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Barron's reports on what happened in the financial markets in the week just passed and also looks ahead at what's likely to happen in the weeks to come. This backward-glancing recap and forward-looking perspective on the markets is broadly embodied in the physical makeup of the publication. Barron's is published in two sections:
Market Week, a pullout section, is comprised of columns and departments. Market Week typically carries coverage and analysis of the past week's activities in the financial markets for stocks, bonds options and commodities; reviews what happened in overseas markets; includes departments covering most active stocks, research reports, 13D filings and excerpts from market newsletters; and, of course, contains the week's full statistics for stocks, bonds, short interest, mutual funds and much more, as well as Barron's famous Market Lab, it's unique compilation of key indicators and data for stocks, bonds and the economy that is one of the most widely read, intensely followed package of statistical information found in the financial world.
The Main Section contains feature stories and columns that tend to focus more on what's likely to happen in the future to specific companies, sectors or the economy. It offers analyses and thoughtful commentary on potential investments, market and demographic trends, and economic and political events affecting business and finance. The Special News Reports — Barron's robust list of recurring, annual close-up features — most often appear as cover stories and are usually found in the middle of the section, where Market Week lifts out. Leading off the Main Section is "Up and Down Wall Street," Barron's famous market-commentary column that's long been written by Alan Abelson, winner of the Loeb Lifetime Achievement Award for Financial Journalism. The column is renowned for capturing the essence of what's driving the financial markets that week and alerting readers to what could go well — or go badly — for investors as a result.
The following lists more information on specifics columns, features and departments available in each week's issue of Barron's .
Market Week contains the following material, often but not always appearing in the order shown below.
The Trader, by Michael Santoli. A regular column that focuses on the U.S. stock market — trends, events, companies of interest etc. — and explores why things happened and what the week's developments might mean for the future. An excellent source of insights and rich lode of market lore for novice and yeoman investors who want to learn how broad market trends can affect their investment decisions.
European Trader, by Vito J. Racanelli, and Asian Trader, by Leslie P. Norton. These two columns present a weekly overview, respectively, of happenings in European and Asian markets. They cover the most currently important issues — involving overseas companies, markets, central banks or governments — and how they are interpreted by important participants in these local markets. Essential reading for investors with holdings in foreign stocks or ADRs or for investors whose portfolios may be affected by foreign exchange trends.
Charting the Market, briefly explains what happened to cause the heightened activity in trading. Offers investors an excellent, at-a-glance overview of how specific events — an earnings surprise, management shift, regulatory decision etc. — can affect the fortune of companies and their share price.
Winners and Losers. A chart that lists the most actively bought or sold stocks on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ exchanges. Shows the stocks with the week's biggest percentage swings for share price, trading volume, share volume and dollar volume. For investors, volatility in a stock or sector may represent an opportunity or a pitfall to avoid. This chart allows readers quickly to zero in on pockets of intense volatility currently in the market.
Current Yield, by Randall W. Forsyth. This column covers the debt market and is written by one of America's foremost authorities on bonds — Randy Forsyth. Provides a big-picture look at the forces affecting interest rates and how this will impact economic, monetary and fiscal policy. Many market savants assert that investors cannot grasp trends in equities trading without understand the underlying trends affecting interest rates for corporates and treasurys. This column is weekly must reading for investors who really want to dig deeply into macro-market conditions and where they're likely headed.
The Striking Price, by Kopin Tan. Dealing with options trading and tracking market volatility, this is one of the most closely read, intensely followed columns in Barron's. That's because options trading is all about future expectations of market trading and how to exploit or hedge against coming events for stocks and sectors.
Commodities Corner, often written by sector reporters from Dow Jones Newswires. A column that focuses on the market for commodities — industrial raw materials (e.g., oil, gas, copper, nickel, silver, gold etc.) and agricultural raw materials (e.g., soybeans, corn, wheat, hogs and cattle etc.). By tracking commodities prices, investors can keep a finger on the pulse of inflation in the economy, as well as buy assets that trade counter to stocks and bonds, thus offering portfolio diversification.
Research Reports. An array of reports from research analysts giving their current views for the prospects of specific companies that they follow. Offers the analyst's rating on the company (e.g., buy, accumulate, outperform etc.) and delivers a brief synopsis of the analyst's reasons for arriving at this rating. For investors, reading research reports provides insights into different methods for analyzing the prospects of a company and its stock.
Insider Transactions. A table that shows the largest dollar volume buying or selling transactions made by insiders during a specified period. An "insider" is any officer or director of the company or any owner of 10% or more of a class of the company's securities. Heavy sales by insiders may indicate that these "in-the-know" people are pessimistic about the company's prospects, while heavy purchases by insiders may indicate they have an optimistic view of the firm's prospects.
Market Watch. A collection of excerpts from various investment newsletters, bulletins and research reports. Gives investors a sense of what these market gurus see as the market's direction, rather than views on individual stocks.
