Alex Teixeira is a stock research analyst at an asset management firm in Boston with over five years of personal investing experience. He loves investing and normally adopts a long-term, value-oriented approach. He’s also a big fan of de-mystifying investing for others. Alex spends an inordinate amount of time hanging out in Somerville because the city is so darn cool.

Investing and Stock Market Principles will go over the basics of what a stock is, discuss why stock prices change, and discuss the difference between investing and speculating. The class is not designed to offer “personal finance” advice, but rather will attempt to explain in layman terms the confusing concept of what exactly the stock market is.

“The stock market is a complete mystery to the vast majority of “Main Street” Americans. This lack of understanding contributes to the strong divide that currently exists between professial investors and researchers (Wall Street) and other Americans who do not work in the financial industry (Main Street). I believe that answering a few basic questions about what a stock is and how the stock market works will contribute to breaking down this barrier and faciliating a more intelligent conversation between Main St. and Wall St.”