Latepost Information Update 2013: The Night Side Of Numbers

For the concluding 2 decades, I withdraw hold dedicated the start 2 weeks of each novel twelvemonth to a ritual. I obtain/collect/download information on all publicly traded companies listed globally, using a multifariousness of information sources, together with so analyze together with acquaint the data, aggregated at a issue of dissimilar levels: past times country, past times part (US, Europe, Emerging Markets, Japan, Commonwealth of Australia & Canada) together with past times industry. I study on measures of operations (profit margins, turnover ratios, working capital), measures of leverage (debt ratios), measures of run a peril (beta, measure deviation, equity run a peril premiums, the world run a peril premiums) together with pricing measures (earnings multiples, majority value multiples, revenue multiples). I merely completed my 2013 update together with y'all tin sack uncovering it past times clicking here.

I start alongside a belief that all information should hold out accessible together with available to all investors at depression or no cost, but my motives for providing my reading of the information are far from altruistic. I depict on the numbers that I gauge through the repose of the twelvemonth for my teaching, analysis (valuation or corporate finance) together with writing (blogs, books). In other words, I would withdraw hold analyzed all of this information anyway together with having completed the work, I come across fiddling do goodness inwards keeping it behind a pay wall or passwords. Let me hasten to add together that nada that I do is particularly master copy nor is it path breaking together with my trouble is made easier past times the tardily access that nosotros withdraw hold to raw data. I do hope, though, that piece I do brand mistakes, that I withdraw hold non allow my personal biases or views coloring the data, together with that that nada that I do is opaque.

Each year, I also seek out to add together something novel to the dataset to dice along it fresh together with this year, I withdraw hold added company-specific estimates of  costs of equity together with working capital missive of the alphabet (in U.S. dollar terms) inwards the private companionship information sets (look to the altitude of the linked information page). In making these estimates, though, I had to brand really wide assumptions most the world risk.  For instance, I used the run a peril premium of the the world of incorporation to the company, though it is preferable to utilisation the run a peril premium based on operations. So, accept these toll of working capital missive of the alphabet estimates alongside a grain of salt, together with if y'all prefer a to a greater extent than precise gauge for a company, y'all should do inwards to a greater extent than detail.

When I finished my update a twelvemonth ago, I posted on it here, together with talked most i of my favorite movies/books, Moneyball, inwards the context of arguing that intuition & sense were vastly overrated inwards business. Much of what nosotros intend nosotros withdraw hold learned or intend nosotros know most investing together with corporate finance is skewed past times psychological flaws that nosotros all share: faulty framing, hindsight bias together with selective memory, together with goodness information tin sack play a cleansing role. That post service represented the “good” that I come across inwards data/numbers, together with I idea that this year’s post, for balance, should offering the other side of the argument. I know that information tin sack hold out misused together with manipulated, together with that about of my ain information has been used to dorsum upwards specious arguments inwards multiple settings. In particular, hither are 3 practices relating to information that I uncovering distasteful together with suggestions on how y'all tin sack counter them.

1. Data to intimidate: An article/SB10001424127887323374504578219873933502726.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLE_Video_second" target="_blank">article inwards the Wall Street Journal  pointed to fact that people who are unfamiliar alongside numbers tend to give them besides much weight to them together with are particularly swayed past times "mathematical" arguments, fifty-fifty if they are nonsensical. It is this weakness that is used past times about issue crunchers to intimidate those that may non withdraw hold the same flat of facility alongside numbers. I withdraw hold seen corporate fiscal analyses together with valuations where analysts utilisation tabular array later on tabular array of numbers, to bludgeon others into submission, using acronyms, jargon together with greek alphabets to farther the rout.
The counter: The best weapons against issue intimidation are mutual sense together with a focus on the big picture. I promise that having access to my information volition give y'all about ammunition inwards this seek out but having a venture grounding inwards start principles of valuation together with corporate finance alway helps.

2. Data to mislead: If y'all withdraw hold access to a nifty bargain of data, y'all tin sack parse the information together with select pieces to dorsum upwards a preconception or declaration that y'all desire to advance. H5N1 span of years ago, the effective revenue enhancement rates that I issue on my site, for U.S. companies, were used past times about to advance the declaration that U.S. companies were non paying plenty inwards taxes. Looking at the 2013 update on revenue enhancement rates, that issue is depression (14.93%), but it is the average effective revenue enhancement charge per unit of measurement across all U.S. companies, including those that are coin losing (and thence paid no taxes). Looking solely at money-making companies, the average effective revenue enhancement charge per unit of measurement is 28.37%, together with the weighted average revenue enhancement charge per unit of measurement is fifty-fifty higher at 30.05%. So, if y'all withdraw hold an agenda, y'all tin sack accept your option to brand the declaration that U.S. companies pay besides little, merely plenty or fifty-fifty besides much inwards taxes.
The counter: While at that topographic point is fiddling that y'all tin sack do to halt people from using information selectively, y'all tin sack counter their arguments past times presenting them alongside the numbers that they are ignoring. In fact, it was inwards reply to the revenue enhancement charge per unit of measurement combat that I started reporting the average revenue enhancement rates for money-making companies together with aggregated revenue enhancement rates inwards my datasets.

3. Data to deflect together with evade responsibility: Many analysts utilisation information to avoid making tough judgments most businesses or dealing alongside uncertainty. Thus, assuming that a companionship volition earn a earnings margin typical of the manufacture is much easier to do than analyzing its competitive advantages together with estimating a margin, based on your assessment. Similarly, using a historical or a service supplied equity run a peril premium inwards valuation is far simpler than estimating one, based upon the macroeconomic risks that nosotros confront inwards markets today. In fact, using an goodness or a service gauge of these numbers (using an equity run a peril premium from a information service similar Ibbotson or fifty-fifty my website) allows analysts to claim immunity from errors together with to overstep the buck, if the numbers plough out to hold out incorrect inwards hindsight.
The counter: I withdraw hold absolutely no concerns most y'all borrowing information together with spreadsheets from my website but delight brand them your ain past times adapting together with modifying them to non solely tally your needs to but also to reverberate your points of view.

I promise that y'all uncovering my information useful inwards your locomote or research. If y'all do, that is to a greater extent than than sufficient provide on whatever fourth dimension that I withdraw hold invested inwards putting it together. If y'all tin sack intend of ways inwards which it tin sack hold out to a greater extent than useful or complete, delight do allow me know together with I volition seek out my best to contain those suggestions into side past times side year's update.

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