Printer Friendly VersionInvestment
Kathy Clarke (clarkeke@jmu.edu)
Liaison Librarian for Business
This guide covers sources of information on securities and the evaluation of different investment instruments.
Table of Contents
Dictionaries
Many students and investors just starting in the investment arena stumble across terminology they are unfamiliar with. These sources will help you locate definitions. See also the web resources (at the end of this section) that provide similar information.
International Dictionary of Banking and Finance (Ref. HG151.C54 1999)
Short (one or two sentence) definitions of terms related to finance and banking with international and slang terms included.
Dictionary of Finance (Ref. HG151.D54)
More detailed than the International Dictionary of Banking and Finance. This source is British and British market terminology is featured.
Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms (Ref. HG151.D69)
5000+ terms finance, banking, investment and taxes.
Wall Street Dictionary (Ref. HG151.S424)
Short definitions of over 5000 terms and phrases used on Wall Street. Similar to The A to Z of Wall Street (Ref. HG4513.H56 1988), Wall Street Words (Ref. HG4513.M383 1995), More Words of Wall Street (Ref. HG4513.P465 1986), or The Language of Wall Street (Ref. HG4513.W92).
Dictionary of Financial Abbreviations (Ref. HG151.3.P39 2003)
A very throughout listing of financial abbreviations that appear in US, British, and other European financial reporting.
Dictionary of Investing (Ref. HG4513.R67 1993)
Some 7500+ investment terms are here.
Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com
Look up feature, tutorials, and free articles related to investing.
Dictionary of Financial Terms http://206.114.147.62/lbp/dictionary.asp
Very simple look up and browse features, lead to easy to understand definitions.
New Palgrave Dictionary of Money and Finance (Ref. HG151.N48 1992, four volumes)
1008 signed encyclopedia entries written by experts on the narrowly defined coverage of money and finance. Bibliographies with each entry. Designed to be used in tandem with The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics (Ref. HB61.N49 4 volumes) and wider in scope.
Encyclopedia of Banking and Finance (Ref. HG151.M8 1994)
4200+ short signed entries some with bibliographies for further reading. Tables, timelines of agencies and major legislation relating to banking and finance are included.
Thorndike Encyclopedia of Banking and Financial Tables (Ref. HG1626.T49 1987)
Calculations of loan payment, interest, compound interest, savings and withdrawal, installment loans, and investment are all calculated here.
The Encyclopedia of Technical Market Indicators (Ref. HG4915.C56 2003)
Definitions of the indicators of the stock market that can help predict future trends and chart/measure past performance. Examples of how the indicators are/should be applied are provided.
The Encyclopedia of Money (Ref. HG216.A43 1999)
A general reader's source for information on money, banking systems, history of money and monetary standards.
101 Business Ratios (Ref. HF5657.4.G38 1993)
In order to understand financial reporting you need a working knowledge of financial ratios used. This explains business ratios and provides examples of how to figure and interpret them.
Business: The Ultimate Resource (Ref. HD38.15 .B878 2002 )
A general business encyclopedia covering all aspects of business including finance and investment terminology.
Handbooks are concise versions of encyclopedias and are meant to be portable for those "in the field" of a particular discipline. These are very useful for getting information very quickly on a given subject.
Techniques of Financial Analysis (Ref. HG4026.H44 1997)
Concise book on how to analyze financial information. Illustrates how financial information is used to make decisions affecting companies.
Finance and Investment Handbook (Ref. HG173 .D66 1990)
A guide to how-to invest. This source covers all types of securities from annuities to unit investment trusts. How to read company reports and financial information is also here.
Technical Analysis from A to Z (Ref. HG4529 .A294 1995)
Technical analysis is "the study of prices." This source shows how to use pricing information to make informed investment decisions. Useful examples and illustrations.
The Stock Market Handbook (Ref. HG4921 .S794)
65 chapters written by a who's who of the securities industry. Short chapters explore the history of the markets, regulation, various exchange development, types of securities and financial reporting. Useful for historical perspective or overview.
The Investor's Guide to Stock Quotations (Ref. HG4636 .W28 1990)
A useful guide on how to interpret information on prices of stocks as presented in newspapers, television and ticker displays.
The McGraw Hill Investor's Desk Reference (Ref. HG4527 .C585 2001)
An investor's guide to the whole of the US economy; this source looks at financial markets but also provides perspective on the whole health the economy. Chapters include; business cycles, economic indicators, and monetary policy. Web sites are listed to further update printed information.
Handbook of the Bond and Money Markets (Ref. HG4527 .D37)
A specialized handbook for fixed income securities.
McGraw Hill Handbook of Commodities and Futures (Ref. HG6046 .M374 1985)
A specialized guide to the world of commodities trading. Chapters address the particulars of specific commodities (metals, agricultural products).
