Description

This thorough reference guide to reading and really understanding the financial pages shows you where to look for information and how to make best use of it. Designed for a range of users, from corporate managers to individual investors, it shows you how to assess and evaluate information so as to benefit your investing and saving strategies and better understand economic indicators and financial jargon.

Financial Guide to Using the Financial Pages uses real examples from the financial newspapers, case studies of businesses, company reports and electronic information.

This new edition has been fully updated with new features, including:

- A wider range of examples of financial information.

- References at the end of each chapter, rather than at the end of the book.

- Online and ‘new media’ references incorporated throughout the book

- More discussion on financial regulation and govern­mental bodies.

- A glossary of financial terms.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

The sixth edition

Acknowledgements

Part 1: Identifying the players

1 Investors
2 Companies
3 Financial institutions
4 Governments

Part 2: Interpreting the markets

5 Stocks and shares: the UK equity markets
6 Indices and aggregates: market indicators
7 NYSE and Nasdaq: the US equity markets
8 European equities: stock markets in the eurozone and beyond
9 Other international equities: emerging stock markets and world indices
10 Trusts and funds: the managed money markets
11 Bonds and gilts: the international capital markets
12 Cash and currency: the foreign exchange and money markets
13 Futures and options: the derivatives markets
14 Primary products: the commodities markets

Part 3: Understanding the economies

15 UK economic indicators
16 The European economy: market integration and monetary union
17 The world economy: trade, growth and international institutions

Part 4: Beyond the financial pages

18 Company and investor lives: the key performance indicators (by Ken Langdon)
19 Sources of information: a brief guide

Glossary
Appendix 1: The key ratios guide
Appendix 2: The key indices guide
Index

Back Cover

‘This is an excellent book … Romesh Vaitilingam has a gift for explaining a great deal of what goes on in financial markets in terms that people can understand.’

David Miles, External Member, Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee

'An essential guide for everyone who wants to be able to interpret financial and economic information.'

Evdoxia Pliota, Group Risk, HSBC Holdings

‘The definitions and insight this book provides will remain of lasting value to readers.’

Financial Times

‘A good buy for anyone interested in the subject.’

The Independent

The Financial Times Guide to Using the Financial Pages is the definitive guide to finding, reading, understanding and acting on financial information.

Beginning with an explanation of the financial markets and key players, Romesh Vaitilingam teaches you the language of modern finance and investment. He shows you how to assess and evaluate information so as to benefit your investing and saving strategies, and to improve your general business knowledge.

The sixth edition of this bestselling guide to financial information shows you what you need to know and where to find it, and how to make the best use of financial and economic statistics. Thoroughly updated, new sections include:

• An explanation of the roots of the recent financial crisis and economic downturn, and an account of how crisis jargon has become mainstream, what it means and how it affects you

• Descriptions of the key international organisations of the world economy, including the G20, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank

• How to sift through print and online material to find out what really is valuable

• A glossary of key words, key ratios and key stock market indicators

Author

Romesh Vaitilingam is a media consultant and writer. He is the author of numerous articles and several successful titles in finance, including  The Financial Times Guide to Using Economics and Economic Indicators. As a specialist in translating economic and financial concepts into everyday language, Romesh has advised a number of top management consultancies, as well as various UK government agencies. His work also involves media consultancy for the international economic research community.