...need to know more knowledge that how to make money investing, but also they have to update news which has information about money’s movement. Moreover, the majority of investors is supposed to follow international news and monitor that show their money in real time. In today’s world, there are many capital markets for investing because if the number of investors increases, it will make the number of investment products in the capital market increased. Thus, investors in these days are supposed to have the way in order to choose which stock will make them make the most investment return. Then, there are two investing’s types in funds for retail investors in order to invest between index- tracker funds and actively- managed funds and most investors are supposed to understand and know which one they have to use. This essay will be discussed investing in index-tracker funds and actively-managed funds that follow by pros and cons, and also provide knowledge that why are retail investors supposed to put their money in index-tracker funds rather than in actively-managed funds. First and foremost, before the majority of investors would like to choose any stock in the market, they are supposed to understand and know how different between two styles: index-tracker funds (passive funds) and actively-managed funds. To begin with, index-tracker fund which is fund’s manage, is also called passively-managed funds. This style of investing do not manage too...
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...step to ensure the pension fund is able to meet its future pension liabilities. However, having unrealistic expectations can prove to be harmful where in their case a 1.5% discrepancy in expectations had led to a 120% increase in unfunded liability! The investment constraint of having a pension fund made up majority of bonds can prove to be problematic. While it is true that bonds provide a steady income in terms of coupon plus the opportunity for capital appreciation; the fact that bond prices are inversely proportional to interest rates prove to be a risk for pension funds. Indeed, that is the case for South Carolina pension fund where in April 1996 the fund has lost $400mln due to a rise in interest rates. Also their constraint of investing in mature and stable companies have the benefit of earning steady dividends and a lower level of risk (Claus and Thomas, 2001). But these companies have limited growth potential hence returns tend to be low and the state may find that they are not being able to earn the higher expected return to fund the sudden increase in pension liability. 2) Critically assess the benefits of adding...
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...company that uses its strategy based on academic research as well as related theories. It is based in Santa Monica, California and founded in 1981 by Booth and Rex Sinquefield. They work together with advocate of the efficient market hypothesis, indicating a relatively strong belief in this theory and thus in efficient markets. DFA believe that skilled traders have the capability to pitch in to the fund’s profits, although the investments are inherently passive. Additionally, they also adjust their strategy to new findings in the field. This report will discuss the next step that DFA should implement in order to perform better compared to the other managed funds. DFA’s Business Strategy DFA’s business strategy is based on the core concept that markets are “efficient” which means that no one has the ability to regularly pick stocks and beat the market. In addition, founders of DFA believed that amalgamating solid academic research with abilities of skilled traders would produce superior returns. DFA primary business is investing in the small stock funds, as based on the...
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...INDEX FUNDS.. FM n FS PROJECT Active and Passive Management Before we get into the details of index funds, it's important to understand the two different styles of mutual-fund management: passive and active. Most mutual funds fit under the active management category. Active management involves the art of stock picking and market timing. This means the fund manager will put his/her skills to the test trying to pick securities that will perform better than the market. Because actively managed funds require more hands-on research and because they experience a higher volume of trading, their expenses are higher. Passively managed funds, on the other hand, do not attempt to beat the market. A passive strategy instead seeks to match the risk and return of the stock market or a segment of it. You can think of passive management as the buy-and-hold approach to money management. Defn- An index fund a collective investment scheme that aims to replicate the movements of an index of a specific financial market, or a set of rules of ownership that are held constant, regardless of market condition. An index fund is a mutual fund which merely invests in the securities in the index. It is passive, in the sense that absolutely no effort is made to produce results better than the index. HISTORY: Index funds haven't been around forever -- how did they come about? Long ago, there was a student at the University of Chicago who studied modern ideas of finance taught...
