Exchange-traded funds that follow a specific benchmark index as closely as possible. Index ETFs are much like index mutual funds, but whereas the mutual fund shares can only be redeemed at one price daily, the closing net asset value (NAV), index ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day on exchanges. Through an index ETF, investors get exposure to a large number of securities in a single transaction. Index ETFs can cover U.S. and foreign markets, specific sectors, or a specific class of stock (i.e. small-caps, ADRs, etc.) but all incorporate a passive investment strategy, only making portfolio changes when changes occur in the underlying index. Taobiz explains Index ETF Index ETFs may occasionally trade at slight premiums or discounts to the fund's NAV, but any differences will quickly be ferreted out through arbitrage by institutional investors. In most cases, even the intraday prices will correlate rather precisely to the actual value of the underlying securities. Additional options are available such as leveraged ETFs or short ETFs, which will have a compound or inverse response, respectively, to the underlying index. Index ETFs can be found based on most of the major indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000. Costs are comparable to the cheapest no-load index mutual funds as measured by the expense ratio, but investors will typically have to pay standard commission rates for ETF trades. Mutual fund commission rates are typically lower than for exchange-traded securities. Index ETFs can be set up as either grantor trusts, unit investment trusts (UITs) or open-ended mutual funds, and will have slightly different regulatory guidelines as a result. Most index ETF shares can be traded with limit orders, sold short and purchased on margin.
A debt investment in which an investor loans money to an entity (corporate or governmental) that borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a fixed interest rate. Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states and U.S. and foreign governments to finance a variety of projects and activities. Bonds are commonly referred to as fixed-income securities and are one of the three main asset classes, along with stocks and cash equivalents.. Watch: Understanding Bonds |||The indebted entity (issuer) issues a bond that states the interest rate (coupon) that will be paid and when the loaned funds (bond principal) are to be returned (maturity date). Interest on bonds is usually paid every six months (semi-annually). The main categories of bonds are corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and U.S. Treasury bonds, notes and bills, which are collectively referred to as simply "Treasuries". Two features of a bond - credit quality and duration - are the principal determinants of a bond's interest rate. Bond maturities range from a 90-day Treasury bill to a 30-year government bond. Corporate and municipals are typically in the three to 10-year range.
A number used in the denominator of the ratio between the total value of an index and the index divisor. The number, which typically has little mathematical rationale behind it, remains consistent and therefore enables comparability within the index over time. How the value of the index is computed depends on the type of index under consideration. Taobiz explains Index Divisor An index divisor is a crucial number in the calculation of the value of an index. It is the basis for comparability across time, and the starting point for adjustments that need to be made due to changes in the equity composition of the underlying companies in the index. Some of the adjustments that may need to be made to the divisor include changes in the number of shares floated by a company, any rights offerings made to employees or management, and any share repurchases.
An equity security that pays regular, often steadily increasing dividends, and offers a high yield that may generate the majority of overall returns. While there is no specific breakpoint for classification, most income stocks have lower levels of volatility than the overall stock market, and offer higher-than-market dividend yields. Income stocks may have limited future growth options, thereby requiring a lower level of ongoing capital investment. The excess cash flow from profits can therefore be directed back toward investors on a regular basis. Income stocks can come from any industry, but are most commonly found as companies operating within real estate (through real estate investment trusts, or REITs), energy sectors, utilities, natural resources and financial institutions. Taobiz explains Income Stock Income stocks are sought by conservative investors who still want some exposure to corporate profit growth. They also have steady streams of revenue that allow for a high level of income payout to investors. The ideal income stock would have a very low volatility (as the Beta would measure), a dividend yield higher than prevailing 10-year treasury bond rates, and a modest level of annual profit growth. Ideal income stocks would also show a history of increasing dividends on a regular basis so as to keep up with inflation, which eats away at future cash payments.
The owner of a government or corporate bond. Being a bondholder is often considered safer than being a shareholder because if a company liquidates, it must pay its bondholders before it pays its shareholders. Being a bondholder entitles one to receive regular interest payments, if the bond pays interest (usually semiannually or annually), as well as a return of principal when the bond matures. Watch: Understanding Bonds |||Bonds are generally perceived as being low risk, but the level of risk is dependent upon the type of bond in question. For example, holding corporate bonds will yield higher returns than holding government bonds, but they come with greater risk. Bonds are also subject to interest rate risk, reinvestment risk, inflation risk, credit/default risk, liquidity risk and rating downgrades. An advantage of being a bondholder is that some bonds are exempt from federal, state or local income taxes.
A concept relating to the different stages an industry will go through, from the first product entry to its eventual decline. There are typically five stages in the industry lifecycle. They are defined as: i. Early Stages Phase - alternative product design and positioning, establishing the range and boundaries of the industry itself. ii. Innovation Phase - Product innovation declines, process innovation begins and a "dominant design" will arrive. iii. Cost or Shakeout Phase - Companies settle on the "dominant design"; economies of scale are achieved, forcing smaller players to be acquired or exit altogether. Barriers to entry become very high, as large-scale consolidation occurs. iv. Maturity - Growth is no longer the main focus, market share and cash flow become the primary goals of the companies left in the space. v. Decline - Revenues declining; the industry as a whole may be supplanted by a new one. Taobiz explains Industry Lifecycle The composition of the phases within the industry lifecycle is an ever-changing mix. The standard model typically dealt with manufactured goods, but today’s U.S. economy is more an economy of services, either on the industry's outset, or as a natural extension of a declining-product based model. The advent of the internet alone is transforming many business models from "things" to people and services.
The practice of selling a bond just before it pays a coupon payment and then buying it back once the coupon has been paid. Bond washing results in a tax-free capital gains because after the coupon has been paid, the bond will sell for less. |||Bond washing is a method of tax avoidance. In this manner the bond holder avoids paying taxes on the bond coupon income. Because bond washing is a form of tax evasion, whereby buyers and sellers may collude to benefit from tax avoidance, it has been banned, though the practice still exists.
A classification method for individual stocks or companies, usually grouped based on common lines of business. Although there is no official standard for industry group classification, Investor's Business Daily has a proprietary model that is popular with 197 industry groups, and Reuter's baseline uses another, with about 185. Most designations will have somewhere between 150 and 200 industry groups in total, with the sum total of industry groups capturing nearly all of the economy as can be measured by the GDP. Taobiz explains Industry Group For example, some general industry group classifications are drug retailers, forestry products and semiconductor equipment. Industry group-level research is a good place for investors to start when doing individual company research - most of the companies within one industry group tend to rise and fall as a whole. By knowing the trends in place within the industry group, investors can better understand the investment potential of the companies within that group.
登录
工商服务
危机公关
金融律师
app开发
财税服务
金融牌照
网站建设
知识产权
企业征信
审计评估