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Many people often wonder why some make it in the stock market and some donít. They sometimes sigh and say, They have all the luck, that’s why. True enough, luck can be a factor in oneís success or failure in the stock market. As most experts will allow, trading at the stock market is very similar to gambling. They both involve a great deal of risk. But unlike gambling, success or failure in the stock market is not solely dependent on luck. It has much to do with two things information and attitude.
Information has much to do with success or failure at the stock market. First of all, information makes stock trading more than just guesswork. Analyzing trends can help investors make educated guesses regarding their investments.
One important aspect that often goes unnoticed is the proper attitude investors must have towards investing. Too often, investors fall prey to the wrong type of attitude in investing. This leads to wrong decisions, and impulsive buying or selling. What are these attitudes, and how should they be avoided?
1. Many Investors Exhibit an Impatient Manner
Unfortunately, many investors get into the mix just because they are under the impression that they could get rich overnight as result of a few investments. This is so far from the truth. In fact, successful portfolios are built over time. Stocks take time to mature and appreciate. If the investor never realizes this, he or she might be looking to make a quick buck. And when he or she is unable to, he or she may become discouraged or may sell his or her shares for a lower price.
2. Many Investors Look to Take the Risk to Be Overnight Millionaires
Warren Buffet, the Wall Street Tycoon has this advice for investors: donít bet all your marbles on stocks that seem to be skyrocketing today. They could crash tomorrow. Buffet confides that he has always built his empire over stocks that were stable and exhibited continued growth over the years. He says that these stocks are preferable to volatile stocks that could crash anytime.
Other investors fail to diversify their portfolios. Depending on how much risk one is willing to take, an investor should divide his or her portfolio into low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk categories, and invest in such stocks. Some people are too risky and put their heads on the guillotine with high risk investments. Others will not risk their necks on any investments. One should choose an attitude that is just right for his or her risk tolerance.
Understanding how stock market price rises and falls is similar to understanding the prices of other products in the market. It also follows the law of supply and demand. Price of stocks rise and fall due to the following reasons:
1. Company profit projections and image
A company growth and profit forecasts describe how capable a company is in delivering its promises to its investors. These numerical projections are carefully prepared by a company based on their past profits and projected additional profits due to new products and services, operations and infrastructure improvement.
Aside from profit forecasts, company image can also make an impact on a company profitability. Rumors of change in management, take-over, mergers, and even personal issues about the company top executives can affect the company image.
For example, a rumor of a merger between two big companies projects more stability and greater profit projections for both companies. As more investors would want to buy stocks from these merging companies, the demand for their stocks will rise. Based on the law of supply and demand: the greater the demand for stocks, the higher will their prices be.
A bankruptcy rumor about a company can send its investors to sell all their stocks. If there are more sellers than buyers of stocks then the supply (of stocks) is greater than the demand for stocks thus, stock price will fall.
2. Political Economy
General news about the local and global politics has an immediate impact on the economy and consequently to stock market prices. Politics and economics are correlated. Positive news such as lower unemployment rates, increased productivity, peace and order, and strong confidence in the government has positive impact on the economy. Such news encourages more local and international investors to open companies in a certain location or country. This in turn would generate more jobs, and as an effect, would encourage more trading in the market at higher stock prices in general due to the increase in demand for stocks of different companies.
On the other hand, negative news such as political instability and turmoil, security problems such as terrorism and insurgency, frequent strikes, and inflation has negative impact on the stock market prices. Investors are driven away by these things and close-up. As an effect, more stockholders would sell out. This creates more sellers than buyers thus stock market prices fall.
3. Interest rates
Higher interest rates are associated with a slump in economic growth. This creates a sluggish environment where investors become apprehensive in buying stocks. Either they keep the status quo or sell out their stocks. When the demand for stocks is not high, prices will go down.
The only thing that concerns a smart investor is ‘growth’. In the stock market, the share prices and the respective company’s worth are directly proportional to each other. The investor should therefore always go for companies that are constantly rising in worth. It is a stock market golden rule that the company which manifests persistent growth will automatically provide generous stock market returns.
But it is not always advisable to solely concentrate on the growth rate projections. This is because if due to any unforeseen circumstance, the stock market happens to lose faith in the prospects of the said company, it will be a disaster for the investor. But growth stock companies are generally found to possess a sound market reputation due to their persistent performance and they are further aided with a support of sizeable capital and are equipped with a strong and competent managerial team. A growth stock investor is therefore saved from the market fluctuations to a great extent.
