Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Exchange

Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Exchange There are many definitions of stock with different point of view. Bernstein states that stocks are partial ownership of companys assets which are subordinated with debt (Bernstein, R. 2002). Stock is a device that implies an ownership position in a company and signifies a claim on its proportional share in companys assets and profits. Only certain companies have stock called corporation. Limited partnership and Sole proprietorship do not issue stock (WebFinance, Inc., 2010). According to Vernimmen et al. (Vernimmen et al. 2009, p. 527), A stock or a share is a security that is not redeemed. The investment can only be recognized through disposal and whose revenue flows is uncertain. Corporations need financial resources and this required resources usually come from ordinary or common stocks, preferred stocks, and medium to long term lenders or debenture holders. Common stock is everlasting capital for the corporation. The owners who invest in this type of stock are called ordinary or common shareholders and any profit retained after paying debenture interest will be distribute to them called dividend. Preferred stocks are issued to public in order to acquire capital and these stocks have rights to specified yearly fixed percentage dividend on the paid-up capital. Preferred stocks are less common in stock market (Anandarajah, Aseervatham, and Reid 2005). The following are the characteristics of common stock and preferred stocks: (Scott et al. 1999). Preferred Stock A hybrid security which has similar characteristics to bonds and common stocks. It is similar to bonds in its dividends which are limited in amount. It is similar to common stocks in that it has no fixed maturity date, dividends are not deductible in terms of tax purposes, and non-payment of dividends will not cause bankruptcy. Common Stock. Common stock shares imply an ownership in corporation which does not have maturity date and exists as long as the firm does. Stock exchange is an organization which helps connection between potential buyers and potential sellers of stocks. Stock exchange can be physical place, network of computers, system of telephone link, etc. A stock market is a place where stocks can be purchased and sold (Samuel, J.M., Wilkes, F.M., and Brayshaw, R.E. 1996). Most of countries around the world have stock exchanges. The number of stock exchanges around the world is growing significantly. Based on continents, stock exchanges around the world can be divided into 6: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, and South America. Indonesia Stock Exchange called IDX is one of the stock exchanges in Asia (Stock Exchanges Worldwide Links, n.d., 2010). Principally, there are 2 advantages are obtained by investor who buying or having stocks in stock exchanges (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007): Dividend. Dividend is sharing profit awarded by a company because of holding stock for a relatively long period until ownership term is in period where an investor is recognized as shareholder who has right to get dividend. Capital Gain. Capital gain is the difference between selling price and buying price acquired from trading activities. Those advantages cause investors choose stocks as an attractive alternative than put their money in fixed deposits that have low interest rates (Chuan, 2004). Basically, investors who buying or having stocks will also have some risks (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007): Capital Loss. Capital loss is a situation when an investor is selling the stocks at lower price than the buying price. Liquidity Risk. A company with shares held by public is declared for its bankruptcy by the Court. Shareholders or investors will have the last priority of claiming their rights after all liabilities are fulfilled. The rest of the companys wealth will be shared proportionally to the shareholders. Shareholders will not obtain anything from the liquidation if there is no rest left. The overall price movements of common stocks of corporations traded on stock markets are called stock market price indexes. Corporate stockholders will get benefit from company through dividends and have right to vote in company. Investors capital gains and losses will affected by increasing and falling of stock prices (Frumkin 2000). Norman (Frumkin, N. 2000, p. 277) states that The dividend yield, which is the rate of return on a share company stock, is a companys annual cash dividend percentage of companys annual stock price. Nowadays, the price of stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange is changing rapidly. The average price of stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange increased significantly (approximately 20%) during 2006. The average price decreased approximately 19% during January 2008 and declined again approximately 16% during March 2008. The significant change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange is caused by external environmental factors or macroeconomics factors (Frensidy, B. 2008). There are many external environmental factors that impact financial system including stocks. Those factors are economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, interest rates, etc (Evans, et al. 2000). Many investors lost their money because of the significant change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Investors lost their capital because they sell their stocks at lower price than the buying price (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007). By analyzing external environmental factors, investors can predict the future price of stocks more accurately. To minimize the risk or capital loss, investors have to understand external environmental factors influencing stock prices in order to make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold the shares. The research will identify external environmental factors which have significant influence on stock prices and explain the relationship between those factors and stock prices in order to accomplish that goal. Objectives, Research Question, and Research Hypotheses The objectives of the research are: To identify the variables of external environmental factors influencing the stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. To analyze the influence of external environmental factors on stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Based on the objectives, the research questions are as follow: Which external environmental factors influence stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange? How does external environmental factors influence on stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange? Based on the research question, the research hypotheses are built up: External environmental factors encourage the change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. External environmental factor have strong correlation with stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Scope This research study will focus on external environmental factors influencing the stock prices in Indonesia stock exchange, which will be explained more briefly in chapter 2 literature reviews. Some external environmental factors influencing stock prices are applied to explain the correlation between external environmental factors and stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The analysis of what kind of relationship (positive or negative) between external environmental factors and stock prices will also be clarified in this research. The literature reviews will consist of some external environmental factors which influence stock prices especially in Indonesia Stock Exchange. A survey will be performed in order to collect data about the change of several external factors and stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Based on collected data, a model will be offered to analyze the relationship between stock prices and external environmental factors. Lastly, this research will be limited and focused on the following: The research is only focused on JSX composite index or (Indonesian: Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan, IHSG). This research is only focused on external environmental factors which influence stock prices. The data collection period of this research is 5 years from 2005 to 2009. