Essentials of Investments Fourth Edition

This text is an examination of investment analysis.

Since many courses are requiring their students to complete their homework in spreadsheet format as it is done in the professional world, the authors have integrated Excel throughout the book in two ways:

a. Most chapters include a feature at the end that shows students how to create and manipulate the spreadsheet to solve a particular problem. This feature takes an example presented earlier in the chapter, gives a brief discussion on how the using a spreadsheet will be valuable for this particular problem, shows a cropping of a spreadsheet, and then asks 3 - 5 questions that can be answered by using the spreadsheet. The student can then go to the book's web site for the actual spreadsheet. At this site, there is a more detailed discussion on how the spreadsheet is built, the spreadsheet that can be manipulated which includes a comment feature that explains where the inputs and outputs came from, and the solutions to the questions. The students can use these models to solve problems at the end of the chapter.
b. Because it makes more sense to use spreadsheets for analysis than formulas, many examples formerly in tables and solved using formulas are now set in spreadsheets.
Chapters 19 and 21 will be combined for a new chapter 19 (title to come). This reorganization streamlines the coverage of active portfolio management by reducing redundancies and allowing instructors to hopefully have more time to cover this material in the course.
More international coverage throughout the text. There is a continuing interest in the markets overseas and their affect on the U.S. economy. This text strives to incorporate international current events and issues more thoroughly in this edition.
Annotated Internet sources will be listed at the end of each chapter to give students and instructors additional references for finding data and current events related to the chapter.
Chapter 4 on Mutual Funds added in the 3rd edition is a hot area in finance, and by placing it early in the text, the students will have the opportunity to learn about some interesting, relevant topics in investments.
Wall Street Journal Edition. This edition offers a WSJ edition featuring our discounted subscription program. Many professors use the WSJ in their investments class as the WSJ Edition gives students a look at the real world.
Part Openers help demonstrate how investments concepts from the text relate to the real world. This adds to the text's 'real world' flavor, along with making the subject matter more accessible and interesting for the students. The part openers use both current and key historical events in the narrative.
International emphasis. Relevant international examples and topics are found throughout the text, where appropriate (especially in the market structure and mutual funds chapters). We have maintained a separate international chapter near the end of the text, since students need a solid background in investments before they can completely understand and apply their knowledge to international topics in finance.
Summaries of recent business press articles are included in boxes in appropriate chapters. Portions of the narrative that correspond to the boxed material are highlighted in a second color to show relevance of the box to the chapter discussion. The authors consistently tie the material in the narrative to the boxes, which is a fantastic competitive advantage you can now easily demonstrate.