The Analysis and Valuation of Stocks is a comprehensive course designed to provide you with conventional and advanced techniques in researching and valuing stocks. Starting off with the basics, you will learn how to read financial statements and calculate financial ratios, and then move on to perform industrial comparisons, value stocks, and conduct economic and industrial research.

This course is taught in a manner that uses everyday language, simple, yet insightful analogies, and a just the facts attitude that you will understand and appreciate. By the end of this course, you will have a strong foundation in the analysis and valuation of stocks.

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Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in The Analysis and Valuation of Stocks were also interested in the following courses:

Introduction to Macroeconomics

Building Wealth

Stocks, Bonds, and Investing: Oh, My!

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

Introduction and Welcome

Friday - Lesson 02

Introduction to Annual and Quarterly Reports

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Financial Statements—Part I

Friday - Lesson 04

Financial Statements—Part II

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Financial Ratios—Part I

Friday - Lesson 06

Financial Ratios—Part II

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Case Studies and Industrial Comparisons

Friday - Lesson 08

The Value of a Stock

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Valuation Techniques

Friday - Lesson 10

Economics and the Outside Environment

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Researching Resources

Friday - Lesson 12

Hodgepodge

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Aaron Clarey.

Aaron Clarey received his Bachelor of Science in Finance with High Honors from the University of Minnesota. Since 1998, Aaron has been teaching a wide array of classes on finance and investing, including How to Invest Online, Figuring Out Your 401k, The Analysis and Valuation of Stocks, and Stocks, Bonds, and Investing; Oh My! His classes take the fear out of finance and investing by making personal financial management easy and understandable for everyone. During the day, Aaron works as a banking analyst. At night, he moonlights as a ballroom dance instructor. In the summer, he is an avid amateur paleontologist, hosting The Great Twin Cities Fossil Hunt for children. He is also the author of the popular book, Behind the Housing Crash—Confessions of an Insider.

Requirements:

A comprehension of high school mathematics and an interest in researching stocks is needed for this course. Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

Student Reviews:

"Aaron Clancy has given me so much more than I expected. He is definitely a great teacher since the subject matter that he presented is extremely difficult to make understandable. I am indebted and hope that I can take other classes given by this instructor."

"Aaron Clarey did an above and beyond effort in preparing this class for online instruction. Stocks are an extremely dry, dull and boring subject. Just like watching cement set. His approach and injected humor made for a terrific class. I learned a tremendous amount. I also have the material for reference as I know I will not remember the process. But I can re-read and go from there. I would recommend this class to anyone looking to manage their own retirement or just play the market for fun."

"Aaron Clarey did an above and beyond effort in preparing this class for online instruction. Stocks are an extremely dry, dull and boring subject. Just like watching cement set. His approach and injected humor made for a terrific class. I learned a tremendous amount. I also have the material for reference as I know I will not remember the process. But I can re-read and go from there. I would recommend this class to anyone looking to manage there own retirement or just play the market for fun."

"Aaron Clarey wrote in a way that was fun to read and easy to understand. His humor made the class special! Also, everything was explained very clearly."

"Aaron did a very good job of making a dry subject interesting and enjoyable. His addition of personal experiences was also humorous. His discussion responses were to the point and supportive. I would recommend his course for anyone interested in stocks and investing."

"Aaron, GREAT class. I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot!! I like your style of teaching, you made a tough and complicated subject, with some DRY material come to life thru stories and some life lessons. Thank you."

"Aaron has made many of the concepts easy to understand. Aaron gave about the correct amount of assignments for this course. Overall, I am going to recommend this class to anyone interested in the stock market, whether they are going to analyze their own stocks or not."

"Aaron- I enjoyed your class. This is info. I needed and your writing style and humor made a seemingly dry subject quite interesting. In addition, your examples were easy to understand and you did a great job of breaking down the material for newbies to the world of stock market analysis. Thanks so much!"

"Aaron is a great instructor. I came into the course not knowing much about stocks. He broke down something as big and intimidating as the stock market and economics into bite size chunks that were easy to understand and apply. The lectures are laid out in a useful and practical way. I feel that my printouts will serve as a great guide for me when analyzing stocks in years to come. This has sparked a new interest in me in learning more about economics. Thank you for an excellent course!"

"Aaron is informative, humorous, and knowledgeable. I would recommend his courses to anyone. THANK YOU!"

"Aaron is very knowledgeable and communicates very well. Keep him around as long as possible."