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review of External Environmental Factors and Stock Prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange This chapter will summarize external environmental factors which influence stock prices. Factors and frameworks will be appeared by joining and integrating adopted theories. Lastly, the major external environmental factors influencing stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange will be provided in this chapter. Categories of Stocks and Types of Orders In the market, there are various names of stocks that refer to different categories of stocks (Chuan, 2004): Figure 2.1 Categories of Stocks Source: adapted from Chuan, 2004 Blue Chips refer to stocks that are steady with good fundamentals. Undervalued Stocks refer to stocks which are well-established by companies with solid balance sheet. Such stocks are generally unnoticed by investors, traded with small volume, and receive little reporting from media and analysts or experts. Growth Stocks refer to stocks which are established by recognized companies that have high growth sectors and their business are predicted to enlarge quickly over the coming years. Such stocks are generally traded with higher PER (Price Earnings Ratio) even though they lack of history of strong earnings base. While companies show continual rise in their earnings, the price of these stocks will increase. Penny Stocks refer to stocks that have small capitalization and traded bellow one dollar. Small-Cap Stocks refer to stocks that have very few issued shares and traded in low price at stock market. Such stocks are usually not bought by foreign institutions and funds. Small-Cap Stocks have some risks as follow: Smaller companies tend to less flexible to major crisis because they are less diversified and more prone to market shocks and monetary crisis. Trading volumes are low and less liquid. Therefore, investors may not find the buyers in stock market when they want to sell the stocks. Small-Cap Stocks are more sensitive to news and rumors. There are 3 types of orders used in the buying and selling of stocks as follow (Chuan, 2004): Market Order Market order is an order to buy or sell stocks instantly at the best current price. For example, investors place market order to sell AAA shares. It means investors buy AAA shares at current offering price. Limit Order Investors which place limit order will set a certain suitable price to buy or sell a particular stock. Stop Order Stop order is an order to buy or sell the stocks that are traded at certain price level immediately. This certain price level is known as stop price. For instance, investors place stop order to buy AAA shares at $5.00. If AAA shares begin to trade at $5.00, the order becomes market order and broker will buy shares at the best current price. In terms of selling stop order, the order is placed bellow current price to help investors decrease their possible losses and keep their profit. Timing and Stock Investment Investor would discourage when the price of their stocks decreased significantly after they had bought the stocks or to be trapped in market crash after they had invested their money in the stock market. Good timing is the most crucial factor for investors in stock market. Even the best stocks will become useless investments if investors buy them at wrong time (George, A. 2008). The major problem is good timing cannot be determined easily because stock market is influenced by large amount of factors and events that are beyond prediction. Investors have to understand factors influencing stock price and involve some insight to determine good timing whether they have to buy, sell, or hold their stocks (Chuan, 2004). In stock investment, price is mechanism by which practically all goods and services are exchanged. In this case, price has strong power or price is a king because price will determine whether stocks become excessively expensive or inexpensive (George, A 2008). The price of stocks tends to increase when there are more buyers than sellers in stock market. Buyers are tense in stock market based on expectation of future price increase. There are some signals which make buyers believe that future stock price will increase (Chuan, 2004): Positive indication from market trend. Rumors in stock market. Information concerning better earnings prospects for company. External Environmental Factors Influencing Stock Prices There are several external environmental factors influencing the uptrend or downtrend of stock prices in stock market. Those external environmental factors are: Worldwide stock market. Local economy. Political factor. Inflation. Foreign Exchange Rates. Interest Rates. Commodity Prices. Worldwide Stock Market The performance of world economy will have effect on local economy or Indonesian economy due to globalization. The worldwide economy especially US, China, Japan, and Singapore economy will help to enhance Indonesian economy because those countries are major trading partners of Indonesia (CIA, 2010). Therefore, positive economic performance of those countries will give favorable result for Indonesian Stock Market (Chuan, 2004).Indonesian stock prices get significant impact from US, China, Japan, and Singapore stock prices. JCX composite index or IHSG obtain significant influence from worldwide stock market especially DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average), Nikkei 225, Hang Seng and Strait Times. Investors always look at those stocks before and during trading stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Export partners and import partners of Indonesia will affect local economy and price of JSX composite index in Indonesian Stock Exchange (Samsul, M. 2006). For example, JCX composite index in 7 May 2010 decreased significantly (71.29 points or 2.54%) because of the decrease of worldwide stock market. Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 407.05 points or 3.75%, Nikkei decreased 331.1 points or 3.1%, Hang Seng decreased 213.12 points or 1.06%, and Strait Times decreased 6.7 points or 0.59%. The decrease of worldwide stock market had significant influence on Indonesian stock prices (Meryani, A. 2010). Figure 2.2 Indonesia Export Partners 2009 Source: adapted from CIA, 2010 Figure 2.3 Indonesia Import Partners 2009 Source: adapted from CIA, 2010 Local Economy GDP or Gross Domestic Product is regularly used as an indicator of economic performance of the country. Brux (Brux, J.M. 2008, p. 351) states that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the market value of all final goods and services produced in the economy in a given time period (usually one year). There are two different types of GDP as follow: Nominal GDP. Nominal GDP is GDP that determined at current prices or actual prices of a particular year. Real GDP. Real GDP is GDP which adjusted for inflation. GDP is generally used as indicator of standards of living in a country. If GDP is high, there is an assumption that economy in a country is doing well and this country has high standards of living. When GDP is growing, there is an assumption that economic activity in a country and standards of living are rising (Brux, 2008). When GDP of a country shows positive growth, it is usually followed by positive trend in stock market. Therefore, GDP is often used by investors to estimate turning points of their stocks and to time their investment.GDP growth and other economic data are published in newspaper. When investors read this information, investor should know how to use the information wisely. For instance, when banking sector is predicted to perform badly, investors should leave out banking stocks in their stock investment. This information will help investors to choose their stocks and make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold the shares. When economic condition in a country is good, stock prices generally tend to increase. However, investors have to be careful because it is also a sign that good days are numbered. Economy which is growing too fast will be difficult to maintain its growing or to be sustained (Chuan, 2004). Political Factor Stock price can be affected by regional, national, and international political situation. Political crisis usually will have negative impact in stock market trends. Stock prices generally will drop significantly because of political crisis (Chuan, 2004). Inflation According to Hook (Hook, J.A. 2003, p. 110), Inflation is A condition in which the economy experiences a continuous increase in the average price level of all goods and services. The price of certain goods and services may decrease but the average price of all goods and services increases. Financial service industries and banking are influenced significantly by inflation (Hook, J.A. 2003). Inflation can also be defined as a state that has continuous increase in prices of goods and services. Inflation