The Capital and Money Markets in the Economy

There were two group of markets can be found in financial market. They were the capital market and the money market. Although they both come from financial market but they consist of differences.

In capital market, we will found the stocks and bond market but in general it is the market for securities where long term funds can be raised by companies or government. To raise the funds, a person needs to purchase a price-set bond in order to borrow their money to the government or business for period of time and this will gain higher return as promised. The government or company paid the lenders through interest that accrues from the borrowings. Another way for the government or company to raise the fund is through the stock market. By using this method, they will sell shares of their stock which is the ownership of the company to the public or companies.

Dividends will be paid to the shareholders as agreed by the company as the return on their investment. There were two markets in the capital market: Primary market and secondary market.

New issues are distributed to the investor in the primary market and the secondary market is the place where trade securities. In money market, it is about the global financial market. The money market is the place where borrowing and lending in a short-term period. Short-term liquid funding also will be provided to the global financial system.

The period of the borrowing of money by the company in a money market has an average of thirteen months. There are few common types of things that being used in the money market such as bankers’ acceptance, certificates of deposits, commercial paper and repurchase agreements. Normally the money market consists of banks’ borrowing and lending but money market also will involve by financial companies. A large amounts of asset where issued by the finance companies to fund themselves which is secured by the promise of eligible assets into an asset backed commercial paper conduit. The difference between the two markets is that capital market is for long term investment.

They were selling stocks and bonds to borrow money from investors to operate their company. In money markets, it is the short term borrowing or lending market. The banks borrow and lend between themselves and it is usually paid back within thirteen months. The differences can be seen through the ways the two markets used for borrowing or lending transaction.

In capital market, primary and secondary markets are interrelated. Securities emerge in primary market while other dealings take place in secondary market. However, there was no sub-division in money market. In efficient money market, secondary market does take place too. In capital market, the financial instrument that being used are debentures, shares, public sector bonds and units of mutual funds.

On the other hand, money market uses different financial instruments such as Treasury bill, call money, commercial papers, and certificate of deposits. There were several characteristic of the securities in the money market.

The rapid maturity, safety, liquidity of the money market funds of securities. Short-term capital requirements of the business and government can be solve by issuing money market securities. The maturity of the securities is between three months and matured within one year. Federal funds and repurchase agreements are the money market instruments that examine the maturity of the securities.

The credit ratings that surpass the other investment grade debt instruments make money market securities the safest investments available. (Jim Orrill, 2010) “The SEC helps ensure this safety by mandating that at least 95% of a money market fund’s securities must be ones that have earned the highest rating of at least two of the five major credit rating institutions”. Federal Reserve System is often referred as Fed is the central bank of the United States. In Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia or BNM is our central bank. Although central bank may differ in terms of structure and modus but they have common responsibility which is to maintain the monetary and financial stability.

Sometimes, they are responsible for developing the financial infrastructure and participating in the overall development of nation. Bank Negara Malaysia is responsible to maintain the monetary stability. Preserved the value of the ringgit is the best way to ensure the price stability. This can maintain the inflation of the country low and stable.

By maintaining the inflation at low and stable condition will not diminished the purchasing power of ringgit. When the inflation rate is high, people will tend to consider about their purchasing power. When this happened, demand for real assets like properties and houses will be higher because they were thought to be more “inflation-proof”. Interest of people will be less on investment in the productive capacity of the economy. The interest of holding saving in the financial system will be lesser as they expect that their saving’s value will be diminished.

Fixed income earners will feel their ability to purchase goods and services become less. Bank Negara Malaysia influences the level of interest rates to conduct its monetary policy.

Interest rates are the rate that the borrowers of the loan have to pay and the depositors earn on their deposits. To encourage people to save more, interest rate will be given at a high rate. When the economic is weak, funds will be injected into the banking system to reduce the interest rates. Economic activity will be stimulated by the increasing consumption and investment.

(Elgilani Eltahir Elshareif, 2010) “Short term and long term interest rates of fixed securities is important for the transmission mechanism of monetary policy”. Usually the short-term rates will be influence by central bank, while the basis of investors’ expectations of future real interest rates and inflation affect long-term rates. The future real interest rates will affect the domestic investment and production. The real sector of the economy will affect by the term structure transmits monetary policy. In the open economy system, the structure will affect international capital flows and hence exchange rate.

Required reserve is referring to the amount that the banking institution place with the BNM in compliance with the Statutory Reserve Requirement. Cash in vault of the banking institution and the demand deposits with BNM are considered as excess reserves. Demand and time deposits placed by the financial corporations are deposits of the private sector. Money market securities are extremely liquid can be converted into cash quickly.

As the principles of these debts are repaid very rapidly thus the liquidity of the investment was gained. These securities give the optimum way to the public to invest in the money market securities by trading in large denominations. The money market securities are a wholesale market of short term debt instruments. Orrill, J. (2010, May 21).

Characteristics of Money Market Securities Retrieved from December 9, 2010 https://www.ehow.com/list_6536664_characteristics-money-market-securities.html CiteMan.com. (2008-2010).

Characteristics of money market Retrieved from December 9, 2010 https://www.citeman.com/4365-characteristics-of-the-money-market/ Elshareif, E. E. & Hui Boon Tan (2010). Interpreting term structure of interest rates in the Malaysia Fix-Income Market Andersen.

T. M. and Risager, O. (1988) Stabilization policies, credibility, and interest rate determination in a small open economy Bank Negara Malaysia (2003). General information: Bank Negara Malaysia Bank Negara Malaysia (2007).

International Monetary Fund: International Financial Statistic. Richard H. Timberlake (2008). The Concise Encyclopedia of economic: Federal Reserve System.

Retrieve from December 11, 2010. https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/FederalReserveSystem.html

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