Students

AFIN8037 – Capital Markets

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Lurion De Mello
lurion.demello@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
4 Eastern Road, Room 530
By Appointment via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MActPrac or MFin) or ACST6003 or ACCG6003
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides an overview of the operation of the capital markets with evidence from Australian and international markets. The financial institutions are described and the securities offered by these institutions are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the financial instruments available to companies and investors from the equity, debt and derivative markets.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Distinguish between various sectors of the financial market and the nature of financial assets.
  • ULO2: Identify the factors responsible for trends in regulation, the role of and the growth in the sources and uses of funds of the banking sector and non-bank financial institutions.
  • ULO3: Explain the characteristics of corporate funding sources and the processes involved in raising funds.
  • ULO4: Review the complex interactions between the banks, government and central bank.
  • ULO5: Work productively in a group to undertake financial analysis.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Skills development: Utilising financial databases for capital markets 30% No 23/04/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Formal examination: Test 30% No 04/05/2026 Individual No Observed
Professional practice: Global capital market analysis 40% No 28/05/2026 Individual and Group No Open AI

Skills development: Utilising financial databases for capital markets

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23/04/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop skills in using a leading global industry financial database and demonstrate your understanding in the foundations of capital markets.

You will be initially provided training on using LSEG Workspace directly from the vendor. The academic will give you an overview of capital markets in class. Following the training, two certifications called "LSEG Workspace" and "LSEG Financial Essentials" will be introduced. You will attempt and write reflections on both. The certifications have a timed test at the end. The Rubric used does not penalise you heavily for a pass/fail but is more aligned to sharing your experience with the learning process. The certifications put you in line with industry professionals as you learn to use state of the art tools and applications just like practitioners working in capital markets and the broader finance and related industries.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking
  • Digital skills
  • Work readiness

Deliverable(s): Complete financial database certifications and submit a reflection report [max 600 words] Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Distinguish between various sectors of the financial market and the nature of financial assets.
  • Identify the factors responsible for trends in regulation, the role of and the growth in the sources and uses of funds of the banking sector and non-bank financial institutions.
  • Explain the characteristics of corporate funding sources and the processes involved in raising funds.

Formal examination: Test

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 04/05/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of key topics from the unit.

You will participate in a formal test. Feedback on your performance will help you assess your progress through the unit content.

Deliverable(s): Test Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Distinguish between various sectors of the financial market and the nature of financial assets.
  • Identify the factors responsible for trends in regulation, the role of and the growth in the sources and uses of funds of the banking sector and non-bank financial institutions.
  • Explain the characteristics of corporate funding sources and the processes involved in raising funds.
  • Review the complex interactions between the banks, government and central bank.

Professional practice: Global capital market analysis

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 28/05/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to work in a group and conduct an in-depth analysis of capital markets around the world as advisors to the portfolio manager.

You will be supported with additional training on 1) how to use stock screening tools and create dashboards just how a market analyst would in helping them have an oversight over financial market instruments and 2) financial databases to gather market intelligence in supporting your report. In addition to LSEG Workspace you will be given access to S&P Capital IQ Pro and Factset to help you in compiling the report.

Skills in focus: 

  • Critical thinking
  • Digital skills
  • Work readiness

Deliverable(s): Group report [max 2,000 words] and individual reflection [max 500 words]

Individual and group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Distinguish between various sectors of the financial market and the nature of financial assets.
  • Identify the factors responsible for trends in regulation, the role of and the growth in the sources and uses of funds of the banking sector and non-bank financial institutions.
  • Explain the characteristics of corporate funding sources and the processes involved in raising funds.
  • Review the complex interactions between the banks, government and central bank.
  • Work productively in a group to undertake financial analysis.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

The timetable for classes can be found on the University website at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/ 

Recommended text

C. Viney, Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets, McGraw-Hill, Ninth Edition, 2019. Students will require the textbook to improve their understanding of the lectures and tutorial questions will be based on the textbook. The mid-session test questions will be based on the lecture contents and readings from the textbook. 

Access to Financial Databases

Students will have access to S&P Capital IQ Pro,  Factset and LSEG Workspace to complete their assessments. Access will be granted from week 3 onwards if not earlier. 

Unit web page

The course material is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au Students are advised to check the unit website regularly, and ensure that all material posted on the website can be accessed without difficulties. If you are unable to access any of the material on the website, check with your classmates first before notifying your lecturer of the problem.

Unit Schedule

AFIN8037 Tentative Weekly Breakdown          
               
Week 1 A modern financial system and Commercial Banks      
Week 2 Non-bank financial institutions        
Week 3 The share market and corporations        
Week 4 Issuing new equity & investing in the share market      
Week 5 Short-term debt          
Week 6 LSEG Workspace Training Session 1 - Medium to long-term debt 1    
Week 7 S&P Capital IQ training session 1 - Medium to long-term debt 2      
Week 8 S&P Capital IQ training session 2 & LSEG Workspace Training Session 2    
Week 9 Performance measurement, share pricing & forecasting in equity market.    
Week 10 Mid-Session Test (In Class)          
Week 11 Futures contracts and forward rate agreements.      
Week 12 Guest Speakers & Options          
Week 13 Guest Speakers           

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook