Finance Questions

Capitalism is an economic system followed by a country or a society which is characterized by Privately owned businesses, a market economy and profits.

Capitalism is defined as "production for exchange" driven by the desire for personal accumulation of money receipts in such exchanges, mediated by free markets. The markets themselves are driven by the needs and wants of consumers and those of society as a whole in the form of the bourgeois state.

CDs are the least risky investment choice when compared to flipping, renting and bonds.

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings certificate with a fixed maturity date, specified fixed interest rate and can be issued in any denomination aside from minimum investment requirements. A CD restricts access to the funds until the maturity date of the investment. CDs are generally issued by commercial banks.

CDs are issued by the bank and are guaranteed by the government. So even if the bank goes bankrupt the investor's money is guaranteed to a certain extent.

Flipping and renting are subjected to market fluctuations while bonds are not insured.

Hedging is a tool to minimize the risks. It is thus like an 'insurance' where one pays a premium but gets an assured amount in case of some uncertain event to the extent of the loss actually suffered on an equally opposite position for which the hedge was done. Thus, hedger is different from arbitrageur and speculators, as the intention here is not to maximize the profit but to minimize the loss.

E.g. In Capital Markets, suppose an investor has an equity portfolio of Rs. 2 lacs and the portfolio consists of all the major stocks of NIFTY. He thinks the market will improve in the long run but might go on a downside in the shortrun. NIFTY today stands at 4300. To minimize the risk of downfall, he enters into an option contract by buying NIFTY-PUT of strike 4300 at a premium of, say, Rs. 100. Thus, the actual amount paid is Rs. 5,000(lot size of NIFTY is 50). Also, the number of NIFTY-PUTs to be bought will vary on the beta of the portfolio so as to completely hedge the positon. 

Bull market is that market where stock value are expected rise and people will have tendency to sell their stock so as to earn profit out of it. Thus sudden push from the suppliers will gradually niutalise the market.