| |
| |
|
|
|
How Much Information Do You Need?Stock Market Definitions, Terms and Acronyms:
You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds, but wonder which one to buy. You need more information so you call your broker for advice. A so-called "full service" broker will bury you with all kinds of reports, analysis sheets and other pretty pieces of paper, but will probably try to sell you something that makes him the most commission. Let's see. What does Wall Street think you should know? Of course, you will want a company that is currently favorable or "hot" - like WorldCom used to be. Then you need to look at their financial statement that has been audited by a big accounting firm. - like Arthur Andersen. You really should check to see if they have any big outstanding financial obligations that have little asterisks next to them in the Annual Report - like under funded pension plans. Of course you will want to get their financial statement to check their P/E ratio. That's Price/ Earnings or how many years of earnings it will take to make back the price of the stock today. The lower that number the better. For many years the average has been about 14. If it is above 20 or 30, well ??? We won't factor in the rate of inflation that will dilute the buying power year after year. And there are lots of other numbers like this Wall Street says you should be studying. Maybe it is easier to buy a mutual fund. You can go to Morningstar for every bit of information about a fund you can think of. They will show the breakdown of the funds' portfolio, but that can easily be 6 months old. They do have those star ratings. From one to 5 stars, but I can't recall seeing any one star funds and hardly any 2 stars. Why? Well, I think they don't want to offend the fund manager even though he is not making money for his clients. In fact, they love to give 5 stars to funds that have had losing years one after another. Unfortunately some of their information is out of date. They do list all the stocks the fund owns, but the fund may have sold them so you can't tell for certain what they are investing in. Brokers want to send you reports, graphs, company updates, interim reports and I don't know what all, but stop and ask yourself, "If I can get this so can everybody else so what good is it?" Now you've got it. None. All that information will not tell you that after you buy it it will go up - and that's all you want to know. Basically there are two things you want to know. 1. Is it going up? 2. If it goes down where do I sell it to protect my capital? That's all the information you need. Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know. Copyright 2005
MORE RESOURCES: |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES Learn to Calculate a Stock's Pivot Point Stocks breakout from properly formed bases everyday but many investors don't understand how to locate a pivot point or what patterns to study that may contain this very important buy signal. A pivot point can be described as the optimal buy point or the area at the end of a familiar base pattern where the stock breaks out into new high territory. Trading For A Living - Part 1 There can't be many traders who haven't at least considered the idea of telling the boss what they think of him, throwing it all in and going off to trade the stock market for a living. It's a big risk financially, and that uncertainty is what stops most from jumping ship. No Load Mutual Funds or Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? If you are fed up with early redemption charges and ever increasing mutual fund management fees on top of bad-performing fund managers, read on. There is a quiet revolution going on in the no-load mutual fund industry and you, the individual investor, may benefit from it greatly. How (NOT) to Buy Mutual Funds When it comes to mutual funds, there is a lot more to success than just finding a good one. Sad investment stories like the following are all too common. Moving Averages Every day on CNBC-TV they show a 200-day moving average line superimposed on the stock price history. It seems they give great credence to this manufactured line as it represents 10 months of price action. Stock Valuation using the SMP Model Disclaimer: Please note that I do not necessarily purchase, own, or partake of any of the securities or other financial instruments mentioned in this article. I also do not take any responsibility for any actions resulting from any actions taken by anyone who reads this article. NASDAQ 800? In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at 3000 I wrote in this column that the NASDAQ Index would fall to 1500 and I got lots of heat for saying it. Microsoft had fallen from $129 to $60 per share. A Penny for Your Stocks According to Investopedia Inc. the penny stock market has seen phenomenal growth this past decade. The Secret to More Winning Trades is as Simple as Avoiding This Common Mistake If you're a normal human being, your need to feel good about yourself probably causes you to sell your winners too soon - and -- your need to avoid feelings of regret, causes you to hang on to your losers too long.At one time or another, we're all guilty of letting our emotions dictate our investment decisions. Enronization Even if you don't own any of their stock or any stock at all you will want to read this.What Enron corporate officers did with their accounting firm is nothing new. Frog In The Pot You remember the story about the frog that was put into a pot of cold water on the stove. He was not concerned. What is Involved in Peak Performance Trading? There is so much involved in developing peak performance, that I recommend that all traders have a business plan. We recommend that the business plan cover all of the following areas. Never Fall In Love! Recently I watched my favorite football team lose a vital game.I simply love this team. Whitewater Stock Market Ever done any whitewater rafting or canoeing? Long periods of tranquil river followed by short periods of terror. Suddenly the water grips your vessel and you are pushed and shoved by massive currents over which you have no control. Stock Loans Hedge current portfolio positions and gain access to capital resources through loans against free trading, aged affiliate or aged non-affiliate securities. Make proper use of your assets while waiting for performance and hedge your position should the asset move against you. How To Be A Winner Everyone who invests in the stock market wants to be a winner. Each person's definition of a winner will be somewhat different, but there is hardly one who isn't looking for that stock that will double in price within one year. The 401(K): How The Insider Has Stolen Your Retirement! Mutual funds were moderately successful in creating a presence in the stock market until the advent of the investment retirement account and in particular the 401(k). Corporate insiders persuaded the federal government to allow for the 401(k) in lieu of offering employees the traditional pension. Forecasting the Stock Market Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers how to forecast what the market will do in 6 months, 12 months, several years. "Ten stocks that will double in the next 6 months. Bargain Basement - Finding Stocks That Go Up Have you been listening to the talking heads on CNBC-TV? Or those talk radio stock experts? Getting all those good recommendations on what to buy now. Now?Those guys keep telling me the market is oversold. Trend Trading - Trading Stocks Using Technical Analysis and Swing Trading Strategies Peter is a professional trader, Paul is not. Peter has a tested, proven, written trading plan that he follows each time he enters a trade, Paul does not.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |