Stocks Articles

  1. A Primer On The MACD

    Learn to trade in the direction of short-term momentum.
  2. War's Influence On Wall Street

    Blitzkrieg? Dawn raids? Sounds like the markets and the battlefield have a few things in common.
  3. Yield Investing: Dividend, Earnings And FCF

    There are numerous ways to value investments, and many investors prefer a specific valuation method. Yield investing is one way to value a stock by comparing the current price to various factors. Yield by definition means to give way to or produce. There are many ways to measure yield - three common ones are dividend yield, earnings yield and free cash flow yield.
  4. Top 4 Most Scandalous Insider Trading Debacles

    Here we look at some of the landmark incidents of insider trading.
  5. How To Value An Insurance Company

    In the insurance space, accurate predictions of metrics such as ROE are important, and paying a low P/B can help put the odds in investors' favor.
  6. Introduction To STRIPS

    STRIPS provide an alternative form of bond for fixed-income investors who need definite cash flows at specific times. Read the article to find out how.
  7. Cashing In On Corporate Restructuring

    Companies use M&As and spinoffs to boost profits - learn how you can do the same.
  8. Equity Valuation: The Comparables Approach

    The main purpose of equity valuation is to estimate a value for a firm or security. There are three primary equity valuation models: the discounted cash flow (DCF), cost and comparable approaches. The comparable model is a relative valuation approach and is explained in more detail below.
  9. Understanding Leverage Ratios

    Large amounts of debt can cause businesses to become less competitive and, in some cases, lead to default. To lower their risk, investors use a variety of leverage ratios - including the debt, debt-to-equity and interest coverage ratios - to identify firms with unhealthy debt levels.
  10. Understanding Profit Metrics: Gross, Operating and Net Profits

    Rather than relying solely on net profit figures to evaluate a company's performance, seasoned investors will often look at gross profit and operating profit as well.
  11. How Now, Dow? What Moves The DJIA?

    Find out how this index tracks market movements and where it falls short.
  12. How To Value An Internet Stock

    An academic study, published several years after the peak of the dot-com bubble in March 2000, accurately described just how whacky internet valuations grew until the bubble burst. The study's first sentence basically stated that valuations lost touch with reality.
  13. Arbitrage Squeezes Profit From Market Inefficiency

    This influential strategy capitalizes on the relationship between price and liquidity.
  14. What Type Of Trader Are You?

    There are different ways stock traders attempt to profit from market movements. Which of the strategies do you use?
  15. Mergers And Acquisitions: Understanding Takeovers

    In the dramatic world of M&As, battleground terms meld with bizarre metaphors to form the language of the game.
  16. Interpreting A Company's IPO Prospectus Report

    Learn to decipher the secret language of the IPO prospectus report - it can tell you a lot about a company's future.
  17. Consumer Spending As A Market Indicator

    What people buy and where they shop can provide valuable information about the economy.
  18. Depreciation: Straight-Line Vs. Double-Declining Methods

    Appreciate the different methods used to describe how book value is "used up".
  19. Trading Is Timing

    Learn how to make gains even if you don't get in at the right time.
  20. Build A Baby Berkshire

    Get a piece of Warren Buffett's profit by using Form 13F to coattail his picks.
  21. Warding Off Hostile Takeovers

    The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of hostile corporate takeovers, while highlighting a general course of action against such activity. This article provides basic information about the Williams Act, the use of company stock with differential voting rights, ESOPs as a defense mechanism, poison pill strategies, white knight investor alternatives, and greenmail as an alternative to blackmail.
  22. 10 Golf Tips To Help Investors Tee Off

    There are a lot of similarities between golf and investing. Find out how to keep your game out of the rough.
  23. Becoming A Chartered Market Technician

    The CMT certification involves three tough exams. Find out what you need to do in order to pass.
  24. Differences Between Forward P/E And Trailing P/E

    The most common types of price to earnings ratios are forward P/E and trailing P/E. Find out how they differ and the advantages and drawbacks of each.
  25. Candlestick Charting: What Is It?

    Discover the components and basic patterns of this ancient technical analysis technique.
  26. The Basics Of A Financial Analysis Report

    Running financial analysis on a company or industry is a key skill every investor must learn and understand how to undertake without which an ineffective financial report and investment recommendation ensues.
  27. Forex: Demo Before You Dive In

    All trading platforms have benefits and drawbacks - master the fake trade before making a real one.
  28. How To Use Price-To-Sales Ratios To Value Stocks

    Take a look at how this effective ratio can be influenced by certain critical factors.
  29. Beware False Signals From The P/E Ratio

    The P/E ratio is a simple tool for evaluating a company, but no one ratio can tell the whole story.
  30. Great Company Or Growing Industry?

