The term capital market broadly defines the place where various entities trade different financial instruments. These venues may include the stock market, the bond market, and the currency and foreign exchange markets. Most markets are concentrated in major financial centers including New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Capital markets are composed of the suppliers and users of funds. Suppliers include households and the institutions serving them—pension funds, life insurance companies, charitable foundations, and non-financial companies—that generate cash beyond their needs for investment. Users of funds include home and motor vehicle purchasers, non-financial companies, and governments financing infrastructure investment and operating expenses. 

Capital markets are used to sell financial products such as equities and debt securities. Equities are stocks, which are ownership shares in a company. Debt securities, such as bonds, are interest-bearing IOUs.