7-Point Checklist for Buying Your First Stock
- Buy what you know One of the simplest rules is to invest in companies you understand. This means that if you don't...
- Understand how the company makes money The second step is to figure out where the company's revenue comes from. To do...
- Understand how the company measures its growth After measuring the weight of...
- Trends in earnings growth.
- Company strength relative to its peers.
- Debt-to-equity ratio in line with industry norms.
- Price-earnings ratio as an indicator of valuation.
- How the company treats dividends.
- Effectiveness of executive leadership.
What do you need to know before buying stocks?
- How much money do you need to start stock trading?
- What are different stock trading strategies?
- When do you buy stocks?
- When do you sell stocks?
What factors do you consider when buying stocks?
Key Takeaways
- The purchase and sale price of a stock are the most influential factors when considering a stock.
- The stock issuer's earnings and free cash flow should be high enough to keep itself operating.
- The stock issuer should be using its existing assets and equity to generate returns.
What to know before investing in stocks?
What You Need to Research Before Investing for Yourself
- Financial Goals. What are your goals for investing? ...
- Risk Tolerance. Risk tolerance is the amount of volatility you’re willing to take on with your investments. ...
- You Current Portfolio Mix. When picking stocks, understanding your total portfolio mix will help you choose how much to invest.
- Your Portfolio Management Style. ...
- Your Time Horizon. ...
What to consider when buying stocks?
There are three key types of strategies used by most successful investors:
- Value Investing. Value investing is the process of investing in stocks that display a clear undervaluation relative to their peers in hopes of generating outsize gains as the market catches ...
- Growth Investing. ...
- Income Investing. ...
What does beta tell you about a stock?
A company's beta can tell you much risk is involved with a stock compared to the rest of the market. If you want to park your money, invest in stocks with a high dividend. Although reading them can be complicated, look for some of the most simple cues from charts like the stock's price movement. 1. What Stocks Do.
Why is it important to watch high beta stocks?
You have to watch high beta stocks closely because, although they have the potential to make you a lot of money, they also have the potential to take your money. A lower beta means that a stock doesn't react to the S&P 500 movements as much as others. This is known as a defensive stock because your money is much safer.
How do dividends work?
If you don't have time to watch the market every day, and you want your stocks to make money without that kind of attention, look for dividends. Dividends are like interest in a savings account —you get paid regardless of the stock price. Dividends are distributions made by a company to its shareholders as a reward from its profits. The amount of the dividend is decided by its board of directors and are generally issued in cash, though it isn't uncommon for some companies to issue dividends in the form of stock shares.
Why do companies issue dividends?
Dividends mean a lot to many investors because they provide a steady stream of income.
What does beta mean in stock market?
Beta. Beta seems like something difficult to understand, but it's not. It measures volatility, or how moody your company's stock has acted over the last five years. In essence, it measures the systemic risk involved with a company's stock compared to that of the entire market.
How often do retail investors lose money?
But if you want to be a successful investor, it can be really tough. Many retail investors —those who aren't investment professionals—lose money every year.
Is it easy to read stock charts?
These include line charts, bar charts, and candlestick charts—charts used by both fundamental and technical analysts. But reading these charts isn't always easy. In fact, it can be very complicated. Learning to read them is a skill that takes a lot of time to acquire.
What to consider when buying stocks?
Factors to Consider When Buying Stocks. When you buy a stock, there are several factors that you should consider before pulling the trigger. After all, you want to buy shares in a great company, at a great price. But what criteria qualifies a publicly traded company as a great company, and how do you know if the price you’re getting is ...
Why is it important to consider the size of the company before buying a stock?
As a result, it’s important to consider the size of the company in relation to your risk tolerance and time horizon before buying a stock.
What is value investing?
Value investing is the process of investing in stocks that display a clear undervaluation relative to their peers in hopes of generating outsize gains as the market catches onto the opportunity.
What is a large cap stock?
Finally, large-cap stocks are stocks representing companies with an overall value of more than $10 billion. These are the companies that have “made it.” In the vast majority of cases, these companies sell popular products and consistently produce significant profits, which are often returned to investors by way of dividends or share buybacks.
What are the metrics of a stock?
Some of the most important metrics include: 1 Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio). The P/E ratio compares the price of a stock to the company’s earnings per share (EPS), essentially putting a price on profitability. For example, if a company trading at $10 per share produces EPS of $1 annually, its P/E ratio is 10, suggesting that the share price is 10 times the company’s earnings on an annual basis. 2 Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S Ratio). The P/S ratio compares the price of the stock to the annual sales, or revenue, generated by the company. For example, if a stock trades at $10 per share and generates $5 per share in annual revenue, its P/S ratio is 2. 3 Price-to-Book-Value Ratio (P/B Ratio). Finally, the P/B ratio compares the price of the stock to the net value of assets owned by the company, divided by the number of outstanding shares. For example, if a stock trades at $10, has a net asset value (book value) of $1 billion, and has 100 million outstanding shares, it has a P/B ratio of 1.
Why is it important to educate yourself before buying a stock?
Unfortunately, actions like these increase your chances of losses and decrease your potential profitability. If you’re considering buying a stock, it’s important to educate yourself about that stock, the market itself, and the overall economy before pulling the trigger on the purchase.
How to tell if a company is growing?
