A substitute and concurrent theory to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is one that incorporates multiple factors in explaining the movement of asset prices. The arbitrage pricing model (APT) on the other hand approaches pricing from a different aspect. It is rarely successful to analyze portfolio risks by assessing the weighted sum of its components. Equity portfolios are far more diverse and enormously large for separate component assessment, and the correlation existing between the elements would make a calculation as such untrue. Rather, the portfolio’s risk should be viewed as a single product’s innate risk. The APT represents portfolio risk by a factor model that is linear, where returns are a sum of risk factor returns. Factors may range from macroeconomic to fundamental market indices weighted by sensitivities to changes in each factor. These sensitivities are called factor-specific beta coefficients or more commonly, Continue reading
Investment Analysis
Fundamental Analysis of Stocks
Definition of Fundamental Analysis Fundamental analysis of stocks is defined as the practice of examining the fundamentals of an organization in order to determine if a business has turned out to be a good investment. Fundamental analysis aims are answering questions related to the business finance and capital investment, such as “what are the probabilities that this business investment is going to fail or become bankrupt” and “how sure can a portfolio manager be that the stock continues to pay dividends?” In other words, fundamental analysis involves detailed study in regards to financial statements like the balance sheet. It is considered as a complete contrast to technical analysis of stocks. Fundamental analysis of stocks deals with the analysis of the financial, economic, as well as other quantitative and qualitative elements associated with a security with the sole intention of determining its intrinsic value. Even though this technique is employed for Continue reading
Portfolio Selection and Revision in Investment Portfolio Management
Portfolio Selection Portfolio analysis provides the input for the next phase in portfolio management, which is portfolio selection. The proper goal of portfolio construction is to generate a portfolio that provides the highest returns at a given level of risk. A portfolio having this characteristic is known as an efficient portfolio. The inputs from portfolio analysis can be used to identify the set of efficient portfolios. From this set of efficient portfolios the optimum portfolio has to be selected for investment. Harry Markowitz portfolio theory provides both the conceptual framework and analytical tools for determining the optimal portfolio in a disciplined and objective way. Portfolio Revision Once the portfolio is constructed, it undergoes changes due to changes in market prices and reassessment of companies. Portfolio revision means alteration of the composition of debt/equity instruments, shifting from the one industry to another industry, changing from one company to another company. Any Continue reading
Difference between Fundamental and Technical Analysis
While analyzing price movement, forex trade uses two primary types of analysis. Those concentrating on price movement and neglect other factors choose to guide their efforts at enhancing their skills at technical analysis, whereas traders preferring to examine the economic events which cause the market action mainly throw light on their efforts in analyzing fundamental analysis. Most traders wish to mix the information supplied by these two kinds of analysis in order to generate accurate trading signals. Others focus on one aspect of analysis and discard the other type from the computations, and yet it can be said that either of the approaches can be valid with respect to the circumstances. In essence, there are traders who have been acquiring reputation as well as wealth by trading effectively based on fundamental analysis. But as both of these people disagree in several subjects, they would most probably agree with the fact Continue reading
Steps Involved in Investment Planning
Investors like to invest through the instinct and want to gain profit from the market by investing. However, while financial institutions are undoubtedly a part of the process of investing. As investors, it is not surprising that we focus so much of our energy and efforts on investment philosophies and strategies, and so little on the investment process. It is far more interesting to read about how Peter Lynch picks stocks and what makes Warren Buffett a valuable investor, than it is to talk about the steps involved in creating a portfolio or in executing trades. Though it does not get sufficient attention, understanding the investment process is critical for every investor for several reasons: Investment planning centrally depends upon the portfolio of the investor; as a result the primary step of the investment process is to make a portfolio. By emphasizing the sequence, it provides for an orderly way Continue reading
Primary Market or New Issue Market
Companies issue securities from time to time to raise funds in order to meet their financial requirements for modernization, expansions and diversification programmes. These securities are issued directly to the investors (both individuals as well as institutional) through the mechanism called primary market or new issue market. The primary market refers to the set-up which helps the industry to raise the funds by issuing different types of securities. This set-up consists of the type of securities available, financial institutions and the regulatory framework. The primary market discharges the important function of transfer of savings especially of the individuals to the companies, the mutual funds, and the public sector undertakings. Individuals or other investors with surplus money invest their savings in exchange for shares, debentures and other securities. In the primary market the new issue of securities are presented in the form of public issues, right issues or private placement. Firms Continue reading