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Getting Into The Gold Market
From ancient civilizations through the modern era, gold has been the worlds currency of choice. Today, investors buy gold mainly as a hedge against political unrest and inflation. In addition, many top investment advisors recommend a portfolio allocation in commodities, including gold, in order to lower overall portfolio risk.
Well cover many of the opportunities for investing in gold, including bullion (i.e. gold bars), mutual funds, futures, mining companies and jewelry. With few exceptions, only bullion, futures and a handful of specialty funds provide a direct investment opportunity in gold. Other investments gain part of their value from other sources. (For background reading, see Does It Still Pay To Invest In Gold?)
Gold Bullion
This is perhaps the best-known form of direct gold ownership. Many people think of gold bullion as the large gold bars held at Fort Knox. Actually, gold bullion is any form of pure, or nearly pure, gold that has been certified for its weight and purity. This includes coins, bars, etc., of any size. A serial number is commonly attached to gold bars as well, for security purposes.
While heavy gold bars are an impressive sight, their large size (up to 400 troy ounces) makes them illiquid, and therefore costly to buy and sell. After all, if you own one large gold bar worth $100,000 as your entire holding in gold and then decide to sell 10%, you cant exactly saw off the end of the bar and sell it. On the other hand, bullion held in smaller-sized bars and coins have much more liquidity, and is a very common method of holding bullion.
Gold Coins
For decades, large quantities of gold coins have been issued by sovereign governments around the world. For investors, coins are commonly bought from private dealers at a premium of about 1-5% above their underlying gold value.
The advantages of bullion coins are:
• Their prices are conveniently available in global financial publications.
• Gold coins are often minted in smaller sizes (one ounce or less), making them a more convenient way to invest in gold than the larger bars.
• Reputable dealers can be found with minimal searching and are located in many large cities.
Caution: Older, rare gold coins have what is known as numismatic or collectors value above and beyond the underlying value of the gold. To invest strictly in gold, focus on widely circulated coins and leave the rare coins to collectors.
Some of the widely circulated gold coins include the South African krugerrand, the U.S. eagle and the Canadian maple leaf.
The main problems with gold bullion are that the storage and insurance costs, and the relatively large markup from the dealer both hinder profit potential. Also, investing in gold bullion is a direct investment in golds value, and each dollar change in the price of gold will proportionally change the value of ones holdings. Other gold investments, such as mutual funds, may be made in smaller dollar amounts than bullion, and also may not have as much direct price exposure as bullion does.
Gold ETFs and Mutual Funds
One alternative to a direct investment in gold bullion is to invest in one of the gold-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Each share of these specialized instruments represents a fixed amount of gold, such as one-tenth of an ounce. These funds may be purchased or sold in any brokerageor IRA account just like stocks. This method is therefore easier and more cost effective than owning bars or coins directly, especially for small investors, as the minimum investment is only the price of a single share of the ETF. The annual expense ratios of these funds are often less than 0.5%, much less than the fees and expenses on many other investments, including most mutual funds.
Many mutual funds own gold bullion and gold companies as part of their normal portfolios, but investors should be aware that only a few mutual funds focus solely on gold investing; most own a number of other commodities. The major advantages of the gold-only oriented mutual funds are:
• Low cost and low minimum investment required
• Diversification among different companies
• Ease of ownership in a brokerage account or an IRA
• Require no individual company research
Some funds invest in the indexes of mining companies, others are tied directly to gold prices, while still others are actively managed. Read their prospectuses for more information. Traditional mutual funds tend to be actively managed, while ETFs adhere to a passive index-tracking strategy, and therefore have lower expense ratios. For the average gold investor, however, mutual funds and ETFs are now generally the easiest and safest way to invest in gold.
Gold Futures and Options
Futures are contracts to buy or sell a given amount of an item, in this case gold, on a particular date in the future. Futures are traded in contracts, not shares, and represent a predetermined amount of gold. As this amount can be large (for example, 100 troy ounces x $1,000/ounce = $100,000), futures are more suitable for experienced investors. People often use futures because the commissions are very low, and the margin requirements are much lower than in traditional equity investments. Some contracts settle in dollars while others settle in gold, so investors must pay attention to the contract specifications to avoid having to take delivery of 100 ounces of gold on the settlement date. (For more on this, read Trading Gold And Silver Futures Contracts.)
Options on futures are an alternative to buying a futures contract outright. These give the owner of the option the right to buy the futures contract within a certain time frame at a preset price. One benefit of an option is it both leverages your original investment and limits losses to the price paid. A futures contract bought on margin can require more capital than originally invested if losses mount quickly. Unlike with a futures investment, which is based on the current value of gold, the downside to options is that the investor must pay a premium to the underlying value of the gold to own the option. Because of the volatile nature of futures and options, they may be unsuitable for many investors. Even so, futures remain the cheapest (commissions interest expense) way to buy or sell gold when investing large sums.
Gold Mining Companies
Companies that specialize in mining and refining will also profit from a rising gold price. Investing in these types of companies can be an effective way to profit from gold, and can also carry lower risk than other investment methods.
The largest gold mining companies operate extensive global operations; therefore, business factors common to many other large companies influence their investment success. As a result, these companies can still show profit in times of flat or declining gold prices. One way they do this is by hedging against a fall in gold prices as a normal part of their business. Some do this and some dont. Even so, gold mining companies may provide a safer way to invest in gold than through direct ownership of bullion. However, the research and selection of individual companies requiresdue diligence on the investors part. As this is a time consuming endeavor, it may not be feasible for many investors.
Gold Jewelry
Most of the global gold production is used to make jewelry. With global population and wealth growing annually, demand for gold used in jewelry production should increase over time as well. On the other hand, gold jewelry buyers are shown to be somewhat price sensitive, buying less if the price rises swiftly.
Buying jewelry at retail prices involves a substantial markup – up to 400% over the underlying gold value. Better jewelry bargains may be found at estate sales and auctions. The advantage of buying jewelry this way is that there is no retail markup; the disadvantage is the time spent searching for valuable pieces. Nonetheless, jewelry ownership provides the most enjoyable way to own gold, even if it is not the most profitable from an investment standpoint. As an art form, gold jewelry is beautiful. As an investment, it is mediocre - unless you are the jeweler.
Conclusion
Larger investors, who wish to have direct exposure to the price of gold, may prefer to invest in gold directly through bullion. There is also a level of comfort found in owning a physical asset instead of simply a piece of paper. The downside is the slight premium to the value of gold paid on the initial purchase, as well as the storage costs.
For investors who are a bit more aggressive, futures and options will certainly do the trick. But, buyers should beware: these investments are derivatives of golds price and can see sharp moves up and down, especially when done on margin. On the other hand, futures are probably the most efficient way to invest in gold, except for the fact that contracts must be rolled over periodically as they expire.
The idea that jewelry is an investment is quaint, but naive. There is too much of a spread between the price of most jewelry and its gold value for it to be considered a true investment. Instead, the average gold investor should consider gold oriented mutual funds and ETFs, as these securities generally provide the easiest and safest way to invest in gold.
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A decentralized market of securities not listed on an exchange where market participants trade over the telephone, facsimile or electronic network instead of a physical trading floor. There is no central exchange or meeting place for this market.
Portfolio Mismanagement: 7 Common Stock Errors
Ignorance may be bliss, but not knowing why your stocks are failing and money is disappearing from your pockets is a long way from paradise. In this article, well uncover some of the more common investing faux pas, as well as provide you with suggestions on how to avoid them.
1. Ignoring Catalysts
The financial pundits, trade journals and business schools teach that proper valuation is the key to stock selection. This is only half of the picture because calculating P/E ratios and running cash flow spreadsheets can only show where a company is at a given point in time - it cannot tell us where it is heading.
Therefore, in addition to a quantitative evaluation of a company, you must also do a qualitative study so that you can determine which catalysts will drive earnings going forward.
Some good questions to ask yourself include:
• Is the company about to acquire a very profitable enterprise?
• Is a potential blockbuster product about to be launched?
• Are economies of scale being realized at the companys new plant and are margins about to rise dramatically?
• What will drive earnings and the stock price going forward?
2. Catching the Falling Knife
Investors love to buy companies on the cheap, but far too often, investors buy in before all of the bad news is out in the public domain, and/or before the stock stops its free fall. Remember, new lows in a companys share price often beget further new lows as investors see the shares dropping, become disheartened and then sell their shares. Waiting until the selling pressure has subsided is almost always your best bet to avoid getting cut on a falling knife stock. (To learn more, read How Investors Often Cause The Markets Problems.)
3. Failing to Consider Macroeconomic Variables
You have found a company you want to invest in. Its valuation is superior to that of its peers. It has several new products that are about to be launched, and sales could skyrocket. Even the insiders are buying the stock, which bolsters your confidence all the more.
But if you havent considered the current macroeconomic conditions, such as unemployment and inflation, and how they might impact the sector you are invested in, youve made a fatal mistake!
Keep in mind that a retailer or electronics manufacturer is subject to a number of factors beyond its control that could adversely impact the share price. Things to consider are oil prices, labor costs, scarcity of raw materials, strikes, interest rate fluctuations and consumer spending. (For more on these factors, see Macroeconomic Analysis and Where Top Down Meets Bottom Up.)
4. Forgetting About Dilution
Be on the lookout for companies that are continuously issuing millions of shares and causing dilution, or those that have issued convertible debt. Convertible debt may be converted by the holder into common shares at a set price. Conversion will result in a lower value of holdings for existing shareholders.
A better idea is to seek companies that are repurchasing stock and therefore reducing the number of shares outstanding. This process increases earnings per share (EPS) and it tells investors that the company feels that there is no better investment than their own company at the moment. (You can read more about buybacks in A Breakdown Of Stock Buybacks.)
5. Not Recognizing Seasonal Fluctuations
You cant fight the Fed. By that same token, you cant expect that your shares will appreciate even if the companys shares are widely traded in high volumes. The fact is that many companies (such as retailers) go through boom and bust cycles year in and year out. Luckily, these cycles are fairly predictable, so do yourself a favor and look at a five-year chart before buying shares in a company. Does the stock typically wane during a particular part of the year and then pick up during others? If so, consider timing your purchase or sale accordingly. (To learn more, see Capitalizing On Seasonal Effects.)
