Security Analysis and Port Folio Management

Investment is the employment of funds with the aim of achieving additional income or growth in value. The essential quality of an investment is that it involves ‘waiting’ for a reward. It involves the commitment of resources which have been saved or put away from current consumption in the hope that some benefits will accrue in future. The term ‘Investment’ does not appear to be as simple as it has been defined. Investment has been further categorized by financial experts and economists. It has also often been confused with the term speculation. The following discussion will give an explanation of the various ways in which investment is related or differentiated from the financial and economic sense and how speculation differs from investment. However, it must be clearly established that investment involves long term commitment.