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... Kaplan is a charitable fund established in 2007 to provide an investment vehicle for investors seeking to finance some educational objectives. The aim of the fund is to grow members’ contributions through investment in securities. Investors in Kaplan are yet to start making withdrawals from the fund but are due to begin in June 2012. This report looks at current issues in the investment environment in the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world which have an impact on Kaplan’s operations. It also examines strategic asset allocation and investment strategies that Kaplan should employ to achieve its goals. In addition, the report recommends areas in which the fund’s management should actively manage investments and those areas in which passive management would be the better option. Overview of the Investment Environment In recent years, the global fund sector has continued to register robust growth in many countries with developed financial markets. Collective investment schemes are becoming the most preferred investment vehicles for investors because of their obvious advantages including diversification, professional management of investments, liquidity and investment advice for investors and superior returns (Roll, 2008). Indeed, as by the end of 2011, the global investment fund industry was worth US $11.7 trillion which translates to 17 percent of primary securities holdings around the world. However, recent events in international financial markets and the prevailing...
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...concordia.ca [SUBJECT: FINA 411 …….] Classes: FINA 411/2A Mondays 11:45 - 14:30 [MB1.437] FINA 411/2C Wednesdays 11:45 - 14:30 [MB5.255] Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 15:30 -- 16:30 [Please e-mail me first to confirm] and by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on modern investment theory and its application to the management of entire portfolios. It will consist of lectures, discussions of cases and articles, and video presentations. Topics include: a) construction of optimal asset portfolios using techniques such as the single index model, b) extensions of the capital asset pricing model: theory and tests; example, the zero-beta model, c) criteria for evaluation of investment performance, d) active vs. passive portfolio management, e) investment strategies. The Formula Growth Investment Centre Lab will be used to demonstrate the use of specialized investment software. Computer exercises are assigned to illustrate the application of the theory. Prerequisites: FINA 380 or 385; FINA 390 or 395. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To understand the theory and practice of Portfolio Management for Individuals and Institutions, e.g. Endowments, Mutual Funds, Pension Plans, etc. To learn about the key Asset Pricing Models. REQUIRED: Text: Bodie, Zvi, Alex Kane, Allan J. Marcus, Stylianos Perrakis, Peter J. Ryan and Lorne Switzer, Investments, 8th Canadian edition, McGraw-Hill, 2014 [BKMPRS] Text website: http://highered...
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...Theory Covariance: how close two variables move Together The reward-to-volatility = sharpe ratio Serial correlation of daily returns is close to zero => very hard to predict from their past Value-at-Risk (VaR): a measure of downside risk ->Measures the potential loss over a specified horizon such that there is a (low) probability α that the actual loss will be larger No clear guidelines as to the choice of sample length m: small m means that the VaR will be more influenced by recent events; large m is needed for precise estimates - No way to extrapolate the 1-day VaR to a longer n-day horizon (except if nonoverlapping n-period returns are considered to re-calculate the n-day VaR) A risk-averse investor: - Accepts risk-free or speculative prospects with positive risk-premiums - Rejects portfolios that are fair games (or worse) The higher the indifference curve, the higher the utility levelT he steeper the indifference curve, the higher the risk aversion -> higher compensation required for the same level of risk Two major sources of uncertainty for the risky assets in a portfolio: 1. Market risk -? Systematic, non-diversifiable 2. Firm-specific risk -> Non-systematic, diversifiable The minimum-variance frontier, which gives the lowest variance that can be attained for any target level of expected portfolio return The separation property The portfolio choice problem may be separated into two independent tasks -Determination of the optimal...
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...University Modular Framework University Modular Framework Accounting & Finance Field Copies available from the undergraduate Office Front Sheet NB. This sheet must be attached to any submission of Accounting & Finance field module coursework made to the Student Assessment Office. No assignment will be accepted without it. Name of Candidate JIAYI LIN Title of Module ACC3013 Investment Management Title of Coursework Financial Planning for Mark Lewis Marking Tutor Lien.Luu Hand in Date 28/12/2014 Extension Granted to _________________________________________________ Financial plan for Mark Lewis Prepared by Date 28 December 2014 Checklist before submission 1 Declaration by the candidate named above 2 Introduction: 8 About you 8 Current situation: 8 Personal aims: 9 Base plan 10 Assets and liabilities 11 Assets 11 Liabilities distribution： 12 Income & Expenditure 13 Food expenditure 14 Clothes 14 Rental 15 Others 15 Investment and portfolio: 16 You want to know: 16 Current situation 17 General 18 Gilts 18 Funds 19 Emergency fund 19 Stocks...