6. Missing Sector Trends
Some stocks do buck the larger trend; however, this behavior usually occurs because there is some huge catalyst that propels the stock either higher or lower. For the most part, companies trade in relative parity to their peers. This keeps their stock price movements within a trading band or range. Keep this in mind as you consider your entry/exit points in a stock.
Also, if you own stock in a semiconductor company (for example), understand that if other semiconductor companies are experiencing certain problems, your company will too. The same is true if the situation was reversed, and positive news hit the industry.
7. Avoiding Technical Trends
Many people shy away from technical analysis, but you dont have to be a chartist to be able to identify certain technical trends. A simple graph depicting 50-day and 200-day moving averages as well as daily closing prices can give investors a good picture of where a stock is headed. (To learn about this method, read the Basics Of Technical Analysis.)
Be wary of companies that trade and/or close below those averages. It usually means the shares will go lower. The same can be said to the upside. Also remember that as volume trails off, the stock price typically follows suit.
Lastly, look for general trends. Has the stock been under accumulation or distribution over the past year? In other words, is the price gradually moving up, or down? This is simple information that can be gleaned from a chart. It is truly surprising that most investors dont take advantage of these simple and accessible tools.
The Bottom line
There are a myriad of mistakes that investors can and do make. These are simply some of the more common ones. In any case, it pays to think about factors beyond what will propel the stock you own higher. A stocks past and expected performance in comparison to its peers, as well as its performance when subjected to economic conditions that may impact the company, are some other factors to consider.
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This question must be answered by your broker-dealer. Broker-dealers hold customer orders in their proprietary order books and only they can tell you why your order has not been filled. Possible explanations include: the order may not yet be marketable (at or within the bid/ask spread) or if it is/was marketable, other customer orders at the same price may have been in the order book longer and received execution priority.
12 Things You Need To Know About Financial Statements
Knowing how to work with the numbers in a companys financial statements is an essential skill for stock investors. The meaningful interpretation and analysis of balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements to discern a companys investment qualities is the basis for smart investment choices. However, the diversity of financial reporting requires that we first become familiar with certain general financial statement characteristics before focusing on individual corporate financials. In this article, well show you what the financial statements have to offer and how to use them to your advantage.
1. Financial Statements Are Scorecards
There are millions of individual investors worldwide, and while a large percentage of these investors have chosen mutual funds as the vehicle of choice for their investing activities, a very large percentage of individual investors are also investing directly in stocks. Prudent investing practices dictate that we seek out quality companies with strong balance sheets, solid earnings and positive cash flows.
Whether youre a do-it-yourself or rely on guidance from an investment professional, learning certain fundamental financial statement analysis skills can be very useful - its certainly not just for the experts. Over 30 years ago, businessman Robert Follet wrote a book entitled How To Keep Score In Business (1987). His principal point was that in business you keep score with dollars, and the scorecard is a financial statement. He recognized that a lot of people dont understand keeping score in business. They get mixed up about profits, assets, cash flow and return on investment.
The same thing could be said today about a large portion of the investing public, especially when it comes to identifying investment values in financial statements. But dont let this intimidate you; it can be done. As Michael C. Thomsett says in Mastering Fundamental Analysis (1998):
That there is no secret is the biggest secret of Wall Street - and of any specialized industry. Very little in the financial world is so complex that you cannot grasp it. The fundamentals - as their name implies - are basic and relatively uncomplicated. The only factor complicating financial information is jargon, overly complex statistical analysis and complex formulas that dont convey information any better than straight talk.
What follows is a brief discussion of 12 common financial statement characteristics to keep in mind before you start your analytical journey.
2. What Financial Statements to Use
For investment analysis purposes, the financial statements that are used are the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash flow statement. The statements of shareholders equity and retained earnings, which are seldom presented, contain nice-to-know, but not critical, information, and are not used by financial analysts. A word of caution: there are those in the general investing public who tend to focus on just the income statement and the balance sheet, thereby relegating cash flow considerations to somewhat of a secondary status. Thats a mistake; for now, simply make a permanent mental note that the cash flow statement contains critically important analytical data.
3. Knowing Whats Behind the Numbers
The numbers in a companys financials reflect real world events. These numbers and the financial ratios/indicators that are derived from them for investment analysis are easier to understand if you can visualize the underlying realities of this essentially quantitative information. For example, before you start crunching numbers, have an understanding of what the company does, its products and/or services, and the industry in which it operates.
4. The Diversity of Financial Reporting
Dont expect financial statements to fit into a single mold. Many articles and books on financial statement analysis take a one-size-fits-all approach. The less-experienced investor is going to get lost when he or she encounters a presentation of accounts that falls outside the mainstream or so-called typical company. Simply remember that the diverse nature of business activities results in a diversity of financial statement presentations. This is particularly true of the balance sheet; the income and cash flow statements are less susceptible to this phenomenon.
5. The Challenge of Understanding Financial Jargon
The lack of any appreciable standardization of financial reporting terminology complicates the understanding of many financial statement account entries. This circumstance can be confusing for the beginning investor. Theres little hope that things will change on this issue in the foreseeable future, but a good financial dictionary can help considerably.
6. Accounting Is an Art, Not a Science
The presentation of a companys financial position, as portrayed in its financial statements, is influenced by management estimates and judgments. In the best of circumstances, management is scrupulously honest and candid, while the outside auditors are demanding, strict and uncompromising. Whatever the case, the imprecision that can be inherently found in the accounting process means that the prudent investor should take an inquiring and skeptical approach toward financial statement analysis.
7. Two Key Accounting Conventions
Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are used to prepare financial statements. The sum total of these accounting concepts and assumptions is huge. For investors, a basic understanding of at least two of these conventions - historical cost and accrual accounting - is particularly important. According to GAAP, assets are valued at their purchase price (historical cost), which may be significantly different than their current market value. Revenues are recorded when goods or services are delivered and expenses recorded when incurred. Generally, this flow does not coincide with the actual receipt and disbursement of cash, which is why the cash flow becomes so important.
8. Non-Financial Statement Information
Information on the state of the economy, industry and competitive considerations, market forces, technological change, and the quality of management and the workforce are not directly reflected in a companys financial statements. Investors need to recognize that financial statement insights are but one piece, albeit an important one, of the larger investment information puzzle.
9. Financial Ratios and Indicators
The absolute numbers in financial statements are of little value for investment analysis, which must transform these numbers into meaningful relationships to judge a companys financial performance and condition. The resulting ratios and indicators must be viewed over extended periods to reflect trends. Here again, beware of the one-size-fits-all syndrome. Evaluative financial metrics can differ significantly by industry, company size and stage of development.
10. Notes to the Financial Statements
It is difficult for financial statement numbers to provide the disclosure required by regulatory authorities. Professional analysts universally agree that a thorough understanding of the notes to financial statements is essential in order to properly evaluate a companys financial condition and performance. As noted by auditors on financial statements the accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. Take these noted comments seriously. (For more insight, see Footnotes: Start Reading The Fine Print.)
11. The Auditors Report
Prudent investors should only consider investing in companies with audited financial statements, which are a requirement for all publicly traded companies. Before digging into a companys financials, the first thing to do is read the auditors report. A clean opinion provides you with a green light to proceed. Qualifying remarks may be benign or serious; in the case of the latter, you may not want to proceed.
12. Consolidated Financial Statements
Generally, the word consolidated appears in the title of a financial statement, as in a consolidated balance sheet. Consolidation of a parent company and its majority-owned (more that 50% ownership or effective control) subsidiaries means that the combined activities of separate legal entities are expressed as one economic unit. The presumption is that a consolidation as one entity is more meaningful than separate statements for different entities.
Conclusion
The financial statement perspectives provided in this overview are meant to give readers the big picture. With these considerations in mind, beginning investors should be better prepared to cope with learning the analytical details of discerning the investment qualities reflected in a companys financials.
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Unlike other loans, like for a car or a home, that allow you to pay back a fixed amount every month, when you buy stocks on margin you can be faced with paying back the entire margin loan all at once if the price of the stock drops suddenly and dramatically.
Market Capitalization Defined
You often hear companies or different mutual funds being categorized as small cap, mid cap or large cap. But what do these terms really mean? The cap part of these terms is short for capitalization, which is a measure by which we can classify a companys size. Although the criteria for the different classifications are not strictly bound, it is important for investors to understand these terms, which are not only ubiquitous but also useful for gauging a companys size and riskiness.
Calculating Market Cap
Market capitalization is just a fancy name for a straightforward concept: it is the market value of a companys outstanding shares. This figure is found by taking the stock price and multiplying it by the total number of shares outstanding. For example, if Corys Tequila Corporation (CTC) was trading at $20 per share and had a million shares outstanding, then the market capitalization would be $20 million ($20 x 1 million shares). Its that simple.
Why Its Important
A common misconception is that the higher the stock price , the larger the company. Stock price, however, may misrepresent a companys actual worth. If we look at two fairly large companies, IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), we see that at as of March 18, 2009stock prices were $91.75 and $16.75 respectively. Although IBMs stock price is higher, it has about 1.34 billion shares outstanding, while MSFT has 8.89 billion. As a result of this difference, we can see that MSFTs market cap of $148.91 billion is actually larger than IBMs $122.95 billion. If we compared the two companies by solely looking at their stock prices, we would not be comparing their true values, which are affected by the number of outstanding shares each company has.
The classification of companies into different caps also allows investors to gauge the growth versus risk potential. Historically, large caps have experienced slower growth with lower risk. Meanwhile, small caps have experienced higher growth potential, but with higher risk.
Different Types of Capitalization
While there isnt one set framework for defining the different market caps , here are the widely published standards for each capitalization:
• Mega cap - This group includes companies that have a market cap of $200 billion and greater. They are the largest publicly traded companies such as Exxon (NYSE:XOM). Not many companies will fit in this category, and those that do are typically the leaders of their industries.