An investor just has to look at three fundamental conditions before ascertaining the credibility of the growth stock:
A sound growth rate – if the growth rate of the company is fast it is even better. When the rest of the factors are equal, a slow growth rate does not really prove to be very impressive. In fact a minute relative change in the growth rate makes a whole lot of a difference to the investor in term of his estimated returns.
The sustainability factor – the investor will do better if he looks beyond the growth estimates. The sustainability factor should be of more concern than the appealing estimates because it is the determinant and logical factor which ensures great returns. The tech bubble has been the outcome of such myopic vision. However alluring the growth projections might be, it is very important to figure out if the company has any competitive advantages.
The investor should also be careful from being too much obsessed with the growth factor. He must not end up paying a fortune for it. This has often been noticed and that is why the growth stocks are at times believed to be over-rated. Good research and logical calculations will enable a sensible investor to uphold even a marginal profit in a state where the growth is consistent. A smart investor will always select a growth stock which is undervalued or rather fairly priced. The equation of a Discounted Cash Flow can help the investor to the fair value of a growth company.
Successful stock investment requires sound stock market research and ability to interpret market realities. One factor that the good investor will never forget is that the stock market is highly volatile. So when the stock market begins its upward march, some investors too begin to float in that buoyancy. They are infected with this fallacious reasoning that the prices will continue to soar, perhaps never to come down again. As a result they steadily keep on their act of buying. Stock prices come crashing down for no apparent reason and massive losses are incurred by the credulous investors. So, the key is not to blindly follow trends. Study the market and understand its nature.
These are the things that the stock market investor needs to keep in mind. Buy your stocks when the prices are low. Hold on to them till the prices begin their upward movement. Decide on a feasible and moderate income target. Well, it can be a 10% profit on the total investment. Don’t fall in to the greedy trap anticipating further price rise and set the profit margin to say, 50% of your investment total.
This is an interesting principle practiced in the stock market, buy your stock when everybody is selling and sell when everyone is buying. Break out from the herd mentality.
Steer clear from penny stocks that have no backing of reputation. Avoid the tendency to blindly follow the insider’s hot tips. They seldom come true. Basically such rumors that a particular company will soon be acquired by a foreign investor are spread to promote market manipulation.
The worth and prospect of a particular stock is determined by its possibility of its future growth and not on its splendid, past performance. Always remember that past performance can never guarantee a wonderful future. What you need to study here is that what were the reasons for the company’s ‘spectacular’ past growth. Then you sit to analyze if those factors are still prevalent now and are they still relevant in the present scenario.
Never take hasty decisions. Allow the stocks to stabilize its market value. Do not expect the stock price to rise immediately the day after you have zeroed in on it. Remember, the value of good stocks rise slowly but surely.
Diversify your investment. As the saying goes, ‘do not put all your eggs in the same basket’. Invest among a good number of great growth stocks it means that you should disperse your investment so as to gather maximum profits.
It is not a brilliant idea to think that conventional investment strategies are risk-free. But in order to make them so, suggestions are provided below to give rise to alternative and more resourceful trading strategies. In today’s financial circumstances you need to have unconventional trading options if you want to exploit the market inefficiencies to the fullest. What is required is free thinking and inventiveness.
The inherent risks in regular stock trading beliefs
Losing expectancies are promoted by crowd mentality. The historical finance details are evidence to it. When a particular financial structure or a scheme becomes conventional, it loses its statistical edge and thereby competitiveness. It is a common belief that ‘trend following’ is a safe option. You follow it hoping to get a smooth ride and persistent results. But this does not always offer most favorable performance. It has been observed that the stock price movements normally exhibit quasi mean-reverting behavior.
But you need top be aware that trends sometimes change violently. For example, if you look at the low winning rates. There exists a common belief that these losing entries just serve as liquidity. The shrewd winning traders are the ones who take the most advantage from it.
It is a common adage, ‘Cut the losses, and let the winners run’. If you base your investment position simply on arbitrary paper losses and fail to strategize a proper profit extraction plan, then you are sure to face devastation. All this because you have closed your investment positions.
Novelties and innovation in trading required
It is a common conventional marketing concept that the existing stock prices will inevitably change. It may so happen that the large holders to dump massive quantities to result in a forceful break on a perhaps persistent up swing of that particular growth stock. But if you develop a newer and broader perspective to gauge the financed market, you could well anticipate the probable changes in the current price movement. And this might give rise to brand new findings and concepts.
The exit strategy method does not always constitute a stop order for loss cutting. You need to be innovative and flexible in your approach while you do your research. There are signals which have an oscillator, a sentiment indicator, volume, or volatility measurement. They can prove to be potent tools while you plan for profit generation and loss limitation.
