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Investing vs. Trading – What’s The Difference?

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:07:25 +0000

There is a question which is sometimes asked by those new to the financial markets, and even occasionally debated by experienced participants. That question is how one differentiates between trading and investing. Because both trading and investing – when one considers them from the perspective of the financial markets – are performed in very similar fashions, they are often thought of as interchangeable actions.

In my book, The Essentials of Trading, I followed along with this basic theme by introducing the idea that what differentiates the two is scope definition. Both trading and investing, after all, are at the most simple of levels application of capital in the pursuit of profits. If I buy XYZ stock I expect to either see the price appreciate or earn dividends perhaps both. What separates trading from investing, however, is that generally in trading one has an exit expectation. This might be in the form of a price target or in terms of how long the position will be held. Either way, the trade is seen to have a finite life. Investing, on the other hand, is more open-ended. An investor will buy a companys stock with no predefined notion of when he or she will sell, if ever.

We can use examples to help demonstrate the difference. Warren Buffet is an investor. He buys companies which he sees as somehow undervalued and holds on to his positions for as long as he continues to like their prospects. He does not think in terms of a price at which he will exit the stock. George Soros is (or at least was while he was still actively running his hedge fund) a trader. His most famous trade was shorting the British Pound when he thought the currency was overvalued and ready to be withdrawn from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. The position he took was based on a specific circumstance. Once the Pound was allowed to float freely, and quickly devalued in the market, Soros exited with a handsome profit. That meets the criteria of having a predefined exit, making it a trade, not an investment.

There is another way one can define trading as set against investing, though. It has to do with the manner in which the applied capital is expected to produce a return. In trading the appreciation of capital is the objective. You buy XZY stock at 10 expecting it to go to 15 and thereby produce a capital gain. If dividends or interest are paid out along the way, that is fine, but likely only a minor contribution to the expected profits.

In contrast, investing looks more toward income over time. That makes income production, such as dividends and bond interest payments, the major focal point. Do investors experience capital appreciation? Sure, but unlike in trading, that is not the prime motivation.

With these definitions in mind, consider what many people refer to as their single biggest investment their home. Based our second definition of investing, however, a home is generally not an investment because in most cases is does not produce any income. In fact, it produces considerable expenses in the form of mortgage interest payments, utility bills, and upkeep. If anything, a home is a trade. We buy it and hope for its value to rise over time, increasing our equity. And the fact that many people expect to move in only a few years and sell at that point makes it even more of a trade rather than an investment. (Of course own rental property can certainly be viewed as investing, unless one is flipping it, which would definitely be more trading.)

As noted earlier, for many people trading and investing seem like the same thing. The mechanics of buying and selling are basically the same. Sometimes the analysis one does to make those decisions is identical as well. Its the intention and definition of objectives which separate trading and investing, though.

Finding Hot Stocks In The World Of Investment

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:06:50 +0000

The term hot stocks can be wildly misleading; for those who are just beginning their foray into the world of investment, looking for hot stocks could mean trying to find those stocks that will pay off in dividends in the short term. But what uneducated investors dont realize is that hot stocks mean much more than instant gratification.

Instead hot stocks could be defined as those stocks that may require patience to realize their full potential. Be wary of those stocks that rise in value dramatically. The fall could be just as dramatic. Hot stocks may be considered hot because of their significant earnings but volatility could be an indication of an unstable product.

First and foremost when it comes to hot stocks do your research. Learn as much as you possibly can about the stock market and its bevy of indicators. Research the particular hot stock in which you are interested and leave no stone unturned. A lack of comprehensive research could spell disaster further down the road.

The informational resources for hot stocks can be found online. The Internet has become a viable environment for trading; research hot stocks to learn their current worth and future predictions.

Take advantage of online forums where traders share their experiences. You may find many a helpful hint on how to go about trading hot stocks. Youll often find a number of online traders willing to offer advice about online trading.

Additionally, in an effort to understand the complexities of hot stocks, take some professional courses to help you navigate this new world. Youll be best served by getting the advice of professionals. Take what you need to learn the most you can about this complicated arena.