will increase the cost of doing business because price of goods and services increases significantly. Therefore, it is expensive to do business during inflation and profit margins of business will decrease due to higher price of raw materials, rentals, etc (Chuan, 2004). Potential earnings of companies will determine the demand for a stock. Therefore, potential earnings of many companies generally decreased during inflation period due to the lower demand for stock. The lower demand for a stock will cause the decrease of stock prices in stock market. Investors should look at the growing of inflation and sell their stocks before inflation happens. Investors can use commodity prices and interest rates as indicators of inflation trend. When commodity prices and interest rates are rising, those factors indicate the coming of inflation. Investors should have carefulness to enter the stock market (Chuan, 2004). Foreign Exchange Rates Taylor, F. states that foreign exchange rate is the ratio which is used to convert one currency into another. Most countries around the world have their own currencies released by certain official agency which is called monetary authority or central bank. Currency is medium of exchange which is used to buy goods and services (Taylor, F. 2003). According to Philip (Philip et al. 2000), there are types of exchange rate system as follow: Flexible Exchange Rates. Flexible exchange rates system is an exchange rate system which the value of currency is permitted to react to market forces without any intervention by central banks or monetary authority. Fixed Exchange Rates. Fixed exchange rates system is an exchange rate system which associate countries agree to fix the value and changes only occur under certain particular condition. This exchange rate system can reduce uncertainty from international trade and support long term investment in international trade. Managed Floating. Managed floating is an exchange rate system which currency is allowed to respond to market changes but central banks are allowed to interfere in order to protect the value of the currency especially when central banks believe that depreciation is only temporary. Stock-Oriented models of exchange rates which also known as portfolio-balance approaches view exchange rates as equating demand and supply for certain assets especially stocks and bonds. Financial assets are valued by present values of future cash flows, expectations of relative currency values have significant role in price movements especially for internationally held financial assets. Therefore, stock prices are influenced by exchange rates movement (Ajayi and Mougoue, 1996). JCX Index or IHSG gets significant influence from the fluctuation of USD/IDR exchange rate. USD/IDR indicates how many IDR (Indonesia currency) per US dollar. The decrease of IDR currency in term of US dollar is generally followed by the decrease of several Indonesia stock prices such as Telkom, ASTRA International, Bakrie Telecom, Kalbe Farma, etc (Sihombing,G. 2008). Figure 2.4 shows that the fluctuation of USD/IDR exchange rate is very high. Therefore, Indonesian investors should look at USD/IDR exchange rate as consideration in trading stocks (Yahoo, 2010). Figure 2.4 USD/IDR Exchange Rates from 2005 to 2010 Source: Yahoo, 2010 Interest Rates Frumkin (Frumkin, N. 2000, p. 190) states that Interest is the cost of borrowing money, and interest rates are the price of money. Interest rates which refer to yields are the annualized percentage that interest is of the principal of the loan. Interest rate is a good indicator of inflation trends because of its role as regulatory device to monitor the inflation trends. If interest rate increases, the cost of borrowing money will become higher and more expensive. Investing and developing business will be more expensive. Therefore, the economic growth is decrease and the inflation is under control. Besides as an indicator of inflation trends, interest rates also affect stock market and have significant influence in stock prices. When interest rate in a country is low that indicates stable or low inflation rates, stock market generally shows its positive trends and has tendency to be more active. Many investors prefer to put their money on other investments rather than put their money in bank deposits due to lower fixed interest rate. Investors will obtain lower return from bank deposits than return which comes from other investments especially stocks or shares. In addition, the cost of borrowing money becomes cheaper and this makes investors advance their additional borrowing for investment. Therefore, low interest rate will give positive impact to stock market in terms of rising stock prices. Investors have to be more careful when there is news about increasing interest rates. Investors should look at the change of interest rates regularly because of the impact of interest rates on their stock prices (Chuan, 2004). Increasing interest rates will give a negative effect on many companies which have large debts or loans because of the rising of cost of borrowing. The profit of the companies and ability to grow will decrease. When the profit of companies decrease, stock prices generally becomes less attractive and their stock prices decrease. When interest rates become high, investors usually react in two possible outcomes as follow (Mladjenovic, P. 2009): Investors may sell some of their stocks to pay their interest loans or debts. If many investors sell their stock, it will give negative effect on stock prices. Stock prices tend to decrease because there are more sellers than buyers in stock market. Higher interest rates may cause investors swap change their investment from stocks to bonds or bank deposits which offer higher return. In Indonesia, interest rate decisions are decided by Central Bank of Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia interest rates dropped significantly over the years that can be seen in figure 2.5. The decrease of interest rates will attract more investors to invest their money on stock market (Trading Economics, 2010). Figure 2.5 Indonesia Interest Rates from 2006 to 2010 Indonesia Interest Rate Source: Trading Economics, 2010 Commodity Prices Basic commodities which are required in the production process of most goods and services are good indicators of inflation trends. Those commodities are oil, rubber, steel, etc. When the prices of those commodities increase, the cost of goods and services will also increase. Therefore, when the prices of most commodities increase, it may be an indication of inflation. Investors should have carefulness to enter the stock market. Besides as an indicator of inflation trends, commodity prices especially oil prices also affect stock market and have significant influence in stock prices (Chuan, 2004). Higher oil prices will have significant impact on stock market returns especially the aggregate effect of stock prices. Higher oil prices may cause the rising of production cost which will give great forces on industry equity returns. In oil exporting countries, higher oil prices will increase profits from oil, gas, coal, and vary resources industries. Higher oil prices may cause the rising of stock prices especially for oil exporting countries which depends on relative significance of the industries (Chen, A. H. 2008). JCX composite index or IHSG gets significant influence from the fluctuation of oil prices. For instance, the price of oil in early 2008 increased significantly to US$ 147 per barrel and then decreased drastically to US$ 36 per barrel. The price of JCX composite index followed the fluctuation of oil prices. In the early 2008, JCX composite index increased to IDR 2800. At the end of this year, JCX composite index decreased to IDR 1100 (more than 100%) because of the decrease of oil prices. Indonesian stock prices generally follow the fluctuation of oil prices. When the oil prices decrease, stock prices usually also decrease and otherwise. Therefore, Indonesian investors should look at the movement of oil prices as consideration in trading stocks (Sidarta, W. 2010). Research Framework Stock price in Indonesia Stock Exchange is the main axis in the research framework. The potential external environmental factors which influence stock price are: Economic factors. Economic factors consist of worldwide stock market (DJIA, Hang Seng, Nikkei, and Strait Times), local economy (GDP), inflation, interest rates, exchange rates (USD/IDR exchange rates), and commodities prices (oil price). Interest rates and commodities prices have correlation with inflation because the movements of those factors are indicator of inflation