Role of Analytical Investment Strategies - Research Proposal Example

As a practical application of the concepts learned, the intrinsic value of IBM Corporation’s stock is calculated using fundamental analysis, and an interpretation in the light of the efficient market hypothesis is proposed for the sudden drop of IBM’s share price after the conduct of its April 2005 stockholders meeting.The question of how investment managers select the stocks or equities they buy and sell has intrigued the researcher for some time. The term “investment”, though it can mean any of several things, involves spending money in the hope of earning an acceptable level of profit.

For this study, we use the term “investment” to refer to a financial investment that Pass define as a “purchase of financial securities such as stock and shares”.Of several potential financial investments available in the market, the Barclays (2005) Capital Equity and Gilt Study illustrate (see Figure 1) that equity investments are more profitable than gilts and cash, which explains why investing in the stock market continues to be an attractive proposition.Our literature review discusses two approaches to investment in shares listed on the London stock exchange, namely fundamental analysis, and technical analysis, both of which aim to guide an investor into making the investment decision that will generate the highest return.

Technical analysis involves “examination of price and volume movement of individual shares, sectors or the market as a whole” (Blackman, 2004). The technical approach is based on the assumption that prices move in trends.The technical analysis aims “to identify trend changes at an early stage and to maintain an investment posture until the weight of the evidence indicates that the trend is reversed” (Pring, 1991, p.425).