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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.
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
5 Economic Effects Of Country Liberalization
August 24 2011| Filed Under » Economics, Economy, International Markets, Investing Basics, Investment
When a nation becomes liberalized, the economic effects can be profound for the country and for investors. Economic liberalization refers to a country opening up to the rest of the world with regards to trade, regulations, taxation and other areas that generally affect business in the country. As a general rule, you can determine to what degree a country is liberalized economically by how easy it is to invest and do business in the country. All developed countries (First World) have already gone through this liberalization process, so the focus in this article is more on the developing and emerging countries. TUTORIAL:Economic Indicators To Know
Removing Barriers to International Investing
Investing in emerging market countries can sometimes be an impossible task if the country youre investing in has several barriers to entry. These barriers can include tax laws, foreign investment restrictions, legal issues and accounting regulations that can make it difficult or impossible to gain access to the country. The economic liberalization process begins by relaxing these barriers and relinquishing some control over the direction of the economy to the private sector. This often involves some form of deregulation and a privatization of companies. (For related reading, seeThe Risks Of Investing In Emerging Markets.)
Unrestricted Flow of Capital
The primary goals of economic liberalization are the free flow of capital between nations and the efficient allocation of resources and competitive advantages. This is usually done by reducing protectionist policies such as tariffs, trade laws and other trade barriers. One of the main effects of this increased flow of capital into the country is that it makes it cheaper for companies to access capital from investors. A lower cost of capital allows companies to undertake profitable projects that they may not have been able to with a higher cost of capital pre-liberalization, leading to higher growth rates.
We saw this type of growth scenario unfold in China in the late 1970s as the Chinese government set on a path of significant economic reform. With a massive amount of resources (both human and natural), they believed the country was not growing and prospering to its full potential. Thus, to try to spark faster economic growth, China began major economic reforms that included encouraging private ownership of businesses and property, relaxing international trade and foreign investment restrictions, and relaxing state control over many aspects of the economy. Subsequently, over the next several decades, China averaged a phenomenal real GDP growth rate of over 10%.
Stock Market Performance
In general, when a country becomes liberalized, the stock market values also rise. Fund managers and investors are always on the lookout for new opportunities for profit, and so a whole country that becomes available to be invested in will tend to cause a surge of capital to flow in. The situation is similar in nature to the anticipation and flow of money into an initial public offering (IPO). A private company that was previously unavailable to an investor that suddenly becomes available typically causes a similar valuation and cash flow pattern. However, like an IPO, the initial enthusiasm also eventually dies down and returns become more normal and more in line with fundamentals.
Political Risks Reduced
In addition, liberalization reduces the political risks to investors. For the government to continue to attract more foreign investment, other areas beyond the ones mentioned earlier have to be strengthened as well. These are areas that support and foster a willingness to do business in the country such as a strong legal foundation to settle disputes, fair and enforceable contract laws, property laws, and others that allow businesses and investors to operate with confidence. Also, government bureaucracy is a common target area to be streamlined and improved in the liberalization process. All these changes together lower the political risks for investors, and this lower level of risk is also part of the reason the stock market in the liberalized country rises once the barriers are gone.
Diversification for Investors
Investors can also benefit by being able to invest a portion of their portfolio into a diversifying asset class. In general, the correlation between developed countries such as the United States and undeveloped or emerging countries is relatively low. Although the overall risk of the emerging country by itself may be higher than average, adding a low correlation asset to your portfolio can reduce your portfolios overall risk profile. (For more, see Does Investing Internationally Really Offer Diversification?)
However, a distinction should be made that although the correlation may be low, when a country becomes liberalized, the correlation may actually rise over time. This happens because the country becomes more integrated with the rest of the world and has become more sensitive to events that happen outside the country. A high degree of integration can also lead to increased contagion risk – which is the risk that crises that occur in different countries cause crises in the domestic country.
A prime example of this is the European Union (EU) and its unprecedented economic and political union. The countries in the EU are so integrated with regard to monetary policy and laws that a crisis in one country has a high probability of spreading to other countries in the EU. This is exactly what happened in the financial crisis that started in 2008-2009. Weaker countries within the EU (such as Greece) began to develop severe financial problems that quickly spread to other EU members. In this instance, investing in several different EU member countries would not have provided much of a diversification benefit as the high level of economic integration in the EU had increased correlations and increased contagion risks to the investor.
The Bottom Line
Economic liberalization is generally thought of as a beneficial and desirable process for emerging and developing countries. The underlying goal is to have unrestricted capital flowing into and out of the country in order to boost growth and efficiencies within the home country. The effects following liberalization are what should interest investors as it can provide new opportunities for diversification and profit.
3 Steps To A Profitable ETF Portfolio
Perhaps no vehicle is helping to change the investment landscape more than the exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs are baskets of individual securities much like mutual funds with two key differences. First, they can be freely traded like stocks, while mutual fund transactions dont occur until the market closes. Secondly, expense ratios tend to be lower than those of mutual funds because many are passively managed vehicles tied to an underlying index or market sector.
The primary benefit of ETFs is that they can be used to construct entire portfolios that can be traded easily. Also, they are usually well diversified because they are designed to replicate a specific index or sector. (To learn how ETFs are formed, see Introduction To Exchange-Traded Funds and An Inside Look At ETF Construction.)
Building an ETF Portfolio
If you are considering building a portfolio with ETFs, here are some simple guidelines:
1. Determine the Right Allocation. Look at your objective for this portfolio, your return and risk expectations, your time horizon, your distribution needs, your tax and legal situations, your personal situation and how this portfolio fits in with your overall investment strategy to determine your asset allocation. (See Three Simple Steps to Building Long-Term Wealth for a more detailed explanation that incorporates a process recommended by the CFA Institute.)
2. Implement your Strategy. Analyze the available funds and determine which ones will best meet your allocation targets. Phase in your purchases over a period of three to six months.
3. Monitor and assess. Once each year, evaluate your portfolios performance and your allocations in light of your circumstances. (To keep reading about allocation, see Asset Allocation Strategies and Choose Your Own Asset Allocation Adventure.)
We will break down each of these steps in the following sections.
Determine the Right Allocation
If you are knowledgeable in investments, you may be able to handle this yourself. If not, seek competent financial counsel. In determining the right allocation, consider the following:
1. What is your objective (purpose) for the portfolio (e.g., retirement versus saving for a childs college tuition)?
2. What are your risk/return objectives?
3. What is your time horizon? The longer it is, the more risk you can take.
4. What are your distribution needs for the portfolio? If you have income needs, you will have to add fixed-income ETFs and/or equity ETFs that pay higher dividends.
5. Do you have any legal or tax issues that will have an impact on allocation?
6. How does this portfolio fit in with your overall plans and unique situation? It is important to know how this portfolio ties in with your other investments and how much of your net worth will be invested in this portfolio.
Finally, consider some data on market returns. Research by Eugene Fama and Kenneth French resulted in the formation of the three-factor model in evaluating market returns. The three-factor model says the following:
1. Market risk explains part of a stocks return. (This indicates that because equities have more market risk than bonds, equities should generally outperform bonds over time).
2. Value stocks outperform growth stocks over time because they are inherently more risky.
3. Small cap stocks outperform large cap stocks over time because they have more undiversifiable risk than their large cap counterparts.
Therefore, investors with a higher risk tolerance can and should allocate a significant portion of their portfolios to smaller cap, value-oriented equities.
Remember that more than 90% of a portfolios return is determined by allocation rather than security selection and timing. Do not try to time the market. Research continually has shown that timing the market is not a winning strategy. (To read more about this subject, see our Financial Concepts tutorial.)
Once you have determined the right allocation for you, you are ready to implement your strategy.
Implement Your Strategy
The beauty of ETFs is that you can select an ETF for each sector or index in which you want exposure.
Once you know the basics, you are ready to select your ETFs. In making your selections, look for products that:
1. Most closely meet your allocation needs for each sector or index
2. Have the most favorable expense ratios
There are a number of product offerings. Following are links to the American Stock Exchange, which has more than 200 listed ETFs, as well as some of the largest ETF managers:
American Stock Exchange:
Managers:
1. Claymore: Offers ETFs designed to provide the investment performance delivered by specialized investment indexes.
2. First Trust: Offers ETFs benchmarked against a number of styles, sectors and special situations.
3. iShares: Owned by Barclays. Offerings across every major domestic index and sector, including fixed income, as well as international ETFs.
4. Powershares: Style, industry, commodity currency specialty access and broad-market ETFs, including the QQQQ (formerly the QQQ).
5. Pro Shares: Uses derivatives, short (selling the asset) and long (buying the asset) index ETFs, including leveraged index ETFs.
6. Rydex: ETFs that seek to capture the performance of equal weighted and segmented indexes and sectors.
7. State Street Global Advisors: Standard and Poors Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), specific sector and index ETFs (including fixed income) and the Streettracks ETFs, as well as tools to help build a portfolio.
8. Van Eck Global: Market Vector brand of ETFs based on special market sectors and countries.
9. Vanguard: Domestic and international index ETFs that cover a range of market segments, investment styles, sectors and industries including bond the bond market.
10. Wisdom Tree: Index ETFs with a fundamental approach toward dividends and core earnings.
The next step is execution. ETFs trade during market hours, so any broker can execute your trades. More often than not, it is prudent to phase in new purchases. Data from The Stock Traders Almanac show that, generally, the equity markets are strongest from November to April and weakest from May to October, which means you may choose to speed up your phase-in time during strong periods and slow it down during weaker months.
Monitor and Assess Your Portfolio
• At least once a year, check the performance of your portfolio. For most investors, depending on their tax circumstances, the ideal time to do this is at the beginning or end of the calendar year. Compare each ETFs performance to that of its benchmark index. Any difference, called tracking error, should be low. If it is not, you may need to replace that fund with one that will invest truer to its stated style.
• Balance your ETF weightings for any imbalances that may have occurred due to market fluctuations. Do not overtrade. A once-annual rebalancing is recommended for most portfolios.
• Do not be deterred by market fluctuations. Stay true to your original allocations. Certain styles will stay out of favor for a while, while others will log abnormally high returns for extended periods.
• Assess your portfolio in light of changes in your circumstances. Keep a long-term perspective. Your allocation will change over time as your circumstances change.
Conclusion
Remember, there are three steps to successfully building a portfolio with ETFs. One, determine the right allocation for you. Two, implement your strategy. And three, monitor and assess your portfolio in the context of your situation. If you follow these steps, you should be able to build a portfolio of ETFs that meets its intended objective.
Pick Stocks Like Peter Lynch
In the early 1980s, a young portfolio manager named Peter Lynch was becoming one of the most famous investors in the world, and for a very understandable reason – when he took over the Fidelity Magellan mutual fund in May of 1977 (his first job as a portfolio manager), the assets of the fund were $20 million. He proceeded to turn it into the largest mutual fund in the world, outperforming the market by a mind-boggling 13.4% per year annualized!