"AaronI wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your course. You have given us a lot of good tools to use in evaluating a stock that we may be interested in."

"Aaron made the lessons easy to follow and understand. I would highly recommend this course to others."

"Aaron, thanks so much for what you have taught in this class. It has given me a better understanding about how to evaluate my choices in picking stocks. Your sense of humor was great, especially during the confusing, boring parts! It really made it easier to get through and the examples helped to clarify everything. I know I will use your notes every time I evaluate my stock picks for years to come!"

"Aaron was very knowledgeable and presented this intense subject matter in a very straight-forward, easy to understand manner. I would love to take the next level of this course, taught by Aaron."

"A comprehensive course, presented in a manner that I could understand. Excellent instructor!!"

"An excellent course and an excellent instructor. I’m new to this format and found it enjoyable and manageable...Thank you Aaron, for making this an interesting course and an enjoyable and enlightening experience."

"Another great class Aaron. Keep up the great job."

"A wealth of information, understanding and insight. A++"

"A wealth of information, understanding and insight. A++"

"Enjoyed the instructor’s writing style. Quizzes were helpful in addressing the lesson highlights. Very useful information."

"Entire project was a delight. Stock study and investment is extremely necessary in today's economy. It is a vital part of one's retirement plans. This course, contents, presentation, and knowledge of the instructor made it most valuable to me. Information garnered here in addition to membership in AAII and NAIC complements other study in a most significant manner. Definitely respect the instructor for his study and the fashion in which he layed out the course. Some of the best study I have had. Many thanks. Technical availability on internet has helped as there have been some days in which I had to travel between home and other states to help with sick relatives. In short, it has been a wonderful and most valuable experience. I am most grateful for this opportunity."

"Excellent course - everything I hoped it would be."

"Excellent course. I learned quite a bit and truly enjoyed this course and instructor."

"Excellent course, I thoroughly enjoyed it and added to my previous knowledge of analyzing companies. I might recommend some required postings of the assignments. It would be interesting to see what companies others had picked and how each company was explored in different lessons. Thanks!"

"Excellent course that provided a good, basic foundation for those who enjoy investing but may not have an economic or accounting background. Really appreciated Aaron's writing style, the analogies he used and his sense of humor."

"Excellent course! The instructor (Aaron Clarey) was very knowledgeable, witty, and made the learning environment fun. I would recommend this course for anyone trying gain a better understanding of stock value."

"Excellent course, well-developed and useful, even to individuals who have no experience in this area. The instructor was able to explain very complex ideas in easily understood terms."

"Excellent information!!! Learned more about analysis and valuation here than random research on the web or by picking up a book."

"Excellent job. A great mix of fact and levity to keep the information interesting!!"

"Excellent presentation of the material by the Instructor."

"Good course! There were times the information was overwhelming but know with time and practice will start to understand the lessons being taught!"

"Good course! There were times the information was overwhelming but know with time and practice will start to understand the lessons being taught!"

"Great class and great teacher. Learned a lot."

"great class, packed with useful information, thanks!"

"Great course and wonderful teaching style. I specifically enjoyed the great sense of humour brought to what can be a very dry and tedious subject. I felt that only necessary materials were covered. Being a very busy mother of 3, I found it very convenient to do the lessons in my own time. Great writer and would love to take another course from Aaron Clarey."

"GREAT COURSE! Lessons are interesting and very well written. The tools provided by the instructor are wonderful."

"Great course with a great instructor!"

"Great Material! Great Presentation!"

"Hello Aaron, I wish you taught an online Economics 1A/1B class - I think it would be interesting, enjoyable and useful. I really appreciate your writing style. Your real-time/real-life case studies of stock situations make a complicated subject - investing - much more clear and understandable. Lastly, I wish you taught an online financial fundamentals class for elementary school students; what I learned from you is that schools do a terrible job of educating our youth in this area. Maybe that is why we have such high debt rates and low savings rates. Thank you, again."

"Hey Aaron, just wanted to say I thought your class was a real eye opener and very interesting. This is an area I have always wanted to know a lot more about and thanks to your class, I now do. This class has given me a good base of knowledge to draw from for the rest of my life."

"Hey Aaron, just wanted to say thanks for all the help and insight you have provided over the past couple of months. The course was very interesting to say the least, not only providing loads of new information to chew on, but also making some older information much clearer and understandable."

"Hi Aaron, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and learned from your course! From one teacher to another, you have a comprehensive way of reaching your students through your technique and use of stories and examples! I found that they truly helped put the point across! Thank you for all of your valued information, and if I ever make a "million", I'll send some your way!"