• Big/large cap - These companies have a market cap between $10 billion to $200 billion. Many well-known companies fall into this category, including companies like Microsoft, Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and General Electric (NYSE:GE), and IBM. Typically, large-cap stocks are considered to be relatively stable and secure. Both mega and large cap stocks are often referred to as blue chips.
• Mid cap - Ranging from $2 billion to $10 billion, this group of companies is considered to be more volatile than the large- and mega-cap companies. Growth stocks represent a significant portion of the mid caps. Some of the companies might not be industry leaders, but they are well on their way to becoming one.
• Small cap - Typically new or relatively young companies, small caps have a market cap between $300 million to $2 billion. Although their track records wont be as lengthy as those of the mid to mega caps, small caps do present the possibility of greater capital appreciation - but at the cost of greater risk.
• Micro cap - Mainly consisting of penny stocks, this category denotes market capitalizations between $50 million to $300 million fall into this category. The upward potential of these companies is similar to the downside potential, so they do not offer the safest investment, and a great deal of research should be done before entering into such a position.
• Nano cap - Companies having market caps below $50 million are nano caps. These companies are the most risky, and the potential for gain is often relatively small. These stocks typically trade on the pink sheets or OTCBB
Remember, these ranges are not set in stone, and they are known to fluctuate depending on how the market as a whole is performing.
Conclusion
Understanding the market cap is not just important if youre investing directly in stocks. It is also useful for mutual fund investors, as many funds will list the average or median market capitalization of its holdings. As the name suggests, this gives the middle ground of the funds equity investments, letting investors know if the fund primarily invests in large-, mid- or small-cap stocks.
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In the U.S., over-the-counter trading in stock is carried out by market makers using inter-dealer quotation services such as OTC Link (a service offered by OTC Markets Group) and the OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB, operated by FINRA). The OTCBB licenses the services of OTC Link for their OTCBB securities.
Finding The Right Trading Coach
If you have ever thought about getting a trading coach or trading program, or bought a book about trading, this topic may have crossed your mind. If the coach knows so much about trading, why is he or she teaching others? This is an interesting question and relates to the old adage: Those that cant ... teach. Meaning those who were unsuccessful at an endeavor move to the teaching realm to coach others. Many people dont like the idea that a trader who cant make big money should be teaching others. But does your coachs personal success really matter? In other words, is a full-time trader in a better position to help you than someone who no longer trades or has never traded? When we break down the pros and cons you may realize you werent giving some people the credibility they deserve, and were possibly giving too much credit to others. (For general investment information refer to Top 10 Commandments Of Investing.) Arguments for Both Sides
A coach who is a trader will claim to have definite advantage over someone who doesnt trade. This may be true if the coach has the track record to back this claim up, but just because a person is successful at trading does not mean he or she can effectively relay that skill to someone else.
On the other hand, a coach who no longer trades can still provide great benefit if he or she is an effective teacher . A non-trader coach may have been successful as a trader in the past, but has chosen to give up trading. The reasons for this are numerous: some traders prefer coaching to trading, have found trading too stressful, want to help others or have already succeeded and want a new challenge, to list but a few potential reasons. However, it may also be that the trader has failed miserably. At first it may seem that this person would not be a good coach, but this is not necessarily true; we can learn a lot from other peoples failures. In addition, even though someone was unable not implement a certain system themselves due to lack of discipline, psychological or physiological reasons, this does not mean that a different person cant be successful using the same method.
Both sides can likely agree on the fact that in order to coach someone else, a teacher needs to have experience in what students will go through. Essentially, coaches must have market experience in some form or another. The coach needs to know what hurdles students will have to go over, and be able to help them navigate through those obstacles. This does not mean they need to have traded personally, but they will at least have to have been in an environment where they witnessed others trading. Observation can be a great teacher that can lead to the teaching of others.
A Deeper Look
On both sides of the argument there are examples of traders being great and horrible coaches, as well as coaches who no longer trade (or never did) that are fantastic. Think for a moment about a sport. The athletes who play professional sports are the best athletes in the world, and yet they are often coached by someone who has inferior skill. This is OK, because the coach is there to help hone another persons skills. Just because coaches dont have the qualities of a peak performance athlete does not mean they cant pick out and elevate those qualities in others. On the flip side, we have had some amazing talents who could not and cannot effectively pass on whatever it was that made them great athletes.
When we look at trading, or investing , much worth is placed in those who dont actually trade the markets professionally. Market analysts gauge the market using varying tools and methods and relay that information to others. While many analysts may not be traders, some are often very accurate in their market analysis. Having a birds eye view of the unfolding situation allows them to make predictions without an investment in the outcome. These insights are helpful to many traders, even though the information comes from someone who may have never placed a trade.
Never having placed a trade does pose a problem for the trader. The market is constantly moving, and while an analyst may be able to anticipate the direction and magnitude of a move, the gyrations along the way can have the power to wipe a trader out if he or she executes a move at the wrong time. In this case, a student trader would benefit from having the information constructed into something tradeable by a trading coach.
How to Find a Good Coach
With arguments on both sides, there is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to which is better. The bottom line is whether someone gets you the knowledge and skills that you want. If the coach is teaching you in a way you understand and you feel you are getting your moneys worth, that is what counts.
Trading and coaching is a business. Coaches need to recruit students - this is how they make money . Therefore, sales pitches abound across media sources. When seeking to improve your trading, this can be overwhelming. That said, you can often narrow your search down quite quickly by following a few simple guidelines.
1. Dont Focus on a Coachs Personal Results
Dont worry about whether a potential coach was a trader, is a trader or what his or her personal track record is. Personal trading results dont matter; what matters is how a given coachs students are doing. Look for reviews by students about a coach or training program , and if possible contact a few students directly to ask them about their experience.
2. Avoid Getting Emotional
Sales pages are meant for the hard sell. Therefore, sift through sales pages with an analytical mind, not an emotional one. Is there any substantiation to an advertisers claims? People who know the markets know that no one is right all the time, so skip past coaches and programs that promise outlandish results.
3. Consider Your Personality and Style
If you have some experience already, look for someone who meshes with your personality and style. Do you understand the language the coach uses? Does his or her method seem simple and easy to understand? Complex methods can be hard to implement and may not be easily passed from one person to another. Also, if you cant understand what someone else is saying when you are first introduced to their work, it is likely only going to get harder to understand down the road.
Conclusion
Good information, coaching and training programs can be found, but in order to hit on the best possible program, traders need to do some research. This includes finding reviews of any product or service being considered, and touching base with those companies or individuals to see what they have to offer. We can also discard any offers that promise outlandish results or are hard to understand. Trading can be difficult, but learning about it should be much easier - especially if you take the time to seek out the best possible sources.
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Market Orders direct the broker-dealer to immediately execute either a buy or sell order at the current ‘market price’ – the best bid or offer.
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Is Your Broker Ripping You Off?
Despite the over-hyped stories on the news, most financial professionals are honest, hard-working people. After all, cheating clients isnt a good way to build a strong business and generate referrals; as a result, it isnt a common practice.
That said, the world of financial services can be complicated and confusing at the best of times and when you feel like you have a problem with your broker, it can seem even worse. Fortunately, with a little organization and a bit of elbow grease, most problems can be resolved.
The Process
The first step in the process is to contact your broker or financial advisor. Put your concerns in a letter and deliver it in a way that enables you to confirm receipt. Keep a copy for yourself. Many times, simple misunderstandings or miscommunication can be resolved quickly and easily. If the issue is not resolved, your copy of the letter serves as proof of your efforts to address the situation. (For related reading, see Evaluating Your Broker.)
If sending a letter does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, the next step is to contact your brokers boss, generally referred to as a branch manager. Once again, do it in writing. If your complaint is legitimate, the branch manager has every incentive in the world to help you resolve it. Successful firms dont want unhappy clients.
If you still arent satisfied with the response you get, you can contact the firms compliance office. In todays heightened regulatory environment, compliance is something that most firms take very seriously. Send your complaint in writing, along with copies of your earlier letters. Provide details about the issue and the steps that you have taken to resolve it. Give the compliance officer 30 days to respond. Should the issue remain unresolved, the fourth step is to contact the regulators.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees the securities market with a mandate to protect investors. If you file a complaint, the SECs Division of Enforcement will investigate by contacting the parties involved in the issue. In some cases, contact by the SEC leads to dispute resolution. In others, the SEC may take further action, such as filing a lawsuit and/or imposing sanctions. In cases where the company under investigation denies the allegations and no proof exists to contradict the denial, the SEC cannot act in place of a judge. Arbitration or legal action may be required. (To learn more about the SEC, read Policing The Securities Market: An Overview Of The SEC.)
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Previously the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), FINRA is responsible for regulating all securities firms doing business in the United States, including registration of securities professionals, writing and enforcing securities laws, keeping the public informed and administering a dispute resolution platform. FINRAs compliance program is designed to address disputes with brokerage firms and their employees. Federal law gives FINRA the authority to discipline firms and individuals that violate the rules. However, disciplinary action is no guarantee that investors will be compensated for losses. The issues that FINRA addresses include the recommendation of unsuitable investments, unauthorized trading, failure to disclose material facts regarding an investment and unauthorized withdrawals from an investors account. FINRA also provides an investor complaint application that allows individual investors to submit a complaint regarding a brokerage firm or broker who has conducted business improperly.
State Securities Regulator
In the United States, each state has its own securities regulator. Contacting your states regulator is another avenue to explore when a dispute arises.
Understand the System
A significant number of investors set themselves up for disappointment because they dont understand their investments and they dont understand the regulatory system. Losing money on an investment is not always a reason to call for help. You need to read the fine print and make sure you understand everything your advisor has proposed for your portfolio - including the potential for a decline in value - before you agree to make the investment. Buying something that you dont understand and then trying to get your money back if the investment loses money is often a recipe for disaster.
The other important issue to remember is that regulators investigate breaches of industry rules and regulations. They do not assist with the recovery of lost money. Even if you have been the victim of an unscrupulous individual, litigation may be required to recover assets.