The best way to determine if a company is growing is by looking at both its revenue and its earnings. Revenue. Revenue is the total amount of money the company generates from its operational activities. For example, when Apple sells an iPhone, the sale price of that phone is added to its revenue total. Earnings.
What is the best source of information about a stock?
Outside of the company's own guidance, one of the best sources of information about a stock are Wall Street analyst reports .
How do stocks react to analysts?
Stocks often react when analysts upgrade or downgrade their ratings for a stock or adjust their price targets. These analysts are far from perfect at predicting stock movements, but paying attention to their updates helps investors stay informed about the important issues facing a company and its investors.
How can companies boost their EPS?
Companies can temporarily boost EPS by selling assets or cutting costs, so it's important to get a sense of how an EPS changes over time. A consistent negative EPS growth may be a red flag for investors of trouble down the road.
Is the stock market forward looking?
The stock market is considered to be forward looking. Stocks are not just priced based on the past or current performance of the companies. They are also priced based on expectations for future performance.
Is there a strategy for buying stocks?
There's no strategy that's 100% effective for choosing the best stocks to buy. But for investors simply looking for a place to start in the complicated world of investing, learning some basic analysis tools and terminology can help provide a general understanding of a company and its stock.
What are the most important factors when considering a stock?
The purchase and sale price of a stock are the most influential factors when considering a stock. The stock issuer's earnings and free cash flow should be high enough to keep itself operating. The stock issuer should be using its existing assets and equity to generate returns.
Why is it important to compare companies?
When comparing companies for investing, it is essential to make sure they are in the same industry and have the same financial structure. If they don't, it isn't a good comparison. For example, two companies each have $100 in assets.
Need some help picking your first stock? Follow these seven simple steps
Buying your first stock can be an overwhelming experience. There are thousands to choose from, and the financial media is saturated with hot stock tips. To help you cut through all that noise, here are seven basic things I always do when I analyze a stock.
1. Buy what you know
One of the simplest rules is to invest in companies you understand. This means that if you don't really understand how a hot new tech company generates its double-digit revenue growth, you could be left holding the bag when that growth suddenly stops.
2. Understand how the company makes money
The second step is to figure out where the company's revenue comes from. To do this, you should visit the company's investor relations website and read its latest quarterly reports.
3. Understand how the company measures its growth
After measuring the weight of the company's business units on its top line, you need to understand how a company measures its revenue growth.
4. Recognize the competition and risk factors
Investors should then recognize and analyze a company's direct competitors. PepsiCo's closest competitor is Coca-Cola ( KO 3.87% ), but a closer look at both companies reveals fundamental differences in their businesses -- PepsiCo sells packaged foods, while Coca-Cola only sells beverages.
5. Understand how the company spends its free cash flow
A company's free cash flow, defined as its operating cash flow minus capital expenditures, can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Rapidly growing companies generally invest that cash into expanding their operations. Mature companies usually return that cash to shareholders with buybacks and dividends.
6. See if the stock is cheap relative to the market and its peers
The key metric for investors to watch is a stock's P/E ratio -- which is simply the stock price divided by the company's earnings per share (EPS) over the previous four quarters.
What is a checklist in seeking alpha?
Some Seeking Alpha participants purchase stocks with the primary goal of making a profit, perhaps a quick profit or a long-term capital gain.
Why is it important to have a checklist?
If impulsive buying decisions are not a problem for you, a checklist can be an important tool to assist your due diligence. It can help insure that you have made a relatively thorough study of a company. I say "relatively thorough" because no checklist can guarantee that you will make a good decision.
Is investing in the stock market fun?
Investing in the stock market can be fun and financially rewarding . However, it can be a humbling experience, particularly when a purchase is made on a whim or because someone has recommended a stock that "sounds good." If you have a checklist of items to research before making a purchase, you have taken the first important step to avoid making a hasty decision that you may later regret.
Can a checklist help you make a sound investment?
But a good checklist can greatly improve your chances of making a sound investment.
What Stocks Do
Price-To-Earnings (P/E) Ratio
- Imagine for a moment you were in the market for somebody who could help you with your investments. You interview two financial advisors. One has a long history of making people a lot of money. Your friends have seen a big return from this financial advisor, and you can't find any reason why you shouldn't trust them with your investment dollars. They tell you that for every dol…
Beta
- Beta seems like something difficult to understand, but it's not. It measures volatility, or how moody your company's stock has acted over the last five years. In essence, it measures the systemic risk involved with a company's stock compared to that of the entire market. You can usually find the beta value on the same page as the P/E ratio when reviewing stock research pag…
Dividend
- If you don't have time to watch the market every day, and you want your stocks to make money without that kind of attention, look for dividends. Dividends are like interest in a savings account—you get paid regardless of the stock price. Dividends are distributions made by a company to its shareholders as a reward from its profits. The amount of the dividend is decided …
The Chart
- There are many different types of stock charts. These include line charts, bar charts, and candlestick charts—charts used by both fundamental and technical analysts. But reading these charts isn't always easy. In fact, it can be very complicated. Learning to read them is a skill that takes a lot of time to acquire. So what does this mean to you as a retail investor? You don't have …
The Bottom Line
- Nothing takes the place of exhaustive research. However, one key way to protect your assets is to invest for the longer term by taking advantage of dividends and finding stocks with a proven record of success. Unless you have the time, risky and aggressive trading strategiesshould be avoided or minimized.