Indispensable Information In Stock Investing

Posted on January 10, 2007

Stock market investments present one way for an individual to make money even with a minimum investment. However, several items have to be weighed thoroughly before one pursues such an investment.

There are several options a potential investor has to buy stock, or partial ownership in a company. Probably the most popular is the buy-and-hold approach. Under this strategy, an investor simply holds on to shares regardless of stock price. The shares are eventually sold only after the individual has earned enough to buy a house, secure his/her education, or retire. One benefit to this strategy is that it entails few transaction charges because of the limited stock activity. Buy-and-hold investors are also able to pay lower capital gains taxes on their investment. Other approaches include short-term trading and direct investment plans

Investors must identify where their target stock is listed and its stock symbol to ease any transaction. Microsoft is listed on the Nasdaq as MSFT, while General Electric and Hewlett-Packard are on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols GE and HWP respectively. For some non-US companies, UK mobile phone giant Vodafone is listed on the London Stock Exchange as VOD.L, game-maker Nintendo has a Tokyo listing as 7974, and Germany’s Siemens AG appears on the Frankfurt market as 723610.F.

First-time market investors will quickly realize how business and economic news influence stock price movement. A sales increase, higher earnings, lawsuits, a management revamp, and a new product or service are among internal factors that can drive share prices. On the other hand, the emergence of new market rivals, a change in government policy and inflation and other economic news are among external factors that can affect stocks.

Today’s information technology-driven “new economy” has made it possible for some companies or particular industries to better take advantage of the market than their counterparts. First-time investors would do well to identify these “niche” players and consider their stock. However, such selection should still be backed up by research, particularly on a target company’s management structure, expansion plans, product development and financial results.

Since stock market investors buy shares in a company expecting to gain, it is imperative then that they review the financial reports of their target companies to determine earnings growth potential. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires these annual disclosures, which are made on different months, as businesses generally do not cover the same calendar or fiscal year. Investors should also note that some companies, such as Sears and other retailers, often have higher earnings in quarters immediately following the holidays.

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The Rise of Wall Street: History of the Stock Market

Posted on January 9, 2007

Stock Market is an avenue from which stocks of companies are bought and sold.

For some, they thought that stock market and Wall Street are the same. Wall Street in New York is just one example of a stock market.

Wall Street though is very significant in a sense that this is were the concept of stock market started.

The Wall Street establishment was built in 1653. Its purpose then is for defense and not for commerce. Dutch settlers fortressed themselves from Native Americans and British by building a 12 foot stockade fence,

In 1685, the wall was torn down and replaced by a new street. The British named it Wall Street.

The Stock Exchange

Wall Street is made famous with the emergence of two powerful stock exchanges. This resulted in the chaotic trading which turned out to be the financial markets that we know today.

The first stock exchange in the United States was founded in 1790 in Philadelphia. Two years later, a group of New York traders met and thought about setting up a security business. These 24-man groups are the founders of the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1817, the New York merchants were upset by the bad state of their stock exchange.
They sent one of their members to Philadelphia to take a look at their trading. The representative found out that Philadelphia is doing well in their exchange. The merchant returned to New York and discussed to the group how things were being done in Philadelphia. Shortly after, the “New York Stock and Exchange Board” was formally organized.

The exchange center was inaugurated on Wall Street. The rest was history. From a troubled beginning, the New York Stock exchange emerged as the place where billions of dollars worth of stocks and bonds are traded each day.

But the success of Wall Street did not happen overnight. In the early 1990’s, the New York Stock Exchange was already on the rise. But this financial boom could not be sustained. In 1929, the stock market crashed, shocked the world and caused the Great Depression.

Although the economy eventually recovered, the mistakes of the Great Depression haunted them back. In 1987, the stock market again crashed. The crash was so crippling that the Dow Jones suffered the largest single-day loss in the stock market’s history.