Mediation and Arbitration
Mediation is an informal, voluntary process whereby an independent third party facilitates a settlement between the parties involved in a dispute. Mediation is a voluntary process, and the outcome is non-binding.
Arbitration is another option. Some types of securities accounts include an agreement in which both parties agree to settle their differences in arbitration should a dispute arise. If you made such an agreement when you opened your account, the arbitrators will apply the applicable laws to your case. In some instances, the entire dispute is handled through written correspondence and records, so be sure to keep copies of all documents that will be relevant to your case. Arbitration decisions are final and binding.
Litigation - The Last Resort
If you have a legitimate compliant and it remains unresolved after you have followed all of the steps in the process in an effort to address it, contact an attorney. Litigation is often a slow and expensive process, and there is no guarantee that you will get the solution that you are seeking.
A far better choice than litigation is to make every effort to avoid this path altogether. Before you invest, learn about the various types of financial services professionals that are available to assist you. Some upfront research can save you a great deal of heartache, and money, later on.
Minimum Quotation Size Requirements for OTC Equity Securities (FINRA Rule 6433) – FINRA members acting as market makers by submitting quotations into an inter-dealer quotation system must adhere to the minimum size requirements set by FINRA. For example, all quotations with a price less than or equal to $.50 must have a minimum size of 5,000 shares.
7 Common Investor Mistakes
Of the mistakes made by investors, seven of them are repeat offenses. In fact, investors have been making these same mistakes since the dawn of modern markets, and will likely be repeating them for years to come. You can significantly boost your chances of investment success by becoming aware of these typical errors and taking steps to avoid them. (To read about market histories, see The Stock Market: A Look Back, The Bond Market: A Look Back and The Money Market: A Look Back.)
TUTORIAL: Investing 101 For Beginner Investors
1. No Plan
As the old saying goes, if you dont know where youre going, any road will take you there. Solution?
Have a personal investment plan or policy that addresses the following:
• Goals and objectives - Find out what youre trying to accomplish. Accumulating $100,000 for a childs college education or $2 million for retirement at age 60 are appropriate goals. Beating the market is not a goal.
• Risks - What risks are relevant to you or your portfolio? If you are a 30-year-old saving for retirement, volatility isnt (or shouldnt be) a meaningful risk. On the other hand, inflation - which erodes any long-term portfolio - is a significant risk. (To see more on risk, read Determining Risk And The Risk Pyramid and Personalizing Risk Tolerance.)
• Appropriate benchmarks - How will you measure the success of your portfolio, its asset classes and individual funds or managers? (Keep reading about benchmarks in Benchmark Your Returns With Indexes.)
• Asset allocation - What percentage of your total portfolio will you allocate to U.S. equities, international stocks, U.S. bonds, high-yield bonds, etc. Your asset allocation should accomplish your goals while addressing relevant risks.
• Diversification - Allocating to different asset classes is the initial layer of diversification. You then need to diversify within each asset class. In U.S. stocks, for example, this means exposure to large-, mid- and small-cap stocks. (Find out more about allocation and diversification in Five Things To Know About Asset Allocation, Choose Your Own Asset Allocation Adventure and A Guide To Portfolio Construction.)
Your written plans guidelines will help you adhere to a sound long-term policy, even when current market conditions are unsettling. Having a good plan and sticking to it is not nearly as exciting or as much fun as trying to time the markets, but it will likely be more profitable in the long term. (To find out how to make your investment plan, see Having A Plan: The Basis Of Success, Ten Steps to Building A Winning Trading Plan and Tailoring Your Investment Plan.)
2. Too Short of a Time Horizon
If you are saving for retirement 30 years hence, what the stock market does this year or next shouldnt be the biggest concern. Even if you are just entering retirement at age 70, your life expectancy is likely 15 to 20 years. If you expect to leave some assets to your heirs, then your time horizon is even longer. Of course, if you are saving for your daughters college education and shes a junior in high school, then your time horizon is appropriately short and your asset allocation should reflect that fact. Most investors are too focused on the short term.
3. Too Much Attention Given to Financial Media
There is almost nothing on financial news shows that can help you achieve your goals. Turn them off. There are few newsletters that can provide you with anything of value. Even if there were, how do you identify them in advance?
Think about it - if anyone really had profitable stock tips, trading advice or a secret formula to make big bucks, would they blab it on TV or sell it to you for $49 per month? No - theyd keep their mouth shut, make their millions and not have to sell a newsletter to make a living. (To learn more, see Mad Money ... Mad Market? and The Madness Of Crowds.)
Solution? Spend less time watching financial shows on TV and reading newsletters. Spend more time creating - and sticking to - your investment plan.
4. Not Rebalancing
Rebalancing is the process of returning your portfolio to its target asset allocation as outlined in your investment plan. Rebalancing is difficult because it forces you to sell the asset class that is performing well and buy more of your worst performing asset classes. This contrarian action is very difficult for many investors.
In addition, rebalancing is unprofitable right up to that point where it pays off spectacularly (think U.S. equities in the late 1990s), and the underperforming assets start to take off. (Keep reading about this subject in Equity Premiums: Looking Back And Looking Ahead.)
However, a portfolio allowed to drift with market returns guarantees that asset classes will be overweighted at market peaks and underweighted at market lows - a formula for poor performance. The solution? Rebalance religiously and reap the long-term rewards. (Find out how to put this tip to use in Rebalance Your Portfolio To Stay On Track, When Fear And Greed Take Over and Master Your Trading Mindtraps.)
5. Overconfidence in the Ability of Managers
From numerous studies, including Burton Malkiels 1995 study entitled, Returns From Investing In Equity Mutual Funds, we know that most managers will underperform their benchmarks. We also know that theres no consistent way to select - in advance - those managers that willoutperform. We also know that very, very few individuals can profitably time the market over the long term. So why are so many investors confident of their abilities to time the market and select outperforming managers?
Fidelity guru Peter Lynch once observed, There are no market timers in the Forbes 400. Investors misplaced overconfidence in their ability to market-time and select outperforming managers leads directly to our next common investment mistake. (For more insight, see Pick Stocks Like Peter Lynch.)
6. Not Enough Indexing
There is not enough time to recite many of the studies that prove that most managers and mutual funds underperform their benchmarks. Over the long-term, low-cost index funds are typically upper second-quartile performers, or better than 65-75% of actively managed funds.
Despite all the evidence in favor of indexing, the desire to invest with active managers remains strong. John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, says its because, Hope springs eternal. Indexing is sort of dull. It flies in the face of the American way [that] I can do better.
Index all or a large portion (70-80%) of all your traditional asset classes. If you cant resist the excitement of pursuing the next great performer, set aside a portion (20-30%) of each asset class to allocate to active managers. This may satisfy your desire to pursue outperformance without devastating your portfolio.
7. Chasing Performance
Many investors select asset classes, strategies, managers and funds based on recent strong performance. The feeling that Im missing out on great returns has probably led to more bad investment decisions than any other single factor. If a particular asset class, strategy or fund has done extremely well for three or four years, we know one thing with certainty: We should have invested three or four years ago. Now, however, the particular cycle that led to this great performance may be nearing its end. The smart money is moving out, and the dumb money is pouring in. Stick with your investment plan and rebalance, which is the polar opposite of chasing performance.
Conclusion
Investors who recognize and avoid these seven common mistakes give themselves a great advantage in meeting their investment goals. Most of the solutions above are not exciting, and they dont make great cocktail party conversation. However, they are likely to be profitable. And isnt that why we really invest?
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To be quoted on the platform, companies are not required to file with the SEC, although many choose to do so.[6] A wide range of companies are quoted on OTC Markets, including firmly established foreign firms,[7] mostly through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). In addition, many closely held, extremely small and thinly traded US companies have their primary trading on the OTC Markets platform.
5 Popular Portfolio Types
Stock investors constantly hear the wisdom of diversification. The concept is to simply not put all of your eggs in one basket, which in turn helps mitigate risk, and generally leads to better performance or return on investment. Diversifying your hard-earned dollars does make sense, but there are different ways of diversifying, and different portflio types. We look at the following portfolio types and suggest how to get started building them: aggressive, defensive, income, speculative and hybrid. It is important to understand that building a portfolio will require research and some effort. Having said that, lets have a peek across our five portfolios to gain a better understanding of each and get you started.
The Aggressive Portfolio
An aggressive portfolio or basket of stocks includes those stocks with high risk/high reward proposition. Stocks in the category typically have a high beta, or sensitivity to the overall market. Higher beta stocks experience larger fluctuations relative to the overall market on a consistent basis. If your individual stock has a beta of 2.0, it will typically move twice as much in either direction to the overall market - hence, the high-risk, high-reward description.
Most aggressive stocks (and therefore companies) are in the early stages of growth, and have a unique value proposition. Building an aggressive portfolio requires an investor who is willing to seek out such companies, because most of these names, with a few exceptions, are not going to be common household companies. Look online for companies with earnings growth that is rapidly accelerating, and have not been discovered by Wall Street. The most common sectors to scrutinize would be technology, but many other firms in various sectors that are pursuing an aggressive growth strategy can be considered. As you might have gathered, risk management becomes very important when building and maintaining an aggressive portfolio. Keeping losses to a minimum and taking profit are keys to success in this type of portfolio.
The Defensive Portfolio
Defensive stocks do not usually carry a high beta, and usually are fairly isolated from broad market movements. Cyclical stocks, on the other hand, are those that are most sensitive to the underlying economic business cycle. For example, during recessionary times, companies that make the basics tend to do better than those that are focused on fads or luxuries. Despite how bad the economy is, companies that make products essential to everyday life will survive. Think of the essentials in your everyday life, and then find the companies that make these consumer staple products.
The opportunity of buying cyclical stocks is that they offer an extra level of protection against detrimental events. Just listen to the business stations and you will hear portfolios managers talking about drugs, defense and tobacco. These really are just baskets of stocks that these managers are recommending based upon where the business cycle is and where they think it is going. However, the products and services of these companies are in constant demand. A defensive portfolio is prudent for most investors. A lot of these companies offer a dividend as well which helps minimize downside capital losses. (Find out how these securities can protect you from a market bust.