Lynch accomplished this by using very basic principles, which he was happy to share with just about anyone. Peter Lynch firmly believed that individual investors had inherent advantages over large institutions because the large firms either wouldnt or couldnt invest in smaller-capcompanies that have yet to receive big attention from analysts or mutual funds. Whether youre a registered representative looking to find solid long-term picks for your clients or an individual investor striving to improve your returns, well introduce you how you can implement Lynchs time-tested strategy.
The Lynch Philosophy
Once his stellar track record running the Magellan Fund gained the widespread attention that usually follows great performance, Peter wrote several books outlining his philosophy on investing. They are great reads, but his core thesis can be summed up with three main tenets: only buy what you understand, always do your homework and invest for the long run.
1. Only Buy What You Understand
According to Lynch, our greatest stock research tools are our eyes, ears and common sense. Lynch was proud of the fact that many of his great stock ideas were discovered while walking through the grocery store or chatting casually with friends and family. We all have the ability to do first-hand analysis when we are watching TV, reading the newspaper, or listening to the radio. When were driving down the street or traveling on vacation we can also be sniffing out new investment ideas. After all, consumers represent two-thirds of the gross domestic product of the United States. In other words, most of the stock market is in the business of serving you, the individual consumer - if something attracts you as a consumer, it should also pique your interest as an investment.
2. Always Do Your Homework
First-hand observations and anecdotal evidence are a great start, but all great ideas need to be followed up with smart research. Dont be confused by Peter Lynchs homespun simplicity when it comes to doing diligent research – rigorous research was a cornerstone of his success. When following up on the initial spark of a great idea, Lynch highlights several fundamental values that he expected to be met for any stock worth buying:
• Percentage of Sales: If there is a product or service that initially attracts you to the company, make sure that it comprises a high enough percentage of sales to be meaningful; a great product that only makes up 5% of sales isnt going to have more than a marginal impact on a companys bottom line.
• PEG Ratio: This ratio of valuation to earnings growth rate should be looked at to see how much expectation is built into the stock. You want to seek out companies with strong earnings growth and reasonable valuations - a strong grower with a PEG ratio of two or more has that earnings growth already built into the stock price, leaving little room for error.
• Favor companies with a strong cash position and below-average debt-to-equity ratios. Strong cash flows and prudent management of assets give the company options in all types of market environments.
• 3. Invest for the Long Run
Lynch has said that absent a lot of surprises, stocks are relatively predictable over 10-20 years. As to whether theyre going to be higher or lower in two or three years, you might as well flip a coin to decide. It may seem surprising to hear such words from a Wall Street legend, but it serves to highlight how fully he believed in his philosophies. He kept up his knowledge of the companies he owned, and as long as the story hadnt changed, he didnt sell. Lynch did not try to market time or predict the direction of the overall economy.
In fact, Lynch once conducted a study to determine whether market timing was an effective strategy. According to the results of the study, if an investor had invested $1,000 a year on the absolute high day of the year for 30 years from 1965-1995, that investor would have earned acompounded return of 10.6% for the 30-year period. If another investor also invests $1,000 a year every year for the same period on the lowest day of the year, this investor would earn an 11.7% compounded return over the 30-year period.
Therefore, after 30 years of the worst possible market timing, the first investor only trailed in his returns by 1.1% per year! As a result, Lynch believes that trying to predict the short-term fluctuations of the market just isnt worth the effort. If the company is strong, it will earn more and the stock will appreciate in value. By keeping it simple, Lynch allowed his focus to go to the most important task – finding great companies. (To learn more about value investing , see Warren Buffett: How He Does It and What Is Warren Buffetts Investing Style?)
Lynch coined the term tenbagger to describe a stock that goes up in value ten-fold, or 1000%. These are the stocks that he was looking for when running the Magellan fund. Rule No.1 to finding a tenbagger is not selling the stock when it has gone up 40% or even 100%. Many fund managers these days look to trim or sell their winning stocks while adding to their losing positions. Peter Lynch felt that this amounted to pulling the flowers and watering the weeds. (For more information, read Achieving Better Returns In Your Portfolio.)
Conclusion
Even though he ran the risk of over-diversifying his fund (he owned thousands of stocks at certain times), Peter Lynchs performance and stock-picking ability stands for itself. He became a master at studying his environment and understanding the world both as it is and how it might be in the future. By applying his lessons and our own observations we can learn more about investing while interacting with our world, making the process of investing both more enjoyable and profitable.
Trust In Utilities
Utilities become desirable, to both novice and seasoned investors, whenever the market or the economy is going through a downturn. Picking individual utility companies to invest in can be time consuming, and if you choose poorly, you will not take part in the benefits that investing in public utilities can provide.
Mutual funds that specialize in utility companies are most often where investors place their money. They offer instant diversification, but that comes at a price – in the form of management fees, which are normally passed along to investors. Utility trusts that operate or invest in public utilities can be a good alternative for many investors. (For more on mutual fund fees, take a look at Stop Paying High Mutual Fund Fees.)
What Are Utility Trusts?
Utility trusts are a type of income trust that are less growth focused than traditional income trusts. An income trust is simply an investment trust that holds income-generating assets; in this case, it would be utilities. The income produced is passed on to the investors (usually called unitholders). These payments are generally higher than a typical stock dividend because, relative to income trusts, non-income trusts use more of their income to fuel more growth instead of paying it out to shareholders.
Income trusts typically aim to pay out a consistent cash flow to their unitholders. It is important to remember that, like dividend-paying stocks, income trusts do not guarantee a dividend, though they strive to pay one. If the underlying business loses money, the trust can reduce or eliminate payouts altogether.
Understanding Utilities
A public utility is a company or organization that operates and maintains the infrastructure for a public service. Public utility companies are subject to state and government regulation, and can either be privately or publicly owned. The biggest difference between the two is that a privately-owned utility may be listed on a stock exchange. Prices charged by public utility companies are regulated by the state or local government. In order for a public utility to charge higher prices, it needs to get approval from a committee. However, these can often take time and have little to no guarantee that the rate increases will be approved. (To learn more about these companies, be sure to check out the Utilities Industry Handbook.)
Advantages of Utility Trusts
Public utility companies are relatively safe and constant when it comes to dividend return. This predictable dividend makes cash flows similar to a bonds cash flow, and therefore they react similarly to changes in interest rates - but not always. Also, like a bond, a higher yield generally means taking on higher risk. The income produced by the underlying utility companies held in a utility trust is easily passed along to the unit holders. The portfolio for a utility trust usually does not change often, which ensures a steady dividend stream if the underlying companies are stable.
The Government Cloud
When it comes to public utility companies, one cannot escape the role the government plays. Each utility company - whether private or public - has to deal with government regulations and red tape. The biggest trend among government in regards to public utilities is deregulation. As of September 2010, 27 states have either passed legislation or are in the process of restructuring the electric power industry (8 of those have suspended their restructuring for now).
Electric utilities have gone through the most dramatic change due to deregulation. Most public utility companies that deal with electricity no longer generate the power. Instead, they service and maintain the grid the power is delivered on. Private companies are now generating the power and selling it to the public utility companies. Investors thinking about public utilities need to be watchful of government regulations and climate when they choose this field. (To learn more about deregulation, read Free Markets: Whats The Cost?)
One concern when it comes to this sector is that, thus far, governments have been hesitant to allow public utilities to raise rates, which makes it challenging to recoup their investment in capital spending and construction of new plants. Government regulations and the restriction on rate increases is what sent the public service of New Hampshire into Chapter 11 for the construction of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. Keeping an eye on the climate in Washington can help an investor looking to put their money into this sector.
When to Invest
When it comes to utilities, there are better times to buy than others, and its important to remember that public utility companies are considered a defensive play. Tough economic times usually benefit utilities, as people still need water, electricity and natural gas to flow uninterrupted, regardless of the economy.
Also, lower interest rates make the steady and high dividend yields offered by utility companies an attractive place to invest. Those interested in capturing income from their investments look to utility companies as a good place to put their money. Keep an eye on a turning market and rising rates, which typically have an inverse effect on the public utilities stock price. (For more defensive investing, read Guard Your Portfolio With Defensive Stocks.)
Green Movement
One of the biggest risks facing public utility companies is the green energy movement, and electric utility companies are feeling the pressure. Whether they create or buy the electricity, governments want the power to be created from renewable sources. This can be costly to upgrade and, with the existing government reluctance to allow public utility companies to recoup their capital expenditure through raising rates, it can hurt the dividend. Any time funds that could otherwise be paid out to shareholders in the form of dividends are instead used for improvement, lower cash flow to the investor in the short term is inevitable. So be careful if your primary interest is on a steady dividend cash flow from utilities, and the utilities are making a lot of capital expenditures instead of paying it out as dividends.
When it comes to investing in utility trusts, one must look at the portfolio and the underlying companies carefully. The risks common to public utility companies should be screened by investors looking to invest their money with a utility trust. So, if there are risks that can affect the future dividend payout of one of these utilities, steer clear of that utility trust.
Summing It All Up
Utility trusts are a great way to invest in the public utility sector. Public utilities are a great place to invest in during tough economic times and tough market conditions. Their inverse relationship with interest rates means you can still make money when the economy is not doing as well. Trusts offer an investor an easy way to quickly diversify within the public utilities sector without having the costs that are associated with mutual funds. Dividends are paid out quickly to trustees, so earning a steady income is possible.
5 Costs Of Financial Procrastination
As long-time procrastinators will attest, this deferral of something that needs to be done is rarely an isolated instance, and it usually occurs habitually and for trivial reasons.
Procrastination can have a number of undesirable consequences, such as missed deadlines, wasted opportunities and sub-standard work as a result of insufficient time. The costs of procrastination, while substantial, are not easy to quantify.
But what can be quantified – at least to some extent – are the costs associated with putting off decisions and actions when it comes to personal finances and investments. Beware of such financial procrastination, because the price tag of needless delay in this crucial area can be steep.
Five Costs of Financial Procrastination
Broadly speaking, we can classify the costs of financial procrastination in five main areas:
1. Delays in investing
2. Putting off routine investment decisions
3. Tardiness in organizing personal finances
4. Late filing of taxes
5. Procrastinating on major financial decisions
1. Investing Delays
Delays in putting your money to work through investments can eventually end up costing you a lot. Consider the case of two hypothetical investors, Ms. A. Lacrity and Mr. D. Lay, who begin investing $2,000 annually at ages 30 and 40 respectively in a tax-deferred account such as anindividual retirement account (IRA). Lets assume that the long-term average annual rate of return earned by both investors on their investments is 5%. By the time they turn 60, A. Lacritys IRA would have grown to about $132,878, twice the size of D. Lays IRA, as Table 1 shows.
Annual Rate of Return 5.00% 5.00%
Period (years) 30 20
Annual Investment $2,000 $2,000
Total Investment (I) $60,000 $40,000
Total Value (V) $132,878 $66,132
Growth (V – I) $72,878 $26,132
Cost Of Procrastination $26,746
Of course, the fact that A. Lacrity invested an additional $20,000 over 10 years accounts for part of the difference in the two portfolios . But a substantial part of the difference – or $26,746 – can also be attributed to the compounding effect of the $20,000 for the additional 10 years that A. Lacrity has been investing. Another way of looking at this from D. Lays viewpoint is that this $26,746 in incremental growth represents his cost of procrastination for the 10-year period (recall that he commenced investing at age 40, rather than at 30).