Most importantly, dont get in over your head. If you are a novice at trading then keep your activity simple and conservative. Hot stocks in an industry about which you know very little will only serve to frustrate and confuse you in the future. Instead, choose those hot stocks that are available within industries in which you have a comfortable level of familiarity.

Trading hot stocks can be exciting but it can also be unnerving. Take the time to conduct thorough research on any hot stocks and in trading in general. Some effort now will serve you well for years to come as you continue to navigate the stock market.

Investments guide

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:47:55 +0000

Investment requires prudence. Whether the amount is small or big, you need to have complete information about the place or field where you are going to invest it. Investment is most often made with a purpose to accrue good returns in future. Investment is like a source of income where initially you put in some capital and expect it to multiply or boom in the near future. There are various types of investments nowadays and different strategies are associated with them. Investment can be in the field of property, land etc., in the stock market, in bank in the form of fixed deposits, in trusts and insurance policies.

When you move out to invest say for instance in property, the strategy of buy for low and sale for high prevails. In the language of investment this is called the arbitrage. What you require first of all is a perfect idea of the fluctuating market. When the market value is low, make as many purchases as possible. When the market as you assessed picks up pace, sell whatever you purchased at simply double the price. This profit however is not possible without a vigilant study of the market. An investor who has scrutinized the market from top to bottom predicts the highs and lows of market and makes purchases much before the onset of the profit season.

Arbitrageurs are very smart nowadays. In order to incur huge benefits, they even go about purchasing some very archaic piece of furniture or property from a low price market, invest a few more bucks in its renovation and then sell it in an expensive market or put it up at auction on the internet.

There are times when massive investments are being made in one area, this is known as the market bubble. Take for example, if a piece of land in a specific area is inviting too many buyers and that too with unbeatable profit, there is a horde of investors to purchase land in that area and sell it for the maximum possible. Similar is the case with the stocks of a company that is giving brilliant dividends to its stock holders, if the company lowers even a single dollar on its stock, multitude of people gratify their desire to receive excellent gains later.

Related to this is the value investment. Here the investor estimates the value of the company in the form of its returns. If a company has a good record with its shareholders and its shares are relatively at a lower price in the market, the investor will purchase maximum shares as possible since he is confident of the companys value. The investors basically peep through what is visible in this case. Many companies only flaunt to be successful in the market but actually they have been charged with many illicit proceedings. While there are companies that make a slow and simple start and scale new heights gradually. The investors are in search of these types of companies, the ones that are not feigning to be great.
An insight into the actual situation of the company prompts the investor to make judicious investments.

The risk factor is always lurking behind these investments. It could be a case that the buy low and sell high strategy does not work, that the market does not soar high as forecasted. In this case huge losses can meet your investments. It can also be a possibility that the stocks of the company that is deemed to be performing well, do not meet the expected surge in price or that the company rather than progressing starts retreating. So, the risks cannot be ignored at any cost and it is also a fact that the long term predictions about the market, company etc. might turn out to be true, short term ups and downs are reasonably difficult to foretell. So the financial advisors mostly speak the lingo of long term investments so as to ignore the short term impediments.

It is advised to take guidance from a good financial advisor before making any investment. For a colossal loss in investment is potent enough to ruin the entire life of the investor.

How To Invest Wisely And Make Your Money Grow

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:24:56 +0000

Wise investments of your spare funds can be a great way to grow rich. These days, savings accounts offer very low interest and it is a waste to allow your money to lie in them. Based on your appetite for risk and your financial needs, you have various other investment schemes and options to choose from.

It is always safer to have a diversified portfolio, that is, to spread you money around in various types of schemes, so that the risks and returns get balanced out. The company you work for would have a 401(k) plan which is always a safe bet. In this scheme, they will deduct a part of your salary every month and give it to an independent financial source to manage the investment, so that you get a healthy return at the end of your tenure. For those of you with greater risk-taking ability, stock markets or mutual funds can be a good idea. In stock markets, you can buy shares of companies listed on the stock exchange. Usually, good companies offer dividends along with a fair return on your investment. Dividends are not mandatory, but a lot of companies like to distribute their profits among shareholders as dividends.

