A general introduction to the three primary aspects of Finance and examination of how they interrelate. The book discusses financial institutions and their roles in helping to allocate savings in the economy, along with a description and analysis of securities issued and traded in money and capital markets. The book covers fundamentals of investing in stocks, mutual funds, derivatives, and other marketable securities with an emphasis on securities markets, mechanics of trading, techniques of analysis, diversification, and valuation of assets. Finally, the book lays out the processes, decisions structures, and institutional arrangements concerned with the use and acquisition of funds by a firm. This will include the management of the asset and liability structure of the firm under certain and risky situations INDICE 1. Introduction to Finance. 2. The Creation of Financial Assets. 3. The Federal Reserve and the Supply and Cost of Credit. 4. The Role of Securities Markets. 5. The Time Value of Money. 6. Risk and Its Measurement. 7. Equity: Preferred and Common Stock. 8. Valuation of Stock. 9. Investing in Long-Term Debt (Bonds). 10. Analysis of Financial Statements. 11. Investment Companies. 12. Break-even Analysis and Leverage. 13. Cost of Capital. 14. Capital Budgeting. 15. Planning: Forecasting and Budgeting. 16. Management of Short-Term Assets. 17. Sources of Short- and Intermediate-Term Funds. 18. Derivatives and Risk Management