Two points need to be noted here:
• The higher the rate of return, the higher the cost of procrastination – According to Ibbotson Associates, the compound annualized return for the S
Going All-In: Comparing Investing And Gambling
How many times during a discussion with friends about investing have you heard someone utter: Investing in the stock market is just like gambling at a casino? Is this adage really true? Lets examine these two activities more closely and see if we can point out some of the key differences and also some surprising similarities.
Investing and gambling both involve risk and choice. Interestingly, both the gambler and the investor must decide how much they want to risk. Some traders typically risk 2-5% of their capital base on any particular trade. Longer-term investors constantly hear the virtues of diversification across different asset classes. This, in essence, is a risk management strategy, and spreading your dollars across different investments will likely help minimize potential losses.
Gamblers must also carefully weigh the amount of capital they want to put in play. Pot odds are a way of assessing your risk capital versus your risk reward: the amount of money to call a bet compared to what is already in the pot. If the odds are favorable, the player is more likely to call the bet. Most professional gamblers are quite proficient at risk management. In both gambling and investing, a key principle is to minimize risk while maximizing profits.
Throwing It in the Pot
Sports betting is probably one of the most common gambling activities in which the average person engages. From the weekly football office pool to the Final Four, sport betting is an American tradition. Only by thinking about your betting habits will you realize that you have no way to limit your losses. If you pony up $10 a week for the NFL office pool and you dont win, you lose all of your capital. When betting on sports (or really any other pure gambling activity), there are no loss-mitigation strategies.
This is a key difference between investing and gambling. Stock investors and traders have a variety of options to prevent total loss of risked capital. Setting stop losses on your stock investment is a simple way to avoid undue risk. If your stock drops 10% below its purchase price, you have the opportunity to sell that stock to someone else and still retain 90% of your risk capital. However, if you bet $100 that the Jacksonville Jaguars will win the Super Bowl this year, you cannot get part of your money back if they just make it to the Super Bowl. Betting on sports is truly a speculative activity which prevents individuals from minimizing losses.
Another key difference between the two activities has to do with the concept of time. Gambling is a time-bound event while an investment in a company can last several years. With gambling, once the game or hand is over, your opportunity to profit from your wager has come and gone. You either have won or lost your capital. Stock investing , on the other hand, can be time-rewarding. Investors who purchase shares in companies that pay dividends are actually rewarded for their risked dollars. Companies pay you money regardless of what happens to your risk capital, as long as you hold on to their stock. Savvy investors realize that returns from dividends are a key component to making money in stocks over the long term.
Playing the Odds
Both stock investors and gamblers look for an edge in order to help enhance their performance. Good gamblers and great stock investors study behavior in some form or another. Gamblers playing poker typically look for cues from the other players at the table, and great poker players can remember what their opponents wagered 20 hands back. They also study the mannerisms and betting patterns of their opponents with the hope of gaining useful information. This information may be just enough to help predict future behavior. Similarly, some stock traders study trading patterns by interpreting stock charts. Stock market technicians try to leverage the charts to glean where the stock is going in the future. This area of study dedicated to analyzing charts is commonly referred to as technical analysis. (To learn more, see our Technical Analysis Tutorial.)
Another difference between investing and gambling is the availability of information. Information is a valuable commodity in the world of poker as well as stock investing. Stock and company information is readily available for public use. Company earnings, financial ratios and management teams can be studied before committing capital. Stock traders who make hundreds of transactions a day can use the days activities to help with future decisions. Nonetheless, stock information is far from perfect, otherwise, there would not be insider trading or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
If you sit down at a Blackjack table in Las Vegas, you have no information about what happened an hour, a day or a week ago at that particular table. You may hear that the table is either hot or cold, but that information is not quantifiable.
Conclusion
The next time you hear someone say that stock investing is the same as playing in a casino, remind them that in fact there are some similarities and some major differences. Both activities involve risk of capital with hopes of future profit. Gambling is typically a short-lived activity, while stock investing can last a lifetime. Some companies actually pay you money in the form of dividends to go along with an ownership stake. In general, most average investors will do better investing in stocks over a lifetime than trying to win the World Series of Poker.
Great Investors Not Named Buffett
Sometimes it feels as though the name Warren Buffett is morphing into something like the legend of Bloody Mary - say his name three times in a column about investing and readers suddenly appear. It is very much worth mentioning, though, that Warren Buffett is simply one example of a successful investor and businessman. Granted, Mr. Buffett is an excellent example of a successful investor, but readers might be interested in considering the approaches and track records of other investors that have enjoyed considerable professional success, but do not necessarily get the same publicity as Warren Buffett. (This esteemed investor rarely changes his long-term investing strategy, no matter what the market does. See Warren Buffetts Bear Market Maneuvers.)
George Soros
Perhaps it would have seemed impossible to imagine as he was living through World War II, but George Soros became one of the most successful investors in history. With a current net worth north of $14 billion, Soros is largely retired as an active investor. However, he established a remarkable record while running the Quantum Group of hedge funds.
Soros is mostly known for his successes in making large bets in the currency and commodity markets. The most famous success story of his career is most likely Britains Black Wednesday currency crisis, where Soros correctly surmised that the country would have to devalue the pound and reportedly made around $1 billion on his positions.
Whereas Buffett is famous for carefully evaluating individual companies and holding those positions for years, Soros was much more inclined to base his investment decisions on what would be considered macroeconomic factors. Whats more, investments in the currency and commodity markets do not lend themselves to multi-decade (or even multi-month) commitments, so Soros was a much more active investor. (George Soros spent decades as one of the worlds elite investors, and even he didnt always come out on top. But when he did, it was spectacular. Check out George Soros: The Philosophy Of An Elite Investor.)
Ronald Perelman
Some will question whether Perelman is properly called an investor. Though no one will dispute that a net worth of approximately $12 billion entitles him to be seen as a significant success in business, Pererlmans activities have centered on acquiring businesses outright, refocusing them on core competencies (often through spin-offs) and then either selling the companies later at a profit or holding onto them for the cashflow they produce. In that latter regard, though, Perelman is not so unlike Buffett - much of Buffetts success can be tied to the prudent acquisition of value-creating businesses within Berkshire Hathaway.
While Perelman has frequently faced criticism for his acquisition tactics and management decisions, he has nevertheless had many successful transactions, including his involvement in Marvel, New World Communications and several thrifts, savings and loans and banks.
John Paulson
With about $16 billion in net worth, John Paulson is arguably the most successful hedge fund investor today. What makes that even more impressive is that he founded Paulson
How To Choose Stocks For Day Trading
Day trading is a specific trading technique where a trader buys and/or sells a financial instrument multiple times over the course of a day, to exploit minute volatility in the assets pricing. While private investors may practice this investment strategy, it is more commonly an institutional phenomenon, as a financial institution can highly leverage its transactions to boost its profitability. As many brokerages allow for trading online, day trading can be conducted from virtually anywhere, with only a few necessary tools and resources. However, day trading is inherently a highly risky investment strategy.
High Liquidity and Volatility
Liquidity, in financial markets, refers to the relative ease with which a security is obtained, as well as the degree by which the price of the security is affected by its trading. Stocks that are more liquid are more easily day traded; moreover, liquid stocks tend to be more highly discounted than other stocks and are, therefore, cheaper. In addition, equity offered by corporations with higher market capitalizations are often more liquid than corporations with lower market caps, as it is easier to find buyers and sellers for the stock in question.
Stocks that exhibit more volatility lend themselves to day trading strategies , as well. For example, a stock may be volatile if its issuing corporation experiences more variance in its cash flows. While markets will anticipate these changes for the most part, when extenuating circumstances transpire, day traders can capitalize on asset mispricing, such as the currently ongoing euro crisis. Uncertainly in the marketplace creates an ideal day trading situation.
Trading Volume and Trade Volume Index (TVI)
The volume of the stock traded is a measure of how many times it is bought and sold in a given time period. This time period is most commonly within a day of trading. More volume indicates interest in a stock, whether that interest is of a positive or negative nature. Oftentimes, an increase in the volume traded of a stock is indicative of price movement that is about to transpire. Day traders frequently use the Trade Volume Index (TVI) to determine whether or not to buy into a stock, which measures the amount of money flowing in and out of an asset.
Financial Services
Financial services corporations provide excellent day-trading stocks. Bank of America, for example, is one of the most highly traded stocks per shares traded per trading session. BoA is a prime candidate for day trading, despite the banking system being viewed with increasing skepticism, as the industry has demonstrated systemic speculative activity, culminating in JP Morgans $2 billion derivative gaffe.
In addition, Bank of Americas trading volume is high, making it a relatively liquid stock. For the same reasons, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan
The 6 Most Common Portfolio Protection Strategies
The key to successful long-term investing is the preservation of capital. Warren Buffett, arguably the worlds greatest investor, has one rule when investing - never lose money. This doesnt mean you should sell your investment holdings the moment they enter losing territory, but you should remain keenly aware of your portfolio and the losses youre willing to endure in an effort to increase your wealth. While its impossible to avoid risk entirely when investing in the markets, these five strategies can help protect your portfolio.
Diversification
One of the cornerstones of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is diversification. In a market downturn, MPT disciples believe a well-diversified portfolio will outperform a concentrated one. Investors create deeper and more broadly diversified portfolios by owning a large number of investments in more than one asset class, thus reducing unsystematic risk. This is the risk that comes with investing in a particular company as opposed to systematic risk, which is the risk associated with investing in the markets generally.
Non-Correlating Assets
According to some financial experts, stock portfolios that include 12, 18 or even 30 stocks can eliminate most, if not all, unsystematic risk. Unfortunately, systematic risk is always present and cant be diversified away. However, by adding non-correlating asset classes such as bonds, commodities, currencies and real estate to a group of stocks, the end-result is often lower volatility and reduced systematic risk due to the fact that non-correlating assets react differently to changes in the markets compared to stocks; when one asset is down, another is up.
Ultimately, the use of non-correlating assets eliminates the highs and lows in performance, providing more balanced returns. At least thats the theory. In recent years, however, evidence suggests that assets that were once non-correlating now mimic each other, thereby reducing the strategys effectiveness. (See why investors today still follow this old set of principles that reduce risk and increase returns through diversification. Check out Modern Portfolio Theory: Why Its Still Hip.)
Leap Puts and Other Option Strategies
Between 1926 and 2009, the S
4 Traits Of A Great Index Fund
The average consumer has likely never heard the name, John Bogle. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group and creator of the first index fund, doesnt get as much love as he deserves from the investing world. The company he founded now has $1.7 trillion under management, but he was forced to retire at the mandatory age of 70 and for many industry professionals, the hope was that his retirement would silence a man who was fiercely critical of the world of mutual funds. That didnt happen.
Bogle has long said that the mutual fund world suffers from high fees and lack of accountability to shareholders, as well as too much turnover within the fund, producing extra taxes and commissions.