Since then, the government and the industry have been trying to set up measures to prevent such a large-scale crash. Now, the stock market is an essential component in the world’s economy. Proper safeguards and systems to reduce or prevent another stock market crash are of utmost importance.

» Filed Under Stock Market | 1 Comment

The stock market is a game

Posted on January 9, 2007

As a kid, have you ever played the board game Monopoly? This is a game that deals with properties, banks, infrastructure, and millions of colorful dollars.

Like in Monopoly, the stock market is a game in which you have to decide the buying and selling of your properties. Although in the case of the trading business, you are making stock market decisions.

The money you collect in Monopoly when you have circulated the whole board game would be the dividend or the payment in the stock market. The amount of the money you collect would be determined by the properties you have in the game. Just like in the stock market, the more shares you have, the larger amount of money you would be given.

When you are getting bankrupt in the game of Monopoly, you have the power to sell your colorful houses or building when you need to regain your finances. Just like in your stocks, when the market falls, you have the authority of which shares to sell out and which shares to retain.

In winning the Monopoly game, you are obliged to keep your properties before the construction of your houses and hotels. You would lose to your challenger if you sell these properties to him even for twice the normal price of your property. Just like in the stock market, making lots of money does not mean you are successful in what you’re doing. In order for you to win with your stocks, you should be able to double your property to give you a higher dividend of shares.

In playing the board game, you need an opponent to start the game. It’s your opponent’s job to prevent you from owning many properties and collecting large amount of money from him and from the bank. Just like in the stock market game, there are also factors that prevent you from the success of your shares. These don’t necessarily have to be other investors, but it could be the taxes you are obliged to pay or the interest of your stockbroker from your dividend.

Playing the game of the stock market could be done even with just a little amount of money. Just like in the board game, all you have to own are colorful play-money for you to own properties and collect more money in the future.

Although the trading system could be compared to the board game, you should take the stock market seriously. Why? Because this is real life and real money is at stake.

» Filed Under Stock Market | 1 Comment

Accumulating credit card points in exchange for travel miles

Posted on January 9, 2007

The convenience of using credit cards for everyday purchases has allowed a lot of people in the US to get the services offered by credit cards. Credit cards these days are used in almost everyday purchases as it offers more security because people won’t have to walk the streets anymore carrying bundles of cash in order for them to go an appliance store to buy a brand new HDTV that may cost thousands of dollars.

Credit cards also allow flexibility and manageability to its users. Also a way of lending money, credit users can buy a brand new PC and thru the use of interest rates, they can borrow money now to buy PC and pay off the balance in installments with the credit card company adding on interest rate charges to finance the purchase. By proper management of credit card finances, individuals will be able to maximize the use of their credit by being able to buy the necessary things they need now and may able to pay off their balance in the short term.

As credit card users frequently make purchases for their daily activities, credit companies also provide rewards points for their purchases. Awarding of points for these purchases may vary depending on the items they buy, the special features of their credit cards and the reward items that their accumulated points can redeem.

There are credit cards offered in the market today that offers rewards points in the form of air travel miles. As a card user makes regular purchases, equivalent points in the form of travel miles are awarded. Usually, one air travel mile is awarded for every dollar spent on card purchases. The air travel mile points accumulated over credit use doesn’t necessarily equal actual miles required to make the travel. It usually depends on the destination, the card company offering the travel programs and the airline companies that the credit card companies are working with. This information can be obtained from the credit card company’s hotline numbers, their consumer websites and from the promotional brochures that they send to their customers.

A frequent traveler can benefit lot from the use of his credit card if he opts to redeem his accumulated points into air travel miles. They can use their travel points and redeem them for travel promotions of their card companies and later on use them in a planned vacation in the future. They’ll just monitor their accumulated points in order for them to determine how many more points they’ll need in order to get that vacation they’ve planned or if they can use the points as additional help in purchasing plane tickets for sudden travel plans.

