ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Investing and Understanding What You Buy
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action!" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) I don't really know how cars actually work. Not really! I know how to drive them, but if you asked me how they work, I would not really know how to definitely explain it. That small technical limitation on my part doesn't stop me from knowing whether XYZ Autos is a quality company or not. I don't understand the cars they make, but I do understand XYZ Autos. Moreover, that understanding is critical to making a decision about the value of their stock. There are many good and objective ways to value stocks and improve your finances. These involve looking at various financial ratios. However, one of my simplest rules for investing is that you always must understand what you are buying! This is by no means original with me. It is a basic part of fundamental analysis! How deeply you must research in order to understand a company before you invest in it is a rather personal decision! Some investors feel fine with just a general understanding, while others want to know everything there is to know about the company. I think that somewhere in between is perfect. But you must know what makes a company different from others and whether that difference adds any real value or not. Sometimes being different is not good ... Buy what you understand for a reasonable price and you will be well on your way towards successful investing! Copyright 2005 © I.E.C. Haramis Ioannis - Evangelos (Akis) C. Haramis was born in Athens, Greece in 1951. Studied Business Administration, Marketing and Economics in Athens, Greece, in Chicago, ILL and in Boulder, CO (USA), as well as in Leuven, Belgium. He has been active in the stock markets since 1972 as an investor, stockbroker and consultant to individual investors and various funds. He is New Business Development Managing Director at a leading Investment Bank and publisher of http://www.greekshares.com
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Day Trading Tips for Success 1. How to Treat Gap Openings Consolidation Period The economic data reported Fri showed continued above trend growth with disinflation (at the core level, excluding food and energy) in the second quarter. Real output growth has slowed from about 4% in 2003 & 2004 to just over 3 1/2% so far this year, while a core inflation rate fell from 3% last quarter to 2%. Consumption growth slowed from 3.5% to 3.3%, investment growth jumped 9%, and net exports increased over 12%. Also, business inventories declined. Begging Your Trust in Africa The syntax is tortured, the grammar mutilated, but the message - sent by snail mail, telex, fax, or e-mail - is coherent: an African bigwig or his heirs wish to transfer funds amassed in years of graft and venality to a safe bank account in the West. They seek the recipient's permission to make use of his or her inconspicuous services for a percentage of the loot - usually many millions of dollars. A fee is required to expedite the proceedings, or to pay taxes, or to bribe officials - they plausibly explain. Investing As A Sport? I said last week that money doesn't generally buy happiness, but the lack of it can buy absolute misery. This, by the way, is not just my personal observation. It is the conclusion of some of the most respected happiness researchers (Yes, there is such a thing -- read my book.) Moving Average Convergence Divergence ( MACD ) Charts The Moving Average Convergence Divergence charts, or MACD charts for short, are a technical indicator that is derived from the more simple moving average. What If You Absolutely Positively Could Not Lose - Would You Play the Stock Market? Seniors on fixed incomes face a unique problem. Where do they invest their savings to get maximum return on investment with limited risk? Some of the traditional places like CDs and Treasury Notes are extremely safe, however the yields tend to be very low. Stocks and Mutual Funds while offering a potential for a higher yield have a risk factor that most seniors find unacceptable. Your Portfolio and ?Old Ironsides? The USS Constitution first ventured into the waters in 1798. From there she became an icon of durability and success. 5 Ways To Protect Your Bond Portfolio From Rising Interest Rates The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate for the first time since March 2000. