Unlike markets where actual goods are bought and sold, the stock market is where investors trade shares of companies that have “gone public” to finance their business through an initial public offering (IPO). The prices of these shares, or stocks, reflect what traders believe these companies will be worth in the future.

“Betting” on individual stocks to rise in value is risky, but, in aggregate, the stock market reflects investor sentiment about the future of the entire economy. Learning about the stock market is important because it helps you to build a diversified portfolio that profits from the growth of businesses economy-wide. Historically, this strategy earns more over the long term than putting money in a savings account or investments in government bonds.

Thus, everyone can benefit from an understanding of the stock market, whether to help guide their personal financial management strategies or to pursue a career in this field.

While a background in stock market is important for anyone that wants to understand the economy, deeper expertise in this area can lead to a variety of specialized - and, typically, lucrative - careers.

Stock traders are a familiar archetype of stock market job from movies and TV, but they need to learn a lot more than “buy low, sell high.” While the fundamentals of trading strategies are largely unchanged, today most trading occurs on electronic exchanges, and professionals in this field increasingly need to be familiar with algorithmic trading and other high-speed, automated techniques.

Familiarity with the stock market is also essential for a career in investment and portfolio management. Professionals in this field help individuals and institutional investors with portfolio construction and portfolio optimization across a variety of financial markets, including the stock market, bond markets, and investments in emerging markets.

Yes! As with many other areas of business and finance, Coursera offers a wide range of online courses on topics related to the stock market, including trading basics, financial markets and investment strategy, financial management, and more. These courses are offered through top-ranked institutions from around the world, including Yale University, Rice University, and the Indian School of Business, so you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your education to learn online.

Best of all, taking classes remotely lets you learn on a flexible schedule that can fit into your existing work or family life. And, although online courses and Specializations through Coursera offer the same materials and credits as on-campus alternatives, they are available at a significantly lower tuition cost.