Unlike fixed-income securities, there are several different methods for evaluating equity securities which are discussed in this week's text (Chapter 13 Equity Valuation in "Essentials of Investments 9th edition by Bode, Kane, Marcus"). Please describe, in general, some of these valuation methodologies.

These valuation methods, applied to individual stocks, result in similar, but not necessarily equivalent, valuations. Why is this the case?

Why are the equity markets so closely watched as an economic indicator, and why does the stock market generate so much interest and publicity, seeing as it is dwarfed by the size of the fixed-income market?