The Income Portfolio
An income portfolio focuses on making money through dividends or other types of distributions to stakeholders. These companies are somewhat like the safe defensive stocks but should offer higher yields. An income portfolio should generate positive cash flow. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLP) are excellent sources of income producing investments. These companies return a great majority of their profits back to shareholders in exchange for favorable tax status. REITs are an easy way to invest in real estate without the hassles of owning real property: vacancy issues, repairs and the other types of issues a landlord faces when trying to rent property. Keep in mind, however, that these stocks are also subject to the economic climate. REITs are groups of stocks that take a beating during an economic downturn, as building and buying activity dries up.
An Income portfolio is a nice complement to most peoples paycheck or other retirement income. Investors should be on the lookout for stocks that have fallen out of favor and have still maintained a high dividend policy. These are the companies that can not only supplement income but also provide capital gains. Utilities and other slow growth industries are an ideal place to start your search. (Find out how this first love still holds its bloom as it ages. To learn more, read Dividends Still Look Good After All These Years.)
The Speculative Portfolio
A speculative portfolio is the closest to a pure gamble. A speculative portfolio presents more risk than any others discussed here. Finance gurus suggest that a maximum of 10% of ones investable assets be used to fund a speculative portfolio. Speculative plays could be initial public offerings (IPOs) or stocks that are rumored to be takeover targets. Technology or healthcare firms that are in the process of researching a breakthrough product, or a junior oil company which is about to release its initial production results, would fall into this category.
Another classic speculative play is to make an investment decision based upon a rumor that the company is subject to a takeover. One could argue that the widespread popularity of leveraged ETFs in todays markets represent speculation. Again, these types of investments are alluring: picking the right one could lead to huge profits in a short amount of time. Speculation may be the one portfolio that, if done correctly, requires the most homework. Speculative stocks are typically trades, and not your classic buy and hold investment.
The Hybrid Portfolio
Building a hybrid type of portfolio means venturing into other investments, such as bonds, commodities, real estate and even art. Basically, there is a lot of flexibility in the hybrid portfolio approach. Traditionally, this type of portfolio would contain blue chip stocks and some high grade government or corporate bonds. REITs and MLPs may also be an investable theme for the balanced portfolio. A common fixed income investment strategy approach advocates buying bonds with various maturity dates, and is essentially a diversification approach within the bond asset class itself. Basically, a hybrid portfolio would include a mix of stocks and bonds in a relatively fixed allocation proportions. This type of approach offers diversification benefits across multiple asset classes as equities and fixed income securities tend to have a negative correlation with one another.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, investors should consider ALL of these portfolios and decide on the right allocation across all five. Here, we have laid the foundation by defining five of the more common types of portfolios. Building an investment portfolio does require more effort than a passive, index investing approach. By going it alone, you will be required to monitor your portfolio(s) and rebalance more frequently, thus racking up commission fees. Too much or too little exposure to any portfolio type introduces additional risks. Despite the extra required effort, defining and building a portfolio will increase your investing confidence, and give you control over your finances.
The OTC market and broker-dealers’ activities in the market are regulated by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and various state securities regulators. As well, companies with SEC-registered securities are regulated by the SEC. OTC Markets Group is neither a stock exchange nor a self-regulatory organization (SRO).
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Rational Ignorance And Your Money
Ignorance is regarded as rational when the cost of information and finding out exceeds the benefits. This is especially true in situations where it would be a waste of time to learn about the particular issue. A classic example of this would be in general elections, where one vote really does not count much. Clearly, however, if everyone thinks this way, there is a problem, but the fact remains that rather than poring over election promises and campaigns for hours, you would do better to invest the time learning more about and managing your portfolio of assets.
The Two Faces of Investor Ignorance
In the world of money, with its countless traps, endless alternatives, conflicts of interest and shady dealers, ignorance is probably less rational than in any other context. However, investors have to contend with two associated problems, which I would term inevitable ignorance and induced ignorance.
Inevitable Ignorance
Inevitable ignorance arises because it is just not possible to know everything about your investments. Clearly, the amount known varies very substantially between investors, due to huge disparities in experience, education, the amount of time people are able and willing to devote to their money, and so on.
However, everyone is ignorant about some aspects of their own investments and of the industry. For instance, nobody knows all there is to know about every company on the New York Stock Exchange, let alone those in France, China, Brazil and the rest of the world, developed, developing and in between. Not to mention, who could possibly know about the management and future prospects of all those thousands of funds out there, ranging from equities, to bonds, to futures and options, to alternative investments and CDs? (Consider yourself a beginner? Need to brush up on the basics? Start with Why You Should Understand The Stock Market.)
Induced Ignorance
Sadly, the wheeler and dealers of the industry are fully aware of this and therefore create ignorance quite deliberately in order to sell things that people would not buy if they were fully informed. It is well documented in the marketing literature that people take advantage of rational ignorance by increasing the complexity of a decision.
The rogues in the investment industry exploit both rational and irrational ignorance by ensuring that products are either so numerous and/or available in so many combinations and permutations that buyers are overwhelmed and find it too much trouble to make an informed decision; they just take their chances and, at worst, way too much risk.
To be fair, some of this complexity is inherent to the products and markets themselves; there are a lot of people selling a lot of things that are not particularly easy to understand. People often dont like having to think and worry about money, so they leave it to others who do not always behave ethically, and who themselves may be ignorant. In the case below, we have a combination of the above factors leading to continued ignorance. (For an additional on dishonesty in the market, check out The Rise Of The Rogue Trader.)
An Information Brochure for Certificates
Precisely because of widespread financial ignorance, advisors and brokers in Germany are obliged to provide a certain type of brochure with certificates and other investments. These are along the lines of what you get with medicine, and the documents are termed just that, Beipakzettel (package brochure). Similar to what you get with pills, information is to be provided on the risks and opportunities, as well as cost and taxation implications.
A study performed in Sept. 2011, however, revealed that this measure does not help much. For starters, there are no guidelines as to who is to provide the brochures, so it usually ends up being the seller.
For the study, a tabloid newspaper article, which is generally considered very understandable, was compared to the financial product brochures for bonus or caped-bonus certificates; they were found to be barely comprehensible. The long, unfamiliar words, complex sentences and clumsy grammar left readers totally perplexed. The literature for the major banks tested varied, but overall the results were extremely poor.
Part of the problem, explained one consultant, was that the providers found themselves in a quandary. On the one hand, they had to provide sufficient information in three pages to convey the relevant issues. On the other hand, they wanted to ensure they were covered legally. This resulted in legalese formulations designed to be legally watertight, but which severely reduced the readability and comprehensibility.
The moral of the story is that even well-intentioned efforts to reduce rational investment ignorance,¬ by making it easy and rational to be informed, can easily fail. So what does this say about bad-faith attempts to sell lousy investments through a smoke screen?
The Bottom Line
In this context, the regulators really do have an important role to play, but it needs to be done better than in the above case. Banks have to resolve the legally watertight vs. readability trade-off. Somehow, they need to get the message across clearly, but without opening themselves up to legal problems.
As always, investors must find out as much as they can, including who to trust, but they also need to understand and accept the limits of what they and others can and do know, and act accordingly. It is certainly advisable to buy only what you understand or trust, but as implied above, eliminating everything you dont understand fully, may mean burying your cash in the garden, which is not a great investment either.
During this 90-day period, an investor may still purchase securities with the cash account, but the investor must fully pay for any purchase on the date of the trade. For more information on the 90-day freeze, please read our investor bulletin “Trading in Cash Accounts – Beware of the 90-Day Freeze under Regulation T,” and the cash account provisions of the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation T.
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Wars Influence On Wall Street
The world of business has always been a harsh, survival-of-the-fittest environment. Like any realm in which there is competition and the threat of losses, the investing world is rife with conflict. So it is not surprising to see so many military terms creeping into the vocabulary of everyday investors or TV analysts. Take a look at the war-related terms that have invaded the corporate ranks.
Scorched Earth
In 1812, Czar Alexander Romanov decimated the French army that Napoleon led against Russia - even though the French had superior numbers, tactics, quality of soldiers, munitions and everything else youd put on your guaranteed-victory checklist. So how did one of the greatest military minds of all time lose in such a horrendous fashion? The simple answer is the Czars scorched-earth policy: as the Russian army retreated, they burned every shelter, animal and plant that would catch fire, effectively leaving the French army without any found supplies to sustain them through a Russian winter. Napoleons previous campaigns relied heavily on the spoils of war to replenish the troops, so he was utterly unprepared for an adversary who would rather destroy his own kingdom than let another take it.
Scorched earth continues to be a terrifying strategy for aggressors to face. In business mergers and acquisitions, not every takeover is welcome. In order to scare off a hostile firm, the target firm will liquidate all its desirable assets and acquire liabilities. However, this approach can prove to be a suicide pill because, even if it is successful, the company must try to reassemble itself or go down in the flames of a self-inflicted fire. (For more on hostile takeover situaitons, read Corporate Takeover Defense: A Shareholders Perspective.)
Blitzkrieg Tender Offer
In the first two years of the World War II, Nazi Germany crushed its opponents all over Europe by means of the Blitzkrieg or lightning war strategy, a set of tightly focused military maneuvers of overwhelming force. Striking with tanks, artillery and planes in one area, the Nazis defeated Frances supposedly impenetrable Maginot Line, which was still accustomed to the traditional front-based warfare.
The Blitzkrieg strategy used in corporate takeovers is a slight departure from the German warfare of the 1940s. A Blitzkrieg tender offer is an overwhelmingly attractive offer a takeover firm makes to a target firm. The offer is designed to be so attractive that objections are few or non-existent, allowing an extremely quick completion of the takeover. This tender offers allusion to the World War II is based only upon the speed of the conquest; there was nothing alluring or attractive about the Nazis Blitzkrieg.
