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Product Description
Bodie, Kane, and Marcus’ INVESTMENTS is the leading textbook for the graduate/MBA investments market. It is recognized as the best blend of practical and theoretical coverage, while maintaining an appropriate rigor and clear writing style. Its unifying theme is that security markets are nearly efficient, meaning that most securities are usually priced appropriately given their risk and return attributes. The text places greater emphasis on asset allocation, and offe… More >>

Investments + Standard and Poor’s Educational Version of Market Insight

Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” has been forced ashore by a mutinous crew. We see him stranded on an island drinking rum with his lovely companion beside a fire. They are discussing his ship. “It’s not just a keel, a hull, and a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is . . . is freedom.”

As an idealistic young investor in the ’80s I felt the same way about the investment of my retirement savings. Those investments represented financial freedom. With the passage of time life gets more complicated; deciphering financial statements and reviewing all the investment options available can leave us bewildered. We may have a sense the ship has run aground. We feel disconnected from the original meaning or purpose of our investments. We aren’t sure if our money is working for us and if it is working in a way that matters to us. How can we get back to basics and recover our sense of direction? What does investing really mean to us personally?

When we invest in stocks or bonds we are essentially investing in business. Let us consider an example of investment in a small local business. A sausage maker is trying to raise half a million dollars to start his business. You may know the chef personally or know of his reputation. You’ve enjoyed his product and respect his passion for and commitment to making a wonderful sausage using the best organic ingredients. A number of people come together to invest in this business. They might lend to the business (becoming bond holders) or provide equity (becoming stockholders.) The investors provide the capital that allows the business to be born.  Read more...

Millions of people dream about owning their own business. Having the independence that being your own boss brings, the security that no one can fire you, enjoying a good income – and for the most successful – the accumulation of wealth and prosperity. Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against a new small business making it big – or making it at all. An endless stream of problems makes competition from large, sophisticated chains too intense. Many new start-ups end as failures.

Buying a franchise represents a different approach to starting a business.  For an upfront franchise fee plus ongoing royalty payments, the parent company teaches its business model and methods to the franchised-operator who shoulders all operating and financial responsibilities of the outlet. Some statistics are impressive: it is said over 40% of all U.S. retail sales are through franchised establishments. While franchise giants like McDonalds, KFC, H&R Block and Radio Shack are familiar, household names, franchises are available in a wide range of industries. The list of 3,000-plus companies selling franchises span over 100 different industry categories.

American Dream … Or Nightmare?
But just as franchising represents a chance to get rich, it’s also a chance to get stung. An alarming number of franchised operators make less than the minimum wage, working seven days, sixty to eighty hours a week, pursuing an expensive and elusive American Dream that turns into a nightmare. Since the ongoing franchise royalty payment comes right off the top, as a percentage of gross sales or a fixed minimum amount, the franchise company gets an assured revenue stream, even if its franchised units are operating unprofitably and are sold over and over again to new, unsuspecting buyers. The internet is filled with comments of the many people who lost $250,000 and more on concepts like eBay Drop off stores (iSold It), 30 Minute Fitness concepts (Curves), The UPS Store, etc. Yet many of these companies continue to sell and resell franchises over and over again. How do they accomplish that? Because there are enough people who think they can “believe” their way to success, even with a concept or business that’s not working in the marketplace. As discussed below, in many cases franchise investment decisions are incredibly based on emotionalism, not on business logic or even common sense.  Read more...

WOODSIDE, Calif., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Fisher Investments announces the release of its latest Stock Market Outlook, a quarterly research report published by the Fisher Investments research team under the direction of CEO Ken Fisher and the firm’s portfolio management team. The Stock Market Outlook research report includes Fisher Investments’ latest market outlook, capital markets research and portfolio insights. The Stock Market Outlook provides individual investors an opportunity to gain valuable research and information on the current state of the global stock market.

To access the Stock Market Outlook, simply go to www.google.com and search for “Fisher Investments Stock Market Outlook” and then click on the link for the “Fisher Investments Research Report.”

The Fisher Investments Stock Market Outlook provides insight into the firm’s market and portfolio research with views on:

> Why the new bull market has additional upside potential ahead

> Which sectors and countries may rebound the most

> Why stocks are still undervalued by historical standards

> Signs that global economic recovery is already underway

> And much more investors can put to use in their own portfolios

Fisher Investments conducts internal research to support the portfolio management process for large institutional clients and thousands of private clients. This involves developing capital markets technologies to interpret market events in unique ways and studying the impact of economic, political and sentiment drivers on global stock markets. Some of these research findings can be found in Fisher Investments’ latest Stock Market Outlook.

To get your copy of the latest Stock Market Outlook with insights into Fisher Investments’ market and portfolio research, go to www.google.com and search for “Fisher Investments Stock Market Outlook” and then click on the link for the “Fisher Investments Research Report.” 

About Fisher Investments  Read more...