Handbook of Financial Instruments (Ref. HG5681.F54 F33 2002)
A guide to the myriad of investment options available. Includes descriptions on how to analyze each type of instrument.
How to Read a Mutual Fund Prospectus (Ref. HG4930 .L45 1999)
How to decipher the language of mutual funds reporting.
Handbook of Financial Market Indexes, Averages and Indicators (Ref. HG4636 .B49 1990)
What's it mean if the S&P is down/up, or the DJIA? What happens when the Federal Reserve raises/lowers the prime rate? This source shows how each of these (and many, many more) are calculated and what they mean in terms of the financial health of the economy.
The Irwin Guide to Using the Wall Street Journal. 3d ed. 2000.
(Ref HB3743.L44 2000)
Covers the use and interpretation of economic statistics in the Wall Street Journal.
Investor's Guide to Stock Quotations. 3d ed. Harper and Row, 1990.
(Ref HG4636 W28)
An excellent reference guide on how to read, interpret and understand financial information on stocks, bonds, and commodities.
Fundamental Analysis
In contrast to technical analysis which uses prices, volume level and other statistical factors to chart trends, fundamental analysis is used to understand strengths and weaknesses in a company, industry, or the economy to indicate the soundness of a particular security now and (maybe) in the future. The sources listed here are particularly strong in that area. Also included are sources of price and dividend data so that market performance can be gauged.
Databases
ABI Inform, ProquestFull-text source of scholarly, trade, and industry press and the most comprehensive database of business information. Company searches will turn up the most current news.
Factiva. Dow Jones, Inc.
Wealth of current information, news, and data on national & international companies, industries, and market quotes & analyses. Includes Disclosure, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, as well as other publications, most in full text format. Financial snapshots of companies can be created in the companies/markets section of the database.
Business & Company Resource Center Gale, Inc. A full-text database with some abstracted material. Searches can be conducted by company (name or ticker), industry group (SIC or NAICs), or keyword. Company profiles include an overview, news stories, a history of the company, investment reports, industry groups, and some market share data. Financial data from reputable investment houses, Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, Thomson Financial is also included, as are reports on insider trading activity and institutional holdings.
State of the Nation (NTDB) in STAT USA Database, US Dept. of Commerce.
Most current source for government statistics on the health of the US and world economies. Includes economic indicators like, consumer price index, producer price index, gross domestic product, and other data.
Mergent Online
Financial information on US and international companies. Build lists of companies based a variety of financial indicators or performance, by industry group or class and make charts for comparisons.
The Outlook. Standard and Poor's current year.
(Ref HG4501 S7) S & P's weekly investment newsletter that analyzes and projects business and market trends. Includes the current outlook, calendar for investors, forecast, and recommendations and follow-ups.
Value Line Investment Survey. A. Bernhard & Co., current and 1985- .
(Ref HG4501 V26) Kept at the Reference Desk; 1985- in Reference on microfiche. This source continuously analyzes and reports on 1700 companies (with "high investor interest") in about 95 industries. Each industry has a one page summary including some statistics and projections. Each company also has one page of information including an 11 year statistical history with projections of 3 to 5 years into the future, sales, dividends, latest developments and future prospects. All data is revised and updated quarterly. A companion volume Value Line Methods of Evaluating Common Stocks contains a good explanation of how to use this source effectively and how to analyze a company's market performance.
The Value Line Investment Survey: Expanded Edition, consisting of 1800 smaller high growth companies is also available.
Statistics
Business Statistics of the United States. Bernan Press, 1995- .(Ref HC101 B87 - most recent shelved at reference desk)A comprehensive source of historical business statistics covering every aspect of industry, commerce, and the U.S. economy. Contains over 1900 time series (historical statistical tables).
Survey of Current Business 1958- . monthly.
(Recent issues in available electronically, Use LEO to find link to title) Current Periodicals. Earlier years on microfilm/microfiche). A critically important source of U.S. business statistics. Each issue reports a broad range of data on every sector of the economy including domestic and foreign trade, labor, commodity prices, general business indicators, manufacturing, construction, transportation, etc. An index is provided on the inside back cover. This publication updates the biennial Business Statistics.
Commodities Price Locator Oryx Press, 1989.
(Ref HF1040.7 C44 1989) Indexes the prices of various commodities in over 150 sources and gives the frequency reported for each whether daily, weekly, monthly or other.
Investment Statistics Locator Oryx Press, 1995.
(Ref HG4910 C47 1995) Indexes investment statistics located in 22 sources such as Barron's, Moody's Bond Record, Standard & Poor's Stock Reports, Value Line, etc.
Statistical Service. Standard and Poor's.