trends. Political factors. Stock price can be affected by regional, national, and international political situation such as political crisis. All of those potential factors will become consideration factors for Indonesian investors in order to make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold their stocks. The research framework can be seen in figure 2.6. Figure 2.6 Research Framework POLITICAL FACTOR ECONOMIC FACTORS STOCK PRICE (JCX Composite Index or IHSG) INTEREST RATES INFLATION OIL PRICES EXCHANGE RATES (USD/IDR) LOCAL ECONOMY (GDP) WORLDWIDE STOCK MARKET (DJIA, NIKKEI, HANG SENG, STRAIT TIMES) Source: The Researcher Summary The research topic in this study is An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The report consists of introduction, literature review, and reference. Chapter 1 introduction identifies background of the research, objectives of the research, research question, research hypotheses, and scopes. Chapter 2 literature review provides knowledge and theories that are related to research topic. Summary and explanation of external environmental factors which influence stock prices will be provided in this chapter. At the end of this chapter, the author provides research framework in this report. Factors and frameworks will be appeared by joining and integrating adopted theories. Lastly, references show the sources of all information used in this research. Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Exchange Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Exchange There are many definitions of stock with different point of view. Bernstein states that stocks are partial ownership of companys assets which are subordinated with debt (Bernstein, R. 2002). Stock is a device that implies an ownership position in a company and signifies a claim on its proportional share in companys assets and profits. Only certain companies have stock called corporation. Limited partnership and Sole proprietorship do not issue stock (WebFinance, Inc., 2010). According to Vernimmen et al. (Vernimmen et al. 2009, p. 527), A stock or a share is a security that is not redeemed. The investment can only be recognized through disposal and whose revenue flows is uncertain. Corporations need financial resources and this required resources usually come from ordinary or common stocks, preferred stocks, and medium to long term lenders or debenture holders. Common stock is everlasting capital for the corporation. The owners who invest in this type of stock are called ordinary or common shareholders and any profit retained after paying debenture interest will be distribute to them called dividend. Preferred stocks are issued to public in order to acquire capital and these stocks have rights to specified yearly fixed percentage dividend on the paid-up capital. Preferred stocks are less common in stock market (Anandarajah, Aseervatham, and Reid 2005). The following are the characteristics of common stock and preferred stocks: (Scott et al. 1999). Preferred Stock A hybrid security which has similar characteristics to bonds and common stocks. It is similar to bonds in its dividends which are limited in amount. It is similar to common stocks in that it has no fixed maturity date, dividends are not deductible in terms of tax purposes, and non-payment of dividends will not cause bankruptcy. Common Stock. Common stock shares imply an ownership in corporation which does not have maturity date and exists as long as the firm does. Stock exchange is an organization which helps connection between potential buyers and potential sellers of stocks. Stock exchange can be physical place, network of computers, system of telephone link, etc. A stock market is a place where stocks can be purchased and sold (Samuel, J.M., Wilkes, F.M., and Brayshaw, R.E. 1996). Most of countries around the world have stock exchanges. The number of stock exchanges around the world is growing significantly. Based on continents, stock exchanges around the world can be divided into 6: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, and South America. Indonesia Stock Exchange called IDX is one of the stock exchanges in Asia (Stock Exchanges Worldwide Links, n.d., 2010). Principally, there are 2 advantages are obtained by investor who buying or having stocks in stock exchanges (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007): Dividend. Dividend is sharing profit awarded by a company because of holding stock for a relatively long period until ownership term is in period where an investor is recognized as shareholder who has right to get dividend. Capital Gain. Capital gain is the difference between selling price and buying price acquired from trading activities. Those advantages cause investors choose stocks as an attractive alternative than put their money in fixed deposits that have low interest rates (Chuan, 2004). Basically, investors who buying or having stocks will also have some risks (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007): Capital Loss. Capital loss is a situation when an investor is selling the stocks at lower price than the buying price. Liquidity Risk. A company with shares held by public is declared for its bankruptcy by the Court. Shareholders or investors will have the last priority of claiming their rights after all liabilities are fulfilled. The rest of the companys wealth will be shared proportionally to the shareholders. Shareholders will not obtain anything from the liquidation if there is no rest left. The overall price movements of common stocks of corporations traded on stock markets are called stock market price indexes. Corporate stockholders will get benefit from company through dividends and have right to vote in company. Investors capital gains and losses will affected by increasing and falling of stock prices (Frumkin 2000). Norman (Frumkin, N. 2000, p. 277) states that The dividend yield, which is the rate of return on a share company stock, is a companys annual cash dividend percentage of companys annual stock price. Nowadays, the price of stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange is changing rapidly. The average price of stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange increased significantly (approximately 20%) during 2006. The average price decreased approximately 19% during January 2008 and declined again approximately 16% during March 2008. The significant change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange is caused by external environmental factors or macroeconomics factors (Frensidy, B. 2008). There are many external environmental factors that impact financial system including stocks. Those factors are economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, interest rates, etc (Evans, et al. 2000). Many investors lost their money because of the significant change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Investors lost their capital because they sell their stocks at lower price than the buying price (Indonesia Stock Exchange, 2007). By analyzing external environmental factors, investors can predict the future price of stocks more accurately. To minimize the risk or capital loss, investors have to understand external environmental factors influencing stock prices in order to make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold the shares. The research will identify external environmental factors which have significant influence on stock prices and explain the relationship between those factors and stock prices in order to accomplish that goal. Objectives, Research Question, and Research Hypotheses The objectives of the research are: To identify the variables of external environmental factors influencing the stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. To analyze the influence of external environmental factors on stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Based on the objectives, the research questions are as follow: Which external environmental factors influence stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange? How does external environmental factors influence on stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange? Based on the research question, the research hypotheses are built up: External environmental factors encourage the change of stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. External environmental factor have strong correlation with stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Scope This research study will focus on external environmental factors influencing the stock prices in Indonesia stock exchange, which will be explained more briefly in chapter 2 literature reviews. Some external environmental factors influencing stock prices are applied to explain the correlation between external environmental factors and stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The analysis of what kind of relationship (positive or negative) between external environmental factors and stock prices will also be clarified in this research. The literature reviews will consist of some external environmental factors which influence stock prices especially in Indonesia Stock Exchange. A survey will be performed in order to collect data about the change of several external factors and stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Based on collected data, a model will be offered to analyze the relationship between stock prices and external environmental factors. Lastly, this research will be limited and focused on the following: The research is only focused on JSX composite index or (Indonesian: Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan, IHSG). This research is only focused on external environmental factors which influence stock prices. The data collection period of this research is 5 years from 2005 to 2009. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review of External Environmental Factors and Stock Prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange This chapter will summarize external environmental factors which influence stock prices. Factors and frameworks will be appeared by joining and integrating adopted theories. Lastly, the major external environmental factors influencing stock prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange will be provided in this chapter. Categories of Stocks and Types of Orders In the market, there are various names of stocks that refer to different categories of stocks (Chuan, 2004): Figure 2.1 Categories of Stocks Source: adapted from Chuan, 2004 Blue Chips refer to stocks that are steady with good fundamentals. Undervalued Stocks refer to stocks which are well-established by companies with solid balance sheet. Such stocks are generally unnoticed by investors, traded with small volume, and receive little reporting from media and analysts or experts. Growth Stocks refer to stocks which are established by recognized companies that have high growth sectors and their business are predicted to enlarge quickly over the coming years. Such stocks are generally traded with higher PER (Price Earnings Ratio) even though they lack of history of strong earnings base. While companies show continual rise in their earnings, the price of these stocks will increase. Penny Stocks refer to stocks that have small capitalization and traded bellow one dollar. Small-Cap Stocks refer to stocks that have very few issued shares and traded in low price at stock market. Such stocks are usually not bought by foreign institutions and funds. Small-Cap Stocks have some risks as follow: Smaller companies tend to less flexible to major crisis because they are less diversified and more prone to market shocks and monetary crisis. Trading volumes are low and less liquid. Therefore, investors may not find the buyers in stock market when they want to sell the stocks. Small-Cap Stocks are more sensitive to news and rumors. There are 3 types of orders used in the buying and selling of stocks as follow (Chuan, 2004): Market Order Market order is an order to buy or sell stocks instantly at the best current price. For example, investors place market order to sell AAA shares. It means investors buy AAA shares at current offering price. Limit Order Investors which place limit order will set a certain suitable price to buy or sell a particular stock. Stop Order Stop order is an order to buy or sell the stocks that are traded at certain price level immediately. This certain price level is known as stop price. For instance, investors place stop order to buy AAA shares at $5.00. If AAA shares begin to trade at $5.00, the order becomes market order and broker will buy shares at the best current price. In terms of selling stop order, the order is placed bellow current price to help investors decrease their possible losses and keep their profit. Timing and Stock Investment Investor would discourage when the price of their stocks decreased significantly after they had bought the stocks or to be trapped in market crash after they had invested their money in the stock market. Good timing is the most crucial factor for investors in stock market. Even the best stocks will become useless investments if investors buy them at wrong time (George, A. 2008). The major problem is good timing cannot be determined easily because stock market is influenced by large amount of factors and events that are beyond prediction. Investors have to understand factors influencing stock price and involve some insight to determine good timing whether they have to buy, sell, or hold their stocks (Chuan, 2004). In stock investment, price is mechanism by which practically all goods and services are exchanged. In this case, price has strong power or price is a king because price will determine whether stocks become excessively expensive or inexpensive (George, A 2008). The price of stocks tends to increase when there are more buyers than sellers in stock market. Buyers are tense in stock market based on expectation of future price increase. There are some signals which make buyers believe that future stock price will increase (Chuan, 2004): Positive indication from market trend. Rumors in stock market. Information concerning better earnings prospects for company. External Environmental Factors Influencing Stock Prices There are several external environmental factors influencing the uptrend or downtrend of stock prices in stock market. Those external environmental factors are: Worldwide stock market. Local economy. Political factor. Inflation. Foreign Exchange Rates. Interest Rates. Commodity Prices. Worldwide Stock Market The performance of world economy will have effect on local economy or Indonesian economy due to globalization. The worldwide economy especially US, China, Japan, and Singapore economy will help to enhance Indonesian economy because those countries are major trading partners of Indonesia (CIA, 2010). Therefore, positive economic performance of those countries will give favorable result for Indonesian Stock Market (Chuan, 2004).Indonesian stock prices get significant impact from US, China, Japan, and Singapore stock prices. JCX composite index or IHSG obtain significant influence from worldwide stock market especially DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average), Nikkei 225, Hang Seng and Strait Times. Investors always look at those stocks before and during trading stocks in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Export partners and import partners of Indonesia will affect local economy and price of JSX composite index in Indonesian Stock Exchange (Samsul, M. 2006). For example, JCX composite index in 7 May 2010 decreased significantly (71.29 points or 2.54%) because of the decrease of worldwide stock market. Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 407.05 points or 3.75%, Nikkei decreased 331.1 points or 3.1%, Hang Seng decreased 213.12 points or 1.06%, and Strait Times decreased 6.7 points or 0.59%. The decrease of worldwide stock market had significant influence on Indonesian stock prices (Meryani, A. 2010). Figure 2.2 Indonesia Export Partners 2009 Source: adapted from CIA, 2010 Figure 2.3 Indonesia Import Partners 2009 Source: adapted from CIA, 2010 Local Economy GDP or Gross Domestic Product is regularly used as an indicator of economic performance of the country. Brux (Brux, J.M. 2008, p. 351) states that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the market value of all final goods and services produced in the economy in a given time period (usually one year). There are two different types of GDP as follow: Nominal GDP. Nominal GDP is GDP that determined at current prices or actual prices of a particular year. Real GDP. Real GDP is GDP which adjusted for inflation. GDP is generally used as indicator of standards of living in a country. If GDP is high, there is an assumption that economy in a country is doing well and this country has high standards of living. When GDP is growing, there is an assumption that economic activity in a country and standards of living are rising (Brux, 2008). When GDP of a country shows positive growth, it is usually followed by positive trend in stock market. Therefore, GDP is often used by investors to estimate turning points of their stocks and to time their investment.GDP growth and other economic data are published in newspaper. When investors read this information, investor