How the Stock Market Works

By: Ramon P. DeGennaro, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Ramon P. DeGennaro

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

This course is an introduction to the stock market and stock investing for novices and experienced investors alike. Professor DeGennaro uses simple analogies to explain the origin of stocks and other securities, as well as their relative risks. He stresses the danger of trying to beat the market by trying to pick winners, predict price trends, or otherwise find opportunities that other investors have missed. Far better, he counsels, to own a well-diversified portfolio of individual stocks or stock funds, which tend to grow as the economy grows. He offers detailed guidance on how to pursue this course.

Among the topics covered in these 18 lectures are how to open a brokerage account and choose a financial advisor; the essentials of mutual funds, including index funds, and exchange traded funds (ETFs); how to trade individual stocks, including how to use options; the relative advantages of traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 401(k) plans; how to minimize transaction costs and use tax laws for your benefit; the dangers of frequent trading; and the basics of corporate balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.

For anyone who owns stocks or is thinking of entering the market, this course provides indispensable advice. If you entrust the management of your assets to a financial advisor, this course will give you the background you need to communicate more knowledgeably with him or her and be an informed participant in your own financial well-being.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

Great overview of the stock market!

This course is perfect for anyone that wants to learn about the stock market without any previous knowledge!

Uninformed to Informed

I have gone from knowing very little about the Stock Market to knowing a lot!!
The course was outstanding and Audible Platform is terrific. Happy Camper!

Very informative

I liked a lot the easiness of the information and the patience of the author. I highly recommend this book.

Good info for the beginner.

I didn’t know much about investing. This title helped me get the basics down. I’ll probably listen to it a few more times. Very informative.

great beginners guide

This is a great lecture for those who have little to no knowledge of investing or the stock market. It also acts as a good refresher for some of the little more advanced people who invest in stocks.

Solid Foundational Review of Stocks and Investing

This was a great book for beginners touching upon the basics of each part and section of the market. It’s not going to make you a millionaire, and I feel like it was geared towards what people should be focused on being average returns. The examples used and comparisons really help paint an accurate and relatable picture of market to everyday things we already know. I would recommend this book to anyone who knows nothing and wants to dip their toes in!

great start

A great start. The book flows well. I have already started investing. Good luck and may the force be with you.

a must for new investors!

whether you have 5 minutes or 15 years trading stocks this book offers valuable insight

One of the greatest courses I've taken

If you could sum up How the Stock Market Works in three words, what would they be?

Pluses:
• A great explanation of the investment vehicles available
• Eye-opening insights into what drives the stock market and general principles of investing and examples of its benefits

Minuses:
• While the professor was generally good at explaining investment vehicles, there were a few cases in which a simple example would’ve really helped one to understand the concept being discussed

Hardly worth my time

I had thought this might be interesting, and that I'd brush up on my Wall Street knowledge ... Not so much. Disappointed on both counts.

This course was for novices, 90% was well beneath the level of what I already know, especially after the last few economics, personal finance, and banking lecture series I've listened to in the last year or so.

There were a few useful tidbits such as investment strategy advice, but not a lot outside of common sense given a basic understanding of the given investment. I almost felt like the prof was talking down to me, being a little patronizing with his "see, isn't this easy?" way of presenting.

All in all, not bad, but not for me. So redundant of content in other classes in this course series, and definitely nothing to grab my attention.