Some companies prefer to reinvest the profits into expansion projects instead of declaring dividends. These reinvestments in turn should lead to further profits. However, the stock markets are unpredictable and a lot of people who dabble in stocks with the purpose of making some quick bucks may end up with losses instead.

Mutual funds are relatively safer investments, though they are also subject to market risk. Mutual funds are investments made in the stock market by financial managers with a fund collected from actual investors. There can be sector-specific mutual funds for instance those that invest in Pharmaceutical or IT or infrastructure companies only. Whatever be the mode of your investment in the markets, it is vital that you track these on a regular basis. If the prices of your shares or mutual funds decline at a time when there is a slowdown in the economy as a whole, there is no need to panic and sell at a loss. The markets will quite likely bounce back to where they were or perhaps even better. However, if the markets are strong and yet, the value of your mutual funds is on a decline, it could mean it is not well invested and it would be advisable for you to sell and move your money into something that will generate better returns. A financial consultant can advise you about the market situation and what types of investments will suit your needs best.

Finding Hot Stocks In The World Of Investment

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:50:35 +0000

The informational resources for hot stocks can be found online. The Internet has become a viable environment for trading; research hot stocks to learn their current worth and future predictions.

Blue chip stocks – not a poker game

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:03:02 +0000

Investing in conservative blue chip stocks may not have the allure of a hot high-tech investment, but it can be highly rewarding nonetheless, as good quality stocks have outperformed other investment classes over the long term.

Historically, investing in stocks has generated a return, over time, of between 11 and 15 percent annually depending how aggressive you are. Stocks outperform other investments since they incur more risk. Stock investors are at the bottom of the corporate “food chain.” First, companies have to pay their employees and suppliers. Then they pay their bondholders. After this come the preferred shareholders. Companies have an obligation to pay all these stakeholders first, and if there is money leftover it is paid to the stockholders through dividends or retained earnings. Sometimes there is a lot of money left over for stockholders, and in other cases there isn’t. Thus, investing in stocks is risky because investors never know exactly what they are going to receive for their investment.

What are the attractions of blue chip stocks? 1. Great long-term rates of return.

2. Unlike mutual funds, another relatively safe, long term investment category, there are no ongoing fees.

3. You become a owner of a company.

So much for the benefits – what about the risks? 1. Some investors can’t tolerate both the risk associated with investing in the stock market and the risk associated with investing in one company. Not all blue chips are created equal.

2. If you don’t have the time and skill to identify a good quality company at a fair price don’t invest directly. Rather, you should consider a good mutual fund.

Selecting a blue chip company is only part of the battle – determining the appropriate price is the other. Theoretically, the value of a stock is the present value of all future cash flows discounted at the appropriate discount rate. However, like most theoretical answers, this doesn’t fully explain reality. In reality supply and demand for a stock sets the stock’s daily price, and demand for a stock will increase or decrease depending of the outlook for a company. Thus, stock prices are driven by investor expectations for a company, the more favorable the expectations the better the stock price. In short, the stock market is a voting machine and much of the time it is voting based on investors’ fear or greed, not on their rational assessments of value. Stock prices can swing widely in the short-term but they eventually converge to their intrinsic value over the long-term.

Investors should look at good companies with great expectations that are not yet imbedded in the price of a stock.

Analyze Your Stocks And Double Your Profit

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:01:55 +0000

An investor buys a share of stock by resorting to various approaches that validate his investment by reaping rich profits. Before investing, however, it is necessary for a value investor to study the financials of a business, so that the stock he buys at the companys intrinsic value promises a greater return at its liquidation value (the value of a company if all its assets were sold). A typical investor would buy growth stocks that have an upward trend, and seem likely to keep growing for a long time. Whereas, a technical investor (also known as a Quant) makes decisions based upon the psychology of the market and related factors, which involve much higher risk but may prove to be more profitable, or, can conversely result in much greater losses. The fundamental analysis of any business can depend on various factors: efficient market theory, value and growth, growth at a reasonable price and the quality of the business.

