The securities market is regulated to ensure fair play among all participants. President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the Securities and Exchange Commission -- or SEC -- in 1933 to prevent the kinds of fraud and speculative activity that led to the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. The SEC has enforced many laws governing securities market participants' conduct. By law, stock market participants may not engage in insider trading -- making trades based on unpublished information that gives them an advantage -- or report fraudulent financial results. Seminar topics on securities market regulation include the history and functions of the SEC, reasons for insider trading laws and the concept of securities fraud.
Securities markets are significant agents of globalization. Through securities, people in any country can purchase assets in another country. Securities markets are also vehicles for growth in developing countries, as they allow companies to raise funds for new enterprises. Seminar topics for international securities markets include the globalization of financial markets, international market investing and the role of international markets in developing countries.
Many individuals earn their money on the stock market. People who work in the securities market include day traders, investment bankers, hedge fund managers and securities analysts. Seminar topics on jobs in the securities market include employment in the finance industry, the role of traders in the securities market, and the role of financial professionals in the global economy.
Economists have developed many theories about securities markets over the years. The efficient market theory states that in a world where financial information is widely distributed, future earnings are "priced in" to stocks, making it impossible to outperform the market reliably and without insider knowledge. The value investing paradigm, by contrast, states that the market often overestimates or underestimates the value of assets, creating opportunities for buyers. Seminar topics in securities market economics include market behavior theories, stock-picking theories, and portfolio diversification theory (that is, the theory that you protect yourself from risk by purchasing many different investments).
The stock market plays a crucial role in business. By selling shares of itself on the stock market, a company can raise money for future development and create wealth for investors. Further, many businesses make their money on the stock market; commercial banks, investment banks, and stock brokerages all depend on the securities market to earn their profits. Seminar topics can include the role of securities markets in business growth, the role of securities markets in the business investment, and the role of bond markets in public and private finance.