1. Home
  2. Business & Finance
  3. Stocks

Stocks: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Understanding Earnings Per Sha
Earnings per share or EPS is one way to compare companies, but it does not tell you about market value.
Introduction to Stocks
What are stocks and what to they represent? Ownership is the key word for stockholders and the rights and privileges that go along with it.
Trading Basics
How does a stock trade work? What happens after you call your broker? Follow a stock order through the process, both with a floor trader and electronically.
What is the P/E?
The Price to Earnings Ratio is one of the most important numbers analysts look at to understand how the market values a stock.
Market Schedule
The stock markets follow a set holiday schedule each year. Additional closings may be added to mark special occasions or under special circumstances.
Bid & Ask Prices
The stock exchanges use a system of bid and ask pricing to match buyers and sellers. The difference between the two prices is the bid/ask spread.
Understanding Dividend Yield
Dividend Yield tells you what percentage return a company pays out in the form of dividends.
Online Stock Trading Sites
Thirteen of the top online stock trading sites offer investors a wide variety of services including research and advice.
Tools of Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis relies on several tools to give investors an accurate picture of the financial health of a company and how the market values the stock.
Bond Prices and Interest Rates
Bond prices move inversely to interest rates, when interest rates go up, bond prices go down and when interest rates go down, bond prices go up.
Stock Sectors
Investors break the market down into sectors by company business. These sectors make is possible to compare how a stock is doing relative to its peers.
Price to Book
The Price to Book ratio is a way to determine how the market values the book value of a company based on the current market price.
Understanding Book Value
Book value of a company is the assets minus liabilities.
Price to Sales Ratio
The Price to Sales ratio is a tool for evaluating companies with no earnings that looks at how the market values the company's sales.
Dividend Payout Ratio
The dividend payout ratio looks at what percentage of a company's earnings are paid out to shareholders in the form of dividends.
The Beta Ratio
A stock's beta ratio is a useful tool for measuring risk, but it does have some serious limitations.
Understanding the PEG
PEG ratio provides investors a way to calculate how much future earnings growth is going to cost based on the stock's P/E and projected earnings growth rate.
Stock Prices
Who sets stock prices? How are prices set each day? How do you know what a stock will open at each day? Understanding how stocks are priced in the market will make you a better investor.
What is Investing?
What is investing and how does it differ from saving? Investing is the proactive use of your money to make more money.
Understanding Stock Orders
Stock orders, such as market orders, limit orders, stop loss orders, and trailing stops, are important for every investor to know.
Understanding Share Terms
It is important for investors to understand the different terms used to describe shares of stock such as authorized, restricted, treasury, float and outstanding.
Bond Basics
Bonds are an important part of every investor's portfolio. They provide safety and stability against the fluctuations of stocks.
Investing and Taxes
Taxes on investment gains fall into two categories, long and short term capital gains. Knowing the difference can mean a bigger tax bill if you're not careful.
Understanding Return on Equity
Return on equity tells investors how efficiently a company is using its assets to generate earnings.
Basic Options
Options provide another way to profit from movement in the stock market, but they are not for beginning investors.
When to Sell a Stock
Knowing when to sell stocks is sometimes as difficult a knowing when to buy. This is the first part of a two-part series.
P/E is Important
A stock's P/E is a key valuation measurement investors use to determine how much to pay for a stock.
Dividend Yield
Stocks with high dividend yields may be a smart buy, but they may also be a trap. Always check the other fundamentals before making an investment decision.
Making Money with Dividends
Dividends are a way companies distribute a portion of their profits to shareholders.
Bull, Bear Markets
The difference between the intelligent investor and the person who invests on a whim is what happens when the markets shake their stock.
Understanding Bond Types
You can purchase bonds from a variety of sources including the U.S. Treasury, municipalities and corporations. Each has unique characteristics and features.
Stop Loss Orders
Stop Loss Orders can protect you when your favorite stock gets hit by a disaster by cutting your losses with an automatic sell.
Stock Market Trends
The stock market is driven by obvious forces of supply and demand. You can watch those forces drive the market and see which where the market is headed.
I Bonds
I Bonds offer protection from inflation and the safety of the U.S. Treasury in addition to tax exemption from state and local taxes.
Understanding Risk
Risk and reward go hand-in-hand with investing in the stock market. Learn about this relationship and how you can make it work for you.
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash of 1929 erased 90% of the market's value. Can another crash like that happen again?
