investment
An investment is an asset or property acquired to generate income or gain appreciation. Appreciation is the increase in the value of an asset over time. It requires the outlay of a resource today, like time, effort, and money, for a greater payoff in the future or for generating a profit.
An investment involves using capital in the present to increase an asset’s value over time.
Investments may include bonds, stocks, real estate, or alternative investments.
Investments can be diversified to reduce risk, though this may reduce the amount of earning potential.
In business contexts, investments are financial; however, consider how some people spend time to make higher incomes in the future (i.e. invest in a college education).
Read More
Close
Top stock brokers and portfolio managers provide you with ethical and conflict-free advice—and here are three things they won’t do.
ISHARES MSCI CHILE INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND $31.91 (New York symbol ECH; buy or sell through brokers) is an ETF that aims to track the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index, which consists of stocks that mainly trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange.
The fund’s largest holdings are Enersis SA (electricity), 10.1%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.1%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 8.1%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 6.1%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 5.9%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 5.4%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 5.3%; Colbun SA (utility), 4.4%; and Banco de Chile, 4.2%.
The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Utilities, 31.2%; Financials, 19.7%; Materials, 13.7%; Consumer Staples, 9.6%; Energy, 8.4%; Consumer Discretionary, 7.4%; Industrials, 5.3%; Telecommunications, 2.5%; and Information Technology, 1.7%.
...
The fund’s largest holdings are Enersis SA (electricity), 10.1%; Empresas Copec SA (conglomerate), 8.1%; Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (electricity), 8.1%; S.A.C.I. Falabella (retail), 6.1%; Banco Santander Chile (banking), 5.9%; Empresas CMPC (pulp and paper), 5.4%; Cencosud SA (retailer), 5.3%; Colbun SA (utility), 4.4%; and Banco de Chile, 4.2%.
The ETF’s industry breakdown consists of Utilities, 31.2%; Financials, 19.7%; Materials, 13.7%; Consumer Staples, 9.6%; Energy, 8.4%; Consumer Discretionary, 7.4%; Industrials, 5.3%; Telecommunications, 2.5%; and Information Technology, 1.7%.
...
ISHARES MSCI GERMANY FUND $26.83 (New York symbol EWG; buy or sell through brokers) tracks the stocks in the MSCI Germany Index. This index aims to replicate 85% of the market capitalization of the German stock market. The remaining 15% is unavailable for investment, partly due to limitations on foreign ownership. The ETF’s top holdings are Bayer (diversified chemicals), 9.6%; Daimler (automobiles), 7.3%; Siemens (engineering conglomerate), 7.1%; Allianz (insurance), 7.1%; SAP (software), 6.8%; BASF (chemicals), 6.6%; Deutsche Telekom, 5.1%; BMW AG, 3.1%; Deutsche Bank AG, 3.1%; Munich Reinsurance, 2.9%; Linde AG (industrial gases), 2.9%; Deutsche Post, 2.5%; and Fresenius (health care), 2.4%.
...
RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $24.99 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Units outstanding: 319.9 million; Market cap: $8.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.5%; www.riocan.com) has settled its dispute with U.S.-based department store chain Target (New York symbol TGT).
In April 2015, Target closed all 133 of its Canadian stores, including 26 in RioCan’s malls. So far, the trust has found new tenants for seven of these stores. It will have to remodel the other 19, but it expects to have them rented by the end of 2017.
Target has now paid $132 million in compensation. Of that total, $92 million went to RioCan and $40 million went to its partners in some of these malls.
...
In April 2015, Target closed all 133 of its Canadian stores, including 26 in RioCan’s malls. So far, the trust has found new tenants for seven of these stores. It will have to remodel the other 19, but it expects to have them rented by the end of 2017.
Target has now paid $132 million in compensation. Of that total, $92 million went to RioCan and $40 million went to its partners in some of these malls.
...
H&R REIT $21.11 (Toronto symbol HR.UN; Units outstanding: 278.3 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 6.4%; www.hr-reit.com) owns or has stakes in 506 office buildings, industrial properties and shopping malls in Canada and the U.S. In all, these holdings include 46.6 million square feet of leasable space.
In December 2014, the REIT sold part ownership in 101 industrial properties, or a total of 19.5 million square feet, in Canada and the U.S. for $731 million. The buyers included the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board.
H&R kept a 50% interest in the Canadian properties and a 49.5% stake in the U.S. portfolio. It continues to manage these assets and receives fees for doing so. H&R also held on to full ownership of 14 other industrial properties.
...
In December 2014, the REIT sold part ownership in 101 industrial properties, or a total of 19.5 million square feet, in Canada and the U.S. for $731 million. The buyers included the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board.
H&R kept a 50% interest in the Canadian properties and a 49.5% stake in the U.S. portfolio. It continues to manage these assets and receives fees for doing so. H&R also held on to full ownership of 14 other industrial properties.
...
The best income stocks have consistently paid dividends for many years
This will be our last Inner Circle Q&A for 2015. Our next issue will go out on Tuesday, January 5, 2016.
Now is a good time for me to say “Thanks!” to all our Inner Circle members. It’s a pleasure to read and answer your questions. I take great pleasure and pride from the many compliments and expressions of gratitude you send every week.
That’s especially true when I hear from a member who I recognize from decades ago—from the early days after the 1994 launch of The Successful Investor, or from the two prior decades that I spent at The Investment Reporter and MPL Communications.
It’s also great to see that our Successful Investor philosophy and practice have begun attracting more and more younger investors.
I wish you all a great year-end holiday and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
...
Now is a good time for me to say “Thanks!” to all our Inner Circle members. It’s a pleasure to read and answer your questions. I take great pleasure and pride from the many compliments and expressions of gratitude you send every week.
That’s especially true when I hear from a member who I recognize from decades ago—from the early days after the 1994 launch of The Successful Investor, or from the two prior decades that I spent at The Investment Reporter and MPL Communications.
It’s also great to see that our Successful Investor philosophy and practice have begun attracting more and more younger investors.
I wish you all a great year-end holiday and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
...
We see these two international ETFs from South Korea and Germany as sound choices for a diversified portfolio.
Strong consumer products companies share a number of characteristics. These include geographic diversity, a record of rising cash flow and strong balance sheets.
FAIR ISAAC CORP. $92.85 (New York symbol FICO; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (415-472-2211; www.fairisaac.com; Shares outstanding: 31.1 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.1%) makes FICO Scores, the program that dominates the market for software that businesses use to evaluate customer creditworthiness. Fair Isaac also profits by selling programs that help credit card issuers control fraud and analyze cardholders’ spending patterns. In its fiscal 2015 third quarter, which ended September 30, 2015, Fair Isaac’s revenue rose 5.0%, to $232.8 million from $221.6 million a year earlier. Sales at the company’s applications division (64% of the total) fell 1.6% on weaker demand for marketing and fraud-detection software. However, sales of creditscoring programs (25%) jumped 24.5%, while sales of analytics software (11%) gained 8.7%....