Category: Stock Market Basics

The idea of you as the consumer being the best stock picker extends to larger items. You spent some time looking for an automobile, washing machine, refrigerator and like items. You chose a particular brand for a reason. The factors could be value, reliability or your past experiences. The reason could be a combination of all factors mentioned above. Value your decision process and consider investing in the company that produces the product.

Beginning in the Spring of 2007 the stock market reporters discussed some problems in sub-prime loans and predatory lending practices by some mortgage companies. At first the stories were merely in passing, but as the months rolled by the story became front page news. The President of the United States, China’s financial network and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve have weighed in on what is supposed to be a small percentage of no credit borrowers reneging on their mortgage. So why is everyone so worried about some lousy mortgages?

There are certain international gold stocks that are noteworthy. A Canadian based international player in the gold market is Agnico-Eagle Mines. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock ticker AEM. The stock is also sold on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. This company has more than a thirty year history in the production of gold. Since the 1970s AEM has produced over four million ounces of gold. The company is international and has operations in Canada, United States, Mexico, Sweden and Finland.

Take time to consider what type of trading you would want to do and what style would best fit your lifestyle. For example, if you are interested in day trading, keep in mind that in order to do well in this particular field, you may need to be in front of the computer and on the telephone for very long hours in a day. Whatever trading style you may choose, may it be day trading, short-term trading, weekly trading or even monthly trading, consider the nature of these styles and how you can fit them into your way of working.

As chaotic as the stock exchange floor may seem, there is actually a common pattern that occurs among most simple trades. First, an order to buy a certain number of stocks would be negotiated through a broker. After this, the broker’s order department would forward this arrangement to their floor clerk on the exchange. The floor clerk would then inform the company’s floor traders in order to find other traders that are willing to sell the equal number of stocks from the company that is offered to be bought. After the two parties agree on a price and close the deal, the message would be forwarded back up the line, and the broker would then inform the interested buyer on the final price.

Blue Chip Stocks are quality stocks that have a proven track record. A Blue Chip stock is like a member of the family in the American pastoral landscape. The Blue Chip stock makes toilet paper, laundry soap, aluminum, steel , washing machines and just about every well known brand we used every day The Blue Chip stock is Bank of America, U.S. Steel, Proctor & Gamble and others we think of as being our companies.

The NASDAQ Exchange is a limited liability company and a corporation that provides a means for traders to execute stock orders for stock brokers, institutional investors and on-line stock purchasers. The NASDAQ Exchange was formed in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealer to fill a need for reporting stocks that were not a good fit in the regular stock exchange. The NASDAQ reports on over the counter stocks for thousands of stocks not listed on the other exchanges. By the 1990s NASDAQ surpassed in terms of listings the AMEX Exchange.

The acronym for a real estate investment trust is a REIT. According to the National Institute of Real Estate Investment Trusts 190 Re Its are currently registered with the SEC and trade on one or more of the New York Stock Exchanges. There are over 900 REITS that are privately held companies. The advantage to the investor in the REIT is the source of income it provides. Specifically, due to the structure of the REIT it does not accrue corporate tax, instead it returns all of the taxable income to investors. The investor receives a 1099 form for tax purposes and it is therefore taxed like additional income.

Essentially the Hedge Fund is formed by individual investors who have a stake in the fund. The buy-in is in the millions. Noted Hedge Fund owners are George Soros and the Blackstone Group founded by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman. Hedge Funds are only a segment of the Blackstone Group Investments. The Blackstone Group has a stellar Hedge Fund management in the world market. Its group of Hedge Funds are uniquely tailored for a variety of investment strategies and goals. In fact the Blackstone Group can provide individualized tailoring of a Hedge Fund to fit the needs of large investment endowments and retirement funds. Anyone can purchase a unit of stock in the Blackstone Group through a licensed stock broker. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker BX.