However, Bogle isnt just hard on the professionals. He and many others believe that trying to be a better stock picker by selecting individual stocks and trying to buy them at just the right time, is a mathematical impossibility. If everybody is trying to beat the market but everybody is the market, theyre almost trying to outsmart themselves.
SEE: Stop Paying High Mutual Fund Fees
Bogle created the index fund as a means of removing the many variables that are nearly impossible to overcome. He said of the index fund, index funds eliminate the risks of individual stocks, market sectors and manager selection. Only stock market risk remains.
However, even index funds have variables and picking the wrong funds can have the same negative effect on your portfolio as other funds. If youre planning to fill your portfolio with index funds, heres what you should look for in a high-quality fund.
1. Low Expenses
Index funds, by their nature, are low-fee instruments, but even Vanguard has funds like the 500 Index Admiral Shares, with an expense ratio of .05%, and the Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index, which has a 0.50% ratio. Other companies have funds that are even higher.
Picking funds solely based on fees isnt an advisable strategy, but minimizing expenses as much as possible always translates to a higher portfolio balance .
2. Correlation to the Underlying Index
What good is an index fund if it isnt correlated to the market? If the S
A Guide To Investor Fees
Fees are one of the most important determinants of investment performance and something that every investor should focus upon. This article will show why fees are so important, list some of the typical fees investors can expect to pay, and focus on some investment types that generally carry high (and low) fees. (Discover how investment strategies and expense ratios impact your mutual funds returns. Check out Stop Paying High Mutual Fund Fees.) TUTORIAL: Choosing Quality Mutual Funds Why Fees Matter
It is easy for investors to forget about fees when focusing upon other important subjects such as asset allocation or security selection. However, in addition to the overall market movements and an individuals stock picking abilities, the level of fees that investors pay is one of the most important determinants of investor performance.
The following example might astonish you. The numbers below assume that you contribute $3,000 to your retirement account in year one. Each year, as your salary increases, you increase your contribution by $250. So in year two, you contribute $3,250, in year three you contribute $3,500, and in year four you contribute $3,750. You then continue to gradually increase your contributions for the remainder of your career (30 years) and earn an 8% annualized return on your diversified portfolio. Although you earn 8% gross returns, your net return will be reduced by the amount of fees you pay. The higher the fees, the lower the return you actually receive.
The only difference in the investment programs in the chart below is the level of fees - everything else is identical. Look at the difference in the amount that you end up with at retirement, depending upon how much you pay in fees each year. The numbers are nothing short of staggering.
Gross
Return Fees Net
Return Account
Value
Without Fees Account
Value
With Fees Amount
Lost
Due To Fees
8.00% 0.50% 7.50% $648,118.44 $596,477.60 ($51,640.84)
8.00% 0.75% 7.25% $648,118.44 $572,454.51 ($75,663.93)
8.00% 1.00% 7.00% $648,118.44 $549,551.41 ($98,567.03)
8.00% 1.50% 6.50% $648,118.44 $506,887.81 ($141,230.63)
8.00% 2.00% 6.00% $648,118.44 $468,078.69 ($180,039.75)
Source: From Piggybank to Portfolio
A common retirement goal is to be able to withdraw between 3-5% of an investment portfolio each year during retirement. In the scenario above, if two individuals had invested throughout their careers in a similar manner, but one person had paid 0.50% in fees and the other had paid 2.00%, the difference in their annual income during retirement would be more than $5,000 each year. That means that one person would have $420 less each month on which to live, just because they had paid excessive fees on their investment portfolio during their working years. (If you are investing small amounts regularly into an exchange-traded fund, be sure to do it right. See Dollar-Cost Averaging With ETFs.)
Sample Fees
Hopefully, the above example has convinced you of the importance of fees. While it is not always necessary to aim for the lowest possible fees in a portfolio, it is generally a good idea to select investments and investment providers that fall in the range of those available. With that in mind, the matrix below demonstrates some typical fees. (Note: the fees in the matrix below are indicative and are intended to serve as a starting point for further research and analysis.)
Online Brokers Stock Trade ($) Option Trade ($)
Brokerage 1 8.95 8.95 0.75 per contract
Brokerage 2 7.99-9.99 7.99-9.99 0.75 per contract
Brokerage 3 7.95 7.95 0.75 per contract
Brokerage 4 9.99 9.99 0.75 per contract
Brokerage 5 7.00 7.00 1.25 per contract
ETFs Issuer X Issuer Y
S
The Value Investors Handbook
Value investing, and any type of investing for that matter, varies in execution with each person. There are, however, some general principles that are shared by all value investors. These principles have been spelled out by famed investors like Peter Lynch, Kenneth Fisher, Warren Buffet,John Templeton and many others. In this article, we will look at these principles in the form of a value investors handbook.
Buy Businesses
If there is one thing that all value investors can agree on, its that investors should buy businesses, not stocks. This means ignoring trends in stock prices and other market noise. Instead, investors should look at the fundamentals of the company that the stock represents. Investors can make money following trending stocks, but it involves a lot more activity than value investing. Searching for good businesses selling at a good price based on probable future performance requires a larger time commitment for research, but the payoffs include less time spent buying and selling and fewer commission payments. (False signals can drown out underlying trends. Find out how to tone them down and tune them out in Trading Without Noise.)
Love the Business You Buy
You wouldnt pick a spouse based solely on his or her shoes, and you shouldnt pick a stock based on cursory research. You have to love the business you are buying, and that means being passionate about knowing everything about that company. You need to strip the attractive covering from a companys financials and get down to the naked truth. Many companies look far better when you judge them on basic price to earnings (P/E), price to book (P/B) and earnings per share (EPS) ratios than they do when you look into the quality of the numbers that make up those figures.
If you keep your standards high and make sure the companys financials look as good naked as they do dressed up, youre much more likely to keep it in your portfolio for a long time. If things change, youll notice it early. If you like the business you buy, paying attention to its ongoing trials and successes becomes more of a hobby than a chore.
Simple Is Best
If you dont understand what a company does or how, then you probably shouldnt be buying shares. Critics of value investing like to focus on this main limitation. You are stuck looking for businesses that you can easily understand because you have to be able to make an educated guess about the future earnings of the business. The more complex a business is, the more uncertain your projections will necessarily be. This moves the emphasis from educated to guess.
You can buy businesses you like but dont completely understand, but you have to factor in uncertainty as added risk. Any time a value investor has to factor in more risk, he has to look for a larger margin of safety - that is, more of adiscount from the calculated true value of the company. There can be no margin of safety if the company is already trading at many multiples of its earnings, which is a strong sign that, however exciting and new the idea is, the business is not a value play. Simple businesses also have an advantage, as its harder for incompetent management to hurt the company. (For a complete guide to reading the financial reports, check out our Financial Statements Tutorial.)
Look for Owners, Not Managers
Management can make a huge difference in a company. Good management adds value beyond a companys hard assets. Bad management can destroy even the most solid financials. There have been investors who have based their entire investing strategies on finding managers that are honest and able. To quote Buffett, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they dont have the first, the other two will kill you. You can get a sense of managements honesty through reading several years worth of financials. How well did they deliver on past promises? If they failed, did they take responsibility, or gloss it over? (Find out more about Buffetts investing in Warren Buffett: How He Does It.)
Value investors want managers who act like owners. The best managers ignore the market value of the company and focus on growing the business, thus creating long-term shareholder value. Managers who act like employees often focus on short-term earnings in order to secure a bonus or other performance perk, sometimes to the long-term detriment of the company. Again, there are many ways to judge this, but the size and reporting of compensation is often a dead give away. If youre thinking like an owner, you pay yourself a reasonable wage and depend on gains in your stock holdings for a bonus. At the very least, you want a company that expenses its stock options. (Still wondering how to investigate the top brass? Check out Evaluating A Companys Management.)
When You Find a Good Thing, Buy a Lot
One of the areas where value investing runs contrary to commonly accepted investing principles is on the issue of diversification. There are long stretches where a value investor will be idle. This is because of the exacting standards of value investing as well as overall market forces. Toward the end of a bull market, everything gets expensive, even the dogs, so a value investor may have to sit on the sidelines waiting for the inevitable correction. Time, an important factor in compounding, is lost while waiting, so when you do find undervalued stocks, you should buy as much as you can. Be warned, this will lead to a portfolio that is high-risk according to traditional measures like beta. Investors are encouraged to avoid concentrating on only a few stocks, but value investors generally feel that they can only keep proper track of a few stocks at a time.
One obvious exception is Peter Lynch, who kept almost all of his funds in stocks at all times. Lynch broke stocks into categories and then cycled his funds through companies in each category. He also spent upwards of 12 hours every day checking and rechecking the many stocks held by his fund. As an individual value investor with a different day job, however, its better to go with a few stocks for which youve done the homework and feel good about holding long term. (Learn the basic tenets that helped this famous investor earn his fortune in Pick Stocks Like Peter Lynch.)
Measure Against Your Best Investment
Anytime you have more investment capital, your aim for investing should not be diversity, but finding an investment that is better than the ones you already own. If the opportunities dont beat what you already have in your portfolio, you may as well buy more of the companies you know and love, or simply wait for better times. During idle times, a value investor can identify the stocks he or she wants and the price at which theyll be worth buying. By keeping a wish list like this, youll be able to make decisions quickly in a correction.
Ignore the Market 99% of the Time
The market only matters when you enter or exit a position; the rest of the time, it should be ignored. If you approach buying stocks like buying a business, youll want to hold onto them as long as the fundamentals are strong. During the time you hold an investment, there will be spots where you could sell for a large profit and others were youre holding an unrealized loss. This is the nature of market volatility.
The reasons for selling a stock are numerous, but a value investor should be as slow to sell as he or she is to buy. When you sell an investment, you expose your portfolio to capital gains and usually have to sell a loser to balance it out. Both of these sales come with transaction coststhat make the loss deeper and the gain smaller. By holding investments with unrealized gains for a long time, you forestall capital gains on your portfolio. The longer you avoid capital gains and transaction costs, the more you benefit from compounding. (Find out how your profits are taxed and what to consider when making investment decisions in Tax Effects On Capital Gains.)
The Bottom Line
Value investing is a strange mix of common sense and contrarian thinking. While most investors can agree that a detailed examination of a company is important, the idea of sitting out on a bull market goes against the grain. Its undeniable that funds held constantly in the market have outperformed cash held outside the market, waiting for a down market. This is a fact, but a deceiving one. The data is derived from following the performance of indexes like the S
Investing In Emerging Markets
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When it comes to the active versus passive investing debate, to me, its a no-brainer: Im a passive guy.
My entire portfolio consists of a couple of broad-market stock index funds and a bond fund. I dont own any individual stocks and zero funds that try to beat the market. I stay invested in good times and bad and I ignore my portfolio as much as possible, except for annual rebalancing. (In practice, this means I look at it once a week. Thanks a lot, Mint.)
I invest this way not (just) because Im lazy, but because I believe the evidence is overwhelming that a passive approach will outperform the vast majority of active investing strategies over time. Yes, over any given period, some active funds will outperform by a little and a select few will outperform by a lot - theyll sail through a bear market smelling like honey.