    Look at the big picture when choosing a company - what you see may really be a stage in its industry's growth.
  31. Build A Dividend Portfolio That Grows With You

    Balance risk and return to produce adequate income despite inflation.
  32. Breaking Down The Fed Model

    Learn what pundits mean when they say that stocks are undervalued according to the Fed model.
  33. How To Outperform The Market

    Active trading is an investing style that aims to beat the market. Find out how it works, and whether it will work for you.
  34. Everything Investors Need To Know About Earnings

    We go over the concepts behind the excitement over the most important figure in the stock market.
  35. Understanding Small- And Big-Cap Stocks

    If you don't realize how big small-cap stocks can be, you'll miss some good investment opportunities.
  36. Which Mutual Fund Market Cap Suits You?

    Different funds invest in companies with different market caps. Find out which is right for you.
  37. How To Identify A Micro-Cap Scam

    Discover how to distinguish a real investment opportunity from a fraudulent one.
  38. Finding Undiscovered Stocks

    Wall Street tends to focus on large cap stocks, leaving other stocks under-followed and undervalued.
  39. Build A Model Portfolio With Style Investing

    This sophisticated approach will add flair to your returns.
  40. Market Capitalization Defined

    Find out the differences between mega-, large-, mid- and small-cap stocks and how each suits different investing styles.
  41. Small Caps Boast Big Advantages

    Find out why little companies have the greatest potential for growth.
  42. Tips For Controlling Investment Losses

    A profit/loss plan helps investors recognize mistakes and invest logically, rather than emotionally.
  43. How To Find P/E And PEG Ratios

    If these numbers have you in the dark, these easy calculations should help light the way.
  44. How To Make A Winning Long-Term Stock Pick

    Discover the key elements of a good long-term investment and how to find them.
  45. Triple Screen Trading System - Part 4

    How can a trader use the Elder-Ray oscillator as the second screen of this system? Find out here.
  46. Triple Screen Trading System - Part 3

    Learn about market wave, the second screen in this three-part system.
  47. Is Growth Always A Good Thing?

    Getting big quickly looks good, but companies can get into trouble when they do it too fast. Find out how to spot this trouble.
  48. Venturing Into Early-Stage Growth Stocks

    Picking these potential winners is all about sizing up risk. We show you how.
  49. Triple Screen Trading System - Part 2

    Market tide is the basis for making trading decisions in this three-part system.
  50. Triple Screen Trading System - Part 1

    Learn to take advantage of both trend-following and oscillator techniques to analyze your trading decisions.
  51. Writing Down Goodwill

    Goodwill represents an acquisition amount over and above what the purchased firm’s net assets are deemed to be valued at on the balance sheet.
  52. Do Your Investments Have Short-Term Health?

    If a company is strong enough to survive tough times, it is more likely to provide long-term value.
  53. Asset Allocation: The First Step Toward Profit

    Understanding the different asset classes is an essential part of portfolio diversification.
  54. Benckiser Buys More Of The Coffee Business (CBOU, SBUX, RBGPY, KRFT)

    Reimann family holding company is paying $340 million for Caribou Coffee, and paid $1 billion for Peet's in July. Is it looking to take on Starbucks?
  55. Spotting Profitability With ROCE

    This straightforward ratio measures whether a company is efficient, money-making or neither.
  56. Finding Solid Buy-And-Hold Stocks

    Find out how to look at the big picture - even when the market's short-term outlook is less than rosy.
  57. Triangles: A Short Study In Continuation Patterns

    Learn how to read these formations of horizontal trading patterns.
  58. Analyze Cash Flow The Easy Way

    Find out how to analyze the way a company spends its money to determine whether there will be any money left for investors.
  59. Digging Into Book Value

    This calculation will serve up your portion of the shareholder pie.
  60. Analyzing Retail Stocks

    To analyze retail stocks, investors need to be aware of the most common metrics used. Find out what they are.
  61. The World's Most Valuable Private Companies

    In spite of the rewards going public can bring, some companies prefer to remain private, and they are very successful in this.
  62. Securitizing Your Health With ACOs

    ACOs have the components required to securitize. Can your health become an instrument that can be traded?
  63. Using Enterprise Value To Compare Companies

    Learn how enterprise value can help investors compare companies with different capital structures.
  64. Momentum Trading With Discipline

    This type of strategy demands controlled decision-making, requiring a continual refinement of entry and exit techniques.
  65. Trade On Support For The Best Exit Strategy

