Written by highly respected financial journalist Rodney Hobson, it takes you step by step through the most basic concepts of stock market investing, carefully explaining issues such as: - what shares are and how they are bought and sold - why share prices go up and down - why some companies' shares look cheap while others appear to be expensive - the hidden traps for the unwary. This fully revised and updated third edition of this bestselling book sets out to create a level playing field between the stock market professionals and the small investor. No one needs to suffer pitiful bank interest rates when there is real money to be made in sharing the nation's wealth. Tens of thousands of investors have already benefited from Rodney's clear explanation of the stock market - now you can too.

Rodney Hobson, author of bestseller "Shares Made Simple", is back with a brand new book designed to help you build a balanced share portfolio that provides dividend income, whether you're just starting out or ready to retire. Dividends - the distribution of part of a company's earnings to shareholders, usually twice a year - can be a valuable income stream for anyone. Designed for longevity but particularly pertinent in times of low interest rates, "The Dividend Investor" is packed with real-life examples and analysis of how to gain such added income through reliable shares with healthy dividends. Topics made simple with Hobson's classic style include: ratios, yield, dividend cover, the dividend payout ratio, total return, cash flow, burn rate, gearing or leverage, interest cover, earnings per share and the price/earnings ratio. Plus the advantages and disadvantages of shareholder perks. If you're looking to make the most from your investments, then this book is for you.

Modern communications have enabled fraudsters to operate on a massive scale that was previously unimaginable. Thousands of people, mainly the old and vulnerable but also those who are highly intelligent and successful, are relieved of billions of pounds each year. It is estimated that one in 20 UK bank customers were the victims of scams in 2014 alone. No-one knows the full scale of fraud because embarrassed victims often fail to report it. Despite all the publicity surrounding scams in the press, people keep falling for old tricks that often re-emerge in new guises. Scammers are ingenious, utterly ruthless and without conscience. Rodney Hobson, author of the best-selling beginners guide to stock market investing Shares Made Simple, has produced the first definitive guide to scams, categorising the different types, listing tell-tale signs and advising how to spot a fraudster and avoid becoming the next victim. This makes the basic principles behind each type of scam more recognisable and it shows how scams have evolved and re-emerged through time.Danger lurks for those unwary souls who part only too readily with their hard-earned cash and this book will help readers be alert to the risks. It is also meant to entertain, as we learn to grudgingly admire as well as despise the ingenious crooks who lurk in the shadows.

Effective share portfolios for the private investor Running an efficient portfolio of shares means buying and selling the shares that make the most sense for you, and at the right time and price. Rodney Hobson, author of the bestselling Shares Made Simple, sets out how to do this without having to be a financial expert or full-time trader. Using plain language, he takes the reader simply and logically through the process, giving helpful examples and real-life case studies at every turn. In How to Build a Share Portfolio you can: - find out how to determine the right objectives for your portfolio - learn how to pick shares that fulfill your investment ambitions, and when to drop those that no longer do so - understand how best to set your portfolio's size and ensure it is diversified against risk - discover the best ways of monitoring your portfolio, and of reducing losses and rebalancing it when necessary. Anyone who is thinking of investing, however much or however little, will benefit from the information, advice and guidance contained in this book.Similarly, those who already have a portfolio will find it helps them to stand back and reassess whether they are making the most of their money and whether their portfolio is meeting their needs.

This book looks at company announcements, focussing on those issued through the London Stock Exchange by listed companies. Almost all these announcements - such as annual results, share buying by directors, profit warnings and updates on current trading - are required under stock exchange rules or European Union directives. This book explains these rules and shows how to make sense of the announcements; enabling investors and others to take informed decisions. The book is divided into three sections: Section A looks at what the rules are, why they have been imposed and how they have evolved to give private investors a much fairer opportunity of competing with professional investors. Section B lists and explains the routine statements that all companies issue on a regular basis: trading statements and profit figures. It tells readers what to look for, explains company jargon and shows how to read between the lines when all is not as well as it seems. Section C considers important announcements, such as profit warnings and directors' share dealings, that are issued on an irregular basis as they arise. It explains which announcements are likely to affect the share price and why. "Understanding Company News" is for all those baffled shareholders who throw communications from their companies straight into the bin and any investors who read company pronouncements but perhaps naively take everything they see at face value. And anyone working in related industries looking to untangle these company announcements will also find this book extremely valuable.

Small is beautiful - if you have an eye for an opportunity. While most big fund managers and private investors seek the apparent safety of the largest stocks, the best investment ideas can be found among nearly 2,000 smaller companies whose shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange. This guide opens up a whole new world to investors, a world of solid companies that have found a profitable niche, ambitious start-ups with enormous growth potential and attractive takeover targets.However, the risks match the rewards and the unwary investors need to learn how to spot the pitfalls and which companies are small because they do not deserve to grow. The book is packed full of case studies demonstrating the successes, failures and potential of small companies. Each succinctly presents the lessons to be learnt from their experience. All investors looking to widen their portfolios will welcome this highly informative book covering an area of the stock market that is too often neglected by pundits, investors and the press.