Chapter 2 Securities Markets and Transactions 17
Key Concepts
1. The meaning of the term investment and the implications it has for individual investors
2. Review the factors used to differentiate between different types of investments
3. The importance of and basic steps involved in the investment process
4. Popular types of investments including short-term investments, common stock, mutual funds and
exchange-traded funds, fixed-income securities such as bonds, preferred stock, and convertibles
5. Derivative securities such as options and futures
6. Other popular investments such as real estate, tangibles, and tax-advantaged investments
7. Writing an investment plan
8. Building a diversified portfolio consistent with investment goals
9. Sources of taxation, types of taxable income, and the effect of taxes on the investor
10. Developing an investment program that considers differing economic environments
and the life cycle
11. The use of short-term securities in meeting liquidity needs
12. The merits and suitability of various popular short-term investments, including deposit accounts and
money market securities
Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the scope and content of the text.
1. The term investment is defined, and the alternative investment opportunities available to investors
are classified by types.
2. The structure of the investment process is examined. This section explains how the marketplace
brings together suppliers and demanders of investment funds.
3. The key participants in the investment process—government, business, and individuals—are
described, as are institutional and individual investors.
4. Returns are defined as rewards for investing. Returns to an investor take two forms—current
income and increased value of the investment over time. In this section, the instructor need only
define return, since there will be another opportunity to develop the concept of return in Chapter 4;
also, providing information about recent investment returns always engages students’ attention.
5. Next, the following investments available to individual investors are discussed: short-term
investments common stock, fixed-income securities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, hedge
funds, real estate, tangibles, tax-advantaged investments, and options and futures. The text describes
their risk-return characteristics in a general way. The instructor may want to expand on the
advantages and disadvantages of investing in each, although they will be treated in greater detail in
subsequent chapters. It is vital for any investor to establish investment goals that are consistent with
his or her overall financial objectives.
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