Stocks: Understand What You Buy!

"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action!"Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

I don't really know how cars actually work. Not really! I know how to drive them, but if you asked me how they work, I would not really know how to definitely explain it.

That small technical limitation on my part doesn't stop me from knowing whether XYZ Autos is a quality company or not. I don't understand the cars they make, but I do understand XYZ Autos. Moreover, that understanding is critical to making a decision about the value of their stock.

There are many good and objective ways to value stocks and improve your finances. These involve looking at various financial ratios. However, one of my simplest rules for investing is that you always must understand what you are buying!

This is by no means original with me. It is a basic part of fundamental analysis!

How deeply you must research in order to understand a company before you invest in it is a rather personal decision!

Some investors feel fine with just a general understanding, while others want to know everything there is to know about the company. I think that somewhere in between is perfect.

But you must know what makes a company different from others and whether that difference adds any real value or not.

Sometimes being different is not good ...

Buy what you understand for a reasonable price and you will be well on your way towards successful investing!

haramis@greekshares.com

http://www.greekshares.com

Ioannis - Evangelos C. Haramis was born in Greece and he studied in Greece, USA and in Belgium. He has been active in the stock markets since 1972. Since 2002 he is New Business Development Managing Director at an Investment Bank.

MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post-ABC News poll - Washington Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_101308.htmlcid=1258241768ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNHP6ATiZS3pN5iVl8pE4hLEnI5zJQWashington Post-ABC News poll/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrOct 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone October 8-11, 2008, among a random national sample of 1101 adults, including additional b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Crisis may spawn big US wealth transfer moves - Reuters UK

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://uk.reuters.com/article/summitNews/idUKTRE49C82020081014cid=1257815860ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNEKfGpvG0QAx_EXnXpMgLhrSWgvCwCrisis may spawn big US wealth transfer moves/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fReuters UK,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The wealthy use trusts to pass on bstocks, mutual funds/b and physical assets such as real estate. The tax rates for such transfers are linked to interest b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Indian Savers May Bury Cash in `Panic#39; Over Banks (Update1) - Bloomberg

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601091%26sid%3DaDX0FXeqhBlA%26refer%3Dindiacid=1258222903ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNGJ9WwxitNDP6EHs_-fqwKHoHh0fwIndian Savers May Bury Cash in `Panic#39; Over Banks (Update1)/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBloombergnbsp;-/font nobrOct 13, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1He doesn#39;t invest in bstocks, mutual funds/b or real estate because he thinks it#39;s too risky. ``When I don#39;t gamble for high returns, the government should b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Anatomy of a Scandal - American Spectator

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.spectator.org/archives/2008/10/14/anatomy-of-a-scandalcid=1255205671ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNEJlPsRIF6Tb7pCzGbJiMJ8GbG_awAnatomy of a Scandal/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAmerican Spectatornbsp;-/font nobrOct 14, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bStocks, mutual funds/b, 401k#39;s, pensions, credit -- the financial guts of a family, a business, and in turn the underlying financial foundation of the US b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Anxious investors hanging on despite heavy stock market losses - Los Angeles Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-investors13-2008oct13,0,4669187.storycid=0ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNHobsSoMP6PNfG9gA_x1GCYbhWceAAnxious investors hanging on despite heavy stock market losses/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 13, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b have about half a million dollars in the market, including retirement savings, individual bstocks, mutual funds/b and money market accounts. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The financial crisis and the candidates - Siglo21

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.siglo21.com/note.aspx%3FparNote%3D7715cid=0ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNH6OIyDUa0Ul3x2CBZK-75zkWPtrwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=KrQ9VKwKRlEJimgurl=www.siglo21.com/nws/0/pictures/7715.jpg%3FparRnd%3D0.5821149 width=80 height=59 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Siglo21/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.siglo21.com/note.aspx%3FparNote%3D7715cid=0ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNH6OIyDUa0Ul3x2CBZK-75zkWPtrwThe financial crisis and the candidates/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSiglo21,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 13, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b since the financial crisis has entered a unexplored and terrifying ground, in which the value of almost all goods-houses, bstocks, mutual funds/b, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Our View ā€” Let free market be free - Mankato Free Press

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mankatofreepress.com/editorials/local_story_286005221.htmlcid=1258179900ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNGBIYbcHMT5nn7JptQcnnkDgtDg9QOur View ā€” Let free market be free/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMankato Free Press,nbsp;MNnbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Why not require the same thing with bstocks, mutual funds/b and other investment instruments? It would be less costly than the current bailout. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Earning the Boy Scouts#39; personal management badge - Forbes

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/10/ap5536783.htmlcid=1256145734ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNHNnpuV_O8eJSBpBBxL5OT4oiNiGgEarning the Boy Scouts#39; personal management badge/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fForbes,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrOct 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1_Explain the advantages and disadvantages of putting money into the following: bstocks, mutual funds/b, CDs, bonds, savings accounts. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Financial management is part of Boy Scout training - Kentucky.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.kentucky.com/216/story/554066.htmlcid=1257239324ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNEVYzRrQlmetAcWghBElF-HSYBQ-QFinancial management is part of Boy Scout training/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKentucky.com,nbsp;KYnbsp;-/font nobrOct 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Explain the advantages and disadvantages of putting money into the following: bstocks, mutual funds/b, CDs, bonds, savings accounts. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Government should stay within our means - Myrtle Beach Sun News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/opinion/story/628598.htmlcid=0ei=NWH2SJvRA5aO9QTU-smYCQusg=AFQjCNH5exEHFSw5l_tNB5F8DFZ7yNYFkwGovernment should stay within our means/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMyrtle Beach Sun News,nbsp;SCnbsp;-/font nobrOct 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Our stock markets are going in the toilet, and the retirees who rely on bstocks, mutual funds/b and 401(k) income are hurting. Rather than asking how did we b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Stocks-Mutual-Funds - Google News

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