Market Analysis : Stock Market Essay

The weekly performance of IBM stock presented a contestant growth. One highlight of the falling of stock price in the 6th week in the investment period was when IBM presented the 3rd quarter financial report. The investors weren’t satisfied with the profit report which they expected to be better especially when other IT companies were doing well in the 3rd quarter. One mistake I made was that I didn’t follow closely to the financial report of the company; therefore, I missed the peak of the stock price. From this experience, I learned that financial reports and current news are important indicators of the stock price. By following closely to the current event and analyzing the financial report, investors can maximize the profit and also become more familiar to the market.

Choosing two profitable stocks amongst a myriad of potential alternatives is a daunting task to say the least. In order to narrow my choices from thousands to two, I examined several aspects of companies I was interested in. Among these were, company overview, alpha and beta ratings, price ratios, price charts, and company headlines. After evaluating this information, I chose Intuit INC (INTU) listed on the NASDAQ and Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) listed on the NYSE.

In the beginning, there was no real stock market. However stock exchanges did take place in smaller groups and corporations. This all took place during the 1700's where stocks were already around for a long time before that but it wasn't really popular in the United States. Stocks originally started as auctions where traders called out names of companies and the shares available. There was a auction that took place and the shares went to the highest bidders.

In order to succeed in any business, it is extremely important to understand the stock market. In this assignment we were asked to follow the stock market continuously for four months and understand the market. The stock market is a global marketplace, where goods and services are traded in the form of equities.

So what does this really mean? It means if a company puts their stock up for sale on the market you can buy a partial ownership of the company. Your portion of ownership depends on the amount of shares you purchase in a particular company. When you purchase a share of the company you own that percentage of everything the company owns and makes and can have a decision on the company. The two most common types of stock are common, the typical traded stock that everyone is use to and comes with voting rights, and preferred, doesn't usually come with voting rights and typically offers some form of guaranteed fixed dividend forever. Features of stocks are easy to buy and sell, no guarantee of return, may make huge profits fast or lose value just as quick, requires monitoring. Stocks are traded on "The Market", meaning they have to be bought and sold through a stock market. With regulations just anyone can't buy or sell on the market, it has to be a licensed broker to carry out the transaction. Stock buying and selling can take a lot of time and research to make the most profit. If you can find a broker, you trust they can really help you with your investment. Stocks are one area of investment, more so than bonds, you need to be sure you can stand to lose the money if the market doesn't work

The “Stock Market” is a term that actually describes several markets such as the New York Stock Exchange NASDAQ, where the stocks of companies are traded. Shares in a company are sold and the shareholders then become part owners of the company. Offering shares of stock raises money for continued research and development of company products or services.

3. At what price would you recommend that Rosetta Stone shares be sold?Rosetta Stone: Pricing the 2009 IPO

Being a stockholder can have great rewards like a viable source of income, or an eggs nest for retirement, however it does have its downsides as well. Owning stock in a corporation bears the risk of losing all one’s investment if the company goes bankrupt. Aside from financial benefits, owning stock allows stockholders to have a voice (however small it may be) in the company’s direction.

The stock market works by increasing the value of stocks based upon multiple factors. One of the factors is company performance. The better the company is doing the more stocks will increase and vice versa. Another factor is the demand. The more demand the bigger the price and also vice versa. So to maximize the amount of money you get from a stock you need many people buying that stock and having the company do well.

In regards to investing in stocks, bonds, currencies, or other investment products, it has always been a normal emotion to be happy when a stock price rose and upset when a stock price fell. Yet for Warren Buffet and his team at Berkshire they welcome these declining prices because of the opportunities it brings. According to Warren Buffet, a true investor would be buying stocks and businesses for their entire life, and “with these intentions, declining prices for businesses benefit us, and rising prices hurt us.” Understanding that the investor is going to be a buyer for eternity an investor should

There are a few terms new stock investors should learn before actually beginning to put money into the stock market. You hear words like “shares”, “assets”, and even “earnings” when you watch or listen to people on the television. Shares are a percentage of the company, if you buy a share; you own a small percentage of it and its earnings. Earnings are all the money that the company makes. Assets involve all the company owns, for example, trademarks, equipment, and even the buildings their workers work in. Companies put their assets and

7. Compare your valuation with Smith Barney’s. What assumptions do you have to make to get the terminal value EBITDA multiples used by Smith Barney. Is there any benefit of their method relative to FCF method?

Gittman (2004, pp. 312) divided stock into two types, such as common stock and preferred stock. He also showed that dividends are the outcome of investment. So, common stocks are an ownership claim against primarily real or productive asset (Higgins, 1995), but he also said that if the company prospers, stockholders are the chief beneficiaries, if it falters, they are the chief losers. Smith (1988) presented that stocks are one of the most popular forms of investment. People buy stocks for various reasons: some are interested in the long-term growth of their investment by buying low priced stock of a new company in the hope of substantially growth of share price over the next few years. Another reason he suggested that in a well established firm stockholders expect the stock growth will be stable over the long run. (Smith,1988).

Just after the student decided what he wanted to invest; He invested a small amount of money to prevent a big loss. The first investment was made in a mutual fund; This kind of stock grows slow, this makes them easier to manage and safer. The student invested $2,000 in a company called ‘American Funds Euro Pacific Growth A (AEPGX)’. It is a company that helps small businesses to growth; according to the charts the student thought it was a good idea to start investing in this company, since it is a long term the price of the stock rises or decreases in a slow rate.

"When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favourite holding period is forever." - A very deep and insightful thought by the most successful investor of the 20th century.