Become an investment guru by using Morningstar at the Blume Library

If you have an interest in investing and investment topics, you should take a look at the Blume Library’s most recent database acquisition: Morningstar.

Morningstar offers detailed information on over 20,000 stocks and mutual funds. Morningstar is famous for the quality of its mutual fund analysis. For mutual funds, you can read analysis on the fund’s performance, examine the fund’s performance over time, find out the fund’s current top five holdings, and get fund purchasing information. For stocks, the database includes detailed information such as analyst reports, ratings, prices, company financial statements, annual financial filings, and dividend and return information.

Morningstar also includes more sophisticated features. You can use the Screeners feature to build customized lists of stocks and/or mutual funds based on a variety of performance, ratings, cost, and management data. The database also offers a neat feature called the Portfolio X-Ray. With the X-Ray, you can enter investments from your own portfolio (or investments you are interested in) and get an idea of the portfolio’s strengths and weaknesses.

Morningstar is available online from the Blume Library website. Students, staff, and faculty may access the database both on-campus and off-campus.

Invest wisely…by using library resources like Morningstar.

Undergraduate Research Award

Are you entering a project in the Undergraduate Research Symposium?

Consider applying for the
First Annual Louis J. Blume Library Undergraduate Research Award

First Prize: $200
Second Prize: $100

Recognizes student researchers who demonstrate skill and originality in the application of library and other information sources in a research project

Symposium application deadline: Friday, March 2, 2007
Research Award application deadline: Friday, March 9, 2007

Candy and Flowers for Valentine's?

Planning on sending some of these traditional Valentine's Day presents to that special someone next week? Join the crowd. The Census Bureau and the Department of Agriculture offer these interesting facts about the production and sale of these treats from their datafiles:

• U.S. firms producing chocolate and cocoa products shipped $13.9 billion worth in 2004, and in 2005 the per capita consumption of candy by Americans was 25.7 pounds. There were 3,267 confectionery and nut stores in business in the U.S. in 2004.
• The wholesale value of domestically-produced cut flowers in 2005 was $397 million, with $39 million coming from the sale of roses. In 2004, there were 21, 667 florists nationwide. Surely one is conveniently located for you!

For information on other commodities, as well as all kinds of other statistics, visit the Census Bureau and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

This Far by Faith

Spiritual and religious roots have been a major motivation in the civil rights movement and the struggle for social justice. In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, the 20th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. March in San Antonio, and in honor of February's Black History Month, the current library book display focuses on African-American religious experiences. The title, This Far by Faith, is borrowed from the title of the Public Broadcast System's series and companion book by Juan Williams and Quinton Hosford Dixie. Visit our library display to see other books related to this topic.