13D Filings. 13D are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within 10 days of a company's or an individual's acquiring 5% or more of any class of a company's securities. This information can indicate what insiders and other major shareholders are doing and often provides insights into the views of the company's prospects.
The Week's Statistics. Pages containing all the financial data showing the week's price movements for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, foreign markets etc. An extensive data mine of transactional statistics.
Market Laboratory. This is a rich array of market data that only Barron's has to offer. The Market Lab contains four sections: Stocks, Bonds, Economic Indicators and for-the-record data (i.e., new listings, corporate name changes, dividend payments etc.). Each section carries extensive, trendable data pertinent to these subjects. The Market Lab is a treasure trove of data so valuable that many Barron's readers have used its tables for years to track investing trends and build their own market models.
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The Main Section contains the following material, often but not always appearing in the order shown below.
Up and Down Wall Street, by Alan Abelson. A Wall Street legend, Alan Abelson offers his wise, witty and sometimes controversial opinions on business, financial, economic and political news, personalities and events. Plus, he usually zeroes in to analyze a specific company in each column.
Index to Companies. An alphabetical list of the companies mentioned in that week's issue.
Review & Preview, edited by Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal. A two-page spread that provides an at-a-glance look at the week that was and fills in the investing date book with the coming week's important events.
Review & Preview Follow Up. Produced by the writers who did the original feature stories, these short pieces report on what's subsequently happened to the companies that were their focus. Reviews if the original Barron's story was spot on, if circumstances changed or if the outcome was different than anticipated and explains why.
Feature Stories. Every issue of Barron's carries four or five stories that focus closely on a company, a sector, or an economic, demographic or market trend that will impact investors. These features are tightly edited, with charts, graphs and callouts to give readers quick access to the key points they are making. Cover stories in Barron's are always feature stories, and most of Barron's annual Special News Reports are cover stories.
Technology Week. A section that appears every week and focuses specifically on technology developments, trends and companies. It contains the following material in order of appearance —
Tech Trader, by Bill Alpert. A column that weekly offers a unique analysis of two or three technology companies operating in the areas of computers, telecommunications or biotechnology.
Gadget of the Week, by Jay Palmer. Each week, Barron's looks at a new high-tech doodad that's just hit the market or soon will do so. This short column not only rates the gadget but also explores the impact it will have on the company selling it.
Plugged In, by Mark Ververka. This column focuses on computer hardware and software manufacturers and often provides a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on at these firms; also reports on current issues being discussed and debated among the tech set.
The Electronic Investor, by Theresa W. Carey. This column provides an informed, objective appraisal of software-based and online brokerage and financial services offerings.
Mutual Funds. Like Technology Week, this too is a section that focuses specifically on the world of investment companies, the concerns and their financial offerings. It contains the following material in order of appearance —
Fund of Information, by Lawrence C. Strauss. A column that offers broad-ranging commentary on the mutual fund industry; a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on at fund firms and a review of current issues being discussed and debated among investment company managers.
Fund Scope. A table providing a close look at a given sector (e.g., Latin America, biotech, etc.) and funds available for investing in that sector, along with contact, load and return information.
Cashtrack. A table that shows cash flows into/out of various types of funds using three-month moving averages.
Scoreboard. A table that provides a quick take on overall performance of U.S. stock and bond funds, lists the top ten and bottom ten fund performers, and shows how the ten largest funds fared for the week.
Fund Manager Interview. A profile of a money manager that includes insights into his/her investing strategy, as well as a list of investing themes followed and specific picks and pans in stocks.
Q&A, by Sandra Ward. Every week, there is an interview with a money manager, equities strategist or research analyst who discusses particular industry sectors and passes along their investing ideas, themes and long and short picks in stocks.
Offerings in the Offing. A brief look at coming stock issues, mainly initial public offerings (IPOs). This column provides important investment data as well as "Worth Noting," which are cautious comments that balance the underwriter's enthusiastic view of the stock.
Economic Beat, by Gene Epstein. An occasional column that covers a wide range of economic issues (e.g., tracking the consumer price index, analyzing employment data, reviewing money supply figures etc.).
Speaking of Dividends, by Shirley Lazo. A column that analyzes dividend payouts — which are companies are pay them, which aren't, increases and decreases in payments and the whys and wherefores behind it all.
D.C. Current, by Jim McTague. A column that explains how legislative and regulatory decisions in Washington could affect individual investors, companies, industries, the markets, or the economy.
Editorial Commentary, by Thomas G. Donlan. This regular column focuses on political, economic or technological issues of the day and expresses opinions about their impact on the country and about the business, financial or political leaders involved.
Note: While thorough, the above is not an exhaustive listing of all elements of Barron's. Also, the descriptions of columns, features, departments and sections and their use by readers are not mean to be a final word on their richness in content, nor are they meant to provide guidance in their use by investors.
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