Course Syllabus

Economics 355: Financial Markets and Institutions -- Spring 2022

Professor: Mahmoud A. El-Gamal Textbook: Mishkin, Frederic S. with Stanley G. Eakins,
TA: Binyu Zhao
Financial Markets and Institutions, 9th ed., Prentice Hall, 2018
https://www.vitalsource.com/referral?term=9780134448763

Classes: MWF 10:00--10:50 KRF 125

Office Hours: M 12:30--1:30 KRF 429

This course covers most aspects of financial markets and institutions at a highly non-technical level (with very rare exceptions). Its objective is to allow students to read any major financial newspaper or website and understand most articles therein, with a deep understanding of the economic forces at work.

Students will read most of the textbook, and will be tested on the material therein through multiple choice assignments (which account for 10% of the grade). Similar multiple choice questions on textbook material will account for half the grades in three midterm and one optional substitute exam. Practice multiple choice questions for the assignments and exams are available under the Quizzes tab.

The other half of each exam's grade will be based on short answers to questions regarding current events, which will be covered in class, and summarized with links in lecture slides posted under the Files tab, as well as in-class experiments conducted using MobLab. Please create an account to access MobLab on your computer, and, if you prefer, install the  mobile device app in preparation for class. Also, please follow the link here to create your free account to access Wall Street Journal using your Rice NetID.

There will be a review the week before each exam that covers the material for that exam. The overall grade will be calculated based on the best three out of four exams. All exams, as well as assignments, will be conducted online on Canvas

 

Mon Wed  Fri 

(Tentative) Syllabus    

Textbook Readings

January

10

12 14 Introduction + Overview + Interest Rates Chs 1-3
17 19 21
MLK Day + Interest rates Risk + Term Structure Chs 4-5

24 26 28 Efficient Markets + Financial Institutions+ Review Chs 6-7
Jan/Feb 31 2 4 Midterm I + Central Banking + Monetary Policy
Chs 9-10
  7 9 11
Money + Bond Markets + Spring Recess Chs 11-12
14 16 18 Stock Markets + Mortgage Markets Chs 13-14
  21 23 25

ForEx Markets + International System + Review  

Chs 15-16
Feb/March 28 2 4

Midterm II + International System + Banking

Chs 16-17
  7 9 11 Financial Regulation + Banking Industry  Chs 18-19
14
16   18 Spring Break  
21 23 25 Mutual Funds + Insurance Chs 20-21
March/April                28 30
1 Investment Banks + Review Chs 22-23
4 6 8 Risk Measurement + Midterm III +   Hedging with Derivatives Chapter 24
  11 13 15 Derivatives + Commodities Markets + Review of for Substitute Exam
18 20
22
Substitute Exam (optional) + Commodities & Energy Markets


 

Grading:

Weekly Homeworks 10 %
First Midterm 30 %
Second Midterm 30 %
Third Midterm 30 %
Substitute for lowest Midterm (opt)
30 %

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due