Investing Books - Page 12

Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation

Edward Chancellor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"The longest bull market in history" is a term that gets used a lot these days. Since 1990, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen some 8,000 points, from around 2,700 in January 1990 to nearly 11,000 today--a boom by anyone's standards, including Edward Chancellor's. In Devil Take the Hindmost, Chancellor takes an entertaining, albeit sobering, look at the history of speculative manias and the mass delusion that surrounds them.

Beginning with the "tulipomania" that gripped Holland in the 1630s, Chancellor chronicles the formations and irrational euphoria that can inflate markets, from shares of South Sea stock in England in the 1720s to real estate in Japan in the late 1980s. He characterizes the speculative spirit as one that

loves freedom, detests cant, and abhors restrictions. From the tulip Colleges of the seventeenth century to the Internet investment clubs of the late twentieth century, speculation has established itself as the most demotic of economic activities. Although profoundly secular, speculation is not simply about greed. The essence of speculation remains a Utopian yearning for freedom and equality which counterbalances the drab rationalistic materialism of the modern economic system with its inevitable inequalities of wealth.

But it's precisely such inevitability that always seems to win out, when "sharply rising prices followed by sudden panic without cause" bring speculative excess to an abrupt end.

Chancellor makes Devil Take the Hindmost especially relevant to today's U.S. investors by using his analysis of past speculative manias as a lens through which to view the current bull-market binge. No matter what his or her current investment outlook is--bull or bear--anyone with capital to invest would do well to spend a thoughtful weekend with this book. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

Investments

Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane, Alan J. Marcus

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Difference with the U.S. edition 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Beware when buying that book (International 7th Edition of Investments), it is true that the content is exactly the same as for the U.S. edition, except for the end of chapter exercises which are completely different!

Inside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in the Global Markets

Steven Drobny

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Inside the House of Money lifts the veil on the typically opaque world of hedge funds, offering a rare glimpse at how today's highest paid money managers approach their craft. Author Steven Drobny demystifies how these star traders make billions for well-heeled investors, revealing their theories, strategies and approaches to markets. Drobny, cofounder of Drobny Global Advisors, an international macroeconomic research and advisory firm, has tapped into his network and beyond in order assemble this collection of thirteen interviews with the industry's best minds. Along the way, you'll get an inside look at firsthand trading experiences through some of the major world financial crises of the last few decades. Whether Russian bonds, Pakistani stocks, Southeast Asian currencies or stakes in African brewing companies, no market or instrument is out of bounds for these elite global macro hedge fund managers. Highly accessible and filled with in-depth expert opinion, Inside the House of Money is a must-read for financial professionals and anyone else interested in understanding the complexities at stake in world financial markets.

"The ruminations of supposedly hush-hush hedge fund operators are richly illuminating." --New York Times

The Little Book That Builds Wealth: The Knockout Formula for Finding Great Investments (Little Books. Big Profits)

Pat Dorsey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"A little learning is a dangerous thing." 4 out of 5 stars.
32 of 33 people found this review helpful.

Becoming an investor who can quite regularly beat a broad based index (e.g. S&P 500) is near impossible. Just ask two of the most famous investors ever: John Bogle of Vanguard (who wrote his own "Little Book" warning investors to stay away from anything but low cost index funds) and Warren Buffett (of Berkshire Hathaway who also recommends index funds for the average investor). They point out that numerous studies show professional money managers (mutual funds) fail to beat the index funds they set out to beat time and time again--and trying to find the few mutual funds that will beat the index is close to a fool's errand. And when regular folks try to pick individual stocks, the results are even worse. Unfortunately, there is one problem with index fund investing: it's boring. Very boring. Moreover, we, for better or worse (worse in the case of investing in capital markets), don't like to be "average" and index fund investing by definition will only yield "average" results.

So investors try very hard to be more than average. And they start by buying books like this one.

This is where Dorsey comes in. He borrows Warren Buffett's now famous concept of 'moats', which is just another term for a structural competitive advantage of a business, and shows his readers how to find them, evaluate them, and then use them to make a profit by investing in individual stocks. Dorsey's game plan is straightforward: find a great business with a moat and buy it only you can get it for less than it's intrinsically worth. The book is well-organized, uses plain-written language and is easily understandable; Dorsey's categories of different moats are well thought out and he provides multiple examples in each moat category.

