The world is full of
investment stories: "Buy companies trading below book value, and you can't
lose." "Buy stocks that are already going up." "Buy stocks with low
P/Es." "Stick with quality companies and you'll do fine." "Buy after
bad news." "Buy after good news." "Follow the insiders." "Do
whatever Warren Buffett's doing."
Investors have heard them
all--but which ones hold up to critical examination? Do any of them? In this book, one of
the world's leading investment researchers identifies 14 widely touted "investment
stories," and the psychological reasons that make each story so compelling. Then he
runs the numbers-objectively. Has it worked over the long-term? Over the short-term? If
it made sense once, does it still make sense? Are the promised benefits a statistical
mirage? Can it contribute to any individual's investment strategy?
For anyone who wants to make
investment decisions more rationally, Aswath Damodaran's Investment Fables is utterly
indispensable.
Features
- For every investor and
investment consultant who wants to make investment decisions more rationally.
- Examines 14 common
investment strategies and presents exactly what works - and what doesn't.
- Beyond anecdotes: investment
stories tried and tested by one of the world's leading investment researchers and
top-ranked business school professors.
- Provides guidance on
understanding the real opportunities and the not-so-obvious risks associated with each
strategy - and instruction on how to mitigate the risks.
Table of Contents
Investment Fables: Tall Tales about Stocks.
1. Introduction.
The Power of the Story.
Categorizing Investment Stories. Stories for the Risk Averse. Stories for the Risk Seeker.
Stories for the Greedy. Stories for the Hopeful. Deconstructing an Investment Story. I.
Theoretical Roots: Isolating the Kernel of Truth. II. Looking at the Evidence: Getting the
Full Picture. III. Crunching the Numbers: Developing a Frame of Reference. IV. More to the
Story: Probing for Weaknesses. V. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion.
2. High Dividend Stocks: Bonds with Price Appreciation?
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: Dividends and Value. Dividends Do Not Matter: The Miller-Modigliani
Theorem. Dividends Are Bad: The Tax Argument. Dividends Are Good: The Clientele and
Signaling Stories. Looking at the Evidence. Do Higher Yield Stocks Earn Higher Returns?
The Dividend Dogs. Dividend Increases. Crunching the Numbers. Dividend Yields: Across
Companies and Over Time. Sector Differences in Dividend Policy. A Portfolio of High
Dividend Stocks. The Rest of the Story. Unsustainable Dividends. Low Growth. Taxes.
Lessons for Investors. Conclusion.
3. This Stock Is So Cheap! The Low Price Earnings Story.
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: Determinants of PE Ratio. What Is the PE Ratio? A Primer on Accounting
Earnings. Determinants of PE Ratios. Looking at the Evidence. Ben Graham and Value
Screening. Low PE Stocks versus the Rest of the Market. Crunching the Numbers. PE Ratios
Across the Market. PE Ratios Across Sectors. PE Ratio Across Time. A Low PE Portfolio.
More to the Story. Risk and PE Ratios. Low Growth and PE Ratios. Earnings Quality and PE
Ratios. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion. Endnotes.
4. Less than Book Value: What a Bargain?
The Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots Theory: Price to Book Ratios and Fundamentals. Defining the
Price-to-Book Ratio. How Accountants Measure Book Value. Determinants of PBV Ratios.
Looking at the Evidence. Evidence from the United States. Evidence from Outside the United
States. Crunching the Numbers. Distribution of Price-to-Book Ratios Across the Market.
Price-to-Book Ratios by Sector. A Low Price-to-Book Portfolio. More to the Story.
High-Risk Stocks. Low-Priced Stocks. Poor Projects: Low Return on Equity. Lessons for
Investors. Conclusion.
5. Stable Earnings, Better Investment?
Core of the Story.
Measurement of Earnings Stability. Theoretical Roots: Earnings Stability and Value.
Diversification and Risk. Stable Earnings, Risk and Value. Looking at the Evidence. Stable
Businesses with No Competition. Diversified Business Mix: The Allure of Conglomerates.
Global Diversification. The Risk Hedgers. The Earnings Smoothers. Crunching the Numbers.
Earnings Volatility Across the Market. A Portfolio of Stable Earnings Companies. More to
the Story. Stable Earnings, Risky Investment? Giving Up on Growth Opportunities. Priced
Right? Earnings Quality. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion.
6. In Search of Excellence: Are Good Companies Good Investments?
Core of the Story. What Is a
Good Company? Financial Performance. Corporate Governance. Social Responsibility. The
Theory: Building Quality into Value. Inputs in a DCF Valuation. EVA and Excess Return
Models. Looking at the Evidence. Project Quality and Stock Returns. The Payoff to
Corporate Governance. The Payoff to Social Responsibility. Broader Definitions of Good
Companies. Crunching the Numbers. Across the Market. A Superior Company List. More to the
Story. Failing the Expectations Game. Revering to the "Norm". Lessons for
Investors. Conclusion. endnotes.