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"You, the dummy, and the stock market"

Posted on January 8, 2007

Ok, so you want to dabble in the stock market. Unfortunately, you don’t know how and where to begin. So what do you do?

Well, the first relevant thing to do is ask the basic question of what is a stock and its significance.

A stock symbolizes ownership of a company. Some view stock as certificates. So the more stocks a person owns of a particular company, the more of the company they own. And the more the company they own, the bigger the influence they have in running the company. This is called equity investment.

The next thing to do is familiarize yourself with financial terms such as ‘price-earnings ratio’, ‘margin’, ‘option’, ‘earnings per share’ and ‘leverage’.

Then, it’s on to knowing where and how to actually buy stocks.

There are two ways to buy stocks:

1. brokerage service
2. online exchanges (e.g. banks)

Exchanges are services that allow investors to access stocks all over the world. Here, they can buy and sell stocks without the need for a broker. Certain banks allow you to set up your own stock portfolio and buy and sell stocks online using the money you have in these banks.

Brokerage services are rendered by brokers. These middlemen do all the work for you. They research the stock market, give advice, and buy and sell stocks according to the wishes of their clients. These brokers earn a commission from the stocks bought or sold.

Once you have chosen how to buy and sell stocks, the next thing to do is to open an account. As stated earlier, exchanges allow you to monitor and control your stock portfolio personally. If you choose to enter the stock trade with a bank, then ask your bank the specifics of setting up your own account.

If you choose to trade stocks via a broker, find a reputable broker and ask them to open and manage an account for you.

After you have successfully set up an account, it’s time to study the stock market and plan your strategy: will you be conservative in investing your money? Or will you be aggressive? Are you in it for the long term? Or are you a day trader?

After you have identified your plan, it’s time to do some research on the stocks offered in the market. Having a broker will significantly make it easier for you as they will do the research and give you advice. But, it is still best to study the market yourself.

Be warned though, the stock market is volatile. Be prepared for a roller-coaster ride.

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Stock Market 101: Stock Market Crash Course

Posted on January 8, 2007

Stock market is like a market place for businessmen. In a public market, goods are sold to the public. In a stock market however, stocks are sold to the public. Company stocks are sold in the form of shares. The more shares a person buys in a company, the higher his or her stocks are for that particular company.

The stock market consists of the primary market and the secondary market. Primary market is where companies raise finances for their operating expenses by selling shares to investors. The secondary are investors who buy and sell those shares to other investors. Their decisions are constantly based on changing market conditions.

A stock market is like an auction house. It is a systematic method of buying and selling. In a stock market though, it is a common sight to see people shouting and gesturing at one another.

The buying and selling of stocks begins in different places. If a person decides to purchase stocks in a particular company, a broker is contacted. This broker in turn takes the money of the investor and coordinates with a floor broker at the stock exchange. Usually a floor broker works for the broker or with the company selling the stocks.

At the stock exchange, floor brokers purchase the stock that the investor wants. When a deal is consummated, it is made known to a broker and the investor becomes a stockholder of the company.

That investor may decide to sell the stock. This is usually done when the price per share has gone up. This entails profit for the investor. For example, if a person bought 100 shares at $20.00 per share and the price increased to $25.00, selling those 100 shares results in $500.00 profit.

The economic principle of supply and demand is the driving force of the stock market. The number of shares of stocks that are open to the public dictates the supply and the number of shares that investors want affects the demand.

Movement of stocks in a certain market causes the constant changes in the prices of stocks.

For example, if most people believe that the economy is growing, they would buy more stocks. But if the economy is in a downfall, their tendency is to sell their stocks.

Many businessmen choose to make a long term investment in the stock market. There are instances where stocks decrease in value causing a stockholder to lose money. The stock market does not guarantee profit. The better a person is in reacting to the changes at the stock exchange; the better his chances are for profit.

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Learning the basics of the stock market

Posted on January 7, 2007

The stock market is a complicated game. In order for you to succeed in this business, learning the basics of the trade would be an important factor for your financial growth.