(Ref HG4921 S65) An excellent sourcebook for both current and historical business/economic statistics including economic indicators, production statistics and indexes, security and financial markets etc. Many statistical time series go back to the turn of the century although most go back to the 1950's. The tables of data are well indexed.
Industry
Mergents' Investors Facts Sheets: Industry Review. Current only.(Ref HG4907 M66) Covers 4000 companies in over 140 industries. Each industry contains a ranked list of the companies in that industry by 12 financial, operating and investment characteristics. Also includes comparative financial statistics (stock price range, earnings per share, etc.) for the industry leaders.
Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys: Monthly Investment Review. Current only.
(Ref HD2356 U5 S64) Kept at Reference Desk. A review of industry standings and outlook. This source provides a half page summary of each of 113 industries covering recent developments, outlook, and a comparison of the industry with the S&P indexes. Another section provides a statistical/investment comparison by company.
Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys. 1984- .
(Ref HC106.6 S74) Profiles and analyzes 55 basic industry groups. Trends and projections are detailed. Composite comparative data appears in each section as well as the current analysis of the industry's leading performers.
Company
EDGAR U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 1994.(Carrier Library Home Page) EDGAR is the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval system for the electronic filing of such forms as the 10K (annual) and 10Q (quarterly) reports in addition to a host of others. These are the full text of the documents.
Mergents Manuals Mergents Investors Service.
- Banking and Finance 1969- . (Ref HG4961 M65)
- Industrials. 1956- . (Ref HG4961 M67)
- International. 1981- . (Ref HG4538 M6)
- Municipals. 1969- . (Ref HG4931 M6)
- OTC Industrials. 1974- . (Ref HG4961 M7237)
- OTC Unlisted. 1986- . (Ref HG4907 M68)
- Public Utilities 1969- . (Ref HG4961 M7245)
- Transportation 1969- . (Ref HG4971 M74)
Mergents Handbook of Common Stocks. 1993- .
(Ref HG4905 M815) Gives a one page summary of 900 companies including stock price data, background, recent developments, prospects, and statistics.
SEC File Q-Data Corp., 1978- .
(Microfiche) This file contains annual reports to stockholders of over 9000 major public corporations. Since 1983 it has also included the 10-K report. The 10-K is an annual report/document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and usually providing more detail than the report to stockholders. The annual and 10-K reports are issued normally in March and April and cover the prior year. Thus a 1987 annual report covers the calendar 1986. Because Q-Data copies these, there can be a three to six month turn around time before Carrier Library receives them.
Standard and Poor's Stock Reports. 1998- .
Ref HG4905 S42
American Stock Exchange 1987-1997. ( HG4905 S44) Historical volumes.
New York Stock Exchange 1987-1997. ( HG4905 S443) Historical volumes.
Nasdaq and Regional 1987-1997. (HG4905 S444) Historical volumes.
The two page summary of each company includes current outlook, important developments, business summary, finances, per share data, income data, and balance sheet data for past 10 years. A supplement to the Over the Counter set is OTC Profiles containing very short reports (three per page) on smaller companies whose shares are actively traded.
Stock Market Encyclopedia Standard & Poor's, 1993- .
(Ref HG4921 S68). Contains the same information as Standard and Poor's Stock Reports except that it includes data on the S&P 500 exclusively. Also includes useful stock screens such as rapid growth stocks or rising dividend stocks.
Stocks
Security Owners Stock Guide Standard & Poor's, current year.(Ref HG4915 S67) Concise tabular data on each of 5100 common and preferred stocks including information on dividends, financial position, capitalization, price range, interim earnings, earnings per share, and institutional holdings. Includes a mutual fund summary.
Daily Stock Price Record Standard & Poor's, 1980- .
(On microfiche from 1980-2002, now in print, most current 6 months in reference) In three segments (NYSE, ASE, OTC), this set provides a daily and weekly record of volume, high/low, and closing prices for each stock.
Bonds
Bond Guide. Standard and Poor's, current year.(Ref HG4905 S435) For each bond covered includes data on corporate and municipal bonds and their S & P rating, redemption provisions, price range, current yield, and yield to maturity.
Mergent Bond Record. 1971- .
(Ref HG4905 M78) This monthly service gives interest dates, current price, Moody's rating, yield to maturity, and amount outstanding for over 32,000 bond issues.
Dividends
Mergent Dividend Record. 1968- .(Ref. HG4028 D5 M65) Includes interest payments on income bonds and bond funds as well as dividends declared on common and preferred stock.
Mutual Funds
Morningstar Mutual Funds. Morningstar, Inc. Current.(Ref. HG4530 M8) Each fund is analyzed in one page. Information includes a narrative analysis, total return (7 yr.), performance/risk, investment style, top portfolio holdings, sector weightings, tax analysis, and other basic data.
This page is maintained by: Kathy Clarke
Last reviewed: 07/30/2005
© James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
