share. Under the system used by most financial news sources, the significance of these two reports is equal. Both rose four points. In reality, however, the day’s change for the $30 stock represents a 13.3 percent increase, and the day’s change for the $60 stock was only 6.7 percent. In other words, the reporting itself emphasizes points of change rather than percentage change in value per share. The reporting of price is emphasized because it is easily understood and readily available. The change in price per share is important to current stock- holders, so the perception is that the same level of importance applies to would-be buyers, as well. The reporting method is inaccurate and misleading. It also does not reveal the more significant information about a company; in other words, the comparative fundamental information. The financial press, of course, is like the rest of the press. It wants to convey information in a simple manner to report what is thought to be newsworthy. Every serious investor, however, has to be aware not only of the inaccuracies in reported information, but also of the fact that a daily change in a stock’s price means absolutely noth- ing in terms of a company’s value as an investment. It is only scorekeeping, and the game being reported—changes in stock prices—means nothing in the long term. The financial press identifies “winners” as those whose stock rose today and “losers” as those whose stock value fell. So that is the game. It has no rel- evance to the selection of stocks based on underlying, fundamental value, but it is misleading because so many investors make their decisions based not on a study of the company and its fundamentals, but on what they read and hear in the news.