Dangers of Short Selling
Selling short involves selling stock you don't own that you believe is about to drop in price. If you are right, there are good profits, however, your loses can be staggering if wrong.
Compound Annual Growth
The Annual Compound Growth Rate of your investments is important because it takes into account the time value of money as well as price changes.
What does Weak Dollar Mean?
The U.S. dollar is near all-time record lows against major foreign currencies - what does this mean for investors and consumers?
Buying on Price
If you go by price alone, you may end up paying too much for stocks and selling them for too little.
Stocks and Inflation
Inflation has reared its ugly head - what does this mean for your stock investments?
Sell a Stock
Sometimes it is as hard to know when to sell a stock as it is to know the right time to buy. This is the second of a two-part series on selling stocks.
What Moves the Market
Major economic and political factors shape the stock market, but most of all the stock market hates uncertainty.
Value Investing
Value investing is about finding stocks overlooked by the market, but that are fundamentally sound with good growth prospects.
Market Futures
Stock market index futures give you a clue about what traders think the market is going to do the next session.
Picking Stocks
The first step in picking a stock is to determine where you need to diversify your portfolio.
Real Rate of Return
The real rate of return on an investment factors in inflation and taxes to give you a clearer picture of how much your purchasing power has increased.
Stock Screening Basics
There are many research tools available to investors, but the one you should master first is the stock screener. Get your feet wet with this one from MSN.com.
Stay Invested
In most cases, you are better off not trying to time the down turns and recoveries of the stock market.
Growth, Value Stocks
Growth and value are two ways to define stocks. Each has specific characteristics that can guide you in stock selection.
Opening an Account
What types a accounts are available? How do you open an account?
Zero Coupon Bonds
Zero coupon bonds are sold at a deep discount and redeemed at full face value.
Why Per-Share Price is Not Imp
Market cap is more important than per-share price because market cap tells you the value of the company.
Institutional Ownership
The actions of the institutional owners of a stock can tell you something about the quality of the stock - sometimes you can believe it.
Earnings Per Share
Earnings Per Share is calculated by dividing a company's net earnings by the outstanding shares.
Stock Buybacks
Stock buybacks can be a good deal for stockholders or a smokescreen to hide weak financial ratios.
Protecting Profits
Trailing Stops are a form of stop loss orders you can use to protect your profit in a stock.
Cash Flow
Cash is vital to a company's health and its ability to generate cash can be used to see if the market under or over-values the stock. For many, these metrics are better than P/E for that purpose.
Sales/Price Ratio
The sales/price ratio provides a metric for measuring the relative value of a stock's price when compared to industry peers. It is used along with price/earnings ratio.
Risk Premium
Risk premium is what a stock should return over a "risk-free" investment. It is your reward for taking a risk with your money.
Market Makers
Market makers in the Nasdaq are responsible for creating and maintaining a market for securities listed on the exchange.
Financial Advisers I
Financial advisers can map a blue print that will get you from where you are to your financial goals.
Long Term Investing
Investing for the long term will let you ride out the unavoidable ups and downs of the market. Research shows you are better off staying in the market for the long term rather than jumping in and out.
Market Timing
Market timing is a strategy that attempts to predict future market movements using fundamental and technical analysis.
Stock Options
Trading stock options is not for beginners, but it can enhance your investing.
Investing 101
Investing in Stocks - Basic Information for Investors
Preferred Stock
Preferred stock has some unique features, however don't let the name fool you, these shares leave much to be desired.
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization or market cap is a way of measuring the size of a company and is calculated by multiplying the current stock price by the number of outstanding shares.
Should You Own Stocks?
Should you own individual stocks or mutual funds? Which investment is better for you? For many investors, the answer is both and this article gives some reasons why.
Return on Investments
You can use a few simple calculations to determine how your investments are performing and what they are returning.
Bonds and Taxes
Bonds generate income that is taxed, however if you choose wisely you can avoid most of the tax burden and earn a nice return.
How to Avoid Defaulting Bonds
Bonds should be the conservative part of your portfolio - so how do you avoid buying a bond likely to default?
Operating Cash Flow
Operating cash flow measures how cash is generated in a company and whether the company is taking in more or less than it is spending.
Asset Classes
There are four classes of assets you can use to build your portfolio - use them all for a sound foundation.
What is a Stock?
What is a stock? How does it fit into our economy? What is a bond?
