Generally, income and expenditure of an individual never equals.If current income exceeds current desires, people intend to save their surplus. With this surplus they plan to use the saving in another way. In this connections, individuals may have various alternatives. They can deposit the money in bank or purchase government or corporate bonds or invest in stocks or contribute the fund to a provident fund or purchase the real assets like land, building, plants etc. In this way what people think about the use of saving that is known as investment.
Investment refers to the sacrifice of present financial resources with the view to get additional benefit in future. Therefore, investment can be defined as a alternative or best use of the saving. Purchase of real or financial assets is considered as the investment. Such use takes place at present and almost certain. However, returns are generated in future and that are generally uncertain. Therefore, every investment involves some degree of risk which occurs due to several reasons.
Therefore, we conclude that, invest is a sacrifice of current fund or money or other resources for future benefits. It is the employment of saving or funds with the view of achieving additional income . It involves the commitment of resources that have been saved from current consumption, in the hope that some benefit will produce in future. It involves long term commitment and waiting for a reward. The sacrifice takes place in the present and reward comes later and uncertain.