Unfortunately, its impossible to know ahead of time which will be the winning funds and you might end up selecting one of the big losers. Oh, and index funds cost less. That means more money for me and less for a money manager .
As Rick Ferri puts it in his book The Power of Passive Investing, theres only a low probability that any fund will achieve superior returns. While its possible, its not probable.
Or take it from author Bill Bernstein: The debate between active and passive management is like the debate between astrology and astronomy, he said in a recent interview.
As you can tell, Im convinced of the superiority of index funds and passive investing to the point of smugness, so I thought it would be good for me to talk with someone who fundamentally disagrees. Jerry Webman is the chief economist at OppenheimerFunds and author of the new investing guide MoneyShift: How to Prosper from What You Cant Control. He dedicates an entire chapter of his new book to building an intelligent argument against my style of investing, and the book is witty and engaging.
Webman and I didnt have time to hash out the entire classic active/passive investing debate, so I wanted to focus on one of his favorite topics: emerging markets. These markets now account for about one-quarter of the stock market wealth outside the U.S., and we both agree that its important for a portfolio to own stocks from emerging economies like Brazil, India, and China. We disagree about the best way to do it, though.
An Emerging Discussion
MoneyShift argues that most investors, including index fund investors, are missing out on buying opportunities in emerging markets. Emerging markets is one of the places where its easiest to make the case for bottom-up active management, Webman told me. You really do have many companies that are not carefully followed, maybe not well-understood, and a careful manager takes the time to figure out what the real market for the company is, and how they fit with the regulatory environment in which they have to work, which might not be fully evolved. It would be foolish to surrender the emerging markets portion of your portfolio to a dumb index fund, Webman argued. I want somebody whos taking a really careful look at it, he said. Theres a lot more value to be added by someone wholl go and do the research in less-understood and less-invested markets.
To put it another way, its hard to learn anything new about an S
10 Books Every Investor Should Read
When it comes to learning about investment, the internet is one of the fastest, most up-to-date ways to make your way through the jungle of information out there. But if youre looking for a historical perspective on investing or a more detailed analysis of a certain topic, there are several classic books on investing that make for great reading. Here we give you a brief overview of our favorite investing books of all time and set you on the path to investing enlightenment. (To find more recommended books, see Investing Books It Pays To Read.)
The Intelligent Investor (1949) by Benjamin Graham
Benjamin Graham is undisputedly the father of value investing. His ideas about security analysis laid the foundation for a generation of investors, including his most famous student, Warren Buffett. Published in 1949, The Intelligent Investor is much more readable than Grahams 1934 work entitled Security Analysis, which is probably the most quoted, but least read, investing book. The Intelligent Investor wont tell you how to pick stocks, but it does teach sound, time-tested principles that every investor can use. Plus, its worth a read based solely on Warren Buffetts testimonial: By far the best book on investing ever written.
Common Stocks And Uncommon Profits (1958) by Philip Fisher
Another pioneer in the world of financial analysis , Philip Fisher has had a major influence on modern investment theory. The basic idea of analyzing a stock based on growth potential is largely attributed to Fisher. Common Stocks And Uncommon Profits teaches investors to analyze the quality of a business and its ability to produce profits. First published in the 1950s, Fishers lessons are just as applicable half a century later.
Stocks For The Long Run (1994) by Jeremy Siegel
A professor at the Wharton School of Business, Jeremy Siegel makes the case for - you guessed it - investing in stocks over the long run. He draws on extensive research over the past two centuries to argue not only that equities surpass all other financial assets when it comes to returns, but also that stock returns are safer and more predictable in the face of the effects of inflation.
Learn To Earn (1995), One Up On Wall Street (1989) or Beating The Street (1994) by Peter Lynch
Peter Lynch came into prominence in the 1980s as the manager of the spectacularly performing Fidelity Magellan Fund. Learn To Earn is aimed at a younger audience and explains many business basics, One Up On Wall Street makes the case for the benefits of self-directed investing, and Beating The Street focuses on how Peter Lynch went about choosing winning stocks (or how he missed them) while running the famed Magellan Fund. All three of Lynchs books follow his common sense approach, which insists that individual investors, if they take the time to do their homework, can perform just as well or even better than the experts.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street (1973) by Burton G. Malkiel
This book popularized the ideas that the stock market is efficient and that its prices follow a random walk. Essentially, this means that you cant beat the market. Thats right - according to Malkiel, no amount of research, whether fundamental or technical, will help you in the least. Like any good academic, Malkiel backs up his argument with piles of research and statistics. It would be an understatement to say that these ideas are controversial, and many consider them just short of blasphemy. But whether you agree with Malkiels ideas or not, it is not a bad idea to take a look at how he arrives at his theories. (For further reading, see What Is Market Efficiency?)
The Essays Of Warren Buffett: Lessons For Corporate America (2001) by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham
Although Buffett seldom comments on his current holdings, he loves to discuss the principles behind his investments . This book is actually a collection of letters that Buffett wrote to shareholders over the past few decades. Its the definitive work summarizing the techniques of the worlds greatest investor. Another great Buffett book is The Warren Buffett Way by Robert Hagstrom. (For further reading, see Warren Buffett: How He Does It and What Is Warren Buffetts Investing Style?)
How To Make Money In Stocks (2003, 3rd ed.) by William J. ONeil
Bill ONeil is the founder of Investors Business Daily, a national business of financial daily newspapers, and the creator of the CANSLIM system. If you are interested in stock picking, this is a great place to start. Many other books are big on generalities with little substance, but How To Make Money In Stocks doesnt make the same mistake. Reading this book will provide you with a tangible system that you can implement right away in your research.
Rich Dad Poor Dad (1997) by Robert T. Kiyosaki
This book is all about the lessons the rich teach their kids about money, which, according to the author, poor and middle-class parents neglect. Robert Kiyosakis message is simple, but it holds an important financial lesson that may motivate you to start investing : the poor make money by working for it, while the rich make money by having their assets work for them. We cant think of a better financial book to buy for your kids.
Common Sense On Mutual Funds (1999) by John Bogle
John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group, is a driving force behind the case for index funds and against actively-managed mutual funds. In this book, he begins with a primer on investment strategy before blasting the mutual fund industry for the exorbitant fees it charges investors. If you own mutual funds, you should read this book. (To learn more, see The Truth Behind Mutual Fund Returns.)
Irrational Exuberance (2000) by Robert J. Shiller
Named after Alan Greenspans infamous 1996 comment on the absurdity of stock market valuations, Shillers book, released in Mar 2000, gives a chilling warning of the dotcom bubbles impending burst. The Yale economist dispels the myth that the market is rational and instead explains it in terms of emotion, herd behavior and speculation. In an ironic twist, Irrational Exuberance was released almost exactly at the peak of the market. (To learn more on this topic, see Understanding Investor Behavior.)
The more you know, the more youll be able to incorporate the advice of some of these experts into your own investment strategy . This reading list will get you started, but it is only a fraction of all the great resources available. Do you have a favorite investing book that weve missed? If so, let us know.
Get A Hold On Mishandled Accounts
Investors often look to professionals to help them navigate the markets and provide a certain level of service, but there are times when they may feel that an account is being mishandled. As tempting as it may be to find someone to blame for monetary losses, they are often the result of market conditions and investors must be prepared for such risks. However, arbitration or other avenues may be warranted if evidence suggests that a broker recommended an unsuitable investment, committed fraud, or charged excessive commissions by churning the account. In this article, well help you to decide whether your account has been mishandled and if you do need to act on the complaint. (To learn more, see Paying Your Investment Advisor - Fees Or Commissions?)
Your First Steps
If you feel that your broker has not acted in your best interest, try to exhaust all possible remedies with the investment company. After quantifying the loss, schedule a meeting with the primary contact at the investment firm to have an extensive discussion, and listen to the brokers side of the story. If this process does not yield adequate information, escalate the complaint to the next level of management until some type of resolution is reached. This may include various outcomes, including simply waiting for the markets to improve to ending all discussions and proceeding with legal action.
If the dispute is with a broker, you probably already agreed to settle through arbitration when you began working with the firm. In this case, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), would handle the arbitration process from start to finish. The groups dispute resolution forum helps resolve matters between investors and securities firms, as well as industry-related issues between individual registered representatives and their firms. (To learn more, see Broker Gone Bad? What To Do If You Have A Complaint and When A Dispute With Your Broker Calls For Arbitration.)
If You Need Legal Representation
As with any potentially lucrative legal proceeding, many legal advisors offer free consultations. Consulting an attorney opens up an outside perspective and can help confirm the appropriate forum for resolving a dispute. This is a good time to begin building a short list of potential litigators, should the need arise. If an arbitration path is appropriate, the list will shrink, as more attorneys handle court cases than arbitration.
While the entire process is simplified in order for any one who has a grievance to file a claim and proceed, the majority of customers pursue their claims in conjunction with a legal team that includes at least one attorney and an expert witness. It is also a good time to set reasonable expectations with potential outcomes and time frames. Do not count on large settlements that include punitive damages, as such generous judgments are rarely rendered. Be prepared to wait months or even years before the arbitration date is set. Depending on the size of the claim and the legal participants, anticipate that arbitration that is not completed in the originally scheduled time frame may be postponed to accommodate participant and panel members schedules.
The Arbitration Process
The table below presents the number of cases handled by FINRA on an annual basis. Typically, the caseload increases in years following volatile financial markets where investors have suffered losses. Caseloads hit historically high levels in 2003, approximately two years after what the tech bubble burst and the stock market plunged.
Year Cases
2002 7,704
2003 8,945
2004 8,201
2005 6,074
2006 4,614
2007 3,238
If arbitration appears to be the best course of action, visit the FINRA website and search pending cases with the investment firm or registered representative in question. The listing will provide a summary and itemization of any pending or closed cases against the firm and its representative or advisor. It will not, however, include every issue or any cases that expunged the record as part of the settlement.
If the search is for a registered investment advisor (RIA) rather than someone who works for a brokerage firm, you will be redirected to the Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) website, or possibly to a state-sponsored site if the advisor is state licensed. If the search is for a registered representative or a brokerage firm, FINRAs BrokerCheck program will search data from the Central Registration Depository (CRD) registration and licensing database, which gathers data reported on industry registration and licensing forms. BrokerCheck reports professional background information on currently registered brokers, registered securities firms and previously registered parties. One section provides vital information regarding events reported at the CRD, which is required by the securities industry registration and licensing process. Any number of financial disclosures can be listed here, including bankruptcies or unpaid liens. The listing might also contain formal investigations, customer disputes, disciplinary actions and criminal charges or convictions.
Filing a Complaint
If you determine that the portfolio was mishandled, the next step is to file a complaint. FINRA suggests doing so as soon as possible to avoid a delay in arbitration or mediation. Mediation, which can serve as a supplement or replacement for arbitration depending on the outcome, is a voluntary process in which both parties can settle their disputes in a non-binding format. For most claims under $25,000, the process is resolved primarily through written statements filed by each party to FINRA. At any point the claimant, respondent, or arbitrator may request a hearing. These smaller cases can be assigned to a single arbitrator and may settle fairly quickly.