It's the Earnings
Earnings are the single most important factor in stock evaluation for many investors. Although there are other factors to consider, earnings must be near or at the top of every investor's list of important checkpoints.
Stock Market's PE
The stock market's PE is helpful in understanding the significance of major declines and advances.
Portfolio Rebalancing
Rebalancing your portfolio is an important maintenance function that will keep your investing program on track and true to your goals.
Return on Assets
Return on Assets is an important number for investors to know when considering a stock. It provides a measure of efficiency.
Stock Market Labels
The movement of the S&P 500 tells us whether the stock market is a bull, bear or in a correction.
Choosing a Broker
What type of stockbroker is right for you? Online, discount, full service or money manager - each has advantages and disadvantages. Remember, you pay for what you get.
Growth or Value Stocks
Growth and value investing are the two main styles that most investors use - you should know about each.
Understanding Stock Splits
Stock splits occur when a company splits its outstanding shares, usually 2 for 1. This reduces the share price and increases the number of outstanding shares.
Margin Trading
Margin trading is a way to magnify your buying power by borrowing money from your broker for up to 50% of a stock purchase.
Foreign Stocks
Foreign stocks represent an investing opportunity outside the U.S. economy, but you can buy them on our markets through ADRs.
Small Cap Stocks
Small cap stocks offer the potential for rapid growth, but come with a high degree of risk.
Bull, Bear Stock Markets
Bull and bear markets go together and are necessary for an efficient market.
Introduction to Asset Allocati
Asset allocation is the process of spreading your investment across different asset classes and diversifying them within classes. Asset allocation is key to investment success and meeting your financial goals.
Good Stock Screen
The better stock screens offer similar characteristics that give you greater flexibility when looking for investment candidates.
Stock Quotes
Stock quotes, whether in the newspaper or online, offer a wealth of information if you understand the numbers.
Consumer Confidence Index
The Consumer Confidence Index is one of the two most important measures of future consumer spending expectations.
Cyclical and Non-Cyclical Stoc
Cyclical and Non-Cyclical Stocks react differently in changing business cycles. Knowing the difference between Cyclical and Non-Cyclical Stocks can make you a smarter investor.
Trader or Investor?
Are you buying a stock or investing in a company. There's a difference and it's important that you don't confuse the two.
Class B Stock
Class B stock has special priveledges and is usually retained by the company founders.
Level II Quotes
Level II quotes provide stock traders and investors with information on prices and price trends.
Stock Market Losses
There are several different types of losses you can suffer when investing in stocks - some less obvious than others.
Help from Your Broker
How much help do you want or need with your investment decisions? Pick a broker who can fill in the gaps in your knowledge and experience.
Interest Rates and Stock Valua
Changes in interest rates effect stock valuations in a fundamental way by changing the required return.
Two Classes of Stocks?
Companies sometimes issue two classes of stock - one for the public and another for the founders.
Dogs of the Dow
Dogs of the Dow is a mechanical investing technique that takes the research and effort out of investing. The whole process takes about one hour per year, yet the results often beat the S&P500.
Buying Winning Stocks
It makes good sense to look at the list of stocks closing at their 52-week high for investing ideas.
A Bond Ladder
A bond ladder solves the problem of interest rate risk for bond investors.
Short-Interest Ratio
The short-interest ratio tells you whether your stock is an active target of short sellers
Wealth Builder
Wealth Builders are concepts founded in fact and reason that provide for the accumulation of wealth. Compounding of interest is the best known and most powerful of all wealth building concepts.
Stock Investments
Even in the worst markets, you can find some winners - you just have to work a little harder to find them.
Stock Market Bubble
When everyone is buying stocks, it may be a sign that the market is over-bought and about to correct itself.
Traits of Great Stock
Great stocks and great companies have several traits that distinguish them from the rest of the pack.
Investing Risks
Understanding the risks of stock investing and how to guard against them can help you meet your financial goals.
Investing strategies
Four main investment objectives define how you choose financial products for your portfolio.
Averaging Down
Averaging down is a way to lower the average cost of a stock holding. It can also be a way to throw good money after bad.
Value Stock Investing
Value investors look for stocks that are under-priced and use fundamental analysis tools to uncover candidates.
Understanding IPOs
IPOs or initial public offerings are how companies offer stock for sale to the public the first time. Often the subject of wild speculation and excitement, IPOs can be a very profitable buy or a disaster.