should know how to use the information wisely. For instance, when banking sector is predicted to perform badly, investors should leave out banking stocks in their stock investment. This information will help investors to choose their stocks and make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold the shares. When economic condition in a country is good, stock prices generally tend to increase. However, investors have to be careful because it is also a sign that good days are numbered. Economy which is growing too fast will be difficult to maintain its growing or to be sustained (Chuan, 2004). Political Factor Stock price can be affected by regional, national, and international political situation. Political crisis usually will have negative impact in stock market trends. Stock prices generally will drop significantly because of political crisis (Chuan, 2004). Inflation According to Hook (Hook, J.A. 2003, p. 110), Inflation is A condition in which the economy experiences a continuous increase in the average price level of all goods and services. The price of certain goods and services may decrease but the average price of all goods and services increases. Financial service industries and banking are influenced significantly by inflation (Hook, J.A. 2003). Inflation can also be defined as a state that has continuous increase in prices of goods and services. Inflation will increase the cost of doing business because price of goods and services increases significantly. Therefore, it is expensive to do business during inflation and profit margins of business will decrease due to higher price of raw materials, rentals, etc (Chuan, 2004). Potential earnings of companies will determine the demand for a stock. Therefore, potential earnings of many companies generally decreased during inflation period due to the lower demand for stock. The lower demand for a stock will cause the decrease of stock prices in stock market. Investors should look at the growing of inflation and sell their stocks before inflation happens. Investors can use commodity prices and interest rates as indicators of inflation trend. When commodity prices and interest rates are rising, those factors indicate the coming of inflation. Investors should have carefulness to enter the stock market (Chuan, 2004). Foreign Exchange Rates Taylor, F. states that foreign exchange rate is the ratio which is used to convert one currency into another. Most countries around the world have their own currencies released by certain official agency which is called monetary authority or central bank. Currency is medium of exchange which is used to buy goods and services (Taylor, F. 2003). According to Philip (Philip et al. 2000), there are types of exchange rate system as follow: Flexible Exchange Rates. Flexible exchange rates system is an exchange rate system which the value of currency is permitted to react to market forces without any intervention by central banks or monetary authority. Fixed Exchange Rates. Fixed exchange rates system is an exchange rate system which associate countries agree to fix the value and changes only occur under certain particular condition. This exchange rate system can reduce uncertainty from international trade and support long term investment in international trade. Managed Floating. Managed floating is an exchange rate system which currency is allowed to respond to market changes but central banks are allowed to interfere in order to protect the value of the currency especially when central banks believe that depreciation is only temporary. Stock-Oriented models of exchange rates which also known as portfolio-balance approaches view exchange rates as equating demand and supply for certain assets especially stocks and bonds. Financial assets are valued by present values of future cash flows, expectations of relative currency values have significant role in price movements especially for internationally held financial assets. Therefore, stock prices are influenced by exchange rates movement (Ajayi and Mougoue, 1996). JCX Index or IHSG gets significant influence from the fluctuation of USD/IDR exchange rate. USD/IDR indicates how many IDR (Indonesia currency) per US dollar. The decrease of IDR currency in term of US dollar is generally followed by the decrease of several Indonesia stock prices such as Telkom, ASTRA International, Bakrie Telecom, Kalbe Farma, etc (Sihombing,G. 2008). Figure 2.4 shows that the fluctuation of USD/IDR exchange rate is very high. Therefore, Indonesian investors should look at USD/IDR exchange rate as consideration in trading stocks (Yahoo, 2010). Figure 2.4 USD/IDR Exchange Rates from 2005 to 2010 Source: Yahoo, 2010 Interest Rates Frumkin (Frumkin, N. 2000, p. 190) states that Interest is the cost of borrowing money, and interest rates are the price of money. Interest rates which refer to yields are the annualized percentage that interest is of the principal of the loan. Interest rate is a good indicator of inflation trends because of its role as regulatory device to monitor the inflation trends. If interest rate increases, the cost of borrowing money will become higher and more expensive. Investing and developing business will be more expensive. Therefore, the economic growth is decrease and the inflation is under control. Besides as an indicator of inflation trends, interest rates also affect stock market and have significant influence in stock prices. When interest rate in a country is low that indicates stable or low inflation rates, stock market generally shows its positive trends and has tendency to be more active. Many investors prefer to put their money on other investments rather than put their money in bank deposits due to lower fixed interest rate. Investors will obtain lower return from bank deposits than return which comes from other investments especially stocks or shares. In addition, the cost of borrowing money becomes cheaper and this makes investors advance their additional borrowing for investment. Therefore, low interest rate will give positive impact to stock market in terms of rising stock prices. Investors have to be more careful when there is news about increasing interest rates. Investors should look at the change of interest rates regularly because of the impact of interest rates on their stock prices (Chuan, 2004). Increasing interest rates will give a negative effect on many companies which have large debts or loans because of the rising of cost of borrowing. The profit of the companies and ability to grow will decrease. When the profit of companies decrease, stock prices generally becomes less attractive and their stock prices decrease. When interest rates become high, investors usually react in two possible outcomes as follow (Mladjenovic, P. 2009): Investors may sell some of their stocks to pay their interest loans or debts. If many investors sell their stock, it will give negative effect on stock prices. Stock prices tend to decrease because there are more sellers than buyers in stock market. Higher interest rates may cause investors swap change their investment from stocks to bonds or bank deposits which offer higher return. In Indonesia, interest rate decisions are decided by Central Bank of Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia interest rates dropped significantly over the years that can be seen in figure 2.5. The decrease of interest rates will attract more investors to invest their money on stock market (Trading Economics, 2010). Figure 2.5 Indonesia Interest Rates from 2006 to 2010 Indonesia Interest Rate Source: Trading Economics, 2010 Commodity Prices Basic commodities which are required in the production process of most goods and services are good indicators of inflation trends. Those commodities are oil, rubber, steel, etc. When the prices of those commodities increase, the cost of goods and services will also increase. Therefore, when the prices of most commodities increase, it may be an indication of inflation. Investors should have carefulness to enter the stock market. Besides as an indicator of inflation trends, commodity prices especially oil prices also affect stock market and have significant influence in stock prices (Chuan, 2004). Higher oil prices will have significant impact on stock market returns especially the aggregate effect of stock prices. Higher oil prices may cause the rising of production cost which will give great forces on industry equity returns. In oil exporting countries, higher oil prices will increase profits from oil, gas, coal, and vary resources industries. Higher oil prices may cause the rising of stock prices especially for oil exporting countries which depends