Claim amounts greater than $25,000 are usually assigned to a three-person arbitration panel. Because they typically settle in-person and involve more formalities, they tend to take longer. FINRA offers a complete online claim filing process, and this is where most investors get bogged down. While FINRA has streamlined the process for the layman to follow, it is still a legal proceeding with required documents such as the statement of claim. Many frustrated investors will pursue the services of an attorney at this point.
Evaluate Your Progress
This stage of the process is a good time to step back, evaluate your progress, and set time frames and expectations. Keep in mind, however, that the relationship between you and the representative or advisor has changed. While customers sometimes stay with the company against which they have filed claims, most do not. Depending on the claim or loss, they have probably moved to another firm, liquidated their holdings or made other arrangements. The process from this point on becomes a legal proceeding, although it is slightly less formal than a typical court proceeding; you should view this process as a resolution-in-progress.
Conclusion
FINRA provides a framework for licensing, registration, education, monitoring and policing of the brokerage community to ensure the public receives the best service. While the vast majority of financial service professionals provide excellent service, some accounts are mishandled and FINRA has the process available for anyone to pursue what he or she believes is a valid claim. It is important to remember that all decisions made by either the sole arbitrator or the combined panel are binding and that the judgments are enforceable, as they would be in a court. Finally, consider that while the investor has every right to pursue a claim, doing so carries costs such as filing fees, arbitration and/or mediation fees, and if the panel decides a case is frivolous, legal and other costs will apply.
An Introduction To Stock Market Indexes
June 04 2011| Filed Under » Index Fund, Investing Basics, Stocks
Its not unusual for people to talk about the market as if there were a common meaning for the word. But in reality, the many indexes of the differing segments of the market dont always move in tandem. If they did, there would be no reason to have multiple indexes. By gaining a clear understanding of how indexes are created and how they differ, you will be on your way to making sense of the daily movements in the marketplace. Here well compare and contrast the main market indexes so that the next time you hear someone refer to the market, youll have a better idea of just what they mean.
Tutorial: Stock Basics
The Dow
If you ask an investor how the market is doing, you might get an answer that is based on the Dow. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is one of the oldest, most well-known and most frequently used indexes in the world. It includes the stocks of 30 of the worlds largest and most influential companies. The DJIA is whats known as a price weighted index. It was originally computed by adding up the per-share price of the stocks of each company in the index and dividing this sum by the number of companies - thats why its called an average. Unfortunately, it is no longer this simple to calculate. Over the years, stock splits, spin-offs and other events have resulted in changes in the divisor, making it a very small number (less than 0.2).
The DJIA represents about a quarter of the value of the entire U.S. stock market, but a percent change in the Dow should not be interpreted as a definite indication that the entire market has dropped by the same percent. This is because of the Dows price-weighted function. The basic problem is that a $1 change in the price of a $120 stock in the index will have the same effect on the DJIA as a $1 change in the price of a $20 stock, even though one stock may have changed by 0.8% and the other by 5%.
A change in the Dow represents changes in investors expectations of the earnings and risks of the large companies included in the average. Because the general attitude toward large-cap stocks often differs from the attitude toward small-cap stocks, international stocks or technology stocks, the Dow should not be used to represent sentiment in other areas of the marketplace. On the other hand, because the Dow is made up of some of the most well-known companies in the U.S., large swings in this index generally correspond to the movement of the entire market, although not necessarily on the same scale. (For more information on this index, see Calculating The Dow Jones Industrial Average.)
The S
Institutional Knowledge/Research
In spite of regulations meant to level the playing field between individuals and institutions (such as Reg FD, which outlines a companys disclosure responsibilities), institutions often employ teams of seasoned industry analysts. These trained experts typically have many contacts throughout the supply chain and tend to have more frequent contact with a given companys management team than the average individual investor. (Read more about the role of Reg FD in Defining Illegal Insider Trading.)
Not surprisingly, this gives the institutional analysts a far better idea of what is going on at a company or within a given industry. In fact, it is almost impossible for the individual to ever gain the upper hand when it comes to such knowledge.
This relative lack of knowledge about future earnings potential, opportunities for growth, competitive forces, etc. can adversely impact investment results. In fact, a lack of knowledge is another major reason why many individual investors tend to underperform mutual funds over time. (You can piece together your own analysis if you have the right information. Read Do-It-Yourself Analyst Predictions to find out how.)
This is compounded by the fact that analysts can sit and wait for new information ,while the average Joe has to work and attend to other matters. This creates a lag time for individual investors, which can prevent them from getting in or out of investments at the best possible moment.
Keeping Tabs on Institutions Is Tough
Even if an individual has enough money to adequately diversify him- or herself, the willingness to hold positions for an extended period of time and the ability to accurately track and research multiple companies, it is difficult to copy the actions of most institutions.
Why? Because, unlike Berkshire Hathaway, many mutual funds buy and sell stocks with great vigor throughout a given quarter.
In fact, take T. Rowe Price as an example. According to the companys website, its Capital Opportunity Fund (which invests primarily in domestic securities) has a turnover rate of 63.5 as of July 31, 2008. Thats big. This makes positions like these are hard to mimic because even if you had access to databases that track institutional holdings the information is usually updated on a quarterly basis.
What happens in between? Frankly, those looking to mimic the institutions portfolio are left guessing, which is an extremely risky strategy, particularly in a volatile market. (Learn some ways you can keep track of institutional investment activities in Keeping An Eye On The Activities Of Insiders And Institutions.)
Trading Costs Can Be Huge, and Treatment May Vary
By definition, institutions such as mutual funds have more money to invest than the average retail investor. Perhaps not surprisingly, the fact that these funds have so much money and conduct so many trades throughout the year causes retail brokers who service these accounts to fawn over them.
Funds often receive favorable treatment. In fact, its not uncommon for some funds to be charged a penny (or in some cases a fraction of a penny) per share to sell or purchase a large block of stock – whereas individual investors will typically pay 5-10 cents per share.
In addition, even though there are rules to prevent this (and time and sales stamps that prove when certain trade tickets were entered), institutions often see their trades pushed ahead of those of retail investors. This allows them to realize more favorable entry and exit points. (ReadPatience Is A Traders Virtue and A Look At Exit Strategies for a discussion of setting entry and exit points.)
In short, the odds are that the individual, regardless of his or her wealth, will never be able to garner such preferential treatment. Therefore, even if the individual was able to match an institution in terms of holdings and diversification, the institution would probably spend fewer dollars on trades throughout the year, making its investment performance, on a net basis, better overall.
Bottom Line
While it may sound good in theory to attempt to mimic the investment style and profile of a successful institution, it is often much harder (if not impossible) to do so in practice. Institutional investors have resources and opportunities that the individual investor cannot hope to match. Retail investors may benefit more, in the long run, from an investment strategy more suited to their means.
How To Become A Self-Taught Finance Expert
So you want to become a financial expert, but dont know where to start? Have no fear, a wealth of information is at your fingertips, and getting started is easy. From a basic introduction to personal finances to advanced security analysis, anyone interested in learning can get access to the necessary resources. (For more on a career in finance, check out Is A Career In Financial Planning In Your Future?)
For a basic introduction to sound financial concepts, you cant do much better than The Richest Man in Babylon. Its a tiny little book, written in an uncomplicated style. It also captures the wisdom of the ages in an easy to follow manner.
Once youve covered that, the famous For Dummies series provides insight into everything from budgeting to mutual funds. Managing Your Money for Dummies, Budgeting for Dummies and Mutual Funds for Dummies are three titles that will help you expand your knowledge of basic concepts.
By the time you finish those four books, you are likely to have identified specific items that you would like to learn more about. For these inquiries, theres no better place to go for fast, easy access to information that online. Investopedia and similar sites provide access to a wealth of information that will keep you busy for weeks if not months. Investopedias tutorials are particularly notable, as they provide an in-depth look at a wide variety of topics.
Google and other search engines let you hone in on specific topics, and many mutual fund companies and financial services firms offer a wealth of free information. A visit to their websites can reveal everything from general education on a wide array of products to economic forecasts and economic insights from professional market watchers. With a just a little effort, you can even identify and follow comments from your favorite economist, investment strategists, portfolio manager, or other expert.
The library, you local bookstore and multiple online retailers also offer literally thousands of books on every conceivable topic. From financial history and Wall Street villains to hedge fund analysis and day-trading strategies, theres a book (or ten) for every topic of interest. (For more read, Can You Learn The Stock Market?)
Television, Radio and Podcasts Can Help Too
Television broadcasts and/or podcasts are from a variety of experts. At the national level, Suze Orman and other gurus cover the common topics. Kramer and his peers talk stocks. At the local level, your hometown is likely to have an expert or two that you can tune into at no cost. (To read more on gurus, see Investing Quotes You Can Bank On.)
Ready to Step Up Your Game? Hit the Books Again
After you have covered the basics and want a solid overview at a more detailed level, The Wall Street Journal Guide to Investing is a great place to start. When you are done with that, your local library or bookstore will contain a variety of magazines covering both timely and general financial services topics. When you are ready to learn about stock research, Value Line is a great publication that provides an introduction into how you can begin to research and analyze stocks. Some libraries provide access to Value Line for free. If your local library does not, the service is available by subscription. Even if you choose not to conduct your own stock analysis, the Value Line website is worth a visit.
If you make it this far, you are clearly serious about your endeavor. Now its time to make your quest a daily habit. Subscribing to the The Wall Street Journal will give you a daily overview of the issues impacting global business operations. The Journal also has a great Money and Investing section. Barrons is another fine publication read by many professionals in the financial services industry. There are many other top-quality publications dedicated to various aspects of the financial services world. Find one that matches your interests and read it. (Check out, 5 Must-Read Finance Books.)
Talk to the Experts
Once you have solid understanding of the various aspects of the financial services world, it is time to spend some time talking to the experts. Financial services professionals make a living with their expertise and can help you learn about everything from mortgages and debt management to retirement savings and estate planning. Some of these topics are covered in seminars, others in one-on-one consultations. You can even pick up a thing or two just by having an informal conversation. Talk to a professional financial advisor, talk to your banker, talk to your accountant and your attorney. Then listen and learn as they share their knowledge. (For help on locating an advisor, read Advice For Finding The Best Advisor.)
Ready for More?
If you like what you have seen and heard and are ready for more, the CFA Institute (a non-profit organization that offers a range of educational and career resources, including the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) designations) provides access to the curriculum for several of their well-regarded programs for free:
• http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprogram/courseofstudy/Pages/study_sessions.aspx
• http://www.cfainstitute.org/cipm/courseofstudy/curriculum/Pages/index.aspx
The Certified Financial Analyst program is an extremely well regarded curriculum, and the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) Program is the investment industrys only designation dedicated to investment performance analysis and presentation. If articles with titles like Evaluating Portfolio Performance by V. Bailey, Thomas M. Richards and David E. Tierney, and Investment Performance Measurement: Evaluating and Presenting Results, Philip Lawton and Todd Jankowski, eds. (Wiley 2009) capture your interest, the CFA institute has a reading list that you are sure to like. (For help choosing a designation, check out CPA, CFA Or CFP - Pick Your Abbreviation Carefully.)