Dawn Raid
When organized warfare and the military were considered gentlemans affairs, a declaration of war, a location and a time would be issued to the adversary. Raids and guerilla warfare were the arenas of savages and rebels, not the tactics of a self-respecting army. However, the American Civil War, the two World Wars, the Vietnam War and the improvement of weaponry obliterated the old code of warfare, and made it commonplace to attack at any time - including dawn, when sleep is still thick in the enemys eyes. Because at day break the level of preparedness is lower, the dawn raid maximized enemy casualties and so became a standard military practice. This logic has carried over to the corporate sector.
A dawn raid in the investing world occurs when a firm (or investor) purchases a large portion of shares in a target firm at the opening of the market. A stock broker for the hostile firm helps the firm build up a substantial stake (and maybe a controlling interest) in the unsuspecting target. The hostile firm significantly lowers its takeover costs by already holding a big chunk of its prey. Because the process is initiated through a brokerage and at the market opening, the target firm doesnt figure out whats going on until its too late. Even though only 15% of a firms stock can be captured in a dawn raid, this percentage is often enough for a controlling interest. (When an individual investor decides to do this, he or she is referred to as a raider.)
A dawn raid is sneakier and more effective than a formal bid in most cases, but it may lead to resentment from the target firm. Unlike the dawn raid in war, the dawn raid of the corporate world makes the people you just attacked before their morning coffee not just your defeated enemies but now a part of your own army, meaning dissent may soon brew in the ranks.
Capitulation
Capitulation is a term that finds its roots in the Medieval Latin word capitulare which means to draw up terms in chapters. Since the 1600s, however, capitulate has been synonymous with surrender, or defeat, usually military defeat. In the stock market , capitulation refers to the surrendering of any previous gains in stock price by selling equities in an effort to get out of the market and into less risky investments. True capitulation involves extremely high volume and sharp declines, which are indicative of panic selling. After capitulation selling, many people believe the market place essentially becomes a bargain store because everyone who wanted out of a stock, for whatever reason (including forced selling due to margin calls), has sold. It follows logically (but only in theory) that the stock price should reverse or bounce off the lows. Simply put, some investors believe that true capitulation is the sign of a bottom. (To learn more, check out Panic Selling - Capitulation Or Crash?)
War Chest and War Bonds
The gathering of a war chest has been around as long as war. Emperors and kings would begin to amass tithes and taxes long before declaring war, presumably placing the funds in a chest (maybe labeled with a note to attack the Dutch or something). The reason for this hoarding was that experienced warriors cost money: mercenaries made up the bulk of the leadership, and peasants, who were conscripted, provided the cannon fodder.
This tradition of saving up to wage war, either aggressively or defensively, has continued on into the modern world of corporate warfare. Simply put, a war chest refers to the funds a company uses to initiate or defend itself against takeovers.
Rather than pulling out of already stretched budgets, the governments of some countries (U.S. included) use war bonds to raise a war chest. War bonds are government-issued debt, and the proceeds from the bonds are used to finance military operations. War bonds essentially fund a war chest that is voluntarily filled by the public. The appeal for these bonds is purely patriotic as they generally offer a return lower than the market rate. Basically, buying a war bond is supposed to make citizens feel like they are doing their part to support the troops - in the World War II, these bonds were hyped by sentimental persuasion and depictions of the evils of the enemy.
War Babies
War babies are quite common all over the world. Children are classified as war babies if they satisfy one or both of the following:
1. They were born or raised during an invasion of their country.
2. They were fathered by foreign soldiers. This was extremely common in Vietnam. In fact, there are still war babies attempting to gain U.S. citizenship.
In contrast, the war babies of the investing world are the companies that enjoy a jump in stock prices during or before a war (traditionally a time of decline for the market). These companies are usually defense contractors who build munitions, aircraft, artillery, tanks, etc. Although these companies arent the bastard children of foreign soldiers, people usually do avoid claiming war babies in times of peace.
Conclusion
Thats that for the military parade down Wall Street . Military terms have crept into many vocabularies and the fiercly competitive realm of finance is no exception.
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Characteristic of some advance fee fraud solicitations and other fraudulent schemes to deceive and defraud unwary investors is the use of websites and e-mail addresses ending in “.us” or “.org” and containing “.gov” as part of the domain address. We are not aware of any U.S. government agency that has a website or e-mail address that ENDS in anything other than “.gov”, “.mil”, or “fed.us”. Accordingly, investors should beware any website or correspondence purporting to be from a U.S. government agency bearing an e-mail address that does not end in “.gov”, “.mil”, or “fed.us”.
Callable CDs: Check The Fine Print
If youre looking for bigger yields with limited risk, callable certificates of deposit (CD ) might be right for you. They promise higher returns than regular CDs and are FDIC insured. However, there are a few things in the fine print that you should be aware of before you turn your money over to the bank or brokerage firm, otherwise, you could end up very disappointed.
Just like a regular CD, a callable CD is a certificate of deposit that pays a fixed interest rate over its lifetime. The feature that differentiates a callable CD from a traditional CD is that the issuer owns a call option on the CD and can redeem, or call, your CD from you for the full amount before it matures. In this article, we will provide you with some important terms to watch for in the fine print of your callable CDs , should you decide to invest.
Important Terms
Callable CDs are similar in many ways to callable bonds.
Callable Date
This is the date that the issuer can call your certificate of deposit . Lets say, for example, that the call date is six months. This means that six months after you buy the CD, the bank can decide whether it wants to take back your CD and return your money with interest. Every six months after the call date, the bank will have that same option again. Well get to why the bank would want to call back the certificate shortly.
Maturity Date
The maturity date is how long the issuer can keep your money. The farther in the future the maturity date, the higher the interest rate you should expect to receive. Make sure you dont confuse maturity date with the call date. For instance, a two-year callable CD does not necessarily mature in two years. The two years refers to the period of time you have before the bank can call the CD away from you. The actual amount of time you must commit your money could be much longer. Its common to find callable CDs with maturities in the range of 15 to 20 years.
To Call, or Not to Call
A change in prevailing interest rates is the main reason the bank or brokerage firm will recall your CD on the callable date. Basically, the bank will ask itself if its getting the best deal possible based on the current interest rate environment. (To learn how interest rate changes affect other investments , see How Interest Rates Affect The Stock Market and Its In Your Interest.)
Interest Rates Decline
If interest rates fall, the issuer might be able to borrow money for less than its paying you. This means the bank will likely call back the CD and force you to find a new vehicle to invest your money in.
Example - Callable CD When Rates Decline
Suppose you have a $10,000 one-year callable CD that pays 5% with a five-year maturity. As the one-year call date approaches, prevailing interest rates drop to 4%. The bank has therefore dropped its rates too, and is only paying 4% on its newly issued one-year callable CDs.
Why should I pay you 5%, when I can borrow the same $10,000 for 4%?, your banker is going ask. Heres your principal back plus any interest we owe you. Thank you very much for your business.
The good news is that you got a higher CD rate for one year. But what do you do with the $10,000 now? Youve run into the problem of reinvestment risk.
Perhaps you were counting on the $500 per year interest ($10,000 x 5% = $500) to help pay for your annual vacation. Now youre stuck with just $400 ($10,000 x 4% = $400) if you buy another one-year callable CD. Your other choice is to try to find a place to put your money that pays 5% such as by purchasing a corporate bond - but that might involve more risk than you wanted for this $10,000 . (For more on the risks of these bonds, see Corporate Bonds: An Introduction To Credit Risk.)
Interest Rates Rise
If prevailing interest rates increase, your bank probably wont call your CD. Why would it? It would cost more to borrow elsewhere.
Example - Callable CD When Rates Rise
Lets look at your $10,000 one-year callable CD again. Its paying you 5%. This time, assume that prevailing rates have jumped to 6% by the time the callable date hits. Youll continue to get your $500 per year, even though newly issued callable CDs earn more. But what if youd like to get your money out and reinvest at the new, higher rates?
Sorry, your banker says, only we can decide if youll get your money early.
Unlike the bank, you cant call the CD and get your principal back - at least not without penalties called early surrender charges. As a result, youre stuck with the lower rate. If rates continue to climb while you own the callable CD, the bank will probably keep your money until the CD matures.
What to Watch For
Whos Selling
Anyone can be a deposit broker to sell CDs. There are no licensing or certification requirements. This means you should always check with your states securities regulator to see whether your broker or your brokers company has any history of complaints or fraud.
Early Withdrawal
If you want to get your money before the maturity date, there is a possibility youll run into surrender charges. These fees cover the maintenance costs of the CD and are put in place to discourage you from trying to withdraw your money early. You wont always have to pay these fees; if you have held the certificate for a long enough period of time these fees will often be waived.
Check the Issuer
Each bank or thrift institution depositor is limited to $100,000 in FDIC insurance. There is a potential problem if your broker invests your CD money with an institution where you have other FDIC insured accounts. If the total is more than $100,000, you run the risk of exceeding your FDIC coverage. (To learn more, read Are Your Bank Deposits Insured?)
Wrap Up: Callable or Non-Callable?
With all of the extra hassle they involve, why would you bother to purchase a callable CD rather than a non-callable one? Ultimately, callable CDs shift the interest-rate risk to you, the investor. Because youre taking on this risk, youll tend to receive a higher return than youd find with a traditional CD with a similar maturity date.
Before you invest, you should compare the rates of the two products. Then, think about which direction you think interest rates are headed in the future. If you have concerns about reinvestment risk and prefer simplicity, callable CDs probably arent for you.
Use this checklist when you are shopping for callable CDs to help you keep track of the important information.
Callable CD Checklist
Traditional CD Callable CD #1 Callable CD #2
Callable Date N/A
Maturity Date
Seller Background
Surrender Fee
Issuer
Interest Rate
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There is a wide range in the quality of issuers whose securities are traded Over the Counter (OTC) - from major international conglomerates to very small, highly speculative companies. Therefore, investors should conduct thorough research prior to making an investment decision.
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FINRA members must report their short interest positions in all OTC Equity Securities mid-month and end-of-month. Short interest reporting brings more transparency to the short selling activities by member firms, and reduces the possibility of manipulative behavior associated with naked short selling.