Here's my problem with this book: Dorsey has you believe that if you can master the concept of moats then you, little you, should spend some time trying to "beat the market." To do this right, however, requires more time than almost any investor (even those who are retired or fanatical) has. First, you have to find a great business with a moat (not as easy as it sounds and it entails both qualitative and quantitative analysis). Then you have to value it (also not easy). Then you have to figure out how much of your portfolio to invest in that company (this step Dorsey conspicuously leaves out which is critical and often overlooked - I would recommend the Kelly Formula outlined in the book "Fortune's Formula"). Then you have to stay up-to-date with the corporation (and its competitors) by reading news stories, press releases, and quarterly reports. Finally you have to watch the stock price: if the stock goes down a lot but the moat and intrinsic value hasn't shrunk, you should buy more of the stock (this is hard for most investors to do) and if the price goes up and the moat or intrinsic value hasn't grown as fast as the stock price, you should sell some of the stock. Get any of these steps wrong along the way and you are sunk. Oh, and you will likely be following multiple companies in your portfolio. Are we still having fun?

As you can now start to tell, applying this "little book" will take a lot of your time. Of course, you could beat the market, but chances are you will make a few mistakes that could cost you a lot of money. My recommendation is to use the book instead in two counterintuitive ways. First, use it to understand what make a great business "great" and if you are thinking about opening your own business, figure out how you can create a moat for it, no matter how small. Second, if you are working in corporate America use the concept of moats to make your company better.

But if you use the book for what and who it is intended for, be forewarned.

Editorial Review:

In The Little Book That Builds Wealth, author Pat Dorsey—the Director of Equity Research for leading independent investment research provider Morningstar, Inc.—reveals why competitive advantages, or economic moats, are such strong indicators of great long-term investments and examines four of their most common sources: intangible assets, cost advantages, customer-switching costs, and network economics. Along the way, he skillfully outlines this proven approach and reveals how you can effectively apply it to your own investment endeavors.

The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

Bethany McLean, Peter Elkind

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Total reviews: 127 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Like its subject, The Smartest Guys in the Room is ambitious, grand in scope, and ruthless in its dealings. Unlike Enron, the Texas-based energy giant that has come to represent the post-millennium collapse of 1990s go-go corporate culture, it's also ultimately successful. Penned by Fortune scribes Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, the 400-page-plus chronicle of the scandal digs deep inside the numbers while, wisely, maintaining focus on the "smart guys" deep-frying the books. The likes of paternal but disengaged CEO Ken Lay (dubbed "Kenny Boy" by George W. Bush, one of many prominent public figures with whom he rubbed shoulders), cutthroat man-behind-the-curtain Jeff Skilling, and ethically blind numbers whiz Andy Fastow vividly come to life as they make a mockery of conventional accounting practices and grow increasingly arrogant and bind to their collective hubris. They're not a likable lot, and the writers find it difficult to suppress their astonishment and revulsion with the crew who rapidly went from golden boys and girls of the financial world to pariahs when the bill finally came due. The authors' unrepressed sarcasms are more than often unnecessarily given the scope of the outrage. Enron's leading lights were or a time celebrated for their ability to concoct nearly unfathomable business schemes to hide mounting shortfalls and keeping track on their machinations can be a chore, but, by sticking hard to the story behind the fall, McLean and Elkind have reported and written the definitive account of the Enron debacle. --Steven Stolder

The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar's Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market

Pat Dorsey

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Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing

"By resisting both the popular tendency to use gimmicks that oversimplify securities analysis and the academic tendency to use jargon that obfuscates common sense, Pat Dorsey has written a substantial and useful book. His methodology is sound, his examples clear, and his approach timeless."
--Christopher C. Davis Portfolio Manager and Chairman, Davis Advisors

Over the years, people from around the world have turned to Morningstar for strong, independent, and reliable advice. The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing provides the kind of savvy financial guidance only a company like Morningstar could offer. Based on the philosophy that "investing should be fun, but not a game," this comprehensive guide will put even the most cautious investors back on the right track by helping them pick the right stocks, find great companies, and understand the driving forces behind different industries--without paying too much for their investments.

Written by Morningstar's Director of Stock Analysis, Pat Dorsey, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing includes unparalleled stock research and investment strategies covering a wide range of stock-related topics. Investors will profit from such tips as:
* How to dig into a financial statement and find hidden gold . . . and deception
* How to find great companies that will create shareholder wealth
* How to analyze every corner of the market, from banks to health care


Informative and highly accessible, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing should be required reading for anyone looking for the right investment opportunities in today's ever-changing market.

Investment Valuation: Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset, Second Edition

Aswath Damodaran

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Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Investment Valuation
Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset
Valuation is at the heart of every investment decision, whether that decision is to buy, sell, or hold. But the pricing of any financial asset has become a more complex task in modern financial markets. Now completely revised and fully updated to reflect changing market conditions, Investment Valuation, Second Edition, provides expert instruction on how to value virtually any type of asset-stocks, bonds, options, futures, real assets, and much more.
Noted valuation authority and acclaimed NYU finance professor Aswath Damodaran uses real-world examples and the most current valuation tools, as he guides you through the theory and application of valuation models and highlights their strengths and weaknesses.
Expanded coverage addresses:
* Valuation of unconventional assets, financial service firms, start-ups, private companies, dot-coms, and many other traditionally valued assets
* Risk in foreign countries and how best to deal with it
* Using real option theory and option pricing models in valuing business and equity
* The models used to value different types of assets and the elements of these models
* How to choose the right model for any given asset valuation scenario
* Online real-time valuations that are continually updated at www.damodaran.com
A perfect guide for those who need to know more about the tricky business of valuation, Investment Valuation, Second Edition, will be a valuable asset for anyone learning about this critical part of the investment process.