Before risking your money with the stock market, you should be able to recognize the factors vital in choosing which company to invest in. Here are the basics in learning some facts about the company:

1) Revenue. This refers to the amount of money the company makes. Although some companies that are still in the early development stage have no revenues to offer, many of the companies that have been in the market for years make use of the revenues to cover some losses and other costs.

2) Earnings. This refers to the money the company makes. Aside from revenues, the earnings are the money that would not be used in covering expenses. These are the extra money the company makes. Companies with large earning have an advantage in the stock market because investors examine the earnings made by the company they are about to buy stocks on.

3) Debt. This refers to the money the company owes in many ways. Because the company is in debt, the money they have is for paying up for the debit alone. Buying stocks from these companies would be risky because of the instability of the company.

4) Property. This refers to all the assets (money, stocks, and all businesses they own) of the company. Knowing these assets could give you an understanding of the company’s position in the industry. If the companies have significant properties in their hands, you could safely trust their background and immediately buy some of their stocks.

5) Financial responsibility. This refers to the account of the companies that they need to pay out. Meaning, if the value of their financial obligations are low, the company is not in danger of becoming in debt. Examining the company’s liabilities and comparing it with its assets could help in determining if you are ready to buy stocks from them. Make sure that the assets of the companies are always higher than the financial responsibilities they need to make.

It’s never safe to gamble your money away on some company you don’t even know. The basics of the stock market lie on the companies’ background. Make sure you research to ensure your money is in the right hands.

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"How the Internet changed the face of the stock market" stock market and the Internet

Posted on January 7, 2007

The Internet has affected the way we live our lives. It has made the world smaller. Now, information is at a person’s fingertips.

It has elevated online transactions to greater heights. Goods and services can be purchased online via websites. Book a trip, order a take out, bid at an auction, all in the comfort of your own home.

Financial services have also been improved greatly by the Internet. People no longer needed to queue in banks to affect a transfer, or to go to the nearest automated teller machines. Even stock trading has not escaped this assault by the Internet.

Before, the only way to join the trading bandwagon was engaging the services of a broker and trusting them with your money and stock portfolio.

This was both a complicated and harrowing experience for the average Joe.

Today, virtually any ordinary person can trade stocks on their own, needing only an account which they can open with their preferred bank and an access point to the Internet. Only their financial skills and finances can limit them.

Stock information usually limited to business programs in televisions and newsprint are now made available by several sources on the Internet. Large brokering firms now provide stock market reports, tips and forecasts to subscribers for a fee.

Buying and selling stocks can now be made by a trader over the Internet using online exchanges. Banks now offer stock trading online to depositors as a way of investing and growing their money.

Between May 1999 to January 2000, the number of US households trading stocks and shares online jumped 30 percent from 2.7 million to 3.5 million.

Investment portfolios had also increased 32 percent from $100,000 to $132,000.

Even stock brokers have gone online in the hopes of landing more clients.

Already, 466 new online stock trading firms have opened in Sweden, 685 in the UK and 1178 in Germany.

Even the face of the stock market has changed considerably with the entry of Internet-related businesses. Over the years, startup companies providing online services, web content and electronic commerce have also put up their stocks in the market.

Companies providing services over the Internet such as online search engines have posted some of the most profitable stocks in recent years.

The effect of the Internet on stock trading over the years has been significant. Now, more than ever before, investors are taking control of their own investments, relying less and less on personal brokers.

» Filed Under Stock Market | 1 Comment

"Stock Market Investments: Secrets to Success"

Posted on January 6, 2007

secrets to be successful in your stock market investments.

Everybody can buy and sell stocks. All you need is money to invest, an online exchange and a whole lot of determination.

The truly difficult part is when to sell stocks. Should you sell when it’s on an upward swing? Or do you wait until it peaks and starts to fall? How long do you wait while the stock falls? Should you keep on holding until it rebounds or should you sell immediately and cut your losses?