    Find your sound exit strategy based on support and resistance levels, while understanding the psychology behind them.
  66. Spotting Sharks Among Penny Stocks

    To protect yourself from an attack, don't swim in this ocean.
  67. Evaluating Retained Earnings: What Gets Kept Counts

    A company's retained earnings matter. Be investment-savvy and learn how to analyze this often overlooked information.
  68. Analyze Investments Quickly With Ratios

    Make informed decisions about your investments with these easy equations.
  69. Analyzing A Bank's Financial Statements

    A careful review of a bank's financial statements can help you identify key factors in a potential investment.
  70. Useful Balance Sheet Metrics

    These metrics can help you better understand the information found on balance sheets.
  71. Introduction To The Arms Index

    Developed in 1967 by Richard Arms, this volume-based breadth indicator can be applied over various time periods.
  72. Understanding Pro-Forma Earnings

    These figures can either shed light on a company's performance or skew it. Find out why.
  73. Small Cap Research Can Have A Big Impact

    Don't rely on Wall Street analysts for information on these stocks.
  74. DCF Valuation: The Stock Market Sanity Check

    Calculate whether the market is paying too much for a particular stock.
  75. Analyzing Operating Margins

    Find out how to put this important component of equity analysis to work for you.
  76. Fundamental Speed: The "Duck-And-Jab" Approach To Forex

    By using economic releases in a timely way, buyers can beat the "big players" without endless chart analysis.
  77. Evaluating A Statement Of Cash Flows

    The metrics for the Statement of Cash Flows is best viewed over time.
  78. 3 Industry-Impacting Innovations On The Horizon

    Here are some industry-impacting innovations that could potentially belong in the famed Carousel of Progress.
  79. The Importance Of Other Comprehensive Income

    Understanding and analyzing OCI greatly improves financial analysis, especially for financial companies.
  80. A Primer On Investing In The Tech Industry

    The tech sector can provide fantastic returns for investors with a little know-how in the field.
  81. Can Good News Be A Signal To Sell?

    Sometimes positive announcements can mean bad news for a stock. Find out why.
  82. How To Evaluate A Micro-Cap Company

    Learn how to think big by investing in smaller stocks.
  83. Trading Failed Breaks

    Learn how to capitalize on the predictable behavior of others during breakouts and breakdowns.
  84. The Advantages Of Investing In Aggressive Companies

    Often the most attractive companies are also a little fierce - learn how to spot healthy corporate aggression.
  85. 3 Great Business Battles

    Here are some U.S. companies that have historically competed with one another for market supremacy.
  86. Use The Momentum Strategy To Your Advantage

    Learn how to use a number of different indicators to know when to make your trading moves.
  87. 6 Decisions That Cost Companies Millions

    Here are some of the worst business decisions of all time, made across a broad range of sectors and industries.
  88. Growth Doesn't Matter For Mid Caps

    Featuring the right amount of growth and stability, mid caps represent a great opportunity to play the marketplace.
  89. Did ETFs Cause The Flash Crash?

    On May 6, 2010, the DJIA plunged 998.5 points in twenty minutes. Find out more about what happened that day.
  90. What Are A Stock's "Fundamentals"?

    The investing world loves to talk about fundamentals, but do you know what it means?
  91. Your Futures Are In Good Hands With CTAs

    Profit from up, down and sideways markets with commodity trading advisors.
  92. 3 Of History’s Largest Acquisitions

    The largest acquisition of 2011 was barely one-sixth the size of the largest from a dozen years ago. Find out what they were.
  93. Finding The Best Buyer For Your Small Business

    Learn more about the process business owners go through to seal a merger or acquisition deal.
  94. Beware Of Bad Companies That Won't Die

    Lousy companies can live on for quite a long time, sucking in investors' hopes and capital.
  95. The Daily Routine Of A Swing Trader

    From pre-market to after hours, see what you need to do to capture gains quickly.
  96. Losing To Win

    Adopting realistic expectations is essential to staying in the trading game.
  97. Helium: An Uplifting Commodity

    Helium is a non-renewable resource in an industry dominated by an unusual infrastructure.
  98. Take On Risk With A Margin of Safety

    More common risk theories can lead to missed opportunities. Find out how margin of safety can propel your portfolio.
  99. What Is The Intrinsic Value Of A Stock?

    Intrinsic value reduces the subjective perception of a stock's value by analyzing its fundamentals.
  100. Financial Models You Can Create With Excel

    The relatively modest amount of time it takes to build these models can pay for itself by leading you to better investment decisions.
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