Understanding Options

Michael Sincere

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Highly Recommended !! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Reading a book on Options Trading is usually a daunting task. While it is true that statistical probabilities, The Greeks and mathematically determining an overpriced or underpriced option all play a part in option trading, in the beginning, this often confuses and intimidates a novice.

Michael Sinceres' book is different. He leaves the mathematics alone. In very simple language, Sincere walks you through the four basic option trades:

1. The Covered Call.
2. Buying a Call.
3. Buying a Put.
4. Selling a Put.

What you may not know is that most brokerages will limit a beginning option traders to these 4 trades anyway.

As if he were sitting at your kitchen table, Sincere actually takes you step- by-step, through each trade. No, this is not a complete treatise on option trading but it is a very good start.

It is true that the key to option success is choosing the right underlying stock. If you have never bought a stock, his book on stock trading would be a better choice. It is also true that options are a form of gambling and anyone who says their "system" guarantees success is probably selling something very expensive.

If you have experienced trading stocks and are looking for your first option book, this would be the one I'd recommend.

Editorial Review:

This straightforward, accessible guide clearly explains what options are and how they work, their pros and cons, their relationship with stocks, and how to use them to gain leverage, generate extra income, and protect against adverse price movements.

Stocks for the Long Run, 4th Edition

Jeremy J. Siegel

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Stocks for the Long Run set a precedent as the most complete and irrefutable case for stock market investment ever written. Now, this bible for long-term investing continues its tradition with a fourth edition featuring updated, revised, and new material that will keep you competitive in the global market and up-to-date on the latest index instruments.

Wharton School professor Jeremy Siegel provides a potent mix of new evidence, research, and analysis supporting his key strategies for amassing a solid portfolio with enhanced returns and reduced risk. In a seamless narrative that incorporates the historical record of the markets with the realities of today's investing environment, the fourth edition features:

• A new chapter on globalization that documents how the emerging world will soon overtake the developed world and how it impacts the global economy
• An extended chapter on indexing that includes fundamentally weighted indexes, which have historically offered better returns and lower volatility than their capitalization-weighted counterparts
• Insightful analysis on what moves the market and how little we know about the sources of big market changes
• A sobering look at behavioral finance and the psychological factors that can lead investors to make irrational investment decisions

A major highlight of this new edition of Stocks for the Long Run is the chapter on global investing. With the U.S. stock market currently holding less than half of the world's equity capitalization, it's important for investors to diversify abroad. This updated edition shows you how to create an “efficient portfolio” that best balances asset allocation in domestic and foreign markets and provides thorough coverage on sector allocation across the globe.

Stocks for the Long Run is essential reading for every investor and advisor who wants to fully understand the market-including its behavior, past trends, and future influences-in order to develop a prosperous long-term portfolio that is both safe and secure.

The Ultimate Dividend Playbook: Income, Insight and Independence for Today's Investor

Morningstar Inc., Josh Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Best book on Dividend Investing 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Sometime ago I bought and read following books on dividend investing:
1. Beating the S&P with Dividends, How to Build a Superior Portfolio of Dividend Yielding Stocks by Peter O'Shea and Jonathan Worrall
2. The Standard & Poor's Guide to Building Wealth with Dividend Stocks by Joseph R. Tigue
3. Dividend Growth Investment Strategy, How to keep your Retirement Income Doubling Every Five Years by RoxAnn Klugman, J.D.

The above books are rather shallow in their treatment.

Recently, I bought "The Ultimate Dividend Playbook" by Josh Peters. I have read a few chapters already and find it excellent: It deals with the why, how and what of dividend investing. It gives you the knowledge to be confident in dividend investing. I have already read the book "The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar's Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market" by Pat Dorsey, which is an excellent book on fundamentals of stock investing, and I recommend reading it first before reading the Dividend Playbook.

Editorial Review:

Many people believe that the key to success in the stock market is buying low and selling high. But how many investors have the time, talent, and luck to earn consistent returns this way? In The Ultimate Dividend Playbook: Income, Insight, and Independence for Today’s Investor, Josh Peters, editor of the monthly Morningstar DividendInvestor newsletter, shows you why you don’t have to try to beat the market and how you can use dividends to capture the income and growth you seek.