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...Investing in the Stock Market Matt Gonzales Abstract The purpose of this paper is to inform the average investor of how to make money in the stock market. The stock market should be thought of as a long-term savings vehicle. Investing in the stock market should not be associated with gambling. By investing in high-quality U.S. companies, the investor in a company profits along with the company. As a shareholder, when the company makes money, the investor also does. There are many ways to invest in the stock market, but it is my opinion that investing in mutual funds is probably the most appropriate way for the average person, without expertise in stock analysis, to make money. This paper plans to inform the reader on how to purchase stocks and mutual funds and which are appropriate for investing and retirement. Investing in the Stock Market When an investor owns a share of a company’s stock, he/she receives part of the company’s profit or bears some of the company’s losses, if the company does not do well (investopedia, 2011). When company does make profit for the year, there are two basic options that the company can do with the profits. They can either reinvest the profits back into the company or they can pay them out in the form of dividends. High-growth companies rarely offer dividends because all of their profits are reinvested to help sustain higher-than-average growth. Dividends can be thought of...
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...for many investors, especially those investing for the long term and retirement. Given declines in global stock markets, many investors have seen little to no real growth in their portfolios over this period. For example, $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 Market Index in 2000, was worth just $10,456 at the end of 2010. And this does not take into account inflation, investment fees and taxes.1 This White Paper explains why investors’ portfolios may underperform in both bear and bull markets and incur substantial costs in the process. It also details the impact this chronic underperformance can have on achieving long-term financial goals. Threat 1: The Expenses of Active Management Most us would like to beat the market, but as we’ll explore in this whitepaper, even many professional money managers have had a hard time performing better than the market. To understand why, it is helpful to begin with some definitions. Active investors (and active money managers) attempt to out- perform stock market rates of return by actively trading individual stocks and/or engaging in market timing — deciding when to be in and out of the market. Those investors who simply purchase “the market” through index or asset class mutual funds are called passive or “market” investors. Active mutual fund managers are typically compared to a benchmark index. For example, large cap mutual funds are often compared to the S&P 500 index. To beat the index, an active mutual fund must perform better than...
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...Zeus Asset Management Inc Executive Summary Zeus Asset Management Inc is an asset management firm with more than $1.7 billion in asset under management. Zeus is well known for relationship-oriented that served both individual and institutional investors with the investment philosophy of believing that they could get a superior return over the long run using a conservative, risk-averse and quality-oriented approach. Zeus have been measuring it’s return in an absolute basis however Abbott demanded for it to be in risk adjusted basis to be better determine if Zeus outperform the relevant indices. The main problem with the current measure is that it did not take risk into consideration. The main aim in this case study is to determine if the current performance evaluation is sufficient or a better risk adjusted measure could be form. Other than that, we would also take into consideration of the difference between Zeus with its main competitors and how different type of investors would have different investment strategy due to their different risk preference. Problem with current measure As the current fund performance measurement consist mainly of holding period and benchmark return, these return have weaknesses that does not allow it to be a sufficient measurement. As a HPR generally calculated based on determining what the total return is earned from holding the investment for a specific period of time. The advantage of it is that it is easy to calculate and understand by...
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...Bill Miller and Value Trust Case Analysis Case Facts: 1 By middle 2005, Leg Mason Value Trust managed by Bill had outperformed S&P 500 index for 14 years in a row. This was longest successful run by any fund manager. The average return on the fund was 14.6% which surpassed the S&P by 3.67% per year. The value trust only had 36 holdings, 10 of which accounted for 50% of the fund’s assets. No manager had matched Miller’s consistent index beating record. Miller’s results were in contradiction to the conventional theory which suggests that it is extremely difficult to beat the market on a sustained basis as it is characterized by high competition, easy entry and informational efficiency. Problem Statement: The Lag Mason Value Trust has been able to outperform the S&P 500 index for 15 consecutive years till 2005. Will the trust to able to consistently deliver similar performance in future? Should a rational investor buy shares in Value Trust as on middle of 2005? What can be possible reasons for the exemplary record of the Value Trust? Can the reasons of the trust’s success can be only attributed to the trading skills and style of Bill Miller or is it sheer luck? US Mutual Fund Market: The mutual fund market in the US has seen exponential growth in the last 30 years. The numbers of mutual funds have increased from 361 to 8,044 in between 1970 to 2005. By 2004, Mutual fund owned nearly 20% of the outstanding stocks of US companies. The value of...
