General

Investing in a Dividend Stock

The term dividend stock describes a stock that offers payments to an investor for owning shares of that company’s stock. Some, but not all, companies offer dividends to their shareholders and there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with a dividend stock.

When a corporation makes a profit, that money can either be re-invested in [...]

The Role of the Stock Analyst

The stock analyst (or “security analyst”) can play a useful role in helping investors make purchase or sale decisions on particular stocks. The stock analyst is a financial professional with expertise in evaluating stock investment opportunities.

Stock analysts typically work for brokerage firms, investment advisors, or mutual funds and conduct research so that [...]

Be Wary of Stock Advice

When it comes to stock advice, everyone seems to have some ideas to share with you. Stock market advice is found in the newspaper, in magazines, on television, and all over the Internet. The direction of the stock market and the best stocks to buy or sell is often a popular topic around the [...]

The Basics of a Securities Investment

A securities investment can be a number of different things. The term “security” is used to describe a variety of investments, including stocks, bonds, notes, limited partnership interests, and more.
When a government entity or company needs money to finance projects or provide services, it will often issue these securities to investors who purchase [...]

Does Timing the Stock Market Work?

“I never have the faintest idea what the stock market is going to do in the next six months, or the next year, or the next two.”
-Warren Buffett
Stock market timing (or “market timing”) is a strategy under which the stock market investor makes buy or sell decisions based on the prediction of future price moves. [...]

Investing in Exchange Traded Funds

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are open-ended funds that trade on stock exchanges. Unlike an actively-managed fund, an ETF is usually tied to an index. Because they rely on index-tracking rather than active management, the fees for ETFs are typically a fraction of those for actively-managed funds. The overall investment with ETFs can [...]

What are the Dow Stocks?

The Dow Stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are large and well-known, companies that are considered to be industry leaders and trade on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.
The DJIA (which dates all the way back to 1896) is price-weighted in that the stocks that are trading at a [...]

What is a Blue Chip Stock?

A blue chip stock is the nickname for a stock that is thought to be a relatively safe investment. A blue chip stock gets its name from poker where the blue chips are usually the most valuable.
Blue chip stocks are typically a less volatile investment than owning shares in companies without this status. [...]

The Decision to Sell Stock

The timing of your decisions to sell stock is every bit as important as when to buy. One of the main things to keep in mind in stock investing is not to fall in love with a stock as that would make your stock sell decisions much more difficult.
Other than needing the money, there [...]

Stock Beta Values - Measuring Stock Volatility

Stock beta measures stock volatility, the degree to which the stock’s price moves in relation to the overall market. Stock Beta is a gauge to understand market risk in a particular stock. The measure gives you an idea of how volatile a particular stock is. Beta is the overall risk in investing [...]