| |
| |
|
Investing Information |
|
|
|
Investing 101: Risk Terminology - BETA
About thirty years ago, statisticians armed with all of their statistical theories began to confront the financial markets. A handful of useful tools emerged that the average investor should be familiar with when they look to purchase stocks. One secret that people "in the know" use is "BETA". "Beta" is a number which reflects how volatile a stock has been relative to the market. This number is also quoted on most quotation services so it is easy to get to, but I have often found that it is never defined. A BETA of 1.00 means that on average, a stock has traditionally matched the markets swings both on the upside and on the downside. A BETA greater than 1.00 reflects above average market volatility, and a BETA of less than 1.00 indicates below average market volatility. When a BETA is less than zero it indicates that the stock moves contrary to the general market, going down in bull markets and rising in bear markets.. It used to be the case that Gold mining stocks would have negative betas. Internet stocks for example have very high betas. Many of the analysts that cross your TV screen and make recommendations use BETA as their primary screening device in searching for suitable investments. So the next time your broker calls with an investment recommendation, ask him what the BETA is and then relish the silence on the other end of the phone. Then send him a copy of this article! Dowjonesfully, Harald Anderson is the founder and Chief Analyst of eOptionsTrader.com a leading online resource of Options Trading Information. He writes regularly for financial publications on Risk Management and Trading Strategies. His goal in life is to become the kind of person that his dog already thinks he is. http://www.eOptionsTrader.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Options Education: Financing the Calendar! As a trader, one of the key things that I try to consciously do is to cultivate my instincts by talking with other traders and investors as often as possible. It still amazes me how large the divergence of opinion that exists regarding what people believe will unfold as we enter the new millennium. Scots Beat Yanks in China Bank Deal With visions of an ATM in every neighborhood in China, foreign banks and investment firms are queuing up to join the "China Club."Moneybags CommunismThe initiation fee for the "China Club" is straightforward and pure moneybags communism: invest cold hard cash in its largely insolvent state-owned banks, put your reputation on the line, reassure nervous foreign investors about upcoming IPO's, and share your risk management, corporate banking and other expertise with eager Chinese executives. Value Investing By definition, value investing is the process of selecting stocks that trade for less than their intrinsic value. A value investor typically selects stocks with lower than average price-to-book or price-to-earning ratios. Short Term Savings Products When you invest, it simply means that you are putting your funds in products, in this case short-term savings vehicles, which will allow you to reap high financial rewards.Here is a list of the more common short term savings products you should consider investing in. Use of a Franchise Business as a Family Tax Planning Strategy Suggesting the use of a franchise business as a vehicle for family estate and tax planning. Specifically using as an example, The Car Wash Guys, a portable car wash franchise, where you will be purchasing a completely designed and outfitted car wash truck and the right to develop a specific city or regional area with out of pocket start-up costs between $25-50,000. Eight Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor You may like your financial advisor, but is he really looking out for you? All advisors are not created equal, and you have a right to know what makes them different! You also have a right to ask yours if he compares!(1) Do you use a holistic approach to financial planning by determining my values and goals?(2) Do you work on a fee-only basis, a commission basis, or both, and why?(3) Do you have company-established insurance requirements, or do you recommend insurance only when it is needed by your clients?(4) Do you attempt to 'beat' the market through timing and selection, or do you believe that attempts to do so are not worth the additional level of fees and risk? Are you aware that a vast majority of my returns will be based on asset allocation, rather than timing and selection?(5) Are you a Registered Investment Advisor, and therefore a fiduciary? In other words, must you legally and ethically put my interests above your own?(6) Do you meet with your clients at least three times a year to refine their portfolio and find out how events in their lives may have changed their financial goals?(7) Do you return phone calls the same day you receive them, and are you available to answer questions as they arise?(8) When you wake up each morning, do you ask yourself how you can best be of help to your clients that day?Adjust these questions as you see fit, and depending upon what your own objectives and needs are from an advisor. The best advice is to never be afraid to ask!© 2004 Matthew S. Investing Offshore for Retirement As an expatriate you are in a privileged savings and investing position. Make the most of the options available to you while you can, consider investing offshore for your retirement. It's Not the Size of Your Bank Account You might think that if you win the lottery or get a huge raise, all your problems will be solved. Sounds logical, right? Well, it might sound logical, but it isn't. Is Offshore Banking for You? You've probably heard about people who keep their money offshore. Most likely you assume they're all wealthy businessmen; millionaires, who have so much money they somehow 'qualify' to move it out of the country, right? Wrong! Offshore banking can be a benefit for anybody regardless of income. Retirement Plan Considerations Cheat Sheet for Small Business RETIREMENT PLAN CONSIDERATIONS are something every small business person needs to be thinking about. Do you have a strategic plan? Don't expect to have social security save you. How to Terror-Proof Your Money "To drift is to be in hell, to be in heaven is to steer." -George Bernard ShawFormer Homeland Security Director, Tom Ridge, has said it's not a matter of "if" we'll have another terrorist attack, but when. The Benefits of Laddering Your CD Investments If you've decided to stock some money away in a certificate of deposit, why not reap the highest benefit over time by laddering your CD investments? What's a CD latter? I'm glad you asked.A CD ladder is made up by purchasing several CD's at one time with different maturity dates. Asset Location - Increase Investing Returns & Reduce Your Taxes Location - Once the holy grail only for real estate investors is fast becoming the mantra for every stock, bond, and mutual fund investor. Experts and studies now recognize managing asset location is second only to asset allocation in determining the success of your investment returns. The Three Legged Stool My paternal grandparents were born near Lake Como, Italy. My grandfather learned how to farm, and he did just that until he died chopping wood at age 88. Is a SEP Plan Right For Your Business A SEP is a special type of IRA. Under a SEP plan the employer creates an IRA account for each eligible employee, hence the name SEP-IRA. Bad News - Why The Financial News Media Can Cost You Money! The communication innovations we have around us today like the internet, financial newspapers, and special interest television channels focused on investing like CNBC are a high speed pipeline of nonsensical chatter. All these sources of information mean that there is no shortage of media people trying to answer our questions about the stock market and specific stocks. Chile Leads the Latin Pack Everyone's talking about China. Don't miss the opportunities in the other CHI. Trading Baskets Part I Q. What is a basket?A basket is a group of up to 50 stocks that you can trade, manage and track as one entity. Discipline in Trading and Investing The one thing I can think of that most affects both trading and investing has to be self-discipline.Being disciplined is fully 50% of the job of trading or of investing. 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.
|
| home | site map | index |
| © 2010 |
