Investing 101

Lesson 2: Introduction to Technical and Fundamental Analysis

Lesson 2 Field Trip

Time Estimate: 30 to 60 minutes

Description This week you'll learn how to research stocks and companies using fundamental analytical techniques.

Instructions Research the fundamentals of the three stocks you looked at last week, Yahoo, America Online, and iVillage. Or, if you prefer, begin to research one or two stocks that you're interested in selecting for your investment portfolio. You are welcome to use Yahoo! Finance, as well as the sites listed below. Collect information about their sales and growth potential, the prospects for their industry, and how each stock fares within its industry.

Wall Street Research Net is one of the most comprehensive sites on the Internet. When you go to the link below, put in the symbol of the company you want to research (you can look up the symbol there it you don't know it) and go to the information packed page about the company. There you will find links to reports filed with the SEC, as well as news from leading financial sources, and information from analysts. For those who want charts, there are links to a large variety of charts as well. Go to: http://www.wsrn.com/companyResearch.xpl?
Morningstar is better known for its mutual fund research, but its stock research is also well done and easy to navigate. Start by entering the stock symbol in the search tool at the top left of the page. Go to: http://www.morningstar.com/
Raging Bull is one of the largest stock discussion communities online. While you have to be careful about what you read there, it never hurts to find out what folks are saying about a stock that you are considering for your portfolio. Enter a stock symbol in it's search tool at the top left of the page. You can also use the drop down menu below to select a message board to view current discussions about almost any stock. Go to: http://www.ragingbull.com/

Study Questions