investment

Economics

(noun)

A placement of capital in expectation of deriving income or profit from its use.

Related Terms

  • entrepreneurship
  • shock
  • saving
  • government spending
  • consumption
  • import
  • interest rate
  • demand
  • export
  • capital
Sociology

(noun)

The expenditure of capital in expectation of deriving income or profit from its use.

Related Terms

  • capital gain

Examples of investment in the following topics:

  • Determinants of investment

    • Economic investment, also referred to as capital investment, is different from and should not be confused with financial investment.
    • An example of non-residential fixed investment is investment in human capital, which includes additional schooling or training.
    • Inventory investment: The accumulation of goods or inventories.
    • To encourage investment, interest rates need to be lower .
    • Even when a firm uses its own funds on an investment, there is an opportunity cost of using the funds for investment, instead of lending out the money for interest.
  • Cash Flow from Investing

    • Cash flow from investing results from activities related to the purchase or sale of assets or investments made by the company.
    • One of the components of the cash flow statement is the cash flow from investing .
    • An investing activity is anything that has to do with changes in non-current assets -- including property and equipment, and investment of cash into shares of stock, foreign currency, or government bonds -- and return on investment -- including dividends from investment in other entities and gains from sale of non-current assets.
    • The investing activity was undertaken by the shareholder.
    • Some examples of investment activity from the company's perspective would include:
  • Reporting Investing Activities

    • An investing activity is anything that has to do with changes in non-current assets -- including property and equipment, and investment of cash into shares of stock, foreign currency, or government bonds -- and return on investment -- including dividends from investment in other entities and gains from sale of non-current assets.
    • These activities are represented in the investing income part of the income statement.
    • A dividend is often thought of as a payment to those who invested in the company by buying its stock.
    • However, this cash flow is not representative of an investing activity on the part of the company.
    • The sale of a factory would be an example of a cash inflow from investment.
  • Return on Investment

    • Return on investment (ROI) is one way of considering profits in relation to capital invested.
    • Return on investment (ROI) is one way of considering profits in relation to capital invested.
    • The purpose of the "return on investment" metric is to measure per-period rates of return on dollars invested in an economic entity.
    • Return on investment (%) = Net profit ($) / Investment ($) × 100
    • Return on investment = (gain from investment - cost of investment) / cost of investment
  • Return on Investment

    • Return on investment is one way of considering profits in relation to the capital invested.
    • Hence, it is important to keep all investments in mind when setting prices.
    • The purpose of the return on investment metric is to measure per period rates of return on dollars invested in an economic entity.
    • Return on investment is often compared to expected (or required) rates of return on dollars invested.
    • This chart shows the rate of return on investments after training teachers.
  • Shifts in investment due to shocks

    • Positive and negative demand shocks directly impact investment; increases in demand encourage higher investment while less demand lowers investment.
    • Demand shocks directly impact investment.
    • When income increases it encourages higher investment.
    • Demand shocks only temporarily increase or decrease consumer spending and investment.
    • Although demand shocks can have a positive impact on investment, the substantial swing investment usually causes an instability to results in decreased investment once the initial positive tendencies subside.
  • Incentivizing Saving and Investment

    • Both savings and investment affect the overall economy.
    • Broadly, each incentive adjusts the cost of saving or investing.
    • We will discuss two main ways to affect the savings and investment rates here.
    • High interest rates encourage savings and discourage investment.
    • Low interest rates encourage investment and discourage savings.
  • Assessing Fair Value

    • Realized gains and losses are included in income; unrealized amounts are included in income (trading investments) or in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale investments).
    • The investment is reported at fair value on the balance sheet.
    • The original investment is recorded at its investment cost.
    • this is higher or lower than the existing balance in the investment account.
    • The investment is reported at fair value on the balance sheet.
  • Direct Investment

    • Foreign direct investment (FDI) is investment into production in a country by a company located in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country.
    • FDI is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country, such as stocks and bonds.
    • However, identifying the conditions that best attract such investment flow is difficult, since foreign investment varies greatly across countries and over time.
    • Sao Paulo, Brazil, home to a growing middle class and significant direct investments.
    • Explain the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) for the investor and the host country
  • Defining the Payback Method

    • The payback method is a method of evaluating a project by measuring the time it will take to recover the initial investment.
    • A $1000 investment which returned $500 per year would have a two year payback period.
    • In capital budgeting, the payback period refers to the period of time required for the return on an investment to "repay" the sum of the original investment.
    • When used carefully to compare similar investments, it can be quite useful.
    • The payback method does not specify any required comparison to other investments or even to not making an investment .
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