Cover; Contents; About the author; Acknowledgements; Publisherâ#x80;#x99;s acknowledgements; Whatâ#x80;#x99;s new in the third edition; Introduction; Part 1: Investment basics; Chapter 1: What is investment?; Partnerships; Limited liability; Ordinary shares and extraordinary returns; Shareholder rights; A money-making machine; Dividends and retained earnings; What if I want to sell?; Primary and secondary markets; Bonds; Capital structure; Stocks and shares; Rights issues; Financial institutions; Be proud to be a capitalist!; A note of warning â#x80;#x93; investment and speculation
Chapter 2: The rewards of investmentBecoming a millionaire; Simple and compound interest; How well have investors fared in the past?; The importance of income; International comparison; Equities versus gilts; What about risk?; Closing comment; Further reading; Chapter 3: Stock markets; What is a stock market?; Brokers and market makers; Pricing â#x80;#x93; good old supply and demand; A short history of the London Stock Exchange; â#x80;#x98;Big Bangâ#x80;#x99;; The international scene; Variety of securities traded; LSEâ#x80;#x99;s primary market; The secondary market; The Main Market (The Official List)
The Alternative Investment MarkettechMARK and techMARK mediscience; ICAP Securities & Derivatives Exchange (ISDX); Who owns UK shares?; The role of stock exchanges; Useful websites; Chapter 4: Buying and selling shares; Stockbroker services; Choosing a stockbroker; Finding prices and other information; Getting the most out of financial websites; What happens when I buy or sell shares?; An alternative mechanism; A third trading system â#x80;#x93; SETSqx; What happens after dealing?; Ways of paying for your shares; Internet dealing; Direct market access; Transferring shares without brokers
Useful websitesPart 2: The investment spectrum; Chapter 5: Pooled investments; Unit trusts; Open-ended investment companies (OEICs); Exchange traded funds (ETFs); Investment trusts (investment companies); Investment platforms/supermarkets; With-profits policies; Insurance company bonds; Stock-market-linked bonds; Money markets; Hedge funds; Bringing home the significance of high fees; Chapter 6: Bonds; Gilts; Corporate bonds; Credit rating; High-yield (junk) bonds; Convertible bonds; Foreign bonds; Eurobonds; Chapter 7: Unusual share investments; Business angels (informal venture capitalists)
Venture capital and other private equityPrivate equity categories; Overseas shares; Preference shares; Chapter 8: Options; What is a derivative?; What is an option?; Share options; Call option holders (call option buyers); Call option writers; An example of an option writing strategy; LIFFE share options; Put options; How to trade options; Using share options to reduce risk: hedging; Using options to reduce losses; Index options; Further reading; Websites; Chapter 9: Futures; Marking to market and margins; Settlement; Equity index futures; Buying and selling futures