How to Calculate Stock Prices?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating potential earnings from stock investments based on varying purchase prices and selling prices. Participants explore the arithmetic involved in determining profits from hypothetical stock transactions.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants attempt to clarify the calculations needed to determine profits from stock investments, questioning the initial investment amounts and stock prices. Some suggest breaking down the calculations per stock to simplify the process.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with multiple participants offering different perspectives on the calculations. Some express confusion over the arithmetic, while others provide alternative methods of approaching the problem. There is no clear consensus on the best way to perform the calculations, but various interpretations are being explored.

Contextual Notes

There are indications of confusion regarding the terminology used for stock prices, particularly the notation of cents versus dollars. Additionally, some participants reference the speculative nature of low-priced stocks, which may influence their calculations and assumptions.

Embison
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Poster has been reminded that all schoolwork-type questions go in HH and work must be shown
If you invest $10,000 at .50c a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $100, how much would you make?

If you invest $10,000 at $2.50 a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $125, how much would you make?

If you invest $10,000 at $10 a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $650, how much would you make?

And can you explain how to do the math? I have no idea how to figure out the totals.

Thank you for any help!
 
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Perhaps it's easier to do it per 'stock' ? You invest 50 c (.50 c seems too cheap ?) and sell for $ 100 so you make $ 99.50 per unit. For $10000 you can buy 20000 shares at 50 c, so then you would make 20000 shares x $ 99.50 /share = 1990000 in your dreams !

Don't try this at home: if you can't do the math it's much better to stay clear of the stock market ! :smile:
 
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BvU said:
Perhaps it's easier to do it per 'stock' ? You invest 50 c (.50 c seems too cheap ?) and sell for $ 100 so you make $ 99.50 per unit. For $10000 you can buy 20000 shares at 50 c, so then you would make 20000 shares x $ 99.50 /share = 1990000 in your dreams !

Don't try this at home: if you can't do the math it's much better to stay clear of the stock market ! :smile:

Thank you for helpin me out. I really appreciate it!
 
BvU said:
Perhaps it's easier to do it per 'stock' ? You invest 50 c (.50 c seems too cheap ?) and sell for $ 100 so you make $ 99.50 per unit. For $10000 you can buy 20000 shares at 50 c, so then you would make 20000 shares x $ 99.50 /share = 1990000 in your dreams !

Don't try this at home: if you can't do the math it's much better to stay clear of the stock market ! :smile:

Isnt the easiest and fastest way to do it like this? $100 divided by .50c = 200 multiplied by $10,000 = $2,000,000
 
Yes, but the 2 M isn't earnings: it is earnings + investment. For this example the difference is small, in practice you will need a very very big investment to earn $ 1990000 !
 
BvU said:
Yes, but the 2 M isn't earnings: it is earnings + investment. For this example the difference is small, in practice you will need a very very big investment to earn $ 1990000 !

I wasnt talking about the $2,000,000 total I was talking about the equation itself. I can just include minus $10,000 at the end of what I wrote. I was saying isn't the way I did the equation much simpler and easier to follow than the way you did yours?
 
Yes. The mere fact that you asked the question made me tread very carefully. It's really very simple arithmetic either way.
 
BvU said:
Perhaps it's easier to do it per 'stock' ? You invest 50 c (.50 c seems too cheap ?) and sell for $ 100 so you make $ 99.50 per unit. For $10000 you can buy 20000 shares at 50 c, so then you would make 20000 shares x $ 99.50 /share = 1990000 in your dreams !

Don't try this at home: if you can't do the math it's much better to stay clear of the stock market ! :smile:
Stocks which sell for less than $1.00 / share are known as 'penny stocks'. These companies are not traded on most of the familiar stock exchanges (which set minimum share prices for a stock to remain listed on the exchange) and are highly speculative.
 
In 'general math' and in dreams everything is possible :smile:
 
  • #10
Embison said:
If you invest $10,000 at .50c a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $100, how much would you make?

If you invest $10,000 at $2.50 a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $125, how much would you make?

If you invest $10,000 at $10 a stock and cashout when the stock price hits $650, how much would you make?

And can you explain how to do the math? I have no idea how to figure out the totals.

Thank you for any help!

Do you really mean .5c per stock in the first case? That is 1/2 cent per stock! Did you mean $.5 = 50c per stock?
 
  • #11
From the book answer my money is on the half dollar. A sure bet :smile:

[edit] it's too late; I'm mixing up threads !
 
  • #12
Embison said:
Isnt the easiest and fastest way to do it like this? $100 divided by .50c = 200 multiplied by $10,000 = $2,000,000

No: $100 ##\div## .5 c = $20,000. If you mean $100 ##\div## 50c = $200, then that is what you should write.

Lesson: years ago in a town I lived in at the time, a supermarket published ads in the newspaper announcing a sale price of .5c per lb. on some grocery item (I forget what). I think that somebody must have arrived with a truck, filled it up with the sale item, and given the store $10 (instead of $2000); because that was the advertised price, the store had to honor the announcement. From that time onward the store never, ever made that error again, and nor should you.
 

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