining intermediaries, conducting research, promoting electronic platforms.
ProtectiveProhibiting fraud/price rigging, controlling insider trading, protecting investor interests, promoting fair practices.

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