Investigative activities that a business chooses to conduct with the intention of making a discovery that can either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to improvement of existing products or procedures. Research and development is one of the means by which business can experience future growth by developing new products or processes to improve and expand their operations. |||While R&D is often thought of as synonymous with high-tech firms that are on the cutting edge of new technology, many established consumer goods companies spend large sums of money on improving old products. For example, Gillette spends quite a bit on R&D each year in ongoing attempts to design a more effective shaver.On average, most companies spend only a small percentage of their revenue on R&D (usually under 5%). However, pharmaceuticals, software and semiconductor companies tend to spend quite a bit more.
A loan on which the borrower was behind on payments (delinquent) by at least 90 days but has resumed making payments. The payments that the borrower missed have not necessarily been paid, however. Often, the borrower of a reperforming loan has filed for bankruptcy and has continued making payments as a result of the bankruptcy agreement. Borrowers whose loans are classified as reperforming will have fewer refinancing options because of their past delinquencies. |||For mortgage investors, reperforming loans are considered risky (much like subprime loans). They fall into a category known as “scratch-and-dent” loans. Rating agencies look at a borrower's repayment patterns and the lender's ability to manage the loan in determining investment risk for reperforming loans. That stands in contrast to a nonperforming loan, in which the borrower has not made payments for over 90 days and has not resumed repayment of the loan.
A certificate that is proof that one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from a renewable energy resource. once the electricity provider has fed the electricity into the grid, the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) they received can then be sold on the open market as a commodity. Because of the additional cost for producing "green" energy, the RECs provide an additional income stream to the energy provider, thus making it a bit more attractive to produce.Also known as Green Tags, Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), and Renewable Energy Credits. |||There is no national registry of RECs, however the multiple issuing firms work together to ensure continuity of requirements. As of 2008, the "green" technologies for producing electricity are: Solar Geothermal No Dam Hydro Wind Bio Fuels (Mass and Diesel) Hydrogen Fuel Cell
An indicator used in technical analysis that measures the conviction of a recent price action and the likelihood that it will continue. The RVI compares the positioning of a security's closing price relative to its price range, and the result is smoothed by calculating an exponential moving average of the values.The indicator is calculated by using the following formula: |||The RVI indicator is calculated in a similar fashion to the stochastic oscillator, but the vigor index compares the close relative to the open rather than to the low. Traders expect the RVI value to grow as the bullish trend gains momentum because in this type of environment, a security's closing price tends to be at the top of the range while the open is near the low of the day.
A measure of price trend that indicates how a stock is performing relative to other stocks in its industry. |||It is calculated dividing the price performance of a stock by the price performance of an appropriate index for the same time period.
A ratio that indicates the efficiency and profitability of a company's capital investments.Calculated as: |||ROCE should always be higher than the rate at which the company borrows, otherwise any increase in borrowing will reduce shareholders' earnings.A variation of this ratio is return on average capital employed (ROACE), which takes the average of opening and closing capital employed for the time period.
An indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. ROA gives an idea as to how efficient management is at using its assets to generate earnings. Calculated by dividing a company's annual earnings by its total assets, ROA is displayed as a percentage. Sometimes this is referred to as "return on investment".The formula for return on assets is: Note: Some investors add interest expense back into net income when performing this calculation because they'd like to use operating returns before cost of borrowing. Watch: Reture On Assets |||ROA tells you what earnings were generated from invested capital (assets). ROA for public companies can vary substantially and will be highly dependent on the industry. This is why when using ROA as a comparative measure, it is best to compare it against a company's previous ROA numbers or the ROA of a similar company. The assets of the company are comprised of both debt and equity. Both of these types of financing are used to fund the operations of the company. The ROA figure gives investors an idea of how effectively the company is converting the money it has to invest into net income. The higher the ROA number, the better, because the company is earning more money on less investment. For example, if one company has a net income of $1 million and total assets of $5 million, its ROA is 20%; however, if another company earns the same amount but has total assets of $10 million, it has an ROA of 10%. based on this example, the first company is better at converting its investment into profit. When you really think about it, management's most important job is to make wise choices in allocating its resources. Anybody can make a profit by throwing a ton of money at a problem, but very few managers excel at making large profits with little investment.
Changes to an assessment after examination by an IRS agent. The changes are recorded on form 4549. |||This isn't always bad news. If you were over-assessed (over-taxed) you'll be compensated. However, if the report declares a deficient assessment (you paid too little), then it is usually not the most pleasant news in the world...