on relative significance of the industries (Chen, A. H. 2008). JCX composite index or IHSG gets significant influence from the fluctuation of oil prices. For instance, the price of oil in early 2008 increased significantly to US$ 147 per barrel and then decreased drastically to US$ 36 per barrel. The price of JCX composite index followed the fluctuation of oil prices. In the early 2008, JCX composite index increased to IDR 2800. At the end of this year, JCX composite index decreased to IDR 1100 (more than 100%) because of the decrease of oil prices. Indonesian stock prices generally follow the fluctuation of oil prices. When the oil prices decrease, stock prices usually also decrease and otherwise. Therefore, Indonesian investors should look at the movement of oil prices as consideration in trading stocks (Sidarta, W. 2010). Research Framework Stock price in Indonesia Stock Exchange is the main axis in the research framework. The potential external environmental factors which influence stock price are: Economic factors. Economic factors consist of worldwide stock market (DJIA, Hang Seng, Nikkei, and Strait Times), local economy (GDP), inflation, interest rates, exchange rates (USD/IDR exchange rates), and commodities prices (oil price). Interest rates and commodities prices have correlation with inflation because the movements of those factors are indicator of inflation trends. Political factors. Stock price can be affected by regional, national, and international political situation such as political crisis. All of those potential factors will become consideration factors for Indonesian investors in order to make correct decision whether they have to buy, sell, or hold their stocks. The research framework can be seen in figure 2.6. Figure 2.6 Research Framework POLITICAL FACTOR ECONOMIC FACTORS STOCK PRICE (JCX Composite Index or IHSG) INTEREST RATES INFLATION OIL PRICES EXCHANGE RATES (USD/IDR) LOCAL ECONOMY (GDP) WORLDWIDE STOCK MARKET (DJIA, NIKKEI, HANG SENG, STRAIT TIMES) Source: The Researcher Summary The research topic in this study is An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Stock Prices in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The report consists of introduction, literature review, and reference. Chapter 1 introduction identifies background of the research, objectives of the research, research question, research hypotheses, and scopes. Chapter 2 literature review provides knowledge and theories that are related to research topic. Summary and explanation of external environmental factors which influence stock prices will be provided in this chapter. At the end of this chapter, the author provides research framework in this report. Factors and frameworks will be appeared by joining and integrating adopted theories. Lastly, references show the sources of all information used in this research.

Descriptive Essay - The Local Golf Course -- Observation Essays, Descri

Our town is notable for having several interesting golf courses. For those residents whose interests lie in other pursuits, those courses are a waste of large quantities of otherwise useful space that could be better used to construct another mall or store. For the golf enthusiasts among us, however, the preponderance of courses is a delightful benefit of living in this otherwise uninteresting locale, where the only saving grace is the plentiful supply of interesting people. The golf course is an oasis of artificiality in a desert of flat land and unnatural colors. While the surrounding landscape is endlessly flat, with only the trees and buildings obstructing the planar geography, the golf course is a diverse landscape with hills, valleys, lakes and pits of sand flowing from one to an...

Brain Cells Function

Speaking to your right foot will not make it stop wiggling. Asking your left arm to bend and scratch your back will not make it follow either no matter how loudly a person asks. However, right feet do stop wiggling and left arms can be made to scratch backs if one thinks and wants the limbs to stop or start moving. This is because people’s movements are not voice-activated but rather are controlled by commands coming from a person’s brain. The brain is the center or meeting place of the human nervous system. Kids Biology described the nervous system as the main power cable of the body.Through it, the brain is able to receive and send messages to all the other body parts. It can command the hand to perform certain movements while senses can tell the brain about the person’s environment and its effects on the person, such as feelings of pain and heat. Basically, the nervous system is like a built-in telephone inside the body which the brain and the rest of the body can use to tell one another what the body should do or not do. According to Kids Biology, the messages sent are in the form of electricity, similar to the email or the internet, only much, much faster.The things pushing along this electricity inside people’s bodies are called neurons. Brain Cell Online explained that neurons are one of the two kinds of cells, the tiny human particles found in the brain. The other one is the glial cell. According to Brain Cell Online, there are more than 100 billion neurons in the brain. However, there are much more glial cells as they account for 90 percent of the brain’s overall cell count. Glial cells act as the support for the neurons which, as mentioned above, are the cells responsible for passing on the messages between the brain and body in the nervous system.Neurons are not limited in the brain region alone; rather, they are found throughout the nervous system. Brain Cell Online credits neurons with storing and processing infor mation from the brain before sending the information to the right receivers, and vice versa. To perform these multiple responsibilities successfully, neurons are equipped with two special projections or cell endings called dendrites and axons. Chudler distinguishes the two as such: Dendrites bring or push nerve information to the cell body, while axons pull or take them away and pass to another cell.Thus, neurons are like chains of information; passing nerve information from one neuron to another until it reaches the brain or the designated body part. According to Chudler, the information being transferred is in the form of chemicals called neurotransmitters, which flow in and pass through neurons by small gaps called the synapse. The opening allows chemicals to move through electrons so as to make the connections for information chains possible. Chudler further explains that a synapse is composed of three parts: a presynaptic end, a postsynaptic end, and the synaptic cleft which is basically the middle part between the ends.Presynaptic ends are neurotransmitter terminals while postsynaptic ends are neurotransmitter receptor sites. An electrical impulse triggers the release of the neurotransmitters into the cleft until it finally reaches the postsynaptic end where they bind themselves with the receptor site. Chudler writes that this binding can alter cell’s excitability that is increasing or decreasing its potential to hype or intensify the cells’ actions and speed up the transmission of the messages or information being passed.Bain cells are obviously important in people’s experience of the environment. As such, problems with the functions and capabilities of one’s nervous system and all its components such as the neurons have turned into the most difficult and incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s syndrome, stroke, and epilepsy. Fortunately, there are studies evidencing the existence of the concept called neurogenesis. Accord ing to the Society of Neuroscience, neurogenesis refers to the human capability of producing new neurons which can integrate themselves to the working brain (1).This phenomenon suggests the exciting possibility of a self-healing brain—one that keeps one from forgetting and treats brain disorders. Everyone is dependent on having a fully-functioning nervous system, from the brain to the senses and to the tiny microscopic neurons for their daily living. It may be difficult to imagine, but people are able to move their bodies and remember people, objects, and events through complex and lighting-fast information transfer inside our bodies’ tiny cells. Works Cited Brain Cell. Brain Cell.2007. 16 March 2009 . Chudler, Eric. â€Å"The Synapse. † Neuroscience for Kids. University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials. 2009. 16 March 2009 . Kids Biology. Nervous System. 2009. 16 March 2009 . Society for Neuroscience. â€Å"Adult Neurogenesis. † Brain Briefings. Jun e 2007. 16 March 2009 .

