502- 1 Security Markets and Economic Environment Flashcards
What security does the intermediary: Banks, Credit Unions, etc. offer, and who is the typical ultimate user of funds?
Typical investment: Savings accounts, checking accounts, CD’s.
Typical ultimate user of funds: Business borrowers, car purchasers, homeowners.
What security does the intermediary: brokers, dealers, investment bankers and mutual funds offer, and who is the typical ultimate user of funds?
Typical Investment: Bonds, stocks, commodities, and mutual funds.
Typical ultimate user of funds: Businesses, entrepreneurs, investment managers, farmers.
What security does the intermediary: insurance companies offer, and who is the typical ultimate user of funds?
Typical Investment: Bonds, stock, real estate
Typical ultimate user of funds: Businesses
In addition to being a middleman between savers, investors, and users of money, what else does an intermediary do?
They help businesses raise capital by issuing either debt or equity securities
Public offerings are made with the assistance of lawyers, accountants, appraisers, and investment bankers. What is the role of the investment banker?
Investment bankers take the lead and hire other professionals to assist with the technical details of a public offering.
What is the investment banker who agrees to lead the offering process is known as?
Originating house or lead underwriter.
What are securities firms that agree to assist with marketing the offering, but not the lead underwriter, known as?
The syndicate.
What two types of underwriting agreements are the selling syndicates generally undertaking?
Best effort agreement: No guarantees from the investment banker to the company going public - they will sell as many shares as possible.
Firm commitment: Investment bankers guarantee company that entire issue will be purchased; investment bankers absorb loss if they fail to sell entire issue to investors
Red herring
preliminary prospectus; it is called a red herring because of the statement printed in red ink on the front of the prospectus that states “A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.
Registration
the process of filing the prospectus with the SEC.
Green shoes
the right to increase the size of an offering.
Initial public offering (IPO)
a company’s first public offering of securities.
Secondary offering
a sale of securities to the public by insiders or other affiliated persons.
Dealers
Principals who buy and sell securities for their own accounts
What is a dealer called in the over the counter market, and the securities exchange market?
Over the counter- Market Maker
Securities exchange- Specialist
What is the definition of the dealer bid and ask price?
The bid price is the price at which the dealer will buy, and the ask price is the price at which the dealer will sell.
How does the dealer work with the equilibrium price.
The equilibrium price would be one that equates supply and demand. A price quoted above the equilibrium price would require the dealer to absorb the excess supply of securities offered but not purchased (the dealer would accumulate an increasing number of shares), and a price below the equilibrium price would require the dealer to sell more securities in order to meet demand (the dealer would have an increasing short position).
How does a dealer maintain an orderly market?
- The dealer does so by offering to buy and sell at the quoted bid and ask prices, while guaranteeing only one round lot transaction at these prices
- If circumstances warrant (e.g., a large quantity is demanded by investors or a large quantity is supplied by sellers), the dealer can increase or lower the bid and ask prices after the one round lot transaction.
seed capital
provided to new companies without any products for product development and market research
start-up capital
cash provided for initial marketing
first-stage financing
cash provided for manufacturing and sales
second-stage financing
cash provided for working capital
mezzanine financing
cash provided for expansion and new products
bridge financing
capital for expected initial public offering
acquisition financing
capital, including high-yield bonds, provided to acquire other companies
LBO (leveraged buyout) financing
capital to allow management to buy all or part of a company
Limit order
an order used when investors want to specify the price they will receive (minimum) or pay (maximum) for an investment; the specifying of a minimum price at which the investment may be sold or a maximum price that may be paid for it (sure of price, but not of execution)
Odd lot
a unit of trading that is smaller than the general unit of trading
Market order
an order to buy or sell immediately at the current price (sure of execution, but not of price)
Spread
The difference between the bid and ask prices
Thin issue
an issue of securities with a small volume of transactions
Short position
the sale of a borrowed security or commodity, generally with the expectation that its price will fall—at which time the investor would purchase at the lower price and make a profit
Margin
the portion of the total value of a transaction that must be paid in cash to purchase a security; for stock, the portion of the value of the stock being purchased that is not being borrowed from the broker
Round lot
the general unit of trading (for stock, generally 100 shares)
Good-til canceled order
an order placed with a broker that remains in effect until it is executed by the broker or canceled by the investor
Long position
ownership of a security or commodity, generally for income and price appreciation potential (if the security’s price increases, the investor profits)
Margin requirement
the minimum percentage of the total price that an investor must pay in cash (set by the Federal Reserve, although brokerage firms can require a higher percentage)
Stop order
a buy or sell order that carries a specific price and becomes a market order when the market touches that price (i.e., when one trade has occurred at the specified price); generally used to limit loss if a security drops in price
Day order
an order to buy or sell securities that is good only for that day
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
The NYSE is the largest exchange in the United States. To have their securities listed on the exchange, firms must meet specific initial (and continuing) listing requirements. The NYSE, which lists securities of companies of national interest, currently has more than 2,400 stocks listed. (Some bonds and options are traded on the NYSE.)
