2008/05/19

Investment strategies (4)

We are saying that for "ordinary" people it's better to invest in stocks that , even if dropping 2/3 , do not crete too much panic. 
Stocks with high ( and possibly growing) dividend yield are very reassuring for an anxious investor : at least he could get the dividend ( but remember that the European Nordic Countries , Switzerland and France  have a tax rate considerably higher than others). 
On the other side the "big payer" can have some weakness to take care of : could be that they don't have better way to invest the money they make , or that they  keep the yield high to  "artificially" sustain the stock price , etc.
Another important element is the profitability . Haugen and Grenblatt insist on this factor which can be measured in many ways : profit margin , ROE , ROA , ..... Keep in mind that the choice to use one instead of another index , drives the choice of the industry where you are going to buy : i.e. if you use ROA you're excluding financial services and most of utilities.
Which data you should use to make your choice ? I mean : let' s suppose that you use P/E and ROE , but they are based on the results of the previous year . If this could be "suitable" if you buy in the second or third quarter , is it the same when you are in the fourth quarter ? Would it be better if you look at the forecast P/E  and/or the ROE TTM ?

No comments: