Although it is impossible to determine the exact returns or profits to expect from an individual investment given the inherent unpredictability surrounding the financial markets, a stock prospectus could help you establish some expectations. For instance, these legal documents filed with a regulatory agency in a particular region can help you recognize the goals and financial resources of a corporation that will have a direct impact on its financial performance. Although a stock prospectus can be a highly detailed document that is great in length, there are some categories that warrant more of your attention than others when dissecting this document. Among the things to examine are the company's amount of debt, the biographies of key executives and the amount of money they're paid and any pending litigation against the company.
In a stock prospectus, you can learn the financial history of a corporation by viewing extensive balance sheets. This is important because it can play into a company's growth plans. If there is substantial debt on a balance sheet, it could influence that company's ability to expand, either through organic growth or via acquisition. Profitability or earnings coupled with debts or liabilities are the categories to examine.
There is also detailed information about key executives. You can access the biographies of these professionals and learn the depth of experience they might have in a given industry. Also, the compensation of key executives is also often spelled out in a stock prospectus, which can give you a sense of the areas to which some profits are directed.
If a company is facing any litigation, this should be outlined in a stock prospectus. Any substantial litigation could impact a company's cash reserves, which again could deter growth plans. In some industries, however, litigation is more prevalent than others, so take a look at the stock prospectus of other companies in the same industry for comparisons.
Before a company lists its shares publicly in the financial markets for investors to purchase, it must file a prospectus with the regulatory agency in the region. These documents are broken down into sections. In a stock prospectus, you should focus on certain sections more than others, such as the "company" and "business" categories, in addition to a section called "certain considerations," where risks might be outlined.
In addition to individual stocks, a mutual fund company is required to file a prospectus. A mutual fund is an investment portfolio managed by an investment professional that can have exposure to many stocks at once. In a prospectus, you can learn of the fee structure that a mutual fund firm uses and about the investment strategy and risk tolerance as well as expected and historical returns.