Customer Reviews

Getting Started in Security Analysis

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book was pretty basic, and it made me curious to learn more. With the new background, I checked out a few more advanced books, and settled on "Security Analysis on Wall Street," by Jeff Hooke. I trade a fair amount andf I'm starting to do more analysis before buying stocks.

I found the book to be of little value to the hardcore investor. The subject matter itself could have been handled in a more easily understandable fashion. There seemed to be an aire of condesention throughout the entire work.

I read an advanced copy of the book. I could not put it down. The author takes complex subjects and puts them in language that even an amature like me can understand. A must read for any investor, professional or amature!

Received preview copy and went through it in two evenings. Happy to see author kept language easy to understand and outline free of side comments, making it easy for the layman to use as a guide. Author is well focused on a subject which can become too complicated in the details. Highly recommend it. HGdeN

``Getting Started in Security Analysis'' is definitely worth reading, especially if you are generally new to economics and finance. He covers a broad range of issues: reading a balance sheet; interpreting economic indicators; evaluating debt. All worth knowing, and his mathematics is decent (as long as you stay alert--there are some minor errors).

At the same time, I found the book giving me an off taste. I'm interested in value investing, which looks at stock as a piece of a business, and doesn't care about fluctuating stock prices or predictions of the future. Klein certainly discusses the value of businesses, but he gets into those other things as well. For example, he suggests that predicted future earnings are ``even better'' than past earnings for evaluating a company. Sure, if the prophet Isaiah is making the prediction! Klein seems a little too market focused for me, and it keeps me from enjoying his book as much as I should.

Excellent introductry book. However, there are too many errors in this book -- all formulas need to be checked and corrected.

I wish I'd had this book when I started in investment banking 10 years ago! It is the perfect primer for new professionals who may not have studied finance in school and for all professionals looking to brush up on their skills. I am not a professor, but I can image this being an excellent book to use in an introductory business school course as well.

Getting Started in Security Analysis covers all the fundamentals. It clearly lays out the principles you must understand and enforces those learnings with real world examples. I was not expecting the quizzes to be helpful but I found them to be an excellent tool. The segment on equity valuation was particularly strong. I find valuation to be tricky and sometimes confusing, especially for people new to the industry. This book did an excellent job of breaking down the ins and outs.

And finally, this book did not bore me to death! As any reader of finance and business books knows, these books can be dry and dreary. The authors did a great job of keeping the reader engaged and their clear writing made it easy for me to digest the information.

Highly recommended!

This second edition of Getting Started in Security Analysis far exceeds the content of the first edition in every way. In particular, the discussion around management and culture adds enormous value to understanding the complexity of organizations, and the capstone case study on Hamilton Enterprises enables the reader to solidify his or her learning from the entire book. It is a must read for both someone new to finance as well as more seasoned professionals who want to brush up on the basics.