United States Patent 6,189,886
Abstract
A board game based on stock market concepts comprising a game board (10) having a path of varibly-colored spaces beginning at one top corner, winding up and down across the board, and ending at the opposite top corner. As players move around the board, they make choices and perform transactions relating to the space they have landed on: on colored spaces, they may buy or sell the specified color of stock; on white spaces (12), they may strategically jump to any other white space on the board; on gray news flash spaces (14), they draw a news flash card (22A-22B) and perform the expressed transaction; and when they land on or cross over the market update bar (16), they change the price-per-share cards (18A-18B). Players record their transactions and track their balances on a balance sheet (24). The game ends when one player reaches the agreed upon goal or when all players agree to end the game, in which case, a play-off round is performed.
Stock that a trader does not actually own may be traded using short selling; margin buying may be used to purchase stock with borrowed funds; or, derivatives may be used to control large blocks of stocks for a much smaller amount of money than would be required by outright purchase or sale.
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A stock market is a market for the trading of company stock, and derivatives of same; both of these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.
Many years ago, worldwide, buyers and sellers were individual investors, such as wealthy businessmen, with long family histories (and emotional ties) to particular corporations. Over time, markets have become more “institutionalized”; buyers and sellers are largely institutions (e.g., pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, hedge funds, investor groups, and banks). The rise of the institutional investor has brought with it some improvements in market operations. Thus, the government was responsible for “fixed” (and exorbitant) fees being markedly reduced for the ’small’ investor, but only after the large institutions had managed to break the brokers’ solid front on fees (they then went to ‘negotiated’ fees, but only for large institutions). (more…)
United States Patent 6,446,970
Abstract
A game apparatus for teaching players issues related to investments and the stock market is disclosed. A game board is provided that describes a pathway for player movement thereon. Player movement about the game board is determined according to the roll of a die. The game board includes, playing spaces associated with: 1. players’ action of trading commodities; 2. increase or decrease in the value of commodities; 3. ownership of individual companies; 4. extraction of gold from a mine; 5. market rumors; 6. company rumors; market news; 6. company news; 7. stock trading options, and: 8. change in interest rates.
Method and system of enabling minors to make stock market transactions via the Internet with adult authorization
United States Patent 7,171,382
Abstract
A method and system for enabling adults to perform stock market transactions on behalf of minors and other young persons who have demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the stock market. The method comprises enabling an adult to set up and put money into a custodial account that can be accessed by the minor, enabling the minor to make a stock transaction request, notifying the adult of the stock transaction request, and enabling the adult to fulfill the stock transaction request on behalf of the minor. The method can also include instructing the minor on the stock market and evaluating the minor’s knowledge of the target stock before transmitting the stock transaction request to the authorizing adult.
The movements of the prices in a market or section of a market are captured in price indices called stock market indices, of which there are many, e.g., the S&P, the FTSE and the Euronext indices. Such indices are usually market capitalization (the total market value of floating capital of the company) weighted, with the weights reflecting the contribution of the stock to the index. The constituents of the index are reviewed frequently to include/exclude stocks in order to reflect the changing business environment.
United States Patent 5,934,674
Abstract
A stock market game apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a game board defining a game piece movement pathway thereon including a plurality of movement units. At least some of these movement units are associated with a plurality of stocks used for building stock portfolios among the game players. A display unit provides players with information concerning the current value of stocks within the game and providing a running total of the value of the stock portfolios they have built. The values of these stock portfolios are determined by receiving and inserting ownership tokens into slots associated with the player’s stock portfolio. This action selects a particular valuation algorithm associated with the stock that determines the value of the stock using a processor internal to the display.
Braudel suggests that in Cairo in the 11th century Islamic and Jewish merchants had already set up every form of trade association and had knowledge of every method of credit and payment, disproving the belief that these were invented later by Italians.
In 12th century France the courratiers de change were concerned with managing and regulating the debts of agricultural communities on behalf of the banks. Because these men also traded with debts, they could be called the first brokers.
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Function and purpose
The stock market is one of the most important sources for companies to raise money. This allows businesses to go public, or raise additional capital for expansion. The liquidity that an exchange provides affords investors the ability to quickly and easily sell securities. This is an attractive feature of investing in stocks, compared to other less liquid investments such as real estate.
History has shown that the price of shares and other assets is an important part of the dynamics of economic activity, and can influence or be an indicator of social mood. Rising share prices, for instance, tend to be associated with increased business investment and vice versa. Share prices also affect the wealth of households and their consumption. Therefore, central banks tend to keep an eye on the control and behavior of the stock market and, in general, on the smooth operation of financial system functions. Financial stability is the raison d’être of central banks.
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