"I am very impressed with your class and teaching style. I did learn a lot and will continue to learn more each and every day. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this class together. I would like to take all of your stock classes…Thanks again!!"

"I appreciated the logical and organized presentation of the course material. When it's presented in this fashion it's easier to understand."

"I enjoyed learning the material especially due to the writing style of the instructor."

"I enjoyed the class immensely. I felt you did a great job adequately covering this huge topic without overwhelming me. I also found the many free resources you introduced quite helpful now and in the future. You definitely helped me take a more analytical approach to picking stocks and managing my own interests. Thank you!"

"I enjoyed the course a lot and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about investing in stocks."

"I enjoyed the course. I felt the content was well presented. The writing style was pleasant and easy to read. I felt the instructor did a good job answering student questions…Good job Aaron, I enjoyed the class!"

"I enjoyed the course very much. I expect to use this information in the future."

"I found this class more practical and useful than theoretical college finance classes. The writing style is entertaining and enjoyable to read."

"I found this course to be challenging, yet very informative! Aaron's use of stories/examples and humor helped to simplify a very complex subject matter. He thoroughly answered questions on the discussion area and was very helpful in pointing you in the right direction! I will definitely recommend this course to friends who are interested in learning more about stocks, investing, and how to analyze them. Thanks for a great course!"

"I found this course very informative...I have all of the lessons on hard copy as well as record of the links. With this at hand I can get full use of this course. My husband and I are retired and stocks and the market and investments are our income and our future, so I feel much better knowing at least a bit of what its all about. Thank you for the course and for the insight it gave me."

"I got a lot out of the course. Thanks for a great job at a reasonable price!"

"I had been looking for a course like this for years. This course should have some great applications in the real world."

"I had very little understanding of stocks which is why I took this course. This class most definitely exceeded my expectations. Aaron did an excellent job of conveying detailed technical information in a useful and practical manner. I feel that I now have useful tools to finally make intelligent decisions when picking stocks. Thanks, Aaron!"

"I have a BS in Bus. Admin. and I feel I learned more in the 2 classes that Aaron taught than I did in college!! This opened my eyes to the finance world and I thoroughly enjoyed both classes. Thank you, Aaron."

"I have already recommended this course to several other people are they are signing up now for the next class."

"I have been trying to learn more about the method of investments and stocks since I became disabled eight years ago. I read books in regards to this area but they are very dry and technical, this course was created by an instructor who has excellent insight into the understanding of how to communicate this information in a fashion to benefit everyone who takes the time to take the course. I have recommended this course to many of my friends who also are interested about the same information. Aaron is a wonderful instructor and I look forward to taking his next class on stocks. Thanks so much for the insight!"

"I just wanted to say thanks for a really enjoyable and informative class. You obviously spent a lot of time putting together something really worthwhile, and I learned a ton! In addition to all the useful information, the class made me feel confident that I've got a good basis if/when I decide to start managing my own portfolio. And it was funny. Many thanks!"

"I learned a lot and appreciate the information, this will really help me as I progress in my personal investing."

"I learned everything I wanted to know & more. The lessons were clear, succinct, organized, informative and entertaining. The examples that were provided to illustrate a complex topic truly clarified a concept. The stories were relevant and many amusing which contributed to my comprehension and recall. What I previously thought was a dry subject was made interesting."

"I LEARNED EVERYTHING I WANTED TO KNOW (& MORE). The lessons were clear, succinct, organized, informative and entertaining. The examples that were provided to illustrate a complex topic truly clarified a concept. The stories were relevant and many amusing which contributed to my comprehension and recall. What I previously thought was a dry subject was made interesting."

"I loved this course and I learned TONS about stocks and business in general. Mr. Clarey's teaching style made difficult material completely understandable."

"Instructor was very good and down to earth in explaining everything. I can now understand balance sheets and all the ratios. This is a course that I have been looking for a long time. It has been a pleasure."

"Interesting "beginner" course on security valuations and finance. Well presented and easy to follow."

"I really enjoyed reading Aaron's lessons. He personalized them so they were not dull. He also covered a lot of material in a short amount of time without it seeming too overwhelming. I found this course very helpful and would recommend it to others."

"I really enjoyed the class. It was well laid out for us with real-life examples to keep our attention focused. I appreciate the last part of information about rent houses, etc. as other alternatives of income. After taking this class, I will always manage my own portfolio, especially with the lessons we've learned in this class. Thanks for the effort you gave to the class to answer and discuss our problems. This class exceeded my expectations of what I thought it was going to be. Thanks for your effort Aaron. Hope to be in another one of your classes later down the road."

