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Learn the fundamentals of investing in stocks, how to benefit from dividends and capital gains, and why the stock market is a lucrative avenue for financial growth. Discover the characteristics of common and preferred stocks to make informed investment decisions.
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Investing in Stock Mrs. Wilson: Career & Financial Management
Characteristics of Stock • Nearly 50 million people in the US own stock • More than 34,000 public corporations from which to choose • A public corporation is a company whose stock is traded openly on the stock market
Stocks 101—What is Stock? • A stock is a partial ownership in a corporation • When you purchase shares of a stock, you purchase ownership in that corporation, with rights to share in its profits • When a corporation needs to raise money for expansion or improvements, they will sell shares on the open markets • The markets are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the NASDAQ, and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). There are several other markets as well
Why Invest in the Stock Market? • Invest in the stock market to stay ahead of inflation and use the best way (verified by historical statistics), to increase your finances over time • Research will show lower inflation brings higher returns to stocks and bonds • For about the past thirty years the average return on stocks has been 8% • Compare this to a passbook account at 3%, even with just 2% inflation, after paying 1% in taxes you will have (0) zero return
Stockholders • Also known as shareholders • Are the owners of the corporation • If the corporation does well, the stockholders will profit in two ways
Ways shareholders profit… • Dividends • The part of the corporation’s profits paid to stockholders • Capital gain • This is an increase in the value of the stock above the price initially paid for it • For example, if you bought stock for $5 a share and it goes to $10 per share, you could sell it for a profit
Capital Loss • Part of the risk of owning stock, however, is that the price could also go down below the price initially paid for it • This is known as a capital loss
Trading Stocks • Stocks are traded in round lots or odd lots • Round lot • Is 100 shares or multiples of 100 shares of a particular stock • Odd lot • Is fewer than 100 shares of a particular stock • Brokerage firms charge slightly higher per-share fees for trading in odd lots. They MUST BE combined with round lots before they can be traded.
Common Stock • The type of stock that pays a variable dividend and gives the holder voting rights • The board of directors, elected by the stockholders to guide the corporation, decides the amount of the dividend each year • They may vote but not manage; the more shares, the more power
Preferred Stock • Is a type of stock that pays a fixed dividend and carries no voting rights • Preferred stockholders earn the stated dividend, regardless of how the company is doing • Preferred stock is less risky than common stock
Assignment • Make a list of 10 stocks that you may be interested in purchasing • Submit this list, typed, before the end of class