Human Capital: The Most Overlooked Asset Class
December 11 2011| Filed Under » Investing Basics, Students, Young Investors
When most people think about asset classes, things like stocks, bonds, real estate and commodities come to mind. Investment advisors spend countless hours researching the risk/return profiles and correlations of these common asset classes, in an attempt to construct efficient investment portfolios for their clients.
Tutorial: Basic Financial Concepts
However, if you are a young to middle-aged investor, the importance of these asset classes pales in comparison to an asset class called human capital. Human capital is intangible and cannot be directly purchased or sold. For this reason, it does not get much financial press. If you are between the ages of 18 and 50, or you still act like you are, you may be interested in what human capital can do for you and how you can use it to grow and protect your financial capital.
What Is Human Capital?
If you learned about human capital in business school, it was probably defined from a business owners perspective, but what about from an individual investors perspective? To an individual investor, human capital is the present value of all future wages. When you are young, it is usually the most valuable asset that you own. Human capital is also your best protection against inflation. With a strong professional skill set, you will always command a fair wage, no matter how inflated your local currency becomes.
Anything you do to increase your ability to earn higher future wages could be considered investing in your human capital. The monetary and time-consuming investments that you make early in life, like obtaining a higher education, on-the-job training and learning better social skills, can increase your personal human capital. (To learn more about investing in your human capital, read Invest In Yourself With A College Education and Five Ways To Fund Your College Education.)
How Does It Affect Your Financial Capital Allocation?
Over your lifetime, your human and financial capital should go in opposite directions. As you age, you have the opportunity to use your human capital to increase your financial capital. It is an opportunity because financial capital is not a given; it is earned though wages, savings and smart investment decisions. (For more on this, see Young Investors: What Are You Waiting For?)
During your working career, the risk characteristics of your human capital should affect how you allocate your financial capital. Factors like job stability, income volatility and the industry sector in which you work should all be considered when selecting an asset allocation for your financial capital. Below are two examples of how the risk characteristics of your human capital can affect the asset allocation of your financial capital.
Example 1 - Investing in Company Stock
A highly specialized chemical engineer working in the oil industry would not want to have a portfolio heavily weighted in the energy sector, or even more obviously, her employers stock. Career specialization makes human capital concentrated and risky, from an industry standpoint. As such, the engineer can compensate for this risk by investing her financial capital in industries and companies with little or no correlation to her human capital.
For example, investing more of her financial capital into sectors like health care or telecommunications, could offer diversification and help her better manage the overall risks of her investment portfolio. (Learn more about investing in company stock in Your Employers Stock: Should You Buy In?)
Example 2 - Income Volatility and Investment Risk
A real estate broker would face more human capital risk than a pharmacist. The real estate broker may have a higher appetite for financial risk, but his wages are more volatile, more difficult to replace and less secure than the pharmacists. This extra risk makes the brokers income stream less valuable. All else being equal, he should compensate for this extra human capital risk, by owning a higher percentage of more liquid, less volatile, financial assets, relative to the pharmacists.
Protecting Your Human Capital
Like any other asset class, there are risks associated with your human capital. The two main risks are death or disability risk and professional competency risk.
Death or Disability Risk
When you are a young adult, it is very important to protect your human capital with both life and disability insurance policies. Doing so will protect you and your family against a possible human capital shortfall, due to an untimely death or a career-halting illness. This is especially true if your expected future financial obligations are high. As you get older, your need to hedge your human capital with insurance, should decrease. Decisions regarding protecting your human capital with life and disability insurance should be made in conjunction with the overall asset allocation decisions in your investment portfolio. (To learn more about term life and disability insurance, see Buying Life Insurance: Term Versus Permanent and The Disability Insurance Policy: Now In English.)
Professional Competency Risk
Your ability to earn future wages depends heavily on your professional competency. Becoming too comfortable with your career could pose a hidden risk to your human capital. Like many other valuable assets, human capital needs to be constantly monitored. You should always have goals for life-long learning and should stay current with industry trends and new technologies, to protect against this risk.
The Bottom Line
To young and middle-aged investors, human capital offers inflation protection and is a very important asset that should not be overlooked. All investment decisions should take into account the characteristics of both your human and financial capital. Your human capital should be protected with insurance and always open to further investment, through more education and on-the-job training. Famed investor Warren Buffett once said, The best investment you can make is always in yourself. It has never been a good idea to be on the other side of Mr. Buffetts trade. (To read more about Buffetts ideologies, check out Warren Buffett: The Road To Riches and Think Like Warren Buffett.)
Translating Ticker Talk
Ticker symbols offer quite a bit of information to savvy investors who know what to look for when they see a ticker. In addition to identifying a company, a ticker may indicate the exchange on which a company is traded, whether that company is delinquent in terms of its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, or if a company is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. With so much information available in just a few characters, its imperative that investors learn the basics of stock ticker symbols. Here we translate ticker talk into plain English.
What Is a Ticker?
First and foremost, the word ticker refers to a series of letters or numbers identifying a particular security on a particular exchange. Stock tickers are the most familiar types of ticker symbols, though options, futures contracts and other types of securities also have ticker symbols.
A few examples of stock tickers include:
Figure 1
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You may notice that the number of characters differs for these tickers. For example, why does AT
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There is no central ‘exchange’ in the OTC market; therefore, broker-dealers must communicate and trade directly with other broker-dealers. In order to notify other broker-dealers that they are willing to trade a security at a particular price, broker-dealers post their ‘quotes’ on an Inter-dealer Quotation system such as OTC Link. The aggregation and ranking of these quotes defines the ‘market’ for a security. The highest ‘bid’ (purchase price) and lowest ‘ask or offer’ (sale price) becomes the ‘inside market’ or NBBO – the National Best Bid and Offer.
Top-Down Analysis: Finding The Right Stocks And Sectors
The top-down investment strategy is based on determining the health of the economy (and whether you want to even be investing at that time), the strength of different sectors and then picking the strongest stocks within those sectors to maximize returns. In this article you will learn how to pinpoint the hottest sectors leading the market higher (or lower in a bear market) and how to find stocks within those sectors that will potentially maximize returns.
If your market analysis has determined that the market is in an uptrend and likely to continue for some time, you want to buy stocks that are showing the best potential to be big winners in the uptrend. Just because the market is moving higher does not mean that all stocks will perform well, and some will greatly outperform others. If we are in a bear market and the investor is not opposed to short selling, we can look for stocks that will likely perform the worst, therefore making a nice profit on the short positions as prices fall. For the remainder of this article we will only focus on uptrends, but the same principles apply to downtrends.
Pick the Right Sectors
If the market is moving higher, we can begin to look at different sectors to find which ones will provide us the greatest potential for profits. Certain sectors perform better than others, so if the market is heading higher, we want to buy stocks within sectors that are performing the best. In other words, we want to invest in sectors that are outperforming the overall market.
To find the hottest sectors, we will want to look at several time frames. Looking at two or three time frames will allow us to pick sectors that are not just performing well right now, but that have been showing strength over a longer time frame. The time frames looked at will vary from person to person depending on their overall time frame.
We only want to pick the sector that appears most often at or near the top of the list for top performing sectors. The top two or three sectors can be picked if some diversity is desired. It is within these sectors that we will be placing our investment dollars.
We can also view the charts of sector ETFs. The trend should be defined by a trend line, with the ETF showing strength as it rises off the trendline. But more importantly we want to narrow our focus to specific stocks.
Pick the Right Stocks
We could simply buy a basket of stocks reflecting the entire sector, and this could do reasonably well, but we can do better by just picking the best stocks within that sector. Just because a sector is moving higher does not mean that all stocks in that sector will be great performers, but a few will outperform; those are the ones we want in our portfolio.
One process for finding individual stocks is the same as the process for sector analysis. Within each sector, we want to find the stocks that are showing the greatest price appreciation. Once again, we can look at multiple timeframes to make sure the stock is moving well over time. The stocks that have performed the best over two or three timeframes are the stocks we will buy for our portfolio. Examine the charts of top performers by placing trending lines on the chart. The price trend should be defined and profit objectives based on chart patterns should indicate high gains relative to risk on the upside. (For a complete overview of other major strategies to compare to the technical top down approach, refer to our Stock-Picking Strategies Tutorial.)
It is important to note that there are some other factors to consider when buying a stock. Additional criteria to look at before you buy includes:
• Liquidity: Buying stocks with little volume makes it hard to sell at a fair price if quick liquidation is required. Unless you are a seasoned investor/trader, invest in stocks that trade over a couple hundred thousand shares a day.
• Price: Many investors shy away from high-priced stocks and gravitate towards low-priced stocks. Trade in stocks that are above $5, or preferably higher. This is not to say there are not good cheap stocks, or not bad expensive ones, but do not shy away from a stock just because it is a high price, or buy a stock just because it is cheap in dollar terms.
One additional note is that ETF trading has come a long way in recent years. If you do not want to hold multiple individual stocks, you may be able to find an ETF that will give you reasonably close results. There is no problem buying specific ETFs, if that is preferred, which can reasonably mirror what individual stocks would have been selected.
Exiting and Rotating
While going through this process cannot guarantee that you will make extraordinary returns, it does offer you a good chance to make better-than-market returns. Some monitoring of positions will be required to make sure your sectors and stocks are still in favor with the market. The investor must also be aware of overtrading, which can result in excessive commissions; this why we use multiple timeframes.
If your stocks or sectors begin to fall out of favor across the timeframes in which you were analyzing them, it is time to rotate into the sectors that are performing well. Your overall market analysis will also give you a guide of when you should exit positions. When major trend lines within the stocks being held, or sectors being watched, are broken, it is time to exit and look for new trade candidates. (Learn more about rotating sectors in our article Sector Rotation: The Essentials.)
Summary
This strategy does require some turnover of trades, as sectors and the leading stocks within those sectors will change over time. The object is to be in stocks that are leading the market higher in bull markets, and if you are not opposed to short selling, being short in the weakest stocks that are leading the market lower during bear markets. We do this by finding the hottest sectors (for a bull market) over a period of time and then finding the best performing stocks within that sector. By continually transferring assets into the best performing stocks we stand a good chance to make above average returns.