7. Grow, Baby, Grow!: The Growth Story.
The Core of the Story. The
Theory: Growth. Growth in a Discounted Cash Flow. The Value of Growth in a Relative.
Looking at the Evidence. High PE Strategy. Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP). Crunching
the Numbers. Across the Market. The Value of Growth. A High Growth Portfolio. More to the
Story. Identifying Growth Companies. Screening for Risk. Poor-Quality Growth. Lessons for
Investors. Conclusion.
8. The Worst Is Behind You: The Contrarian Story.
The Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: The Contrarian Story. Information and Price. The Random-Walk World. The
Basis for Contrarian Investing. Looking at the Evidence. Serial Correlation. Loser Stocks.
Crunching the Numbers. Across the Market. The Sector Effect. A Portfolio of Losers. More
to the Story. Transactions Costs. Volatility and Default Risk. Catalysts for Improvement.
Lessons for Investors. Conclusion. Endnotes.
9. The Next Big Thing: New Businesses and Young Companies.
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: Risk and Potential Growth. Additional Risk. Potential for Excess
Return. Looking at the Evidence. Small Companies. Initial Public Offerings. Private
Companies. Crunching the Numbers. Market Capitalization. Initial Public Offerings. Private
Equity Investments. A Portfolio of Small Cap, Lightly Followed Stocks. More to the Story.
Small and Lightly Followed Stocks. Initial Public Offerings. Private Companies. Lessons
for Investors. Conclusion. Endnotes. Appendix: Small-Cap Companies That Are Lightly
Followed: January 2003.
10. Mergers and Returns: The Acquisitive Company.
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: Acquisitions and Value. Acquisitions and Value Creation. Acquisitions
and Value Division. Looking at the Evidence. Acquisition Date. From Announcement to
Action. After the Acquisition. Crunching the Numbers. Acquiring and Acquired Firms.
Creating Portfolios. More to the Story. Investing in Acquiring Firms. Investing in Target
Firms. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion. Endnotes. Appendix: Potential Takeover Targets
Among US Companies-March 2003.
11. A Sure Thing: No Risk and Sure Profits.
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots of Arbitrage. Pure Arbitrage. Near Arbitrage. Pseudo or Speculative
Arbitrage. Looking at the Evidence. Pure Arbitrage. Near Arbitrage. Pseudo or Speculative
Arbitrage. Crunching the Numbers. Futures and Options Arbitrage. Depository Receipts.
Closed-End Funds. More to the Story. Pure Arbitrage. Near Arbitrage. Speculative
Arbitrage. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion. Endnotes.
12. It's All Upside: The Momentum Story.
The Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots of Momentum Investing. Measures Used by Momentum Investors. Models for
Momentum. Looking for the Evidence. Serial Correlation in Stock Price Drifts. Information
Announcements. The Confounding Effect of Trading Volume. Momentum in Mutual Funds.
Crunching the Numbers. Momentum Measures. Constructing a Momentum Portfolio. More to the
Story. Risk. Momentum Shifts (When Do You Sell?) Execution Costs. Lessons for Investors.
Conclusion. Endnotes.
13. Follow the Experts.
The Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: The Value of Expert Opinion. Looking at the Evidence. Insiders.
Analysts. Investment Advisors and Other Experts. Crunching the Numbers. Insider Trading.
Analyst Recommendations and Revisions. Portfolio of "Expert" Stocks. More to the
Story. Following Insiders: Timing Is Everything. Earnings Revisions. Analyst
Recommendations. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion.
14. In the Long Term ...Myths about Markets.
Core of the Story.
Theoretical Roots: Market Timing. Market Timing Trumps Stock Selection. Market Timing
Works. Looking at the Evidence. Do Stocks Always Win in the Long Term? Market Timing
Indicators. Market Timers. More to the Story. Stocks Are Not Riskless in the Long Term.
Market Timing Works Only Infrequently. Lessons for Investors. Conclusion.
15. Ten Lessons for Investors.
Lesson 1: The more things
change, the more they stay the same. Lesson 2: If you want guarantees, don't invest in
stocks. Lesson 3: No pain, no gain. Lesson 4: Remember the fundamentals. Lesson 5: Most
stocks that look cheap are cheap for a reason. Lesson 6: Everything has a price. Lesson 7:
Numbers can be deceptive. Lesson 8: Respect the market. Lesson 9: Know yourself. Lesson
10: Luck overwhelms skill (at least in the short term). Conclusion.
Index.
Author
Aswath Damodaran is
Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, where he
teaches corporate finance and equity valuation in the MBA program. He has published widely
in the field, and has authored several books, including The Dark Side of
Valuation (Financial Times Prentice Hall). He received the Stern School of Business
Excellence in Teaching Award in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999, and 2001. In 1994, he was profiled
in Business Week as one of the top 12 U.S. business school professors.
536 pages