Investing Terms Explained

In our glossary we provide brief explanations on many financial terms. However, when it comes to investing, it often helps to go into a little more depth on certain topics. Below we've collected together various articles on topics such as understanding accounts, how the stock market works and great investors.

Understanding Accounts

Overview
How To Read An Annual Report
What To Spot In An Annual Report
Valuing Shares (P/E ratio, dividend yield etc)

Profit & Loss Account
Turnover
Profit Margins
Corporation Tax
Exceptional Items
Minorities and Provisions
Goodwill
Earnings Per Share
Dividends | Dividend reinvesment (DRiPs)

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
Balance Sheet Basics - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Working Capital - Part 1 | Part 2
Debt
Gearing
Pension Deficits
Free Cash Flow

How The Stock Market Works
Alternative Investment Market (AIM)
Broker Forecasts
Directors' Dealings
Indices
Market Makers
Penny Shares
Regulatory News Service (RNS)
Rights Issues
Share Buybacks
Shareholding Notification Requirements
Share Splits
Spin Offs & Demergers
Takeovers & Mergers
Trade Data
Volatility of the Market

Investment Vehicles
Bonds and Gilts
Commodities
Covered Warrants
Guaranteed Equity Bonds
Fund of Funds / Multi-manager Funds
Hedge Funds
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)

Portfolio Management
Behavioural Finance
Calculating Your Returns (simple | detailed)
Ethical Investing
Index Plus A Few
Loser's Game
Momentum Investing
Rebalancing
Scuttlebutt
Skill vs Luck
Stop Losses
When To Sell
Where Trouble Lies In Your Portfolio
100 Secret Investment Strategies

Investing Greats
John Bogle
Anthony Bolton
Warren Buffett
Ken Fisher
Philip Fisher
Ben Graham
Peter Lynch
Bill Miller
John Neff
Ian Rushbrook
Jim Slater
Sir John Templeton

Overseas Invesments
China
India
Japan
Russia

Alternative Asset Classes
Antiques
Art
Books
Cars
Coins
Gold
Records
Toys
Stamps
Wine

Miscellanous
Boiler Rooms
Companies Act and Investors
Insider Trading
Black Monday 1987
Porter's Five Forces
Twenty Years of the FTSE 100
Wall St Crash of 1929
Windfall Shares