Monday quiz

Kickstart the week with a quick and easy investment quiz--this week's focus is on picking your investments

Holly Cook | 20-07-09 | E-mail Article

1. When deciding whether to buy into a company’s stock, you should focus your research on:
a) The company’s balance sheet, income statement, cash flow and any other information you can get your hands on

b) The company’s balance sheet is enough to base a decision on

c) The company’s dividend payment history

2. Which of these investment types do you think offers least protection against the effects of inflation on your money?
a) Shares

b) Property

c) Gilts (British Government stocks)

d) High interest Cash ISA

3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a common stock?
a) Ownership

b) Dividends

c) Capital gains

d) Guaranteed returns

Answers
1. a) Knowledge is, after all, power and the more information you have the better the decision you are likely to make. A company’s balance sheet tells investors how much money the company has, how much it owes, and what is left for the shareholders; the income statement is a record of the company's profitability; and the cash flow statement essentially shows where the company’s money is spent. In addition to these three records of accounts, investors should look at a stock’s past performance – remembering that this is no guarantee of future performance, the company’s strategy and outlook, the outlook for its sector and the economy as a whole, and the company’s management record – just as investors in funds would research the track record of any given fund manager.

2. d) As an investment, cash offers the lowest risk of losing money but also the lowest long-term growth potential. This is because, in essence, cash is not a “real” investment; it has value only as a means of exchange for goods and services whereas “real” investments such as company shares and property have an intrinsic value and in theory will grow in value over time as they benefit from economic growth. Of course, in times of economc recession, such as now, the opposite may be true.

3. d) guaranteed returns. Returns are never guaranteed and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. In order to spread your risk it is highly recommended you diversify your portfolio, dividing your investments between different asset classes including equities, funds, bonds, and cash.

Check our Morningstar Glosarry for further definitions and explanations of investment terminology.

Holly Cook is Site Editor of Morningstar.co.uk and Hemscott.com. She would like to hear from you but cannot give financial advice. You can contact the author via this feedback form.
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