Business and Management Finance and Accounting Investments Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management is a dynamic process that encompasses the detailed evaluation of individual securities (analysis) and the strategic construction and oversight of a collection of those assets (management). Through analysis, investors use quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the risk and return profiles of assets like stocks and bonds. This information is then used in portfolio management to apply principles of diversification and asset allocation, combining different investments to build a portfolio tailored to an investor's specific financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, with the aim of maximizing returns for a given level of risk.
1.1.
The Investment Environment
1.1.1.
Purpose and Importance of Investing
1.1.1.1. Wealth Preservation
1.1.1.2. Wealth Accumulation
1.1.1.3. Income Generation
1.1.1.4. Inflation Protection
1.1.2.
Financial Markets and Their Functions
1.1.2.2. Liquidity Provision
1.1.2.3. Capital Allocation
1.1.2.5. Information Aggregation
1.1.3.
Types of Financial Markets
1.1.3.1.2. Commercial Paper
1.1.3.1.3. Certificates of Deposit
1.1.3.1.4. Repurchase Agreements
1.1.3.2.1. Primary Markets
1.1.3.2.1.1. Initial Public Offerings
1.1.3.2.1.2. Seasoned Equity Offerings
1.1.3.2.1.3. Private Placements
1.1.3.2.2. Secondary Markets
1.1.3.2.2.1. Organized Exchanges
1.1.3.2.2.2. Over-the-Counter Markets
1.1.3.2.2.3. Electronic Communication Networks
1.1.4.
Market Participants
1.1.4.1. Individual Investors
1.1.4.1.1. Retail Investors
1.1.4.1.2. High-Net-Worth Individuals
1.1.4.1.3. Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals
1.1.4.2. Institutional Investors
1.1.4.2.3. Insurance Companies
1.1.4.2.4. Endowments and Foundations
1.1.4.2.6. Sovereign Wealth Funds
1.1.4.3. Financial Intermediaries
1.1.4.3.1. Investment Banks
1.1.4.3.2. Commercial Banks
1.1.5.
The Globalization of Financial Markets
1.1.5.1. International Capital Flows
1.1.5.2. Cross-Border Listings
1.1.5.3. Global Market Integration
1.1.5.4. Impact of Currency Exchange Rates
1.1.5.5. Regulatory Harmonization
1.2.
Asset Classes and Financial Instruments
1.2.1.
Overview of Asset Classes
1.2.1.1. Traditional Asset Classes
1.2.1.2. Alternative Asset Classes
1.2.1.3. Asset Class Characteristics
1.2.2.
Equity Securities
1.2.2.1.2. Dividend Policy
1.2.2.1.4. Stock Splits and Dividends
1.2.2.2.1. Dividend Preference
1.2.2.2.3. Cumulative vs. Noncumulative
1.2.2.2.4. Participating vs. Non-Participating
1.2.2.3. Depositary Receipts
1.2.2.3.1. American Depositary Receipts
1.2.2.3.2. Global Depositary Receipts
1.2.3.
Fixed-Income Securities
1.2.3.1.5. Inflation-Protected Securities
1.2.3.2.1. Investment Grade
1.2.3.2.3. Convertible Bonds
1.2.3.2.4. Floating Rate Notes
1.2.3.3.1. General Obligation Bonds
1.2.4.
Derivatives
1.2.4.1.3. Option Pricing Basics
1.2.4.1.4. American vs. European Options
1.2.4.1.5. Option Strategies
1.2.4.2. Futures and Forwards
1.2.4.2.1. Futures Contracts
1.2.4.2.2. Forward Contracts
1.2.4.2.3. Margin Requirements
1.2.4.2.4. Marking to Market
1.2.4.3.1. Interest Rate Swaps
1.2.4.3.3. Credit Default Swaps
1.2.5.
Alternative Investments
1.2.5.1.1. Direct Ownership
1.2.5.1.2. Real Estate Investment Trusts
1.2.5.1.3. Real Estate Limited Partnerships
1.2.5.2.1. Physical Commodities
1.2.5.2.2. Commodity Futures
1.2.5.2.3. Commodity Indices
1.2.5.3.1. Venture Capital
1.2.5.3.3. Mezzanine Financing
1.2.5.4.1. Long-Short Equity
1.2.5.6. Natural Resources
1.3.
The Concept of Risk and Return
1.3.1.
Defining Risk and Return
1.3.2.
Measuring Historical Returns
1.3.2.1. Holding Period Return
1.3.2.2. Arithmetic Mean Return
1.3.2.3. Geometric Mean Return
1.3.2.4. Annualized Return
1.3.2.5. Continuously Compounded Returns
1.3.3.
Measuring Risk
1.3.3.1. Standard Deviation
1.3.3.3. Coefficient of Variation
1.3.3.4. Downside Risk Measures
1.3.3.4.1. Downside Deviation
1.3.3.4.3. Conditional Value at Risk
1.3.4.
The Risk-Return Trade-off
1.3.4.4.1. Expected Utility
1.3.4.4.2. Utility Functions
1.3.5.
Types of Risk
1.3.5.1.2. Interest Rate Risk
1.3.5.2. Unsystematic Risk
1.3.5.3. Diversification and Risk Reduction
1.3.5.3.1. Benefits of Diversification
1.3.5.3.2. Limits of Diversification
1.3.5.3.3. International Diversification