Transcript for:
Understanding Stock Investment and Corporations

[Music] in a typical city or town on a typical residential street we find a typical home occupied by a typical American family like millions of his fellow Americans John Q public earns enough money to keep up the payments on a new [Music] car he takes great pride in owning a fine new long-term mortgaged home that was built to last a [Music] lifetime Mrs John Q public no longer finds housework fatiguing drudgery thanks to a host of Labor saving devices including her husband Mr John Q because of a 40-hour week has the Leisure to dream about his favorite [Music] sport [Music] darling often times in a secluded corner of his private Den John Q reflects on some of the better things he has done with his life insurance to protect his family if he is called before his time money in a savings account for emergencies for summer vacations and to help put John Q Jr through [Music] college in spite of the high cost of being a husband and Father John Q has a private little Nest Egg his practical nature tells him it ought to do more than collect mobs let's see where did I put this thing know it's common stock do I own any I don't even know what they are mhm in that case it might be a good idea to get a little information with a fellow who own operates a company that makes and sells oil drums each year customers buy more and more from our because he makes a better oil drum than his competitors one day customers demand more oil drums than the owner can produce he figures it will take about $3 million to do the job so he decides to form a corporation to sell shares in his business to raise the capital he needs first the owner goes to the the state government to get a corporation Charter and permit sell shares in this business next our friend goes to an investment banker and shows him the record of the oil drum manufacturing company's past performance and plans for expansion the investment banker decides to help our friends sell shares in the corporation to raise the $3 million however before any shares in the corporation can be sold certain information must be filed with the Securities and Exchange in Washington the investment banker and the owner must swear that the information they file contains nothing but the truth registration with the SEC does not imply that the government approves the stock issue as a good investment but only assures the public the material statements about the issue are false punishment will be according to the law after SEC registration is effective the investment banker pays the owner $3 million in exchange for a certain number of shares in the oil drum Manufacturing Corporation the investment banker sells shares of the common stock to people at a PR $3 million investment and shows a profit for his services in selling the stock money received from the sale of shares in the business builds a new and better plant which produces more and better oil [Music] drums the people who bought common stock own proportionate shares in the corporation tools equipment and all of its assets com stock holders elect the directors of the corporation directors represent the stock and are responsible for the way the business is run directors determine the amount of dividends if any to be paid out of earnings to the stockholders naturally when stockholders invest in a business they hope to receive dividends to help pay for necessities of life within a few short years an increasing demand for the company's product poses friend how can he fill all the orders he will have to build more plants and buy more tools to increase production of oil drums it will take about $20 million to do the job one way to get this additional capital is to sell more stock to many more people so the oil drum Manufacturing Corporation votes to send its president to the New York Stock Exchange to see if their common stock can qualify for listing the corporation wants to list its Securities on the exchange so that the additional stock they need to sell will be more attractive to investors all over the nation Securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange can sold for cash any time in this National Marketplace [Music] each year inquire about listing their Securities but only those which can pass a thorough examination as to their Financial Health are accepted calling the president of the oil drum Manufacturing Corporation calling the president of the oil ground Manufacturing Corporation report to examination room B attention all members of the stock list Department report to examination room B the stock list Department examines the qualifications of Corporations to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange the corporation must have substantial Assets in Plants tools equipment and [Music] Cas there must be a broad distribution of its shares among a large number of stockholders the corporation must show successful management and sales records and annual net earnings at the time of listing of at least $1 million the proposed stock issue must meet federal state and New York Stock Exchange regulations the corporation must agree to report to its stockholders at frequent intervals if the examination by the stock list Department indicates the corporation meets minimum requirements of the exchange at the time of the examination the corporation's application for listing is recommended the Board of Governors of the New York Stock Exchange finally approves the application and sees that it is made public XTR XTR read all about it now that the oil drum manufacturing corporation's stock is listed its name is abbreviated for use on the ticker tape each time odm stock or any other stock listed on the exchange is bought or sold the ticker tape flashes all over the nation the price and number number of shares [Music] traded a buyer in Colorado wants to purchase some odm stock the buyer's broker in Colorado sees that the last odm transaction was at $10 a share the buyer could buy from 1 to 99 shares which would be known as an odd lot but a Colorado friend decides to invest in 100 [Music] shares known as a round lot the Colorado broker wires the order to his New York office the buy order is telephone to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange it is given to the firm's floor partner who becomes the representative of the buyer in Colorado the floor partner goes to the post where odm stock is traded the representative of the buyer in Colorado bids $10 a share for 100 shares but at the moment there is no stock offered for sale at this price in the meantime however in Maine an odm stockholder who needs cash decides to sell his 100 shares if he get $10 a share the main broker wires the sell order to his firm's representative on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this firm's floor partner representing the seller in Maine offers to sell 100 shares of odm stock at $10 a share the price of $10 a share is mutually acceptable and the transaction is made like the cowboy in Colorado and the fisherman in Maine investors all over the country use the facilities of brokers who are members of the New York Stock Exchange whenever they want to buy or sell stock of companies listed on this National Market yesterday's savings financed the miraculous growth of our railroads automobiles airplanes farm machinery Communications electric light and power textils and countless other Industries contributing to a more enjoyable life if a part of our savings continue to to flow into industry American Labor Management and capital can continue to build new tools and plants industrial expansion creates jobs for hundreds of thousands of young people who must find employment each year a growing capacity to produce things which make life better in peace time can be our greatest protection in time of War when danger threatens we can convert industry to produce the things we need to defend ourselves common stock Investments have helped to make our country prosperous and Powerful owning a share in American industry is like owning a share in the future of our nation but remember John Q There is a risk as well as an advantage in owning any kind of property so get the facts before you put your money to work