"I really enjoyed this course! The content was intense but extremely useful. I liked the way Aaron used every day language and examples that I could identify with. This was my first online course and I can't wait to take another one...especially if Aaron is the instructor!"

"I really like the analogies--it gives my brain a break from the intense, new information."

"I thought this course was very informative and kept my interest. I looked forward to the next class. I feel it would be useful to most anyone."

"It is truly a great teacher who has the skill to simplify a complex subject like stock analysis. A previous teacher told me," you'd eat an elephant one bite at the time" and Aaron has taken this massive amount of information and converted it into digestible bites and presented them in simple, understandable terms. Remarkable. This course answered a thousand intimidating questions and generated a thousand new ones. The information sources listed at the end of each lesson will be invaluable."

"I want to thank our professor Aaron for this excellent course. It turned out to be a great course, with excellent explanations and examples, and great feedback in the discussion area. Very knowleageable instructor."

"I want to thank our professor Aaron for this excellent course. It turned out to be a great course, with excellent explanations and examples, and great feedback in the discussion area. Very knowleageable instructor. Thank you again Aaron for your course.!! Rosie"

"I want to thank you for this course. It was written in simple English and very understandable… I really enjoyed this course, thanks again"

"I would highly recommend this class for anyone who is interested in expanding their financial literacy. This is just the class that I was looking for. I found Aaron's teaching style fun and engaging. He writes in simple terms, as an engineer I am not up on all of the financial jargon, and I appreciate that very much."

"Loved the course. Thanks for the excellent information. I'd love to take other courses from you."

"Really enjoyed this course. Mr. Clarey is an engaging instructor and I would definitely take more classes from him."

"Terrific course, I learned a great deal. I'd been trying to grasp this stuff using various texts, but not doing too well at it. After this course, I feel like I can actually read a financial statement and get something useful from it. The material was explained incredibly well. I was very happy with the promptness and quality of responses to my questions."

"Thanks Aaron, It was just fantastic. Love your content and writing style. Finally I feel like I have not only a good overview, but some good in-depth research and valuation techniques. Once I learned how to navigate the website I was home free."

"The class was excellent, providing a lot of information in a short amount of time, but presented in an easy to understand manner. The instructor is great; this is the second class of his I have taken and I would take another if he was teaching it."

"The course clarified many terms I had a vague conception of but could not define."

"The course content and instructor were far beyond what I expected. I learned more from twelve lessons than I would have learned in years of self research and study!"

"The course is extremely easy to follow and the instructor's examples and case studies are simple to understand even for a complex concept. I always had difficulty following finance and economics textbooks because I found them filled with definitions and abstract terms. But this course was a breeze. The instructor's writing style is great and very humorous. It played a major part in sustaining my interest. My interest in finance and economics is renewed and it has opened a whole new world."

"The course was extremely helpful and the instructor kept it interesting the whole way. I really liked it."

"The course was incredibly intensive and informational. Once I give my brain some time to digest it, I'm sure the information will come in handy."

"The course was not a cake-walk, but was very insightful and helpful, not to mention the stories and bits of humor that the instructor provided which lighten the load of heavy, but"

"The course was well thought out and the dialogue throughout the lesson was as if you were physically within a classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and plan to continue my studies in this area and invest."

"The instructor is a kick. Made the classes fun and interesting. Also practical. Thanks!"

"The instructor's style was key to keeping me engaged in the course. He explained every point in language that was accessible and gave great examples to illustrate the point he was making. A bonus was his sense of humor that made the course fun! Thank you, Aaron."

"The instructor was very knowledgeable in teaching stocks. If Aaron taught another class in the future, I would be interested in signing up."

"This 61-year-old grandmother was able to understand and enjoy this class. No one should hesitate to take it because they fear it will be too difficult. I learned a lot about placing a value on stocks."

"This class was great. I really enjoyed it. It was funny, accessible and the instructor really knew his stuff. I'd recommend it to anybody."

"This class was so helpful! Analyzing stocks and financial statements previously seemed complicated. Now I can approach the process with more confidence."

"This course and instructor are very interesting, motivating and low-stress. The knowledge I've gained has been extremely useful. I appreciate your writing style and teaching, Aaron."