Keep those questions in mind while you continue reading the article.

Part of a successful trading is to take a step back from the market and look at the bigger picture. Too many details and information can actually be detrimental to your goal of achieving profits through stock trading.

Here are some secrets for a successful stock market investment:

? Buy when the market signals the start of a bull trend. A bull trend is a set of rallies (an upward surge of stock value) where each rally exceeds the highest point of a previous rally. The start of an uptrend is signaled when the peak of a rally is higher than the previous peak. This means that the value of a stock peaks at a certain value, drops again, and then increases again reaching a value higher than the previous high value.
? Select leading stocks that are outperforming the market
? Sell when the bull trend has ended. This can be seen when the bull trend has a rally whose peak is lower than the peak of the previous rally.
? Sell stocks when they move against this trend

Given the above tips, it may still be difficult for you to actually identify the end of a bull trend. The problem here is when the last peak of the bull trend starts to dip and continues to fall without stopping. When do you sell when that happens?

That’s when the next big secret comes: Trailing stops.

Trailing stops have three uses:

? To limit losses
? To protect profits
? To prevent you from entering (or exiting) a trade too early

Stops can be based on the high/low of the daily trading range or on a trailing percentage.

Based on this, you can formulate your own trailing stop strategy. With a trailing stop strategy, you ride your stocks as high as you can, but if they start to tumble, you have an exit strategy. A good trailing stop is 25% off the highest value the stock reaches.

With these strategies in place, you’ll be able to have a better chance of minimizing your loss.

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How to get a high ROI in stock market trading

Posted on January 6, 2007

The Return on Investment (ROI) in stock market trading is the profit you make on the sale of a security or other asset divided by the amount of your investment. ROI in stock market trading is expressed as an as an annual percentage rate.

Return on investment (ROI) is stock market trading includes all the income you earn on the stock. It also includes any profit that results from selling the stock. If the sale price plus any income is higher than the purchase price, then you have a positive ROI. If the sale price plus any income is lower, then your ROI is negative.

Of course as a stock market trader you are always looking not just for a positive but a high ROI. Below are some ways to ensure that you get a high ROI in stock market trading:

Always know what your buying
The most important thing to do to ensure high ROI in stock market trading is to acquire as much information as possible about the company you are planning to invest in. Do some basic analysis to find out if the stock is worth the price or else you will be gambling. You can always ask other people to the research for you if you don’t have time. Reliable sources are websites of major brokerage houses, finance publications and mutual-fund companies.

Don’t confuse smart investing with a bull market.
There are many reasons why you could be getting a high ROI in stock market trading. One is you could really be investing smartly. Another is that you could just be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and made money with hardly any effort. Sometimes we feel smart when the market is going up so we’re tempted to trade more frequently and take on riskier positions.

Avoid active trading
It is tempting to trade frequently especially when your gaining. This is particularly true with online stock market trading where investing is only a few clicks of the mouse away. But remember that it’s tough to make money by beating the market consistently. It is advisable to employ a buy-and-hold strategy to ensure a high ROI in stock market trading.

Mind the taxes
Frequent trading could also be very costly particularly so with high income taxes triggered by profits that could reach as high as 40%. To get a high ROI in stock market trading therefore, it is advisable to buy and hold for a period of at least a year so you would qualify for the lower capital gains rate of 20%.

» Filed Under Stock Market | Leave a Comment

« go back — keep looking »

Indispensable Information In Stock Investing

The Rise of Wall Street: History of the Stock Market

The stock market is a game

Accumulating credit card points in exchange for travel miles

"You, the dummy, and the stock market"

Stock Market 101: Stock Market Crash Course

Learning the basics of the stock market

"How the Internet changed the face of the stock market" stock market and the Internet

"Stock Market Investments: Secrets to Success"

How to get a high ROI in stock market trading

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