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Articles 61 - 90 of 163
Full-Text Articles in Finance and Financial Management
Catastrophe Bonds, Steven D. Dolvin
Catastrophe Bonds, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Bonds are typically viewed as very conservative investments with relatively simple terms. However, the industry is quite complicated and offers some higher risk securities. For example, catastrophe bonds (or "cat-bonds") have normal cash repayments to lenders, except if a pre-defined catastrophe (hurricane, wildfire, earthquake, etc.) occurs. In this event, all bond cash flows cease. For obvious reasons, these are popular among issuers in the insurance industry, and the primary buyers are hedge funds (primarily due to the higher risk/return profile such bonds offer). See a related article here, Bloomberg.
Roe And Leverage, Steven D. Dolvin
Roe And Leverage, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Return on equity (ROE) can be decomposed into three pieces, the so-called DuPont Identity: Net profit margin, total asset turnover, and the equity multiplier. The equity multiplier is a measure of leverage, so firms that add financial leverage (i.e., debt) to their balance sheet can increase ROE, as long as the product of the other two factors (i.e., return on assets) is positive. In the standard growth model for pricing stocks, this would generally have a positive impact on stock price, but note that it does add risk to the potential outcome, i.e., leverage. See article here, The Economist.
Triple Crown And The Stock Market, Steven D. Dolvin
Triple Crown And The Stock Market, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
The "Super Bowl Indicator" is widely known, as the winner of the Super Bowl has been correlated to overall stock market performance. While this does not imply causation, is does make for an interesting discussion of market efficiency. A similar item is the performance of the stock market in years when a horse wins the Triple Crown--the results are not good. So, many people may be watching how California Chrome does in the upcoming Belmont Stakes. See article here, WSJ.
Fees Matter, Steven D. Dolvin
Fees Matter, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
A 1% annual fee doesn't sound like much, but when compounded, fees paid to advisors and managers can have a significant impact on an investor's ending portfolio value. For example, consider two investors who each invest $200,000 and earn 8%/year (before fees) for 30 years. The first investor uses an ETF that charges 0.04%/year in fees, while the second investor uses a mutual fund charging 1.25%/year. The first investor ends with roughly $2 million, while the second nets about $1.4 million. The difference is purely driven by fees -- this is a huge cost. (See article here, Wall Street …
Apple Issues Debt To Buyback Stock, Steven D. Dolvin
Apple Issues Debt To Buyback Stock, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Apple has $150 Billion in cash, yet it has decided to issue $17 Billion in new debt to fund its stock repurchases. Why not just use cash on hand? One reason is that almost 90% of the cash is held outside the US, and repatriating the cash would trigger significant tax liabilities. Another reason is that interest rates are so low, and if Apple can earn a higher return than the cost, the added financial leverage will be a benefit to shareholders. (See article here, CNBC.)
All Earnings Are Not The Same, Steven D. Dolvin
All Earnings Are Not The Same, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Two companies in the same industry with the same earnings per share (EPS) may be quite different, particularly depending on how they report their earnings. For example, companies can choose different depreciation methods (e.g., straightline, accelerated, etc.) and inventory accounting approaches (e.g., LIFO, FIFO, etc.). However, while these choices all fall within generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and are relatively easy to reconcile, business also have many choices with regard to reported adjustments to earnings, which are more opaque. Click here for a recent article discussing the discrepancies.
How Many Stocks Are In The S&P500?, Steven D. Dolvin
How Many Stocks Are In The S&P500?, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Traditionally, the answer is 500, as the index was constructed using the 500 largest companies. However, Google's upcoming stock dividend will change all this. As of April 3, 2014, Google is undergoing a 2:1 split via a stock dividend, as owners of record will receive an additional share -- but of a different nonvoting class stock. This means that there will be two Google share classes being traded. To keep the value in place, the S&P will retain both share classes, meaning there will now be 501 stocks in the S&P500. See article and related video here, CNBC.
The Benefit Of Financial Advisors, Steven D. Dolvin
The Benefit Of Financial Advisors, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Many individual investors believe that the primary role of a financial advisor is to "pick stocks." However, research shows that not only are active managers not able to outperform the market consistently, but that the security selection piece is really not the most important determinant of portfolio return. The key issue is asset allocation. A recent report (see article here, InvestmentNews) suggests that financial advisors can add value, but primarily from activities unrelated to security selection: determining asset allocation, helping clients avoid behavioral errors, facilitating rebalancing, reducing fees, and managing taxes and withdrawals.