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, though, as many experts believe rising inflation and a strengthening economy will spur continued rate hikes for the foreseeable future. Numismatics are for Collectors, Not Investors As a precious metals investor, you may heard much about numismatic and "semi-numismatic" coins, particularly the St. Gaudens $20 double eagle gold coin. While coin collecting can be an interesting hobby, it is not necessarily related to metals investing. Coins of this type vary in value with the ebb and flow of the collector market and are not strictly tied to metal value. Also, these coins often go for much more over spot price than bullion coins. It Is Never Too Early To Start A Roth IRA! The Roth is kind of weird until you get used to it in terms of how much you can put in (contribute) each year depending on how much you earn (compensation). Because of this you really have two limits, one dealing with your compensation and the other dealing with your contribution. Let me explain. Coca-Cola - A Value Stock? There has been much talk lately about Coca-Cola and its potential as a value stock ? as it now spots a dividend yield of 2.6% (which is the highest dividend yield since the late 1980s) and a P/E or less than 21 ? right at the bottom of its five-year low. Moreover, the current price of approximately $43 a share is also near the bottom of its nine-year range ? (nine years ago, the last former great CEO of Coke, Roberto Goizueta, was still at the helm of the company). Sure, Coke has had its own set of problems, but it is a great company, they would argue ? and heck, Warren Buffett is also an owner of Coke shares. Have You Ever Seen A Map of the World Turned Upside Down? For those accustomed to viewing things a certain way, it is quite disconcerting. One almost expects the ocean to pour out. It just seems wrong. Yet, the way we view the globe is entirely arbitrary, based largely on the way we've always seen it. Investing in Car Dealerships: How to Do It Right The financial characteristics of the automobile dealership are attractive: Volatile Range The stock market fell sharply Thu and Fri before and after the employment reports Fri morning. The Nonfarm Payrolls report showed 207,000 net jobs were added in July, which were 27,000 more than the market expected. Also, Hourly Earnings in July rose 0.4%, which was twice what the market expected. There's a strong inverse relationship between employment and profits, in part, because when employment increases, then productivity falls, which generally lowers profit growth. Moreover, some proportion of additional labor costs tend to come from profit growth when there is little slack in the economy. Furthermore, lower productivity is inflationary, ceritus paribus (all else equal). Can Your Annuity Do This? Okay, so I can tell you I have sat in front of countless numbers of people who have made mistakes when purchasing and owning annuities. And I have visited people who wish they never got involved in an annuity. And I have seen people who say that their annuity is their worst nightmare...So what is it that makes the annuity such a bad thing for some people and such a great vehicle for others??? Well I am about to tell you...and it all goes back to the annuity owners biggest MISTAKE. Yes, not mistakes but mistake. Can Your Annuity Do This? Many people buy annuities according to their agent's recommendations. However, many people do not even know what they own. It is a good idea to take inventory of your investments, and particularly your annuity. It is important to understand what your annuity can and cannot do and what features it has. Here are some of the things you definitely must be sure to know about your annuity: Risk and Reward If you are doing your own investing in the stock market, what would be the first question you would ask yourself before you make any trade or investment? If your answer is how fundamentally sound the stock is, or whether the stock just broke out of a trading range on a chart, or the fact that the stock has gone down 50% in the last 6 months, or whether the volatility is low now so it is a good time to buy or sell, then you are probably on the road to ruin. These strategies have nothing in common with each other and there are all kinds of different criteria that I did not mention that have nothing in common with each other. However no matter what type of strategy you use to make your investment decisions, there is only one crucial question that must be asked before you pull the trigger and make the trade. That is, what is my risk and what is my reward on this trade. Even if you are going to buy a stock and hold it for a long time, you still have to be aware of your risk and your reward. Why? Because the entire stock market may be here for the rest of your life, any one stock might not be. You think, that is okay I diversified a lot so I don't need to know risk and reward. Wrong. Your Worst Enemy To Successful Investing - The Media How do you make your investment decisions and where do you get your information? If you're like most of the people I know, you look to the experts. An Old Dividend Stock Investment Idea, for a New Generation Death and taxes! The certainties of life! And then, of course, there are the mortgage payments, the utility bills, phone bills, the car payments and thirsty automobiles. Add that to the grocery and clothing bills, and there appears to be more then just death and taxes as certainties of life. Investing and Understanding What You Buy "There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action!" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
|
|
|
|
|
