The Listen Up Issue
2 April 2014
Keeping an Ear to the Ground with Analyst Conference Calls
Gear Up for First-Quarter Earnings Season
As the first quarter of 2014 wraps up, many public companies will hold conference calls with analysts at which top executives will discuss the quarter's highlights (and lowlights, if any). The CEO and CFO usually star in these affairs, and afterward they field questions from invited equity analysts. Apart from information the company makes public, these conferences sometimes provide an opportunity for corporate executives to elaborate on new developments and explain certain issues in greater detail. It's not uncommon during these quarterly conferences for an exec will reveal interesting details, clues about future plans and other information that goes beyond the facts in the financial statement.
The beauty of public companies' analyst conferences is that these events, which usually last about an hour, are open to anyone to hear. In most cases, a toll-free, listen-only telephone number is posted on the company's Investor Relations webpage before the call. Anyone listening to the call will get the news at the same time as The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and other financial news services covering the company, directly from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Most companies provide a link to hear a recording of the call for several weeks afterward.
On StockCentral.com, one of the research links we provide is for Seeking Alpha, a service that publishes transcripts of analyst conference calls. It's easy and free to look up a recent — or more distant — corporate analyst conference call, and it can be a quick way to get a sense of a company's management style and momentum. Don't forget about this resource — and many others just a click away at StockCentral. Click here to access StockCentral's page with many research links.
BINC Heads to That Toddlin' Town
Bulls and Bears Welcome at May Convention in Chicago
The BetterInvesting National Convention is around the corner, but it's never to late to register. Slated for May 15-18 at the Chicago O'Hare Marriott Hotel, the 63rd annual event for investors of all skill levels is a great opportunity to get tips from investing experts on stock selection and analysis, learn how to get the most out of investment research tools and hear directly from corporations to get ideas about stocks.
Come to BINC to learn, and plan to meet new contacts in a great environment for networking and sharing information. This year's BINC will have a variety of classes for investors of all levels, including some we are offering for the first time.
Featured speakers include John Wasik, author of "Keynes's Way to Wealth," and Josh Peters, CFA, editor of the Morningstar DividendInvestor. Choose from more than 50 classes and workshops, with sessions running Thursday evening through Sunday morning. A variety of registration options are available, including a full meals package and a ticket to the Friday evening BINC@Nite Gathering.
Go to the 2014 BetterInvesting National Convention webpage for more information.