Saturday, 12 March 2011

Future potential shares can be divided into several groups

Ordinary shares purchasers typically invest their funds into the company-issuer and become its owners. Their weight in the process of making decisions in the company depends on the number of shares he/she possesses. Due to the financial experience of the company, its part in the market and future potential shares can be divided into several groups.
1. Blue Chips
Shares of large companies with a long record of profit growth, annual return over $4 billion, large capitalization and constancy in paying-off dividends are referred to as blue chips.
2. Growth Stocks
Shares of such company grow faster; its managers typically pursue the policy of reinvestment of revenue into further development and modernization of the company. These companies rarely pay dividends and in case they do the dividends are minimal as compared with other companies.
3. Income Stocks
Income stocks are the stocks of companies with high and stable earnings that pay high dividends to the shareholders. The shares of such companies usually use mutual funds in the plans for middle-aged and elderly people.
4. Defensive Stocks
These are the stocks whose prices stay stable when the market declines, do well during recessions and are able to minimize risks. They perform perfect when the market turns sour and are in requisition during economic boom.
These categories are widely spread in mutual funds, thus for better understanding investment process it is useful to keep in mind this division.
You probably have been told that options are risky. Even worse, that you can lose your shirt trading them!
Well, what is the truth?
Let's take a look at stock ownership. What can happen if you buy stock?
The price can go up.
The price can go down.
The price can go sideways.
In the first case, you can make money. In the second you lose money.
And in the third case you don't directly win or lose but in fact it costs you money in two ways. The direct cost of brokerage and fees. And the indirect cost known as opportunity cost.
This is the cost due to lost opportunities. The fact that you aren't able to be involved in other, potentially profitable trades.
So if you purchase stock you can only make money if the stock price goes up.
Now some of you may be thinking, "But what about shorting?"
Well yes, short selling stock is possible but it is quite a tricky strategy and has almost unlimited risk so it is certainly not an approach we recommend.
You see, when you short a stock, you actually sell a stock that you don't own. And your intention is to then buy the stock back at a lower price. The price difference is your profit per share.
But can you see what the problem is here?
Well what happens if the stock price goes up? Particularly if it goes up a lot?
As you have sold the stock at a lower price you now have to buy it back at a higher price. And so your loss can be substantial.
So, to summarize, when you trade stock you can really only make money if the price increases.
Now there is one other aspect to this that I want to address. And this is that owning stock is expensive!
So don't just accept the common view that owning stock is safe and trading options is dangerous.
If you understand options and learn how to trade them they can be a great investment vehicle.

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