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The significant majority of broker-dealers quote the securities of SEC-reporting companies on OTC Link because the FINRA OTCBB does not have electronic trading capability. Broker-dealers must use OTC Markets Group’s OTC Link's trade messaging system to trade these securities electronically.
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Inter-dealer Quotation/Trading Systems allow broker-dealers to post and disseminate their ‘quotes’ (prices) to the market place and, in the case of OTC Link, negotiate trades at agreed-upon prices.
Understanding Stock Splits
Say you had a $100 bill and someone offered you two $50 bills for it. Would you take the offer? This might sound like a pointless question, but the action of a stock split puts you in a similar position. In this article we will explore what a stock split is, why its done and what it means to the investor.
What Is a Stock Split?
A stock split is a corporate action that increases the number of the corporations outstanding shares by dividing each share, which in turn diminishes its price. The stocks market capitalization, however, remains the same, just like the value of the $100 bill does not change if it is exchanged for two $50s. For example, with a 2-for-1 stock split, each stockholder receives an additional share for each share held, but the value of each share is reduced by half: two shares now equal the original value of one share before the split.
Lets say stock A is trading at $40 and has 10 million shares issued, which gives it a market capitalization of $400 million ($40 x 10 million shares). The company then decides to implement a 2-for-1 stock split. For each share shareholders currently own, they receive one share, deposited directly into their brokerage account . They now have two shares for each one previously held, but the price of the stock is split by 50%, from $40 to $20. Notice that the market capitalization stays the same - it has doubled the amount of stocks outstanding to 20 million while simultaneously reducing the stock price by 50% to $20 for a capitalization of $400 million. The true value of the company hasnt changed one bit.
The most common stock splits are, 2-for-1, 3-for-2 and 3-for-1. An easy way to determine the new stock price is to divide the previous stock price by the split ratio. In the case of our example, divide $40 by 2 and we get the new trading price of $20. If a stock were to split 3-for-2, wed do the same thing: 40/(3/2) = 40/1.5 = $26.6.
It is also possible to have a reverse stock split: a 1-for-10 means that for every ten shares you own, you get one share. Below we illustrate exactly what happens with the most popular splits in regards to number of shares, share price and market cap of the company splitting its shares.
Whats the Point of a Stock Split?
So, if the value of the stock doesnt change, what motivates a company to split its stock? Good question. There are several reasons companies consider carrying out this corporate action.
The first reason is psychology. As the price of a stock gets higher and higher, some investors may feel the price is too high for them to buy, or small investors may feel it is unaffordable. Splitting the stock brings the share price down to a more attractive level. The effect here is purely psychological. The actual value of the stock doesnt change one bit, but the lower stock price may affect the way the stock is perceived and therefore entice new investors. Splitting the stock also gives existing shareholders the feeling that they suddenly have more shares than they did before, and of course, if the prices rises, they have more stock to trade.
Another reason, and arguably a more logical one, for splitting a stock is to increase a stocks liquidity, which increases with the stocks number of outstanding shares. You see, when stocks get into the hundreds of dollars per share, very large bid/ask spreads can result (see Why the Bid/Ask Spread Is So Important.). A perfect example is Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, which has never had a stock split. At times, Berkshire stock has traded at nearly $100,000 and its bid/ask spread can often be over $1,000. By splitting shares a lower bid/ask spread is often achieved, thereby increasing liquidity.
None of these reasons or potential effects that weve mentioned agree with financial theory, however. If you ask a finance professor, he or she will likely tell you that splits are totally irrelevant - yet companies still do it. Splits are a good demonstration of how the actions of companies and the behaviors of investors do not always fall into line with financial theory. This very fact has opened up a wide and relatively new area of financial study called behavioral finance (see Taking A Chance On Behavorial Finance.).
Advantages for Investors
There are plenty of arguments over whether a stock split is an advantage or disadvantage to investors. One side says a stock split is a good buying indicator, signaling that the companys share price is increasing and therefore doing very well. This may be true, but on the other hand, you cant get around the fact that a stock split has no affect on the fundamental value of the stock and therefore poses no real advantage to investors. Despite this fact the investment newsletter business has taken note of the often positive sentiment surrounding a stock split. There are entire publications devoted to tracking stocks that split and attempting to profit from the bullish nature of the splits. Critics would say that this strategy is by no means a time-tested one and questionably successful at best.
Factoring in Commissions
Historically, buying before the split was a good strategy because of commissions that were weighted by the number of shares you bought. It was advantageous only because it saved you money on commissions. This isnt such an advantage today because most brokers offer a flat fee for commissions, so you pay the same amount whether you buy 10 shares or 1,000 shares. Some online brokers have a limit of 2,000 or 5,000 shares for that flat rate, but most investors dont buy that many shares at once. The flat rate therefore covers most trades, so it does not matter if you buy pre-split or post-split.
Conclusion
The most important thing to know about stock splits is that there is no effect on the worth (as measured by market capitalization) of the company. A stock split should not be the deciding factor that entices you into buying a stock. While there are some psychological reasons why companies will split their stock, the split doesnt change any of the business fundamentals. In the end, whether you have two $50 bills or one $100 bill, you have the same amount in the bank.
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A Beginners Guide To Hedging
Although it sounds like your neighbors hobby whos obsessed with his topiary garden full of tall bushes shaped like giraffes and dinosaurs, hedging is a practice every investor should know about. There is no arguing that portfolio protection is often just as important as portfolio appreciation. Like your neighbors obsession, however, hedging is talked about more than it is explained, making it seem as though it belongs only to the most esoteric financial realms. Well, even if you are a beginner, you can learn what hedging is, how it works and what hedging techniques investors and companies use to protect themselves.
What Is Hedging?
The best way to understand hedging is to think of it as insurance. When people decide to hedge, they are insuring themselves against a negative event. This doesnt prevent a negative event from happening, but if it does happen and youre properly hedged, the impact of the event is reduced. So, hedging occurs almost everywhere, and we see it everyday. For example, if you buy house insurance, you are hedging yourself against fires, break-ins or other unforeseen disasters.
Portfolio managers, individual investors and corporations use hedging techniques to reduce their exposure to various risks. In financial markets, however, hedging becomes more complicated than simply paying an insurance company a fee every year. Hedging against investment risk means strategically using instruments in the market to offset the risk of any adverse price movements. In other words, investors hedge one investment by making another.
Technically, to hedge you would invest in two securities with negative correlations. Of course, nothing in this world is free, so you still have to pay for this type of insurance in one form or another.
Although some of us may fantasize about a world where profit potentials are limitless but also risk free, hedging cant help us escape the hard reality of the risk-return tradeoff. A reduction in risk will always mean a reduction in potential profits. So, hedging, for the most part, is a technique not by which you will make money but by which you can reduce potential loss. If the investment you are hedging against makes money, you will have typically reduced the profit that you could have made, and if the investment loses money, your hedge, if successful, will reduce that loss.
How Do Investors Hedge?
Hedging techniques generally involve the use of complicated financial instruments known as derivatives, the two most common of which are options and futures. Were not going to get into the nitty-gritty of describing how these instruments work, but for now just keep in mind that with these instruments you can develop trading strategies where a loss in one investment is offset by a gain in a derivative.
Lets see how this works with an example. Say you own shares of Corys Tequila Corporation (Ticker: CTC). Although you believe in this company for the long run, you are a little worried about some short-term losses in the tequila industry. To protect yourself from a fall in CTC you can buy a put option (a derivative) on the company, which gives you the right to sell CTC at a specific price (strike price). This strategy is known as a married put. If your stock price tumbles below the strike price, these losses will be offset by gains in the put option. (For more information, see this article on married puts or this options basics tutorial.)
The other classic hedging example involves a company that depends on a certain commodity. Lets say Corys Tequila Corporation is worried about the volatility in the price of agave, the plant used to make tequila. The company would be in deep trouble if the price of agave were to skyrocket, which would severelyeat into profit margins. To protect (hedge) against the uncertainty of agave prices, CTC can enter into a futures contract (or its less regulated cousin, the forward contract), which allows the company to buy the agave at a specific price at a set date in the future. Now CTC can budget without worrying about the fluctuating commodity.
If the agave skyrockets above that price specified by the futures contract, the hedge will have paid off because CTC will save money by paying the lower price. However, if the price goes down, CTC is still obligated to pay the price in the contract and actually would have been better off not hedging.
Keep in mind that because there are so many different types of options and futures contracts an investor can hedge against nearly anything, whether a stock, commodity price, interest rate and currency - investors can even hedge against the weather.
The Downside
Every hedge has a cost, so before you decide to use hedging, you must ask yourself if the benefits received from it justify the expense. Remember, the goal of hedging isnt to make money but to protect from losses. The cost of the hedge - whether it is the cost of an option or lost profits from being on the wrong side of a futures contract - cannot be avoided. This is the price you have to pay to avoid uncertainty.
Weve been comparing hedging versus insurance, but we should emphasize that insurance is far more precise than hedging. With insurance, you are completely compensated for your loss (usually minus a deductible). Hedging a portfolio isnt a perfect science and things can go wrong. Although risk managers are always aiming for the perfect hedge, it is difficult to achieve in practice.
What Hedging Means to You
The majority of investors will never trade a derivative contract in their life. In fact most buy-and-hold investors ignore short-term fluctuation altogether. For these investors there is little point in engaging in hedging because they let their investments grow with the overall market. So why learn about hedging?
Even if you never hedge for your own portfolio you should understand how it works because many big companies and investment funds will hedge in some form. Oil companies, for example, might hedge against the price of oil while an international mutual fund might hedge against fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. An understanding of hedging will help you to comprehend and analyze these investments.
Conclusion
Risk is an essential yet precarious element of investing. Regardless of what kind of investor one aims to be, having a basic knowledge of hedging strategies will lead to better awareness of how investors and companies work to protect themselves. Whether or not you decide to start practicing the intricate uses of derivatives, learning about how hedging works will help advance your understanding of the market, which will always help you be a better investor.
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