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...Pictet-Absolute Return Fixed Income: unlocking the potential of a rapidly-changing bond market Pictet Asset Management May 2014 For professional investors only Overview From 16 to 9. Over the past decade, the number of sovereign borrowers rated triple-A by Standard and Poor's has almost halved. There is probably no clearer testament to the damage caused by the financial crisis. But it is not the only momentous change facing fixed income investors. In another break with the past, policymakers in the developed world no longer worry about the moral hazard of intervening in the capital markets. Driving down real interest rates close to zero has been the policy of choice in the US, UK and Japan, while in the euro zone it has become de rigueur to encourage banks to buy the bonds of those governments with the weakest credit credentials. If dealing with unorthodox monetary and fiscal policies is not challenging enough for fixed income investors, traditional bond benchmarks – and the strategies tied to them – do not help matters. In fact, they often amplify risks. Because these indices are capitalisation- or, perhaps more accurately, liability-weighted, they expose investors to the governments and corporations that issue the most debt. This not only leaves participants vulnerable to the potentially unfavourable shifts in borrower creditworthiness, it also restricts their access to more attractive investment opportunities elsewhere. The bond investor’s plight is further complicated...
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...try IBA 4010. SPRING 2014. LECTURER: DR.CAREN OUMA. TERM PAPER. NAME: ABDI MILA MOHAMED. ID NUMBER: TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENTRY. Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION 4 1.1Background 4 1.2 Purpose of International Business Entry 4 1.3 Scopeof international Business Entry 4 1.4 Basic Issues an Organisation Faces 5 1.5 Strategies used by Firms 5 ENTRY STRATEGIES 6 2.0 EXPORTING 6 2.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Exporting 7 2.2 Passive exports Vs Aggressive exports 7 2.3 Direct and Indirect Export 8 2.4 Case Study 9 3.0 PIGGYBANKING…………………………………………………………………………………….10 4.0COUNTERTRADE……………………………………………………………………………………10 4.1 Forms of Countertrade…………………………………………………………………………….10 4.2 Examples of Countertrade…………………………………………………………………………11 4.3 Disadvantages of Countertrade……………………………………………………………………11 5.0 BARTER………………………………………………………………………………………………11 5.1 Forms of Barter Trade…………………………………………………………………………….11 6.0 FOREIGN PRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………14 6.1 Licensing…………………………………………………………………………………………..14 6.2 Joint Ventures……………………………………………………………………………………..15 6.3Ownership………………………………………………………………………………………….16 6.4 Exports Processing zones………………………………………………………………………….17 7.0 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………...17 7.1 Conclusion and Recommendation………………………………………………………………..17 8.0 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………...
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...GEST-S411 Investments in a historical perspective Building a Bond Portfolio Vitalij Aleksandrov Gerard Haughey CONTENTS ➢ PART 1 ❖ What are bonds? ❖ What types of bonds exist ❖ Tools of analysis ➢ PART 2 ❖ Characteristics of a good bond portfolio ❖ Choosing a portfolio strategy ❖ Management of a bond portfolio ➢ PART 3 ❖ Creation of our portfolio ❖ Selection of bonds ▪ Analysis of issuer ▪ Technical analysis ▪ Expectations (including risks) ▪ Investment decision ❖ Investment summary ❖ Performance analysis ❖ Effects of crisis on the bonds chosen ➢ BIBLIOGRAPHY PART 1 What are bonds? In the same way that people borrow money, companies and governments also need to borrow money. A company needs to fund its expansion, conduct market research, develop new products etc., and the problem large corporations encounter is that they need more money than any single bank can provide. This is particularly the case with governments who need to fund everything from infrastructural projects to securing bank loans. Because they can’t borrow large sums from banks they must turn to the public market and raise money by issuing bonds. A bond is a fixed income security or a loan given by the bondholders (individual investors) to the issuer...
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