Last summer I wrote a few posts to help you dip your toes into the shallow waters of investment jargon. You might (or might not) find the jargon useful, but there is a lot to be said for not feeling like you are in over your head when discussing your own investments. So today, I've dragged out a slightly fusty standby—Earnings Per Share...

Anyone who has tried following the stock markets for even a relatively short period of time will have discovered two things:

1. There is always a new, unexpected force wreaking havoc with stock or bond prices; and
2. After a while, it all begins to look eerily familiar.