Investment Chalennge SIMULATION GAME Investopedia http://simulator.investopedia.com/join.aspx?ad=IG_SIGNIN_1 Sign in Join the competition (private competition Yalamova; password MGT3412) Report team name and start trading no later than Sept 14, 2006) http://www.finpipe.com http://www.investorguide.com http://www.aaii.com http://www.economist.com http://www.online.wsj.com http://www.forbes.com http://www.barrons.com http://fisher.osu.edu/fin/journal/jofsites.htm http://www.ft.com http://www.fortune.com http://www.smartmoney.com http://www.worth.com http://www.money.cnn.com Why Do Individuals Invest ? By saving money (instead of spending it), individuals forego consumption today in return for a larger consumption tomorrow. How Do We Measure The Rate Of Return On An Investment ? real rate of interest inflation premium risk premium Defining an Investment Any investment involves a current commitment of funds for some period of time in order to derive future payments that will compensate for: the time the funds are committed (the real rate of return) the expected rate of inflation (inflation premium) uncertainty of future flow of funds (risk premium) The Investment Decision Process Two-step process: Security analysis Necessary to understand security characteristics and applied to these securities to estimate their price or value Portfolio management Selected securities viewed as a single unit How and when should it be revised? How should portfolio performance be measured? Factors Affecting the Process Uncertainty in ex post returns in decision process Future unknown and must be estimated Foreign financial assets – opportunity to enhance return and/or reduce risk Investors must now cope with a changed investing environment Internet changes investments environment Institutional investors are important How efficient are financial markets in processing new information? Corporate Governance Main issues: The accountability of the Board of Directors and Management A re-examination of accounting and auditing practices Management compensation arrangements such as executive stock option plans Disclosure requirements The effectiveness of existing regulatory bodies Appendix 1-A: The Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Program Individuals who are interested in the investment area should consider seeking a CFA designation Level I emphasizes tools and inputs Level II emphasizes asset valuation Level III emphasizes portfolio management For more information: www.cfainstitute.org Appendix 1-B: Professional Educational Alternatives Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) The CSI offers the Canadian Securities Course (CSC), which is a mandatory requirement for individuals who wish to become licensed to sell financial securities in Canada and to register to sell mutual funds CFA Institute (formerly Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR)) The CFA institute administers the Chartered Financial Analyst ® curriculum and examination program Appendix 1-B: Professional Educational Alternatives Financial planners The Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) developed a set of minimum standards regarding education, experience, and ethical and moral conduct for financial planners