Common Shares
Represent ownership in the issuing corporation. Entitled to whatever is left over after preferred
Restricted voting common shares
subject to some restriction on the number or percentage of shares that may be voted
Subordinated voting common shares
fewer voting rights per share than the higher class of common shares
Regular dividends
can expect on an ongoing basis unless significant reduction in earnings or large loss
Stock dividends
paid in the form of common shares instead of cash and allow the company to preserve its cash for internal use
Four market imperfections to consider when looking at company’s dividend payout policy:
Preferred Shares
Represent ownership interest in the issuing company and are characterized by their par value and dividend rate. Have a claim on the company’s assets equal to the share’s par value
Cumulative Preferred Shares
dividends not paid out accrue and must be paid ahead of common shares
Why are preferred shares considered more like a debt security?
Their value tends to fall when interest rates go up and rise when interest rates go down
Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs)
off-exchange, private, electronic network that discreetly and directly matches buyers and sellers, requiring no intermediaries and avoiding market impact
Industry Analysis
involves researching, analyzing, and forecasting the factors that contribute to or detract from the success of all companies within the industry
Company Analysis
involves understanding a company’s business, analyzing its financial statements, and forecasting its future financial performance
Equity Valuation
use models and certain valuation processes to estimate value of a company’s stock
Quantitative Analysis
Combining historical and fundamental data with statistical analyses
Technical Analysts
Follow a process of analyzing historical market action to determine probable future price trends
What is the broadest level of research performed by equity analysts?
Industry/Sector analysis
What are the three types of analysis that equity analysts perform?
Sector Rotation
Involves adjusting the portfolio weights of different economic sectors or industry categories in anticipation of stock market trends
Management’s Discussion and Analysis
MD&A should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes because it may contain clues to the company’s health that do not appear in those documents
Notes to financial statements
The notes explain the company’s accounting policies and provide more detailed information about individual items in the company’s financial statement
Liquidity Ratios
Measure a company’s ability to meet its short-term obligations
Risk Analysis Ratios
Used to determine how well the company deals with its debt obligations, measure the company’s ability to service required debt payments (i.e., debt coverage) and to assume more debt (i.e., capacity)
Operating Performance Ratios
Help determine a company’s long-term growth and survival prospects
Value Ratios
gauge the market’s perception of the value of a company’s shares relative to its dividends, earnings, or other measures, such as the equity value (or book value) per common share