"The investing business is not the same as investing in a business"Forces that are not related to day-to-day business that can affect the price of stock:<ul><li>Buying fervor and bull markets</li><li>Sell-offs, even marginal ones (~10%)</li><li>Speculation about future profits</li><li>Changes in dividend payouts</li><li>Performance of indirectly related stocks</li></ul>

Wall Street is NOT Main Street

<ol><li>High-dividend US stocks, funds, and ETFs</li><li>High-yielding foreign stocks and funds</li><li>Rising dividend stocks and funds</li><li>High-yielding Dow stocks</li><li>Business Development Companies (BDCs)</li><li>Real-estate investment trusts (REITs)</li><li>Energy and commodity stocks</li></ol>

Skousen's Golden 7 Investments

<ul><li>To make significant gains, you have to identify undervalued assets</li><li>Once the majority of investors can identify an asset is valuable, it's not undervalued</li><li>Thus the highest profit investments are always contrary to the general trend</li></ul>

Contrarianism

<ul><li>Dividends are an under-appreciated indicator of stock growth</li><li>Companies that can pay good dividends tend to be more stable and less likely to decline in value</li><li>Re-invested dividends provide flexibility</li><li>There are strategies and funds that seek to maximize dividend returns</li></ul>

Dividends

Why are the smartest, most successful professionals so often failures when it comes to investing? Can stock prices really be so illogical that even doctors and lawyers can't figure them out? Ultimately, is it possible for anyone to decipher the financial markets? Fortunately, the answer is yes. In Investing In One Lesson, investment guru Mark Skousen clearly and convincingly reveals the reasons for the seemingly perverse, unpredictable nature of the stock market. Drawing upon his decades of experience as an investment advisor, writer, and professor, Dr. Skousen explains in one spirited, easy-to-follow lesson why stock prices fluctuate with such apparent irrationality. Lifting back the veil of perplexity and confusion that surrounds the workings of the stock market, Dr. Skousen explains: *Why good news for the economy is often bad news for the stock market *Why stocks of old, established companies in shrinking industries tend to be a better investment than shares in rapidly growing firms in cutting-edge fields *Why stock prices can suddenly skyrocket or collapse--regardless of market fundamentals *Why initial public offerings often enrich insiders at the expense of the majority of investors *How Wall Street is like a giant casino--and how it isn't The perfect investment primer, Investing In One Lesson provides an introduction to everything from day trading to contrary investing to chart-based techniques. Dr. Skousen's book concludes with a comprehensive but simple investment strategy to maximize your returns without having to dedicate countless hours to researching the market. Dr. Skousen packs his book with entertaining personal and professional anecdotes illustrating his central point--that the business of investing is not the same as investing in a business. He offers investors a wide-ranging but accessible course on investing history, psychology, and strategy--all in one lesson.

Why are the smartest, most successful professionals so often failures when it comes to investing? Can stock prices really be so illogical that even doctors and lawyers can't figure them out? Ultimately, is it possible for anyone to decipher the financial markets? Fortunately, the answer is yes. In Investing In One Lesson, investment guru Mark Skousen clearly and convincingly reveals the reasons for the seemingly perverse, unpredictable nature of the stock market. Drawing upon his decades of experience as an investment advisor, writer, and professor, Dr. Skousen explains in one spirited, easy-to-follow lesson why stock prices fluctuate with such apparent irrationality. Lifting back the veil of perplexity and confusion that surrounds the workings of the stock market, Dr. Skousen explains: *Why good news for the economy is often bad news for the stock market *Why stocks of old, established companies in shrinking industries tend to be a better investment than shares in rapidly growing firms in cutting-edge fields *Why stock prices can suddenly skyrocket or collapse--regardless of market fundamentals *Why initial public offerings often enrich insiders at the expense of the majority of investors *How Wall Street is like a giant casino--and how it isn't The perfect investment primer, Investing In One Lesson provides an introduction to everything from day trading to contrary investing to chart-based techniques. Dr. Skousen's book concludes with a comprehensive but simple investment strategy to maximize your returns without having to dedicate countless hours to researching the market. Dr. Skousen packs his book with entertaining personal and professional anecdotes illustrating his central point--that the business of investing is not the same as investing in a business. He offers investors a wide-ranging but accessible course on investing history, psychology, and strategy--all in one lesson.

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

books

Books

Why are the smartest, most successful professionals so often failures when it comes to investing? Can stock prices really be so illogical that even doctors and lawyers can't figure them out? Ultimately, is it possible for anyone to decipher the financial markets? Fortunately, the answer is yes. In Investing In One Lesson, investment guru Mark Skousen clearly and convincingly reveals the reasons for the seemingly perverse, unpredictable nature of the stock market. Drawing upon his decades of experience as an investment advisor, writer, and professor, Dr. Skousen explains in one spirited, easy-to-follow lesson why stock prices fluctuate with such apparent irrationality.

Mark Skousen