The securities market has essentially three categories of participants, viz., the issuer of securities, investors in securities and the intermediaries. The issuers are the borrowers or deficit-units, who issue securities to raise funds for their business activities. The investors, who are surplus savers, deploy their savings by subscribing to these securities and issue funds for the business activities. The intermediaries are the agents who match the needs of users and suppliers of funds for a commission. The secondary market or the stock exchange system in India is represented by 23 stock exchanges including the National Stock Exchange of India(NSE), the Over The Counter Exchange of India, the Inter connected Stock Exchange of India and 20 other stock exchanges located at different places. However at present, trades take place only at NSE and BSE and other stock exchanges have become redundant. The operations of stock exchanges are regulated, supervised and controlled Continue reading
Indian Financial Market
About Secondary Markets
Secondary market refers to the network/system for the subsequent sale and purchase of securities. An investor can apply and get allotted a specified number of securities by the issuing company in the primary market. However, once allotted the securities can thereafter be sold and purchased in the secondary market only. An investor who wants to purchase the securities can buy these securities in the secondary market. The secondary market is market for subsequent sale/purchase and trading in the securities. A security emerges or takes birth in the primary market but its subsequent movements take place in secondary market. The secondary market consists of that portion of the capital market where the previously issued securities are transacted. The firms do not obtain any new financing from secondary market. The secondary market provides the life-blood to any financial system in general, and to the capital market in particular. The secondary market is Continue reading
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the nodal agency to regulate the capital market and other related issues in India. It was established in 1988 as an administrative body and was given statutory recognition in January 1992 under the SEBI Act 1992 which came into force on January 30. The Act charged the SEBI, the first national regulatory body in India with comprehensive statutory powers over practically all aspects of capital market operations, “to protect the interests of the investors and to promote the development of, and to regulate the securities markets by such measures as it thinks fit.” SEBI has been vested most of the functions and powers under the Securities Contract Regulation (SCR) Act, which brought stock exchanges, their members, as well as contracts in securities which could be traded under the regulations of the Ministry of Finance. It has also been delegated certain powers under Continue reading
Capital Market Reforms by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has a primary responsibility of regulating and supervising the capital market. It has introduced a number of reforms for the control and supervision of capital market and investors protection. Primary Market Reforms by the SEBI The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced various guidelines and regulatory measures for capital issues for healthy and efficient functioning of capital market in India. The issuing companies are required to make material disclosure about the risk factors, in their offer documents and also to get their debt instruments rated. Steps have been taken to ensure that continuous disclosures are made by firms so as to enable to investors to make a comparison between promises and performance. The merchant bankers now have greater degree of accountability in the offer document and the issue process. The due diligence certificate by the lead manager regarding disclosure made Continue reading
Money Market – Definition, Features and Instruments
As per the definition of Reserve Bank of India, money market is “a market for short terms financial assets that are close substitute for money, facilitates the exchange of money in primary and secondary market”. Indian money market was highly regulated and was characterized by limited number of participants. The limited variety and instruments were available. Interest rate on the instruments was under the regulation of Reserve Bank of India. The sincere efforts for developing the money market were made when the financial sector reforms were started by the government. Money markets are the markets for short-term, highly liquid debt securities. Examples of these include bankers’ acceptances, repos, negotiable certificates of deposit, and Treasury Bills with maturity of one year or less and often 30 days or less. Money market securities are generally very safe investments, which return relatively; low interest rate that is most appropriate for temporary cash storage Continue reading
Meaning of Financial Intermediaries
With advances in computer technology, one can transfer money instantly, anywhere in the word, you can trade your funds across major stock exchanges online, you can use your credit card across the globe and so on. Lending and borrowing of money is made simple by financial institutions called financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries such commercial banks, credit unions and brokerage funds carryout these transactions on your behalf. A financial intermediary is a financial institution that borrows from savers and lend to individuals or firms that need resources for investment. The investments made by financial intermediaries can be in loan and/or securities. Basic role of financial intermediaries is transforming financial assets that are less desirable for a large part of the public into other financial asset, which is preferred more by the public. This transformation involves at least four economical functions: providing maturity intermediation, risk reduction via diversifications, reducing the costs of Continue reading