week 1
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Primary and Secondary Markets (graded) |
What is the difference between a primary market and a secondary market? Provide examples of well-known markets and categorize them appropriately. What are several examples of different types of indices, and what do they measure?
Go to http://finance.yahoo.com/, and tell us what kinds of financial data you can find on the site. Are there other sites where you can find similar data? Please share with the class the sites you find.
week 2
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Industry Life Cycles (graded) |
What are the five stages of industry life cycles? Choose five industries that you believe represent each part of the cycle, and explain why each industry may fall under each respective stage. How will investor expectations related to capital needs, dividend payments, and returns change under each stage?
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P/E Ratios and Stocks (graded) |
What is a P/E ratio, and why is it important in stock valuation? Choose a company stock, and discuss its P/E ratio. Do you believe the P/E ratio provides an accurate assessment of the company’s performance?
week 3
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Special Events in Investing (graded) |
Under what special situations do you think it is best to invest? Please explain and support your reasoning.
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Technical Analysis in Investing (graded) |
Is technical analysis (charting) a valid way to manage your investments? Why or why not? Please support your answer with class material or material that you find on the Internet.
week 4
Bonds Versus Stocks (graded) |
Why would you want to invest in a bond over a stock? What are some of the risks associated with investing in bonds?
How can duration be used to determine a rough measure of the percentage change in the price of a bond as a result of interest rate changes?
week 5
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What are Derivatives and Convertibles? (graded) |
What are some derivative products? Illustrate their use as investment vehicles. What are convertible securities? What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a convertible security?
Options Trading and Financial Futures (graded) |
What is the difference between writing a covered and a naked call option? Do you think naked options are more of an investment or purely used for speculation? Please support your reasoning.
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week 6
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of investing in a mutual fund? Explain why the vast array of mutual funds available may be a partial drawback for investors. How can investors assess mutual fund performance?This section lists options that can be used to view responses.
Real-Asset Investing (graded) |
What real asset do you think is best to invest in for the present environment and why? Explain why investor choices may have changed over the last several decades.
week 7
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Systematic and Unsystematic Risk (graded) |
Discuss systematic risk and unsystematic risk, and how they are measured. Is it possible to neutralize or lessen the effects of each of these risks? If yes, how can this be accomplished?
What is the advantage of a diversified portfolio? Why invest in different types of asset classes? Are there any disadvantages associated with a diversified portfolio?
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