Capital, be it debt or equity, comes at a cost. It is, therefore, important to know if a company is generating enough returns to cover that cost. If the returns are higher than the cost, the company is adding value, else value is being lost. We use profitability ratios, such as return on assets, return...

Many stock market investors often wonder which is the best time to sell their stocks. Be it profits or loss, there are some situations when an investor takes the decision to sell. Many rely on instinct or impulse alone. However, consider these points to take a more prudent decision that wouldn’t...

Here are the synopsis from the detailed report published by ‘Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister’ on the ‘Economic Outlook for FY 2010-2011′ in India Growth Prospects 1. The performance of the Indian economy in 2009/10 greatly exceeded expectations. The farm sector...

Generally, companies buy back their shares when they perceive their own shares to be undervalued or when they have surplus cash for which there is no ready capital investment need. For example, Essar Oil, Reliance, Siemens and Infosys are some examples of companies that have bought back their shares....

Most stock market investors don’t have a clear understanding of what bonus issue means to them and what happens when spocks split. Here is an attempt to clarify the difference between bonus shares and stock splits and what they mean to ordinary investors. Bonus Issue In a bonus issue, a company...

As we discussed earlier, a futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell an asset on a specific future date. Futures are exchange traded, highly regulated, and usually liquid. They offer individuals an easy way to invest in currencies, commodities, stock indices, and individual stocks. Now let try...

Historically, Equity markets have been giving highest annual returns than all others asset classes for disciplined long term investors. Equities are even more rewarding and can create serious wealth for you, if you can identify right stocks at right price and stay invested in those for long term. So...

The Board of Directors is a group of people elected by the stockholders (the owners) to represent their interest. The primary responsibility of the board of directors is to protect the shareholders’ assets and ensure they receive a decent return on their investment. The board is responsible for...

Dividend is a portion of the profits that a company pays to its share holders. Companies that earn a profit can do one of three things: pay that profit out to shareholders, reinvest it in the business through expansion, debt reduction or share repurchases, or both. When a portion of the profit is paid...

The stock market is essentially an auction market where shares, which represent an ownership in the company, are bought and sold. The markets where stocks are traded are called stock exchanges. In India, National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are two big stock exchanges. At these...