A Life-Long Pursuit
The financial services field is constantly evolving and changing. Recent decades have seen the rise of unified managed accounts, the development of exchange traded funds, the evolution of annuities and insured investment products and a host of other developments. Change is par for the course as the industry adapts to dynamic economic conditions and changes in what investors want and how they wish to deploy their assets. In this environment, there is always something new to consider, something old to revisit and something interesting just beyond the horizon. Keeping up with the industry is an important part of a financial service professionals life, and continuing education requirements are required for many of these experts to maintain their credentials. What this means for the-self taught expert is that you will always have an opportunity to add to your body of knowledge.
Introduction To International REITs
Investing in real estate investment trusts (REITS) has long been an excellent way for investors to diversify stock portfolios. In 2007, the global real estate market represented more than $900 billion of equity capitalization and was growing, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). For the longest time, publicly-traded real estate investment trusts were only available in the areas like the U.S. or Australia; now, more foreign countries are adopting similar structures.
Tutorial: Exploring Real Estate Investments
If youre an investor who owns U.S. REITs, you are only seeing part of the total picture. In fact, a shift toward an international REIT portfolio may be more suitable. Expanding an investment portfolio to include international real estate could open the door to potential return opportunities while further dampening portfolio risk. As is said in real estate, its all about location, location, location.
Breakdown of Global REIT Market
Before we begin to dissect the characteristics and benefits of investing in foreign REITs, let us first recap the REIT universe as a whole. A REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate properties and/or mortgage loans. The REIT structure is unique in that REITs are given special tax status that allows them to avoid corporate tax, as long as 90% of the income is distributed to investors. Although the REIT structure avoids double taxation to shareholders, tax losses cannot be passed through. (To read more REIT basics, see What Are REITs? and ourExploring Real Estate Investments tutorial.)
The global real estate securities market has grown significantly as both developed and developing countries move to create REIT or REIT-like corporate structures. Prior to 1990, however, only the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia and Luxembourg had adopted REIT-like structures. In 2007, according to Dimensional Fund Advisors, the global REIT market was dominated by the U.S. (55%), Australia, Great Britain and Japan. Therefore, non-U.S. REITS make up almost half of the global REIT market. The global REIT universe continues to expand; therefore, investors who limit their REIT positions to U.S.-only funds will also likely limit their opportunities. (Keep reading on this subject in The Emergence Of Global Real Estate.)
Benefits of REITs
One of the benefits of REITs when compared to direct equity real estate investments is that investors have the ability to more effectively and efficiently diversify their real estate portfolios because REITs tend to be more liquid. Of course, the biggest advantage offered by REITs is the diversification benefit. Investors strive to locate asset classes that offer low correlations to other positions in their portfolios. The lower the correlation, the lower the idiosyncratic risk. (To learn more about the benefits of diversification, see Introduction To Diversification and Risk And Diversification.)
The chart below illustrates the low correlation that REITs have to other U.S. core indexes over an extended period of time.
Monthly Return Correlation Coefficient: January 1979 to December 2006
-- Equity REIT Index S
6 Things To Look For In Earnings Reports
Earnings reports allow current and potential investors to evaluate a companys financial performance. All public companies must follow U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations when filing earnings reports – Form 10-Q for quarterly reports and Form 10-K for annual reports. Form 10-Q is submitted following each of the first three fiscal quarters of each year, and Form 10-K after the fourth quarter.
In addition to these filings, companies typically create an earnings press release – a summary of what is included in the 10-Q or 10-K report. While an earnings press release provides investors with a basic snapshot of a company, investors desiring a more comprehensive and candid look at a companys financial situation should review the SEC filings. Knowing what is included in an earnings report, and which metrics to look for, can help investors more accurately evaluate a companys financial health. (For related reading, see How To Decode A Companys Earnings Reports.)
What Is in an Earnings Report?
Earnings report contains financial and other information relevant to a companys financial situation. The report is broken down into two parts as follows:
Part I. Financial Information
• Item 1. Financial Statements
• Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
• Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
• Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Part II. Other Information
• Item 1. Legal Proceedings
• Item 1A. Risk Factors
• Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
• Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
• Item 4. (Removed and Reserved)
• Item 5. Other Information
• Item 6. Exhibits.
Reading the Report
While the entire earnings report has information that is significant to the investor, certain elements are considered to be of particular importance to investors evaluating the financial health of a company in which they are already invested or that is a potential investment.
Earnings
Earnings refers to the amount of profit that a company generates during a specific period, and is one of the most studied metrics on a companys financial statement. Earnings are an important metric because they indicate the companys profitability.
Revenues
Revenue is the amount of money that a company receives due to its business activities over a specific period. Revenues that continually increase show positive growth, and earnings typically follow.
Expenses
Expenses are the costs associated with conducting business, and include employee wages, leases and depreciation. As a company grows, its expenses tend to increase correspondingly, so increasing expenses are not necessarily a bad thing. However, when expenses continually grow, as a percentage, more rapidly than revenues and profits, then there may be a problem.
Earnings per Share (EPS)
Earnings per share is important in determining a shares price. It is the portion of a companys profit assigned to each outstanding share of the companys common stock. The value, calculated as Net Income - Dividends on Preferred Stock ÷ Average Outstanding Shares, acts as a gauge of a companys profitability.
Management Discussion and Analysis
Part I also contains the managements take on the financial health of the company. This can include an overview, a discussion comparing the most recent quarter with year-to-date performance and previous quarters, information regarding risks the company is facing, and forward-looking statements. Many CEOs will provide an assessment of where they see their businesses headed. These appraisals, whether carefully optimistic or openly pessimistic, can have an immediate effect on the stocks price. (For additional reading, see Can Earnings Guidance Accurately Predict The Future?)
Risk Factors
Part II of the earnings report contains Item I: Legal Proceedings, and this is where any outstanding lawsuits are reports. Many lawsuits are settled out of court as nuisance claims, but major ones can have a negative effect on the company. Item IA: Risk Factors details any unusual risk to which the company is vulnerable, such as risks associated with new business activity or a proposed change in corporate structure. Extraordinary events, such as natural disasters, are typically overlooked by analysts, since they are unlikely to happen again.
The Bottom Line
While individual metrics, such as revenue, earnings per share and earnings before interest and tax, are important, comparing current performance to that of the previous period, and that of the same period during previous years, is essential. A company is a work in progress, and its performance over time can be a good indicator of its financial health, its ability to adapt to changing market conditions, the productivity of its management and its prospects for future growth.
10 Tips For Choosing An Online Broker
One of the most important investment decisions youll make has nothing to do with stocks, bonds or mutual funds. This crucial decision is picking a broker. There are dozens of companies offering brokerage services on the internet , and many of them are just as good or better than traditional, brick-and-mortar businesses, but how to decide which one is best for you?
Here are 10 critical factors youll want to consider:
1. Discount is not always a good deal. Consider starting out with a full-service broker. They are often best for novice investors who may still need to build confidence and knowledge of the markets. As you become a more sophisticated investor, you can graduate into investing more of your money yourself.
2. Availability is key. Try hitting the companys website at different times throughout the day, especially during peak trading hours. Watch how fast their site loads and check some of the links to ensure there are no technical difficulties.
3. Alternative trading provides flexibility. Although we all love the net, we cant always be at our computers. Check to see what other options the firm offers for placing trades. Other alternatives may include touch-tone telephone trades, fax ordering, or doing it the low-tech way - talking to a broker over the phone. Word to the wise: make sure you take note of the prices for these alternatives; they will often differ from an online trade .
4. The brokers background matters. What are others saying about the brokerage? Just as you should do your research before buying a stock, you should find out as much as possible about your broker . (To learn more, check out Picking Your First Broker.)
5. Price isnt everything. Remember the saying you get what you pay for? As with anything you buy, the price may be indicative of the quality. Dont open an account with a broker simply because it offers the lowest commission cost. Advertised rates for companies vary between zero and $40 per trade, with the average around $20. There may be fine print in the ad specifying which services the advertised rate will actually entitle you to. In most cases, there will be higher fees for limit orders, options and those trades over the phone with your broker. You might find that the advertised commission rate may not apply to the type of trade you want to execute.
6. Minimum deposits may not be minimal. See how much of an initial deposit the firm requires for opening an account. Beware of high minimum balances: some companies require as much as $10,000 to start. This might be fine for some investors, but not others.
7. Product selection is important. When choosing a brokerage, most people are probably thinking primarily about buying stocks . Remember there are also many investment alternatives that arent necessarily offered by every company. This includes CDs, municipal bonds, futures,options and even gold/silver certificates. Many brokerages also offer other financial services , such as checking accounts and credit cards.
8. Customer service counts. There is nothing more exasperating than sitting on hold for 20 minutes waiting to get help. Before you open an account, call the companys help desk with a fake question to test how long it takes to get a response.
9. Return on cash is money in the bank. You are likely to always have some cash in your brokerage account. Some brokerages will offer 3-5% interest on this money, while others wont offer you a dime. Phone or email the brokerage to find out what it offers. In fact, this is a good question to ask while youre testing its customer service!
10. Extras can make a difference. Be on the lookout for extra goodies offered by brokerages to people thinking of opening an account. Dont base your decision entirely on the $100 in free trades, but do keep this in mind.
The Bottom Line
With a click of the mouse, from just about anywhere in the world, you can buy and sell stocks using an online broker. The right tools for the trade are key to every successful venture; finding success in the market begins with choosing the right broker.
Key Reasons To Invest In Real Estate
The global economic recession of 2008 is often linked to the United States housing bubble and subprime mortgages. In the aftermath of the recession, there was much negative sentiment over the real estate sector and few were inclined to consider investments into the sector, in a positive sense.
However, real estate investment is simply the purchase of a future income stream from property and quite undeserving of the tarnish to its reputation. Here are some of the key reasons to invest in real estate. (For a complete look back at the mortgage meltdown, check out ourInvestopedia Special Feature – Subprime Mortgages.)
Competitive Risk-Adjusted Returns
Based on data from the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), private market commercial real estate returned an average of 8.4% over the 10-year period from 2000 to 2010. This credible performance was achieved, together with low volatility relative to equities and bonds, for highly competitive risk-adjusted returns.
Critics would argue that the low volatility characteristic of real estate is the result of infrequent real estate transactions. This means that property values are often determined by third-party appraisals, which tend to lag the market. The infrequent transactions and appraisals result in a smoothing of returns, as reported property values underestimate market values in an upturn and overestimate market values in a downturn.
While its true that historic estimates of real estate volatility should be adjusted upward, real time markets are vulnerable to sudden unexpected shocks. A good example of this would be the Flash Crash of May 2010, when $1 trillion in stock market value was erased in just 15 minutes. In an environment where market volatility is an issue and the dynamics of algorithmic trading are murky, the more stable pricing of real estate is attractive. (For more, see Did ETFs Cause The Flash Crash?)
