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How to Tell If You’ve Made the Right Choice of Investment 

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Investment

How to Tell If You’ve Made the Right Choice of Investment  So you have already played your hand on the stocks front, but are having second-thoughts about whether you’ve made the right decision. If that is the case, you have stumbled upon an article that should open your eyes to some extent, if not to a large degree. It will outline certain important factors to come to a fair understanding of your investment choices, and we at Dailytopstocks certainly hope you do with the aid of our investment advice.  One of the main things to consider in this regard is the percentage gain on an investment. In order to find out the percentage gain, we must know how much the investment originally cost when it was bought. This purchase price is then subtracted from the price at which the investment was sold, which provides us with the value of the percentage gain.  What is a Percentage Gain?  A percentage gain is the increase in value of an investment, expressed as a percentage of the original investment. The concept of percentage gain is important to understand when comparing different investments. For example, if one investment has a higher percentage gain than another, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a better investment – you also need to take into account the size of the gains.  To calculate your percentage gain, simply divide the amount of your gain by the original investment and multiply by 100.   Percentage gain = [(selling price – purchase price)/purchase price] * 100  Example of Calculating Percentage Gain or Loss  Let us now take a simple example of how percentage gains are calculated, which should demonstrate to you how they must be calculated for a variety of stocks and commodities. Let us imagine a situation where an investor purchased 20 shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) at $120 per share. This brings the value of our imaginary investor’s initial input up to $2,400. This is the original purchase price for this investment.  Now, let us suppose that the price of each of Apple’s shares rises to $135 over a period of time after which our happy-go-lucky investor decides to sell all of his 20 shares of Apple. In this case, the selling price of his investment would come up to $2,700.  Therefore, the numerator value of the formula can be calculated as follows:  Selling price – purchase price = $2700 – $2400 = $300  As we have discussed before, the denominator value in the fraction is the purchase price, i.e. $2400. So, in order to finally bring up the percentage gain of the investment into Apple stocks of our fictitious investor, we will have to multiply the fraction by 100, that is,  Percentage gain = ($300/$2400)*100 = 12.5%  Other Factors to be Considered  Investing does not come without costs, and this should be reflected in the calculation of percentage gain or loss. The examples above did not consider broker fees and commissions or taxes.  To incorporate transaction costs, reduce the gain (selling price – purchase price) by the costs of investing.  Fees  Any fee that an investor pays out to potential stock brokers, or any other third parties, must be taken into account when calculating the percentage gain (or loss) of an investment as well.  This can be factored into the formula by subtracting any additional broker fees from the numerator value of the fraction of our formula (before multiplying by 100).  For instance, considering our Apple investor’s example, supposing he paid $2 per share as fee to the stock broker, he must then have paid $40 to the broker, which means the amount of $40 has to be reduced from the original $300 he made as profit.  So, the new percentage gain, factoring in the broker fee paid by our imaginary investor would be as follows:  Percentage gain = {[(Selling price – purchase price) – broker fee]/purchase price} * 100  = {[($2700 – $2400) – $40]/$2400} * 100 = 10.83%  Here, you can see the slight effect that additional fees such as those charged by brokers can have on your overall investments and in this case, a percentage change of 1.67% was seen in our investor’s case.  Dividends  In a similar way that fees such as those charged by brokers can negatively affect the percentage gain of an investment, other factors such as dividends can positively bring about a change in the percentage gain.  Dividends are payments that are paid out to shareholders for being party to the company’s profits. When calculating the percentage gain of investments into stocks where dividends were received by the shareholder, just like broker fee, the dividend must be added to the numerator value of the formula. But as it is an additional return in the investor’s favour, it is added instead of subtracted.  Incorporating such transaction costs, broker fees, and, dividend income can help investors get a clearer picture about the percentage gain or loss for an investment. Of course, not all investments are as straightforward as stocks. If you’re investing in something like real estate or a business venture, determining your percentage gain can be a bit more complicated. In these cases, you’ll need to factor in things like depreciation and amortization to get an accurate picture of your investment’s performance.  Ultimately, though, calculating your percentage gain is a helpful way to track your progress and make sure you’re on track to reach your financial goals.  Different Types of Investment  When it comes to investing, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different types of investments can offer different benefits, so it’s important to choose an investment that matches your goals and risk tolerance.  Here are some of the most common types of investments:  Tips for Calculating the Percentage Gain  If you’re thinking about investing in a new venture, one of the first things you’ll need to do is calculate the percentage gain. But how do you know if you’ve made the right choice?  Here are some tips to help you make the decision:  Final … Read more

