The term investment has become a popular word in the world today. Everyone needs a means of multiplying their monies. The idea of this has brought about the concept of ‘letting your money work for you’.
With the need to invest and receive returns, most organizations have sprung up. Investment companies, also known as mutual funds, are financial bodies that carry out several activities. These activities include a collection of funds from many investors, depositing the funds into a pool, placing the pool fund under the management of professionals. They also purchase securities with the funds and provide interest for all investors after an agreed period.
There are several investment companies around the world. However, you should read reviews about a company you might be interested in before investing. If for example you hear about a company called Red Rock Secured, simply go online and search for a review of Red Rock Secured and you will get useful information that will help you make the right decision.
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Understanding What Investment Companies are
Generally, investments in funds are meant for those with large pockets alone. However, investment companies offer small cash holders the opportunity to invest as well. This is done by gathering the small funds into a pool. The pooled fund then becomes sufficient to purchase securities and diversify the asset portfolio.
The professional fund manager performs the duty of market analysis and diversification of the large portfolio. This helps to reduce the risk on the smaller unit investments. The development of investment companies has eliminated the era of individual security ownership. In the larger picture, it has eliminated the financial monopoly.
Before now, only a few wealthy individuals who had insider access to financial news and research papers could offer management services. They only choose a few large portfolios to manage, leaving out those with small funds. Investment companies have solved this issue with the concept of pool funding.
These institutions are similar to other institutions that offer investments in building, machinery, land, etc. The only difference is that they focus on investing in equity shares, bonds, and preference shares offered by other firms.
The company can purchase the shares of another company that deals in buildings, land, or machinery but does not directly buy them. They trade on the securities they own as their assets and make a profit. The profit made comes from two sources: capital gains and interest.
This has become a very competitive field as many investment companies strive to satisfy their clients. Due to the large expectations and number of persons interested in investing, a division based on class has been created. Now, there are various institutions for different categories of investors.
Investment Companies – Types
Investment companies are classified based on the category of shares they offer. We can narrow down this classification to two major classes: the close-end and open-end institutions. Although their functions are similar, the close-end has more advantages over the open-end institutions. We will briefly consider the two categories mentioned.
Open-end Companies
These institutions raise capital by issuing shares to the public. The shares offered are not listed on the exchange platform. These shares are handled by some dealers in OTC (Over-the-counter) sales.
After collecting the fund, it is used in purchasing shares in other companies. Open-end institutions offer no leverage except on instances where the company borrows money from an external source to invest.
Closed-end Companies
The mode of operation here is very similar to most industrial firms. Unlike the open-end that offers shares handled by OTC dealers, closed-end companies offer a limited number of shares. In most cases, the shares are listed on the stock exchange platform and can be traded like other company’s shares.
Most of such companies revise other equities, bonds, and some stocks. Such firms have bonds as well as preferred stocks as a means of getting capital.
Advantages of a Close-end Firm
Compared to an open-end company, a close-end has the following advantages:
Flexible Policies
The policies here are very flexible. Due to this, the opportunity for expansion and diversification of finance is certain.
Better Returns
Expansion of investment and diversification leads to better profit returns. The fact that the shares offered here are sold on the exchange market makes it easy for shareholders to sell off their holdings. This provides better liquidity compared to an open-end firm. Most importantly, the risk of loss is reduced considering the profit margin.
Other Mutual Funds
Other classifications of investment companies based on their portfolios and objectives are
Equity Funds
These firms are only specialized in investing in companies that offer equity shares.
Income Funds
These firms are specialized in investing in securities. They choose from a list of securities and select those that will earn more income.
Growth Funds
These firms carry out long-term analyses of certain securities. They are only interested in maintaining a steady growth in the value of an investment over time.
Liquid Funds
These are firms that are interested in buying only short-term market instruments based on liquidity. They usually offer low interest rates. You can read this article to know more about liquid funds.
Special Funds
These firms can choose to specialize in different channels. The channels include precious metals and bullion, a particular country’s index, or a particular category of technology.
Index Funds
Companies in this category major in investing in indices. The shares they purchase must be listed on the stock market indices.
Leveraged Funds
These companies offer high leverages. The leverage helps to increase the portfolio’s value which in turn yields better profit. However, leveraging is very risky but its profit margin is higher.
Real Estate Firms
These firms major in real estate dealings. They are specialized in the purchase and sales of assets.
Balanced Funds
Companies in this category share their investment capital between bonds and equity shares. This is done to enable them to cover their objectives which include stability, safety, and growth of income.
Hedge Funds
These firms purchase shares that tend to increase in price and sell shares whose values are likely to reduce.
Conclusion
Investment is becoming the order of the day. Individuals and businesses strive for avenues to improve their earnings through investing. The rise of mutual funds has helped to cater for small fund holders to be able to invest. All you need to know about investment companies before investing, it is important to read the reviews of the company. This would assist you in making a good choice.