How to Start a Book Report

No matter what youre writing, be it the next great novel, an essay for school, or a book report, you have to capture your audiences attention with a great introduction. Most students will introduce the title of the book and its author, but theres so much more you can do. A strong introduction will help you engage your readers, hold their attention and explain what is coming up in the rest of your report. Giving your audience something to look forward to, and perhaps even creating a little mystery and excitement, can be great ways to make sure your readers stay engaged with your report. How do you do this? Check out these three simple steps: 1. Hook the Audiences Attention Think about what you experience in your daily life that captures your attention. The news and radio shows promo upcoming stories with a little teaser, often called a hook (because it hooks your attention). Corporations use snappy subject lines in emails and enticing headlines in social media to get you to open their messages; these are often called clickbait as they get the reader to click on the content. So how can you grab your readers attention? Start by writing a great  introductory sentence. You may choose to begin by asking your reader a question to hook his or her interest. Or you may opt for a title that hints at the topic of your report with a dash of drama. Regardless of the way you choose to start a book report, the four strategies outlined here can help you write an engaging essay. Starting your book report with a question is a good way to grab your readers interest because youre addressing them directly. Consider the following sentences: Do you believe in happy endings?Have you ever felt like a total outsider?Do you love a good mystery?What would you do if you discovered a secret that changed everything? Most people have a ready answer for questions like these because they speak to common experiences we share. Its a means of creating empathy between the person reading your book report and the book itself. For example, consider this opening to a book report about The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: Have you ever been judged by your appearance? In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton gives readers a glimpse inside the tough exterior of a social outcast. Not everyones teenage years are as dramatic as those in Hintons coming-of-age novel. But everyone was once an adolescent, and odds are everyone had moments when they felt misunderstood or alone. Another idea to hook someones attention is, if youre discussing a book by a well-known or popular author, you might start with an interesting fact about the era when the author was alive and how it influenced his or her writing. For example: As a young child, Charles Dickens was forced to work in a shoe polish factory. In his novel, Hard Times, Dickens taps into his childhood experience to explore the evils of social injustice and hypocrisy. Not everyone has read Dickens, but many people have heard his name. By starting your book report with a fact, youre appealing to your readers curiosity. Similarly, you may choose an experience from the author’s life that had an impact on his or her work.   2. Summarize the Content and Provide Details A book report is meant to discuss the contents of the book at hand, and your introductory paragraph should give a little overview. This isnt the place to delve into details, but draw off your hook to share a little more information that is crucial to the storyline.   For example, sometimes, a novels setting is what makes it so powerful. To Kill a Mockingbird, the award-winning book by Harper Lee, takes place in a small town in Alabama during the Great Depression. The author draws on her own experiences in recalling a time when a small Southern towns sleepy exterior hid a vague sense of impending change. In this example, the reviewer might include a reference to the books setting and plot in that first paragraph: Set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression, we learn about Scout Finch and her father, a prominent lawyer, as he desperately works to prove the innocence of a black man wrongly accused of rape. The controversial trial leads to some unexpected interactions and some  terrifying situations for the Finch Family. Authors make a deliberate choice when selecting the setting of a book. After all, the location and setting can set a very distinct mood.   3. Make a Thesis Statement (if applicable) When writing a book report, you might also include your own interpretations of the subject matter. Ask your teacher how much personal interpretation he or she wants first, but assuming that some personal opinion is warranted, your introduction should include a thesis statement. This is where you present the reader with your own argument  about the work. To write a strong thesis statement, which should be about one sentence, you might reflect on what the author was trying to achieve. Consider the theme and see if the book was written in such a way where you were able to determine it easily and if it made sense. As yourself a few questions: Was the book meant to be entertaining or informative? Did it accomplish that goal?Did the moral at the end make sense? Did you learn something?Did the book make you think about the topic at hand and assess your beliefs?   Once youve asked yourself these questions, and any other questions you may think of, see if these responses lead you to a thesis statement in which you assess the success of the novel. Sometimes, a thesis statement is widely shared, while others may be more controversial. In the example below, the thesis statement is one that few would dispute, ​and uses dialogue from the text to help illustrate the point.  Authors choose dialogue carefully, and a single phrase from a character can often represent both a major theme and your thesis. A well-chosen quote included in your book reports introduction can help you create a thesis statement that has a powerful impact on your readers, as in this example: At its heart, the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is a plea for tolerance in an atmosphere of intolerance, and is a statement on social justice. As the  character  Atticus Finch tells his daughter, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Quoting Finch is effective because his words sum up the novels theme concisely and also appeal to the readers own sense of tolerance. Conclusion Dont worry if your first attempt at writing an introductory paragraph is less than perfect. Writing is an act of fine-tuning, and you may need several revisions. The idea is to start your book report by identifying your general theme so that you can move on to the body of your essay. After youve written the entire book report, you can (and should) return to the introduction to refine it. Creating an outline can help you best identify what you need in your introduction. Article edited  by  Stacy Jagodowski