High Frequency Trading And Market Efficiency, Steven D. Dolvin
High Frequency Trading And Market Efficiency, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Arbitrage is, essentially, taking advantage of mispricing across (or within) markets to earn a risk-free profit. In an efficient market, such opportunities would be rare. A recent Fed report (see article here, Bloomberg) finds that high frequency traders have effectively reduced the number of arbitrage opportunities, thereby improving market efficiency.
Active Vs. Passive, Steven D. Dolvin
Active Vs. Passive, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Market efficiency suggests that passive funds are the way to go, and average returns tend to support this. However, other investors prefer active strategies. Maybe the answer is not "either....or." As a recent Wall Street Journal article reports, both may provide benefits. See article here.
Technical Analysis, Steven D. Dolvin
Technical Analysis, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
While many investors (particularly those who subscribe to market efficiency) suggest that technical analysis is worthless, market participants still generally track charts, including resistance and support levels, as well as moving averages. With the market recently testing its support and bouncing to higher levels, technical analysts will continue to monitor charts to see if the positive momentum can continue. See article here, Reuters.
Levered Etfs, Steven D. Dolvin
Levered Etfs, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Levered ETFs are designed to track a particular benchmark, but in an exaggerated fashion. For example, the Pro Shares Ultra S&P500 (SS0) is a 2X fund, meaning its performance should be twice the level of the index. However, this performance only matches short term. In particular, since volatility reduces compounded returns, levered funds "lose" performance through time. In fact, some funds may actually produce a negative buy-and-hold return during even if the underlying benchmark was positive. Unfortunately, many retail investors are flocking to these funds without understanding their risks. (See article here, Reuters.)
Volatility And Derivatives, Steven D. Dolvin
Volatility And Derivatives, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
There are six primary inputs used to determine the price of a stock option: underlying stock price, exercise price, time to expiration, volatility of the underlying stock's price, market interest rate, and dividend yield on the underlying stock. Each has a particular relation to option value. For example, as stock price increases, the value of a call would increase, while the value of a put would decrease. For volatility, an increase in volatility has a positive impact on the value of both puts and calls, since payoffs are asymmetric. That is, no matter how low the stock's price goes, all …
Rising Interest Rates, Steven D. Dolvin
Rising Interest Rates, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Interest rates have remained at historically low levels since 2008; however, with the recovering economy and the prospect of the Fed reducing its intervention, it is likely that interest rates will rise. Such a move will reduce bond prices, particularly longer-term bonds, so what asset classes should investors consider? A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that certain equity sectors (e.g., energy, financials, and consumer discretionary) tend to perform well (at least relatively) in such environments. See article here.
The Wolf Of Wall Street, Steven D. Dolvin
The Wolf Of Wall Street, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
With the recently released movie (The Wolf of Wall Street), the fraudulent activities of the IPO underwriting firm Stratton Oakmont have come back into public view. For a detailed review of how the fraud took place, see here (Wall Street Journal).
Floating Rate Notes, Steven D. Dolvin
Floating Rate Notes, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
As interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Given historically low interest rates, many investors are concerned about bond prices, particularly since the loose monetary policy being implemented by the Fed may trigger inflation and therefore higher future interest rates. To hedge away this interest rate risk, some investors have used inflation protected securities. The Treasury, however, just launched another alternative -- floating rate notes. The interest paid on these notes rise as market rates rise, thereby also protecting the bond's price. See article here, WSJ.
Timing Matters -- Dollar Weighted Returns., Steven D. Dolvin
Timing Matters -- Dollar Weighted Returns., Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
While a mutual fund manager may make good decisions that result in a positive return, if investors time cash flows incorrectly, they will end up with lower (even negative) returns. This illustrates the difference between time weighted and dollar weighted returns. Unfortunately, the average investor succumbs to human nature, buying high and selling low, instead of the opposite. See a good summary article here, WSJ.
Covered Calls, Steven D. Dolvin
Covered Calls, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
A Covered Call is created by purchasing stock and simultaneously writing a call on that stock. The position limits upside, as the stock will be called away if the price rises above the exercise price. But, the premium from selling the call provides extra income, which is the primary reason for executing such a strategy. See the article here, WSJ.
Retirement Planning -- Start Early, Steven D. Dolvin
Retirement Planning -- Start Early, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Many people are not prepared for retirement. Older workers do not have enough money saved, and younger workers are not starting soon enough. See some survey results here, WSJ. You should also take the quiz to see where you stand.
Changing Tick Sizes?, Steven D. Dolvin
Changing Tick Sizes?, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
In 2001, exchanges began listing stock prices in penny increments, as opposed to fractions such as 1/8th or 1/16th of a dollar. The change was intended to simplify pricing and reduce bid-ask spreads. Recently, however, there has been an increasing call to move to higher increments (such as nickel or dime pricing). The rationale is that such a move would promote trading and reduce volatility. It doesn't hurt that it would also allow trading firms to generate more profit. See article here, WSJ.