Financial institutions always perform better than the general crowd. So, the opinion of the institutional traders could provide important guidance information. In this period of information technology, the stock market neutral trading schemes are available to retail traders too.
Develop insight in order to learn
Market behavior is always hoarded with information. In order to devise a successful trading plan, you require intense understanding. This can be achieved when you have the fundamental knowledge of the statistics. When you are equipped with this quality, innovations come easily.
Although the decade began with a substantially down market, the leading stock market indexes have risen significantly. For investors, this is a good time to take stock of where we are and where we want to be, and plan how best to get there. What follows are a list of practical steps that can help all of us get our fiscal act together.
1. Assess
Periodically, it is a good idea to sit down and really figure out where you are with your finances. Pull out your banking and brokerage account statements, check your balances, and gather in one place all your fiscal information. Then take a good, hard look at what you see. If you have questions about the information presented on your brokerage or mutual fund statements, don’t ignore those questions. Speak up, ask questions, and get answers.
After learning where you are, figure out where you want to be. What are your savings goals? Are they long-term (retirement, college education for your babies) or short-term (down payment on a house, college education for your high-school age kids)? Your goals determine your own personal tolerance for risk. If you’ll need your money in the short term, more conservative investments are appropriate. If you’re saving for the long haul, you might decide to take more risks. Just remember – your risk tolerance is a very personal matter, based on your age and your personal savings goals. Your neighbor or your Uncle Fred may be much more conservative or aggressive than you are. But that doesn’t mean their investing strategy is right for you!
2. Invest for the long term
Before you invest, make sure you have enough money to eat and put a roof over your head. Pay yourself first – get rid of high-cost credit card debt. But the earlier you get a start on your savings goals, the less you’ll have to put away monthly to reach them. Historically, the investment that has provided the highest average rate of return over the long term has been stocks. But there are no guarantees of profits when you buy stock. Markets go up and markets go down in the short-term. That’s why it is best to think long-term when considering stock market investments.
3. Diversify.
There is no better way — over the long term — to distribute risk than to diversify your investments. It is true that in some years, single stocks or individual sectors will outperform a diversified investment strategy, at least in the short term. But don’t forget that investors who hope to gain fantastic returns by investing in a single stock or one sector have also assumed the higher risks of a more narrow investing strategy. While diversifying your investments won’t bring you sky-high returns in boom times, it also means that you won’t lose everything when the boom times bust.
One way to diversify is to consider growth stocks . And here is where a little work can pay off handsomely – be sure to pay attention to the company’s income and expenses. Over time, expenses and fees can really make a difference. On an investment held for 20 years, a 1 percent annual fee will reduce the ending account balance by 18 percent.
Another way to diversify is to make sure that your retirement funds aren’t all invested in your employer’s stock. Even if that stock is a good long-term prospect, it is risky to have your retirement security depend in whole or in large part upon the fate of any one company.
4. Know yourself
Be honest. Do you really have the time and energy to adequately research individual stock investments? Most of us don’t have the experience and expertise of Wall Street traders who read financial statements for a living. It is important to be realistic about your own time commitments. Talking to co-workers and watching TV is not good investment research! That’s why many Americans begin investing not with individual stock picks, but with a broad based, low cost index fund. That way you’re broadly diversified from the beginning. As you find more time and gain confidence, you’ll know whether you’ve got the desire or interest to select individual stocks.
5. Do your homework
You owe it to yourself to check out any investment and investment professional with whom you do business. A few simple steps can save a great deal of heartache.
Before doing business with any investment professional, take full advantage of the power of the internet to check computerized databases for disciplinary information. Then contact your state securities regulator to find out if they have any additional information.
Before buying any stock, check out the company’s financial statements on the SEC’s website. All but the smallest public companies have to file financial statements with us. If the company doesn’t file with us, you’ll have to do a great deal of work on your own to make sure the company is legitimate and the investment appropriate for you. That’s because the lack of reliable, readily available information about company finances can open the door to fraud.
Before purchasing any investment, make sure you read and understand all the disclosures you’re given. The federal securities laws require that you be given lots of helpful information, such as a prospectus for a mutual fund, but you’ll have to take the initiative to understand what you’re given.
It’s up to you to educate yourself to make sure that all of your investments match your goals and tolerance for risk. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – it is your money!