How Understanding of Financial Statements is Important While Investing in Stocks 

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Investing

How Understanding of Financial Statements is Important While Investing in Stocks  Investing in stocks is a great way to make your money grow, but doing it without first understanding the basics of financial statements can sometimes mean investing in companies that were not the best choice in the first place. In this post, we at DailyTopStocks will explore how understanding financial statements can provide you with insight into a company’s performance and help you make better decisions when purchasing stocks.  Introduction to Financial Statements  When we talk about stocks, the first thing that comes to mind is money. Stocks are like a piece of cake, and everyone wants a slice of it. There are two types of people in the stock market – those who understand financial statements and those who don’t.  The former know how to read between the lines and understand what a company’s true worth is. They know how to value a company and its stock. The latter just look at the stock price and think “this looks like a good buy”.  How do you become one of the former? It’s not as difficult as it sounds. All you need is some guidance and understanding of financial statements.  A financial statement is a record of a company’s financial position, performance, and cash flows over a period of time. It comprises three main statements – balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.  Each one tells you different things about the company. The balance sheet shows you what the company owns (assets) and owes (liabilities), while the income statement shows you how much revenue the company generated and what costs it incurred (expenses). The cash flow statement tells you where the money came from (inflow) and where it went (outflow).   What Does a Financial Statement Tell You?  A financial statement is one of the best tools you can use to gain insights about a company. It tells you how the company has been performing financially, what its major revenue and expense drivers are, and where its money is being spent.  Financial statements can be complicated, but they don’t have to be. In this article, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about financial statements and how they can impact your stock investing strategy.  Important Indicators from Financial Statements to Consider While Investing in Stocks  When it comes to investing in stocks, there are a few key indicators that you should always keep an eye on. These indicators can be found in a company’s financial statements, and they can give you a good idea of how well the company is doing overall.  The first indicator to look at is revenue. This is the total amount of money that a company brings in from sales and other sources. If a company’s revenue is increasing, that means it is selling more products or services and bringing in more money. This is generally a good sign for investors, as it means the company is growing and doing well.  Another important indicator to consider is profit margin. This is the percentage of revenue that a company keeps as profit after all expenses are paid. A higher profit margin means the company is keeping more of its revenue as profit, which is good for investors.  Finally, you should also look at cash flow. This is the amount of cash that a company has available to pay its bills and make investments. If a company has positive cash flow, it means it has more money coming in than going out, which is good for its operation and ultimately yields more for its investors.  Keep these three key indicators in mind when you are looking at financial statements while investing in stocks. They will give you a good idea of how well a company is doing overall and whether or not it is a wise investment.  What Do Investors Look for in Financial Statements?  Investors typically look for evidence of strong and consistent revenue growth. This can be an indication that a company is successfully executing its business strategy and attracting new customers.  They will also want to see healthy profit margins. Profit margins can vary depending on the industry, but generally speaking, companies with strong profit margins are more attractive to investors. They must compare companies operating in a similar domain.  Cash flow is important in that this metric measures how much cash a company is bringing in (and spending) over a period of time. Companies with positive cash flow are generally considered to be in good financial health, as they have enough cash on hand to cover their expenses and debts.  Next, we will look at how to make sense of each of these statements.  How to Analyse Profit and Loss Statements  There are a few key things to look for when analysing a profit and loss statement. First, pay attention to the top line, or net income (do be on the lookout for any alterations in formats). This is the total amount of money the company made or lost during the period in question. If net income is positive, that means the company made money; if it’s negative, the company lost money.  Next, take a look at the revenue and expense items listed below the net income line. These give more detail on where the company’s money came from (revenue) and where it went (expenses). Pay particular attention to items that make up a large percentage of either revenue or expenses; these may be areas where the company has more room for improvement.  Finally, don’t forget to compare the current profit and loss statement with previous ones. This will give you a sense of whether the company is improving or worsening its financial situation over time. The same should ideally be done with that of companies in the same sector.  How to Analyse Balance Sheet Statements  In order to analyse a balance sheet statement, one must first understand what each line item on the balance sheet represents. The following … Read more