Valuing Twitter's Ipo, Steven D. Dolvin
Valuing Twitter's Ipo, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Twitter recently announced (via a tweet) that they would be going public. While valuation is difficult in general, it is particularly problematic for an IPO. Read a good summary article here, Yahoo!.
The Dow Shuffle, Steven D. Dolvin
The Dow Shuffle, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
While it is viewed as a major stock market barometer, the Dow Jones Industrial Average only follows 30 companies, and every so often the set of companies changes. The recent shuffle eliminated Alcoa, Bank of America, and HP, while adding Goldman Sachs, Visa, and Nike. The primary reason was the low prices of the eliminated companies. While most indexes are value weighted, the Dow is price weighted, meaning lower priced stocks exert little influence. This is also the reason why Apple will likely not be added -- with its "high" stock price. See a good summary here, Wall Street Journal …
Preferred Stock, Steven D. Dolvin
Preferred Stock, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Preferred stock, also called perpetual stock, is considered a type of hybrid security. It has characteristics of debt, the primary of which is a fixed dividend. However, it also has similarities to equity, in that it is equity, so the dividend is not guaranteed. So, it has higher risk than comparable bonds, but less risk (and less upside) than common stock. Moreover, the price of preferred stock is primarily responsive to changes in interest rates (i.e., like a bond). See related article here, Wall Street Journal.
Jumbo Mortgages And Securitization, Steven D. Dolvin
Jumbo Mortgages And Securitization, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
After a home buyer secures a loan from a bank (i.e., a mortgage), the bank often securitizes the loans, which means they package them for sale to investors. This process is much easier if the loans are backed by Fannie and Freddie, the government sponsored mortgage agencies. Fannie and Freddie, however, will only back loans below certain values -- the so-called jumbo loans. This amount has generally been capped at $417,000 (although higher in certain high-cost areas). Regulators plan to lower these caps, which means jumbo loans may be harder to come by since it will be more difficult to …
Exchange Consolidation, Steven D. Dolvin
Exchange Consolidation, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
BATS and Direct Edge, two large electronic exchanges, are merging to form the second largest exchange operator in the United States, taking over the ranking currently held by Nasdaq. This change exhibits the transformation of the industry toward electronic trading. While electronic increases speed and likely lowers trading costs, it doesn't come without risks, as the recent Nasdaq outage illustrates. See article here, Wall Street Journal.
Even Adults Like "Happy Meals", Steven D. Dolvin
Even Adults Like "Happy Meals", Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Higher risk companies, in order to sell bonds at lower interest rates, must often attach "sweetners" to the bond offering. Historically this has included warrants or conversion options. Recently, however, some companies have offered a combination of bonds and a loan of the company's shares, a so-called "Happy Meal." The bond buyers subsequently sell the shares short. If the company fails, the investors lose on the bonds, but make a profit on the short sale. This strategy is typically employed by hedge funds. See article here, Wall Street Journal.
P/E Ratios, Steven D. Dolvin
P/E Ratios, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Most investors know that the PE multiple is the ratio of price to earnings. While the market price is easy to agree upon, the earnings number that should be used in the ratio is not. Some investors prefer historical earnings, while others focus on forecasted earnings. Each of these approaches can provide widely different PE estimates, making comparison difficult. .
Broker Vs. Advisor, Steven D. Dolvin
Broker Vs. Advisor, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Over the past decade, more retail investment professionals have transitioned away from a pure broker relationship to a more advisory role. This switch is potentially good for both sides, as it reduces the incentive to churn (i.e., excessively trade) an account simply to generate commissions, while also providing a more stable revenue for the advisor. See article here, Financial-Planning.com.
Market Timing Vs. Market Efficiency, Steven D. Dolvin
Market Timing Vs. Market Efficiency, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Market timers may occasionally be correct, but it takes more than a few right calls to beat the market over the long term. In reality, this continued success is virtually impossible. See the article here, Wall Street Journal.
Municipal Bond Risk -- Detroit, Steven D. Dolvin
Municipal Bond Risk -- Detroit, Steven D. Dolvin
All Chapters
Municipal bonds usually have a lower yield to maturity than comparable US Treasury bonds. While this would normally be indicative of lower risk, it is purely a function of the tax advantages they provide. However, as the recent Detroit, MI bankruptcy filing suggests, municipals do indeed carry higher risk. (See article here, Yahoo! Finance.)