The world around us is full of companies and, where there are companies, there are investment opportunities. Look closely at how your own individual life is supported
by the products around you. Looking for companies to invest in is primarily about
keeping your eyes open and thinking about the world around you.
But always be wary of personal experience. The investment world is littered with companies that may be great to work for, that give excellent customer service and have great products. But if they don’t make a prot or have too much debt, then they might not be the best investment.
Essentially, the art of investment is to narrow your search down to a few companies that you can then study and follow, and based on the information you discover about them, produce better and more informed investment decisions.
These days, most quoted companies will have a website. As a rule, the larger the company, the more investor-specic information will be contained on the site. Without doubt, the most useful piece of information a company can supply to prospective investors is its annual report. Published once a year by every listed company, this report contains details of the company’s latest operational and nancial performance. Examining the annual report is an essential part of assessing the fundamentals of any company.
Perhaps the best website around for a one-stop-shop overview of every listed company is moneycontrol.com. The site presents very informative corporate summaries, covering nancial records and consensus prot forecasts of every listed company. But of course, if you’re looking for opinion, then look no further than
Stockmasterdesk.com. Numerous well-informed investors post their thoughts and other interesting links to help others evaluate the company’s investment merits.