1. Efficient market theory pertains to stocks being always correctly priced, as all the requisite information is available on the current price.
2. The stock market sets up the price.
3. Analysts decide upon the value of a company based on the potential for its growth.
4. Price and value may not be equal, due to certain irrationalities governing the market.

Value investors need to rely on certain stringent rules governing the nature of the stock which adhere to the following criteria:

1. Earnings: company earnings are profits after taxes and interests.
2. Earnings per share (EPS): the amount of recorded income (on per share basis) available to the company to pay dividends to stockholders, or to reinvest in itself.
3. Price/Earnings Ratios (P/E) ratio (having a justified upper limit): If the company’s stock is trading at $80 and its EPS is $8 per share, it has a multiple, or P/E of 10. This means that investors could expect a 10% cash flow return:
$8/$80 = 1/10 = 1/(PE) = 0.10 = 10%
If it’s making $4 per share, it has a multiple of 20 (20 times $4 equals $80). In this case, an investor might receive a 5% return (in the same conditions);
$4/$80 = 1/20 = 1/(P/E) = 0.05 = 5%
However, a low P/E is not an untainted value indicator.
4. Price/Sales Ratio (PSR): is the same as a P/E ratio, except that the stocks are divided by sales per share instead of earnings per share.
5. Debt Ratio: percentage of debt a company has relative to the shareholder equity.
6. Dividend yields above a certain absolute limit.
7. Book value ratio: comparison of the market price against the book value of the stock per share.
8. Market capitalization value: Complete total value of a companys outstanding shares (Market price per share Total number of shares outstanding).
9. Equity Returns – ROE: Net income after taxes divided by owners equity.
10. Beta: comparison of volatility of the stock to that of the market.
11. Institutional ownership: percentage of a firms outstanding shares owned by certain institutions: insurance companies, mutual funds etc.

Learning to analyze ones stocks and thus reaping the desirable profit is in fact a continuous process, as no amount of market efficient theories can ever predict a flawless financial return system. Even though one invests judiciously by studying the market, the over-valuation or under-valuation of stocks can often be determined by market emotions.

Basic Principles Of An Investing Club

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:36:02 +0000

Investment clubs are created by individuals who not only want to pool their funds together to make a joint investment but would also like to gain knowledge on the various types of viable investment opportunities that are available in the market. Each member of the club contributes periodically an agreed amount of money to purchase growth stocks by means of a dollar cost averaging approach.

The dividends as well as the capital gains are usually reinvested to gain more interest. The security purchases are voted upon by the club members. This is also one way of decreasing personal risk of club members. There are also investment clubs that allows non-club investors to participate in larger investments of the club provided of course that the non-member investors receive a much lower share of commissions.

Likewise, it is also the role of investment clubs to assist their club members in becoming more knowledgeable in all aspects of investments. A well-known trade group for investments clubs is the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) which is a non-profit organization that provides guidance as well as imparting investment knowledge as part of its membership.

A good choice of investment clubs are those that have been around for many decades already and have a track record of having a continuous increasing interest in the stock market. By joining investment clubs, small investors are given the opportunity to increase their buying power, share their collective knowledge and socialize while earning from their investment. Another good benefit derived from investment clubs is the fact that investors are not expected to invest a great deal of money but still will be able to receive a greater amount of interest that is usually possible if you have similarly invested a big lump money.

A typical investment club usually meets once a month and members are given individual responsibility of researching investments and then sharing their ideas with the other members of the club. Likewise, these meeting also served as an occasion for members to contribute to their monetary fund, which is intended for purchasing stocks, mutual funds as well as other types of feasible investments.

One of the main goals and objectives of an investment club is the opportunity to learn. Most investment clubs spent a great deal of effort and time in research since they believe that a well-researched investment plan has a much greater chance of success. This is also the reason why risk is minimized when joining an investment club.

Starting an investment club is not really that difficult and does not require any special knowledge. In fact, a group of friends or even co-workers can decide to set up an investment club. This is usually a good place to start as you will know the people you dealing with.

Find the best investment rates on savings and CD Rates » Dividends

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