"This course had good insight and practical information,that could be very valuable if applyed.Highly recommended"

"This course has equipped me with tools that have increased my confidence in being able to pick great companies for a good price. I've already been putting these tools into practice in building my stock portfolio."

"This course introduced me to many aspects of stock evaluation and selection. I have kept the notes, which were both informative and enjoyable to read. I would highly recommend this course."

"This course served my purposes very well. I wanted to gain a more detailed knowledge of various valuation tools both for myself and as material for teaching my classes. The level of presentation was fine for me. I will seriously consider taking another course in this format and from this instructor."

"This has been a real adventure. At age 60 ½ yrs, I have worked on my first online course. I was terrified that I would not understand it, but I know that I do understand much of what I wanted to know about. This should help me to look closely at my investments for the next years of retirement. It provides a source to fall back on. I especially enjoyed the relaxed method of little stories told within the class. It relieves the tension. Thank you, Aaron!"

"This is an excellent course for anyone who is interested in the stock market. Mr. Clarey is unbiased and very knowledgeable. I wish he had another finance class or class about rental property that I can take. Thank you."

"This is a quite informative course. The reason I enjoyed this course mainly because the instructor (Aaron Clarey) made the subject of economics interesting and fun; unlike the two required economic classes (micro and macro) I had taken back in college. Also, Aaron did right from the book but gave us a lot of reality checks which are important for understanding the stock market. Great class. If you are searching for THE stock course, this is the one in my opinion."

"This is the best course I've taken!"

"This is the best course I've taken."

"This is the second course I've taken with this instructor and I have enjoyed both of them immensely. He is very knowledgeable and his humor adds to the course. I would take even another course by this instructor if it was offered."

"This was a great class. I learned so much that will help me evaluate stocks for myself instead of relying on someone else's view. The instructor is excellent. He used clear examples and anecdotes to explain some very complex concepts."

"This was an excellent class & very well done. This was my first online course & I hope to use this information. Thank you for all of the information."

"This was an excellent course...difficult but outstanding. I have been investing in the stock market for 14 years and had no idea what possiblities there are to analyze and value stocks. This was a real challenge to me, since I have no accounting experience, but well worth the time. Mr. Clarey is clearly an expert in this field and I enjoyed his writing as well."

"This was an outstanding course. Complex subject matter was presented in an easy-to-understand style, with present day examples. The humor and layman (as opposed to economist) approach of the instructor made the lessons easy to follow and very readable and enjoyable. Excellent responses to questions. Found the course will help me both in buying and selling stock, as well as judging which companies may be most suitable as future employers."

"This was a wonderful course and I gained much knowledge from it. Now the real test will be applying that knowledge. Thanks."

"This was my first online class and was very satisfied. Nice job!"

"This was my first online experience with a course and it was great. The lessons were very interesting, informative, and I learned a great deal of knowledge on the analysis of stocks. All of the questions that I had were always answered in a timely manner. The quizzes were very good. I would highly recommend Aaron and this course to others."

"This was not an easy course, but it was great!! I learned a lot. I will re-take this course in several months, after I have had more time to practice, to reinforce what I've learned."

"This was the 2nd course I had taken with Aaron, and gained a lot of knowledge from both courses. Explained things very well so the simple guy like me can understand."

"This was the first course I have taken on-line, I found it to be a very good course and the instructor was excellent. He used real life stories and basic language which makes it easier to understand."

"Very enlightening, especially the inclusion of the various resources available."

"Very enlightening, especially the inclusion of the various resources avalable."

"Very good course. I had fun and learned a good bit. The instructor, although a self professed nerd, was informative and entertaining."

"Very good course. I had fun and learned a good bit. The instructor, although a self professed nerd, was informative and intertaining."

"Very good review of material I have not used in many years. I feel that the time spent was worthwhile. Thank You."

"Very good use of relevant humor. I found myself chuckling aloud at times while studying. I believe continued work and course referencing will make results even more effective."

"Very well organized and helpful. I appreciated the knowledge and the thought put into each lesson. An opportunity to take such a course, especially at my age, is a rare and precious occurrence. Thanks!"

"What a great, enjoyable class. Love Aaron's writing skills! I wish I had him as my economics instructor in school."

"WOW! Great course, a huge amount of information presented in a very logical, understandable and sometimes amusing way. It was much more than I expected and I will enjoy referring to the material as I continue on my investing adventure. I will be watching to see if this instructor offers another course. Very worthwhile."

"You have made the subject of stock analysis and valuation fun and not as intimidating as one would start out thinking it might be. It's been great! Thanks again."