For a co. to be listed:
at least 400 round-lot holders and
at least 1.1 million public shares outstanding (and other financial standards for listing, such as certain earnings or valuation/revenue tests that must be met).
Regional exchanges
Regional exchanges, such as the Philadelphia, Chicago, and Pacific exchanges, list small companies of particular interest to their geographic areas. These companies frequently have dual listings (also on a national exchange) because it enhances a security’s trading activity. Listing requirements of the regional exchanges are more lenient than those of the national exchanges
primary market
The “primary market” refers to new issues, which are called IPO’s, initial public offerings
secondary market
The term “secondary market” refers to securities trading in the open market after they have been issued. These trades can be on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market.
Any proceeds from the sale of stock would go to the seller and not the company.
third market
The “third market” is a term used to describe over-the-counter transactions made in securities that are listed on an exchange. Brokers organize and exercise these trades for large institutional investors, such as pension plans, mutual funds, and insurance companies.
An example would be IBM, which is listed on the NYSE, trading in the OTC market. These are large block trades between non-exchange broker-dealers and institutional investors.
fourth market
The “fourth market” is a term referring to transactions made directly between large institutional buyers and sellers through a computerized system called Instinet. This system provides bid and ask quotations and executes orders. (The third market and the fourth market allow for lower commissions and quicker trade executions for financial institutions.)
What is a margin account?
A margin account is one in which an investor can pay for securities with a combination of cash and borrowed funds.
How is the amount of the initial margin loan determined?
The initial amount of the loan from the broker is based on the market price of the stock at the time that the loan was made. It is 100% of the market price of the stock minus the initial margin percentage (generally 50%).
What happens if the market price of a stock declines after the stock is purchased on margin?
If the market price of the stock declines, the value of the investor’s shares declines, but the amount owed to the broker remains the same. If the amount owed to the broker becomes too large a portion of the value of the shares owned by the investor, the investor will be required to deposit more margin money. If the investor fails to meet this “margin call,” the broker will sell some securities in the account to raise the money needed to protect the loan. The NYSE has set the minimum maintenance margin at 25%, although firms may use a higher level.
How are risk and return affected by a margin transaction?
Buying securities on margin increases the risk borne by the investor because the potential loss is greater than it would be if the transaction were a cash purchase. The use of margin increases the investor’s return on the invested funds if the stock price rises; however, the potential loss is greater if the stock price falls.
List two benefits for investors of the conversion from fractional to decimal- based pricing for stocks:
- Spreads are narrower, which results in reduced transaction costs for investors.
- It is easier to understand decimal pricing than fractional pricing.
List the advantages and disadvantages of leaving securities registered in “street name.”
Advantages: Convenience Ease of sale Accrual of dividends and interest Monthly statements indicating beginning and closing cash balances, dividends and interest received to date, activity during the month, and price information
Disadvantages:
Possible loss if the brokerage firm fails
Interim reports are sent to the broker rather than the investor; the investor may have to wait longer to receive his or her report
Describe how a short sale works:
The idea behind a short sale is to sell the security first (with the intention of buying it later at a lower price). The short seller borrows the security to sell to another investor. The security usually is borrowed from a broker, as the short seller deposits an amount with the broker that is equal to the margin requirement for the security. This money is the short seller’s collateral and is returned (plus any profits or minus any losses) when the short seller buys the security (covers the short position) for return to the broker.
What is a money market instrument?
A money market instrument is a short-term (one year or less) debt instrument issued by corporations, financial institutions, or governments.
negotiable CD
Negotiable CDs, also called “jumbo” CDs, are large (minimum $100,000) time deposits. The yield and term of the certificate are agreed upon (i.e., negotiated) by the investor and the institution. These jumbo CDs cannot be redeemed prior to maturity, but there is a secondary market for them.
commercial paper
Commercial paper is short-term, unsecured debt issued by firms with excellent credit ratings. Minimal default risk is associated with commercial paper, but the possibility of a loss of purchasing power exists. Typically, only large institutions, such as money market mutual funds, deal directly in commercial paper.