Outperforming the Market (A Case Study Approach to Selecting Investments)

The stock of a steel company rises 700% in just over a year. The currency of an emerging country plunges 50% in a week and wipes out billions of dollars from the accounts of North American investors. The margin deposit on a futures contract increases ten-fold in less than three months. These are just a few examples of some opportunities for gains and losses that financial markets can generate. Some investors have turned the gyrations of financial markets into fortunes — a couple of high-profile names being Warren Buffett and John Maynard Keynes. Many other investors, unfortunately, end up like Isaac Newton, who after losing a bundle on the stock of the South Sea Company, exclaimed: “I can calculate the motions of the heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.” Outperform the Market presents a series of case studies that describe situations in financial markets where the opportunity for significant gains or losses has been present. The insights that emerge will help every investor — whether beginner or experienced pro — to better assess future financial possibilities. Using U.S., U.K., and Canadian financial markets, Larry MacDonald illustrates various investment approaches. Chapters include: Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis, Cyclical Stocks, Growth-by-Acquisition Stocks, Growth-by-Geography Stocks, Growth-by-Product Stocks, Turnaround Situations, Niche Companies, Short Selling, Market Cor- rections, Profitting from Economic Crises, and Opportunites in the Next Decade.