Bear Stock Market
Bear markets happen, but if you prepare your mix of stocks and bonds you have a better chance of coming out with less damage.
Invest on Fundamentals
Old sayings contain a particle of truth, but you are better off investing on fundamentals than some cliche that's only right part of the time.
The Long Bond Returns
The U.S. Treasury will begin issuing the 30-year bond again in the first quarter of 2006 much to the delight of investors.
Initial Public Offering
The Initial Public Offering is the first time a company issues stock for sale to the public.
Price and Value
Daily chatter about stock prices is mostly just noise - focus on a company's value for long-term investing success.
Consumer Price Index
The Consumer Price Index is the leading indicator of inflation and one of the most important indicators for investors. A rising CPI may signal rising inflation and trigger interest rate increases.
Utility Stocks
Utility stocks are good candidates for investors who want current income and a place to ride out a shaky economy.
Size Matters in Investing
A company's size is an important investment consideration. The smaller the company, the more volatile and risky the investment.
Stock Diversification
There two forms of diversification you should know to make your portfolio less volatile.
Finding Discounted Stocks
When the market is depressed you might consider a shopping spree for discounted stocks.
Price Earnings Ratio
Price Earnings Ratio is a way to show how a company’s earnings relate to the stock price. The P/E is calculated by dividing the current price of the stock by the annual earnings per share.
Market Leading Stocks
Investing in companies that dominate their industry is a good, long-term stock investment strategy.
The Right Stocks/Bonds R
Bonds balance the volatility of your stock portfolio, but what is the proper ratio of stocks to bonds?
Picking Winning Stocks
You know more about the companies that are or will become stock market winners than you think. They make the products and services that you use everyday at work or home.
Stocks in Retirement
Conventional wisdom was to lower your percentage of stocks and increase bonds as you approached retirement. With people living longer and the possibility of inflation, that may not be the best strategy.
Market Specialists at NYSE
The New York Stock Exchange sets prices of stocks by auction with the best price to buy and best price to sell always available.
Stock Market Prices
Trying to time the bottom of the stock market is a losing game. The better strategy is to stay invested and catch the upturn profits when they happen.
Sell for a Profit
Knowing when and how to sell a winning stock is as important as knowing when to sell a losing stock.
Investing in REITs
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are a special form of security that allows individuals to invest in large commercial real estate projects with the ease of buying stock.
Watch Risk with Beta
Betas tell you a lot about a stock's volatility, however checking multiple web sites you may find different answers to that question.
Understanding Earnings Season
Earnings season is that time when a large number of companies report quarterly earnings to the public.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Employee Stock Purchase Plans can be a great benefit, but be careful that you don't fall into the Enron trap.
Investing Philosophies - Part
Developing an investing philosophy will help you focus your investing in areas that work toward building a coherent portfolio.
Insider Trading
What corporate insiders do with their shares can help you become a better investor if you know what to look for.
Stock Market Regulation
The stock market and securities industry is highly regulated. Several layers of regulatory oversight are designed to protect the individual investor.
Value Investors
Value investors look for companies trading below their intrinsic value.
Triple Witching Hour
Four times a year, four speculative derivatives expire on the same Friday and the chaos of traders covering their positions can make the stock market crazy.
Fee-Based Broker
Traditional stockbrokers are divided into two types: commissioned-based and fee-based. Fee-based brokers offer a wide variety of services in addition to handling your trades.
Convertible Bonds
Convertible bonds appear to offer the best of both stocks and bonds, but complex factors make them hard to judge.
Dollar Cost Averaging
Dollar cost averaging is a powerful tool individual investors can use to lower their costs in a long term investment.
Bear Market
Bear Market
Stock Price Trends
Investors are buying future growth when they invest in stocks.
Expensive Stocks
Don't fall for the trap that it is never good to buy an "over-priced" stock, when a "cheaper" stock is available.
Rising Interest Rates
Where do investors turn in a market of rising interest rates?
Buy Growth Stocks
Investing in growth stocks is all about the future. What will the company do in terms of growth next week, next month, or next year?
Inflation Fears
Recession and inflation both pose dangers for the stock investor, however many fear inflation the most.
Dow Prediction
The new year poses many challenges for stocks, including high oil prices, the credit crisis, and a potential recession.
IRAs and Investing
IRAs are great ways to save for retirement and take advantage of tax-deferred or tax-free grow of your investments.

Explore Stocks

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Business & Finance
  3. Stocks

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.