NCREIF U.S. National Property Index Returns
Source: NCREIF, http://www.ncreif.org/property-index-returns.aspx, 14 July 2011
High Tangible Asset Value
Unlike stocks and, to some extent, bonds, an investment in real estate is backed by a high level of brick and mortar. This helps reduce the principal-agent conflict, or the extent to which the interest of the investor is dependent on the integrity and competence of managers and debtors. Even real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are listed real estate securities, often have regulations that mandate a minimum percentage of profits be paid out as dividends.
Attractive and Stable Income Return
A key feature of real estate investment is the significant proportion of total return, accruing from rental income over the long term. Over a 30 year period from 1977 to 2007, close to 80% of total U.S. real estate return was derived from income flows. This helps reduce volatility as investments that rely more on income return, tend to be less volatile than those that rely more on capital value return. (For more, check out Take Advantage Of A Housing Crisis – Rent!)
Real estate is also attractive when compared with more traditional sources of income return. The asset class typically trades at a yield premium to U.S. Treasuries and is especially attractive in an environment where Treasury rates are low.
Portfolio Diversification
Another benefit of investing in real estate is its diversification potential. Real estate has a low, and in some cases, negative, correlation with other major asset classes. This means the addition of real estate to a portfolio of diversified assets can lower portfolio volatility and provide a higher return per unit of risk.
Inflation Hedging
The inflation hedging capability of real estate, stems from the positive relationship between GDP growth and demand for real estate. As economies expand, the demand for real estate drives rents higher and this, in turn, translates into higher capital values. Therefore, real estate tends to maintain the purchasing power of capital, by passing some of the inflationary pressure on to tenants and by incorporating some of the inflationary pressure, in the form of capital appreciation.
The Drawback: Illiquidity
The main drawback of investing in real estate is illiquidity, or the relative difficulty in converting an asset into cash and cash into an asset. Unlike a stock or bond transaction, which can be completed in seconds, a real estate transaction can take months to close. Even with the help of a broker, simply finding the right counterparty can be a few weeks of work.
That said, advances in financial innovation have presented a solution to the issue of illiquidity, in the form of listed REITs and real estate companies. These provide indirect ownership of real estate assets and are structured as listed corporations. They offer better liquidity and market pricing, but come at the price of higher volatility and lower diversification benefits.
The Bottom Line
Real estate is a distinct asset class that is simple to understand and can enhance the risk and return profile of an investors portfolio. On its own, real estate offers competitive risk-adjusted returns, with less principal-agent conflict and attractive income streams. It can also enhance a portfolio, by lowering volatility through diversification. Though illiquidity can be a concern for some investors, there are ways to gain exposure to real estate, such that illiquidity is reduced, if not brought on-par with that of traditional asset classes.
Valuing Large-Cap Stocks
Investors seeking to preserve capital in volatile markets might want to consider large-cap stocks, those companies with market capitalizations greater than $10 billion. Doing business globally, they tend to pay dividends, have solid balance sheets and exceptionally large amounts of cash. While perceived to be slow growing, many have the financial might to take advantage of business opportunities that smaller companies just cant. Whether you invest in individual stocks, mutual funds or ETFs, large caps ought to represent a portion of your equity investments.
Why It Should Be Included In Your Portfolio
Conventional wisdom suggests that dividends account for approximately half a stocks total return. Some believe this number is as high as 90%. Clearly, whatever the percentage, dividends are an important weapon in any companys arsenal for rewarding shareholders. Because large-cap companies tend to possess greater free cash flow, their ability to increase the dividend payment each year is, also, greater. A rising dividend, combined with a multinational business possessing pricing power, which is the ability to raise prices routinely, provides investors with a certain amount of inflation protection that many mid- and small-cap stocks dont have. With operations in various parts of the world, large caps are able to go where the growth is, which is why you find many operating in the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China. In addition to geographic diversification, large caps provide investors with currency diversification. As the U.S. dollar weakens, companies are able to sell their products more competitively overseas. Smaller businesses are less likely to benefit because a majority of their revenue, often, is domestic in nature. Lastly, and most importantly, many large caps possess solid balance sheets with little debt and large amounts of cash. For many professional advisors, they are the core holdings in any portfolio. (For related reading on free cash flow, see Free Cash Flow: Free, But Not Always Easy.)
Attributes of a Winning Large Cap
Profitability
Whatever the size of company, investors averse to risk should only consider those businesses making money now, and most probably in the future. While reported earnings is the most common way to assess the profitability of a company, there are other tools available to investors such as return on equity and return on capital employed. Whatever investors use, to assess profitability, its even more important to determine the sustainability of those profits because that is what drives stock prices higher. Some guesswork is required. However, its not as scary as you might think. Many large-cap stocks have been public companies for a significant number of years, possessing a track record of increasing profits. The goal, here, isnt necessarily to find a business with an unblemished profit record, but one that is consistent enough that you feel comfortable making a long-term investment. In the end, the best large-caps are, generally, those with good business models and significant competitive advantages over their competitors. Warren Buffett, one of the worlds greatest investors, believes the purchase of stocks be made as if you were buying the entire company, not just a piece of paper. While the numbers are important, it usually comes down to quality. (We look at the Sage of Omahas methodology for evaluating value stocks. For more, see Warren Buffett: How He Does It.)
Financial Health
Like any household, a large-caps financial health is the key to success. Its not enough to be profitable, it should also own more than it owes and be bringing in more cash than it sends out the door. If it isnt doing this, profitability is fleeting. The balance sheet, which details a companys assets, liabilities and shareholder equity, is the first place investors look for an indication of financial health. The capital it employs, to grow its business, comes at a cost. Generally, debt tends to be less expensive than equity because the interest payments are tax deductible. As a result, large caps often have a lower cost of capital, due to easily obtained financing, providing an advantage over smaller companies. While debt can be advantageous to issuing stock, it can also put a business into bankruptcy if its debt gets out of control. Many investors look for a margin of safety, such as total debt less than shareholder equity. In addition to a companys capital structure, investors should concern themselves with free cash flow, the amount of cash generated after covering operational costs and capital expenditures. A good way to judge this is by calculating free cash flow yield. Similar to the earnings yield (inverse of P/E ratio), it measures free cash flow as a percentage of market capitalization. When comparing companies from different industries, its wise to replace market cap with enterprise value, which takes into account differing capital structures. While there are definite exceptions, the strongest businesses tend to be those with high free cash flow and increasing shareholder equity. (For related reading, see Value Investing Using The Enterprise Multiple.)
Dividend Growth
Mentioned previously, dividends are an important component of a stocks total return. That goes double for large caps. Standard
Understanding Credit Card Interest
Did you know that according to an IndexCreditCards.com, as of 2010 the average credit card debt among households with balances was $7,394? Even worse, the average rate of interest on this debt was an astronomical 17-20%. Yikes! Its tough for anybody to get ahead financially with that sort of baggage. This article will shed some light on credit card debt and the benefits of getting out of it.
SEE: Check out our credit card comparison tool and find out which credit card is right for you.
What Is Interest?
Interest, typically expressed as an annual percentage rate, is the fee paid for the privilege of borrowing money. This fee is the price a person pays for the ability to spend money today that would otherwise take time to accumulate. Conversely, if you were lending the money, that fee/interest compensates you for giving up the ability to spend that money today. (If you want a deeper look at the significant factor of time, check out Understanding the Time Value of Money for a quick recap.)
Credit Card Debt
Most of us are familiar with credit cards. As mentioned earlier, U.S. statistics show the average family has long-term credit card debt in excess of $5,000. In fact, credit card debt accounts for a very sizeable chunk of total consumer debt, which hit $2.43 trillion in May 2011. Clearly credit cards are an important part of our day-to-day lives, which is why its important for consumers to understand the effect of that interest on them.
An Example: Discovering the Benefit of Increasing Your Payments
Lets say John and Jane both have $2,000 debt on their credit cards, which require a minimum payment of 3%, or $10, whichever is higher. Both are strapped for cash, but Jane manages to pay an extra $10 on top of her minimum monthly payments. John pays only the minimum.
Each month John and Jane are charged a 20% annual interest on their cards outstanding balances. So, when John and Jane make payments, part of those payments go to paying interest and part go to the principal.
Here is the breakdown of the numbers for the first month of Johns credit card debt:
• Principal: $2,000
• Interest: $33.33 ($2,000 x (1 20%/12))
• Payment: $60 (3% of remaining balance)
• Principal Repayment: $26.67
• Remaining Balance: $1,973.33 ($2,000 - $26.67)
These calculations are done every month until the credit card debt is paid off.
In the end, John pays $4,240 in total over 15 years to absolve the $2,000 in credit card debt. The interest that John pays over the 15 years totals $2,240, higher than the original credit card debt.
Because Jane paid an extra $10 a month, she pays a total $3,276 over seven years to absolve the $2,000 in credit card debt. Jane pays a total $1,276 in interest.
The extra $10 a month saves Jane almost $1,000 and cuts her repayment period by more than seven years!
The lesson here is that every little bit counts. Paying twice your minimum or more can drastically cut down the time it takes to pay off the balance, which leads to lower interest charges.
However, as we will see below, its wise not to pay only your minimum or even just a little more than your minimum. Its best simply not to carry a balance at all.
20% Return Guaranteed?
As an investor, you would be thrilled to get a yearly return of 17-20% on a stock portfolio, right? In fact, if you were able to sustain that kind of return over the long term, you would be rivaling investing legends such as Peter Lynch, Warren Buffett, George Soros and value-investing guru Jim Gipson.
But if someone came up to you on the street or you opened your email inbox and read a headline that screamed, 20% Return Guaranteed! youd likely be very, very skeptical. Anyone who guarantees anything is questionable. (For more on how to avoid investment scams check out our Investing Scams Tutorial.)
However, you do get one guarantee by paying off the balance on your credit card: if it charges 20% per year, you are guaranteed to save yourself from losing 20%, which, in a way, is just as good as making a 20% return.
Ensure Your Investments Arent a Guaranteed Drain
Often, however, investors are reluctant to pay down their credit cards and choose to put the money in investing or savings accounts. Now, there are many factors that drive individuals to do this, which behavioral finance tries to explain. One of these factors is peoples tendency to have mental accounts, which causes them to place different meaning on different accounts and on the money held in them. Mental accounting sometimes prevents investors from looking at their finances as a whole. Do remember, $1 is $1, regardless of whether it is invested or lost. Not thinking this way can be very costly. (For further reading, see Understanding Investor Behavior.)
Holding a credit card balance actually negates any investment gains - unless of course youre a world-class investor. Investing instead of paying off your credit card is a guaranteed loss of money.
On the other hand, paying off your credit card debt guarantees you a return, a return of whatever your card charges you. So, if you have money in your investing or savings account, or you have $1,000 burning a hole in your jeans, take that money and pay off your credit card! Then, once you eliminate your high-interest debt, youll not only have more money (because youre not making interests payments) but your investments will truly grow.
Conclusion
The moral of the story: carrying a balance on your card can be very costly. Our first recommendation is to pay off your balance entirely. Paying the astronomical interest rates that credit card companies charge simply does not make sense if you have savings elsewhere. If you cant completely pay off your balance, increasing your monthly payment, even a little bit, will be very helpful in the long run.
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