Course description
This course examines different approaches for optimal investing in the stock market for professional and personal use. Students gain confidence in effective investing and develop important skills, including developing their own risk profile, learning how to value a public company, understanding key ratios, evaluating economic indicators, dealing with volatility and momentum, and analyzing factors affecting the price of shares. Students become familiar with the tools of the trade, including but not limited to inverted yield curve, dollar cost averages, short selling, options, puts and calls, preferred stock, warrants, dividend reinvestment plans (DRIP), closed-end funds, spinoffs, socially responsible investing, exchange-traded funds (ETF), hedge funds, alpha and beta stocks, various indices, ex-dividend date, moving averages, volatility index (VIX), robo-advisors, reverse split, initial public offerings (IPO), book value, margin calls, straddles, 10K and 10Q reports, and the January effect. Students learn how to design and implement a strategic, diversified portfolio. In addition, they learn to understand the tax aspects of investing and how to rebalance by harvesting gains and losses. The goal is for students to be able to properly analyze the stock market in general, and make informed decisions about choosing appropriate stocks and when to buy and/or sell them.
