Markets and interest rates (рынки и норма процента)

For each type of investment and for many of their derivatives there is a market. There is a market in money in London. It is not a physical marketplace: dealings take place over the telephone, and the price a borrower pays for the use of money is the interest rate. There are markets in commodities. And there is a market in government bonds and company shares:

the stockmarket. The important thing is that no market is entirely independent of the others. The linking factor is the cost of money (or the return an investor can get on money). If interest rates rise or fall there is likely to be a ripple of movement through all the financial markets. Money will gravitate to where it earns the best return, commensurate with the risk the investor is prepared to take and the length of time for which he can tie up his money. This is the most important mechanism in the financial sphere. As a general rule:

* The more money you have to invest, the higher the return you can expect.

* The longer you are prepared to tie your money up, the higher the return you can expect.

* The more risk you are prepared to take, the higher the return you can expect if all goes well.

In either type of market, the buyers and the sellers may deal direct with each other or they may deal through a middleman known as a marketmaker. If they deal direct, each would-be buyer has to find a corresponding would-be seller. If there is a marketmaker, a seller will sell instead to the marketmaker, who buys on his own account in the hope that he will later be able to find a buyer to whom he can sell at a profit. Marketmakers make a book in shares or bonds. They are prepared to buy shares in the hope of finding somebody to sell to or sell shares (which they may not even have) in the expectation of finding somebody from whom they can buy to balance their books. Either way, they make their living on the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell. Marketmakers (in practice there will normally be a number of them competing with each other) lend liquidity – fluidity – to a market. A potential buyer can always buy without needing to wait until he can find a potential seller, securities can readily be turned into cash.

VOCABULARY NOTES derivatives – производные the linking factor – связующий фактор, звено a ripple of movement through all the financial markets – движение, волне­ние на всех финансовых рынках to gravitate – стремиться commensurate with – соразмерный to tie up – вкладывать (капитал) a middleman – посредник a marketmaker – "делатель рынка"; брокерская фирма, постоянно ко­тирующая ценные бумаги, товар

on one's own account – на свой страх и риск; самостоятельно fluidity – подвижность

Assignments

I. Suggest the Russian equivalents

the other side of the same coin; a ripple of movement; he can sell at a profit; they make a book in shares and bonds; buy to balance their books

II. Replace the parts in italics by synonyms

money will move to where it earns the best return; investor can tie up his money; who buys on his own account.

III. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions/row the text

1. A market in money in London is not __: dealings take place __, and the price a borrower pays for __ is __.

2. __ is a market in government bonds and company shares.

3. If interest rates rise or fall there is likely to be __ through all the financial markets.

4. Money __ to where it earns the best return, __ with the risk the investor __ and the length of time for which he can __ his money.

5. The more money you __, the higher the return you __.

6. The longer you are prepared to __, the higher the return __.

7. The more risk you __, the higher __.

8. If the buyers and the sellers deal direct, each __ has to find a corresponding __.

9. A marketmaker buys __ in the hope that he will later be able to find a buyer to whom he can __.

10. Marketmakers are prepared to buy shares __ of finding somebody to sell to or sell shares __ of finding somebody from whom they can buy to __.

11. Marketmakers make their living on __ at which they buy and sell.

12. Marketmakers lend __ to a market.

IV. Find in the text English equivalents for the following

рынок товаров; рынок акций; лежать в основе; перемещаться; вло­жить деньги; наибольшая прибыль, соизмеримая (соразмерная) с риском;

посредник, известный как "создатель рынка"; потенциальный (2 вариан­та) покупатель и продавец; на свой страх и риск; в надежде (2 варианта)

V. Check your grammar

the + comparative... the + comparative

e.g. the sooner the better

Make sentences using this construction, like this:

much money to invest – a high return

The more money you have to invest, the higher the return you can expect.

1. to produce goods and services — to enjoy a high standard of living

2. a high standard of living – a lot of expenditure on luxury items

3. wide advertising — high sales

4. high prices for some goods – low sales

5. a great demand – high prices – much profit

6. injections into the economy — the size of the circular flow of income and the level of the activity in the economy increase

7. the severe inflation – the rise in the general price level – the fall in the purchasing power

Add some more sentences of your own on inflation, the money supply and the demand for money, the money market etc.

VI. Answer the questions

1. What are different types of investment and what are the corresponding markets? Dwell on each item.

2. What is a marketmaker? How does he make the market?

VII. Translate into English using all the active possible

1. Вкладывая деньги в различные банки и инвестируя их в различные фонды, инвестор всегда преследует цель получить наибольшую прибыль, соизмеримую с риском.

2. Фондовая биржа – это посредник между потенциальными покупа­телями и продавцами государственных облигаций, акций компаний и других ценных бумаг.

3. В основе любого рынка, в т.ч. рынка ценных бумаг, лежит принцип равновесия между теми, кто хочет продать, и теми, кто хочет купить акции.