Small Investor Playbook

Analyze Companies Like the Pros

This book offers the small investor unique assistance that is not found in other publications offering investment advice. The small investor is, in effect, competing with professional money managers, who are often on the opposite side of a trade. If a stock is becoming cheaper because institutions (the mutual funds, hedge funds, etc.) are net sellers, should you, the individual, buy? The professionals have access to corporate managements, employ or have access to paid staffs of analysts, are trained to read a companys financial statements, and actively participate in company conference calls. In short, this is still an uneven playing field, even though SEC Regulation FD (for fair disclosure) has mandated the dissemination of material information in a more equitable fashion. This book is comprised of three sections. Part One describes the major institutional investor groups and the deep resources at their disposal. Part Two illustrates the tools available to small investors that can create a more level playing field. Access to company-sponsored conference calls and web casts are examples that are open to individual, as well as professional investors, but many either are unaware of these tools or fail to avail themselves of these opportunities. The main section of the book is an outline of 24 key industry groups that comprise the S&P 500; the salient metrics and terms; the valuation methods that investors use; most common questions asked on conference calls; and what motivates pros to buy or sell the stocks. Why are some technology stocks often valued as a multiple of sales when most industries are measured by their price/earnings (P/E) multiple? What is the appropriate price/cash flow multiple for industries that are measured by that metric? Why do analysts scrutinize a retailers same-store sales and the semiconductor industrys book-to-bill ratio? These are among the many issues that are crucial to successfully investing in individual stocks. Understanding how pros judge companies and value their stocks will enable people to make better investment decisions and, hopefully, realize greater returns on their stock portfolios. A good introduction to stock market investing, coming at the perfect time. 2014 will be a challenging year and readers of Mark Mandels new book will be ready. John Rubino, author of Clean Money: Picking Winners in the Green Tech Boom