6. Protect yourself
Always remember that people who sell investment products make money by doing so. Which doesn’t mean that they’ll give you bad advice, but it does mean that you’ve got to take responsibility for evaluating any recommendations you get. We advise people to never rely solely on an analyst’s recommendation when deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell a stock. Instead, do your own research-such as reading the prospectus for new companies or for public companies, the quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC-to confirm whether a particular investment is appropriate for you in light of your individual financial circumstances. Don’t buy any investment product you don’t understand. And remember, any investment promising high returns necessarily carries a high risk that you’ll lose your money.
Mom always told us there aren’t any quick and easy ways to get rich. But it is hard to remember Mom’s advice when your neighbor, cousin or friend passes along a great tip, especially when it involves a hot new company. So from all of us, just to you, here is a link to our best investment tip on an up-and-coming company. If you click to invest, we just know you’ll be enriched.
We’ve all seen investment offers that promise to pay sky-high returns for what are at best extremely risky propositions — and at worst are pure frauds. Here’s a list of red flags that we often find in many of the frauds we see.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Mom was right! Compare promised yields with current returns on well-known stock indexes. Any investment opportunity that claims you’ll get substantially more could be highly risky. And that means you might lose money.
- “Guaranteed returns” aren’t. Every investment carries some degree of risk, and the level of risk typically correlates with the return you can expect to receive. Low risk generally means low yields, and high yields typically involve high risk. If your money is perfectly safe, you’ll most likely get a low return. High returns represent potential rewards for folks who are willing to take big risks. Most fraudsters spend a lot of time trying to convince investors that extremely high returns are “guaranteed” or “can’t miss.” Don’t believe it.
- Check out the company before you invest. If you’ve never heard of a company, broker, or adviser, spend some time checking them out before you invest. Most public companies make electronic filings with the SEC. There are computerized databases to check out brokers and advisers. Your state securities regulator may have additional information. And by the way — if a supposedly upright firm only lists a P.O. box, you’ll want to do a lot of work before sending your money!
- If it is that good, it will wait. Scam artists usually try to create a sense of urgency — implying that if you don’t act now, you’ll miss out on a fabulous opportunity. But savvy investors take time to do their homework before investing. If you’re being pressured to invest, especially if it is a once-in-a-lifetime, too-good-to-be-true opportunity that “just can’t miss,” just say “no.” Your wallet will thank you.
- Understand your investments. Fraudsters frequently use a lot of big words and technical-sounding phrases to impress you. But have faith in yourself! If you don’t understand an investment, don’t buy it. If a salesman isn’t able to explain a concept clearly enough for you to understand, it isn’t your fault. Don’t make it your problem by buying!
- Beauty isn’t everything. Don’t be fooled by a pretty website — they are remarkably easy to create.
You need to identify the best stocks when you plan investment. The motto is to make certain greater profit and reduce the losses. You will find people getting bankrupt and still others making fortunes through investment in stock market. Well, contrary to a still popular belief, success in stock investment has nothing to do with luck and neither there is any magic formula for success. It is all about sound reasoning and calculation. In order to identify the best growth stocks for investment, you require information through research and are able to analyze that information so that you could use them.
Here are a few factors which can prove instrumental in determining the potential of the company and its stock.
Sales Revenue – The sales revenue is an important stricture which will aid you to judge the financial condition of the respective company. It refers to the amount of money that the company makes in that fiscal year. Sales revenue also includes scraps of information regarding the cost and the loss of the company as well.
Earnings – This also refers to the net income of the company. It reveals the business condition that whether the company is garnering profit or running losses. The earning of the company not only describes its current fiscal condition but also is of great help to ascertain the future prospect of the company. If the company is found to harbor profits year after year, it becomes naturally obvious that it has a promising future ahead.
Debt – This value refers to the financial liability of the company. When in debt, the major share of the company’s earnings slips away in repaying those debts. And the natural result happens to be a substantial decrease in the net profit margins. Therefore, for good investment, you need to look for stocks that have a negligible or no debt.
Liquidity – The cash holding position of the company is revealed by the liquidity amount. It is a natural inference that a company which has a better or higher liquidity will automatically grow in the near future and promote expansion in business. Thus, liquidity happens to be an important determinant in ensuring a positive investment option.
Valuation – Valuation determines the worth of the company. The most popular and the easiest method to calculate the valuation of the company is the Profit – Earning ratio. Financial experts suggests that investment in growth stocks which have a P/E Ratio between 5 and 50 will always offer positive returns.
All the above points will enable a stock investor to make good investment decision based on the growth stock market report . There are other important factors that are worth considering, they are: the direction of the stock market, the average stock market trend, the prevailing trend in the concerned industry sector and so on.
