Investing in a stock isn't throwing yourmoney into a poker pot
and betting you'll magically become rich overnight.
When you "buy" a stock, you're not buying a piece of paper --
you are becoming an owner of the company that stock represents.
If you buy, for example, stock in
Apple (Nasdaq: APPL)
and profits grow for the next few years, you'll be treated to a
rising share price and grow wealthier along with your fellow
owners. But if you invest in Apple and the company does poorly
during the next few years, then yourshares will lose value -- and
you'll lose money on yourinvestment .
While this concept may sound simple, it's surprising how many
investors overlook key indicators about a company before they
invest. As a result, they become owners of lousy companies that
lose money year-after-year.
You want to be an owner of a successful company that gives you a
return, so why wouldn't you take some time to research it
first?
Don't worry, it's easier than you think. Using just eight key
terms and spending 15 minutes to analyze a company canmean the
difference between reaping healthy investment gains andlosing your
shirt .
Straight from the
InvestingAnswers
Financial Dictionary
-- the industry's most investor-friendly resource used by hundreds
of thousands of investors every month -- here are eight key
financial terms that will make you a more successful stock
investor.
And for a more detailed explanation of each term -- including
examples, formulas and more -- just click on it.
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1.
Chief executive officer (
CEO
) |
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Like a ship captain, a company's executive officer steers,
rights and can sometimes sink the ship, so it's important to
know a company'sCEO before you buy.
What to look for:
You don't need the CEO's biography, just a brief overview of
their business background. Ask yourself things like: Do you
believe the CEO has the right experience to run a car company
for the next 10 years if he ran a retail chain before for the
past 10 years? Is the company's success heavily tied to this
person like Steve Jobs was to Apple orWarren Buffett is to
Berkshire-Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B)
? And if so, do you feel comfortable that the business can do
well after that person leaves the company?
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2.
Business model |
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A business model is essentially the strategy that a company
uses to maximize itsprofit in its industry.
Wal-Mart (
WMT
)
, for example, offers the lowest possible price so it can
sell more products. By contrast, another retailer like
Coach (
COH
)
sells fewer, higher quality items but earns a larger profit
per product sold.
What to look for:
While there is no "right" strategy, be sure you understand
and agree with the company's business model. Think about how
well the company's business model might work in recessions or
economic booms.
Dollar Tree's (Nasdaq: DLTR)
business model of selling products for just a dollar in a
sluggisheconomy has given the company record-breaking profits
each year for the past five years -- and a stock price that
has soared nearly 360% since.
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3.
Competitive advantage |
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Sometimes called aneconomic moat , a competitive advantage is
when a company has a leg up over its competitors through its
superior products,patents , brand power, technology or
operating efficiency.
What to look for:
Be sure the company you're thinking about buying has a
competitive advantage. For example, Wal-Mart offers super-low
product prices that are hard for competitors to beat.
Coca-Cola (
KO
)
has strong brand name recognition and sells a popular product
that's hard for competitors to replicate. A competitive
advantage is the wall that keeps competitors from
takingmarket share and keeps that company more profitable --
and makes it a better investment for you -- over the long
term.
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4.
Revenue |
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Revenue is simply the raw amount of money the company made
from sales of its product or service. Revenue is sometimes
called a company's "top line," as it's always listed as the
first line of every company'sincome statement .
What to look for:
A company with its revenue trending up each year for the past
few years. While it's not realistic to expect a company to
increase its sales every single year (especially in a
struggling economy), a company with a trend of falling
annualrevenues signals it has trouble selling its products
and services or finding other sources of revenue.
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5.
Net income |
More casually called profit,earnings or "thebottom line ,"
net income is simply the amount of money a company earned
from sales after expenses andtaxes have been paid. As its
nickname suggests, you can find a company's net income listed
on the bottom line of the company's income statement.
What to look for:
Net income growth from year-to-year. A company with growing
net income each year shows that the company knows how to
effectively sell its products, slash or control its business
operating costs, or a combination of both. Companies like
AutoZone (
AZO
)
and
Ross Stores (Nasdaq: ROST)
have managed to grow their net incomes for the past three
years and both stocks have returned more than 100% during the
same period.
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6.
Profit margin |
Profit margin (sometimes referred to asnet profit margin ) is
simply the percentage of revenue the company takes in as
profit (after expenses, interest and taxes have been paid).
Apple, for example, has a profit margin of 26%: For every
$100 "iWidget" it sells, it makes $26 profit. A company's
profit margin is net income divided by total revenue.
What to look for:
A company should have steady or growing profit margins every
year, even during arecession . Companies with growing profit
margins signal that the company can command higher prices
because consumers are willing to pay for their product (Apple
enjoys healthy profits because it can sell its devices for a
much higher price than competitors). Companies that can
maintain steady profit margins show the company can
effectively control its operating costs, keeping the company
efficient (Wal-Mart has been able to keep its product prices
low and its profit margins steady even through recessions).
Steady or growing profit margins ensure that a company is
profitable and can reward shareholders with returns.
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7.
Debt-to-equity ratio |
With the debt-to-equity ratio, you can find out how much debt
a company carries compared to the amount ofequity
shareholders have in the company.
What to look for:
A company with a low amount of debt in relation to its equity
(total debt levels that are no higher than the company's
total equity levels; a ratio of 1.0 times or lower). Used as
a safety measure, it tests how well the company can repay its
debt obligations in the event that the company runs into
serious financial problems. Generally, the lower the
debt-to-equity ratio a company has, the less risky it is to
you as an investor.
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8.
Price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) |
Finding a company with strong financials is not enough. Just
like you can pay too much for a great car, you can pay too
much for a great company -- and that can mean limited upside
potential on your gains (and even a loss). With a stock's
price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), you can find out if a stock is
overpriced. TheP/E ratio compares a stock's price to the
amount of profit per stock share (earnings per share) the
company generated.
What to look for:
A company with a P/E ratio that is onpar with or lower than
the overallmarket 's P/E ratio (which has historically been
between 14 and 17) and the company's peers in the industry.
In general, a well-run company with a relatively low P/E
ratio is a signal that the company's stock is trading at a
fair price or even a bargain.
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Action to Take -->
While these terms won'tguarantee success with stock investing every
time, they will help you avoid the pitfalls that less experienced
and even sometimes veteran investors run into. Find companies that
a) you understand and agree with from a leadership and business
perspective, b) operate with strong management and financial health
and c) are trading at a good value. These will be key to your
investing success.
This article originally appeared on InvestingAnswers.com:
The 8 Most
Important Facts To Know About A Company Before You Invest