Become familiar with the key concepts of fundamental analysis and learn how to put them into action in the real world

Fundamental Analysis For Dummies is a valuable guide for investors who want to know the future. Okay, its not a crystal ball, but fundamental analysis will help you gain insight into a companys staying power, as you evaluate revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, competitors, management, interest rates, and other key business details. This Dummies resource makes it easy to get a handle on the underlying forces that affect the well-being of the economy, industry groups, and companies. Youll explore the tools and strategies of fundamental analysis, and youll get easy-to-follow examples of how theyre used in relation to stock and commodity investing. This latest edition is fully updated with coverage of todays investment landscape.Apply fundamental analysis techniques to your investments and increase your profitsLearn strategies for making smart investments in stocks, currency, bonds, and commoditiesHarness the same tools used by Warren Buffett and other successful investorsProtect your investments during an economic downturn

Investors looking to become proficient in using fundamental analysis will love this plain-English breakdown of all the must-know information.

Matt Krantz is a nationally recognized financial journalist who specializes in investment topics and personal finance. Hes the management editor forInvestors Business Daily,and his work has appeared inUSA TodayandMoneymagazine.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Fundamental Analysis 5

Chapter 1: Understanding Fundamental Analysis 7

Chapter 2: Getting Up to Speed with Fundamental Analysis 19

Chapter 3: Gaining an Upper Hand on Wall Street: Why Fundamental Analysis Gives Investors an Edge 37

Chapter 4: Getting Your Hands on Fundamental Data 55

Part 2: Performing Fundamental Analysis Yourself 75

Chapter 5: Analyzing a Companys Profitability Using the Income Statement 77

Chapter 6: Measuring a Companys Staying Power with the Balance Sheet 97

Chapter 7: Tracking Cash with the Statement of Cash Flow 115

Chapter 8: Using Financial Ratios to Pinpoint Investments 133

Chapter 9: Mining the Proxy Statement for Investment Clues 155

Part 3: Making Money with Fundamental Analysis 173

Chapter 10: Looking for Fundamental Reasons to Buy or Sell 175

Chapter 11: Finding a Right Price for a Stock Using Discounted Cash Flow 197

Chapter 12: Using the Annual Report (10-K) to See What a Company Is Worth 215

Chapter 13: Analyzing a Companys Public Comments and Statements 237

Chapter 14: Gleaning from the Fundamental Analysis Done by Others 249

Chapter 15: Performing Top-Down Fundamental Analysis 267

Part 4: Getting Advanced with Fundamental Analysis 279

Chapter 16: Digging into an Industrys Fundamentals 281

Chapter 17: Pinpointing Trends Using Fundamental Analysis 297

Chapter 18: Avoiding Investment Blowups with Fundamental Analysis 313

Chapter 19: Marrying Fundamental Analysis with Technical Analysis 329

Part 5: The Part of Tens 349

Chapter 20: Ten Things to Look at When Analyzing a Company 351

Chapter 21: Ten Things Fundamental Analysis Cannot Do 359

Index 369