Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What moves the stock market in certain directions?
Our stock market is strongly influenced by inflation, earnings, the interest rates, energy and oil prices, war/ terrorism, fraud and crime rate, political unrest, weather conditions and overall domestic development. Some of the above conditions are not quite serious and can be considered as temporary problems but some like crude prices, political deadlock and slow economy have long lasting implications which is bad news forthe stock market.
One factor that cannot be discounted in the stock market is the term “uncertainty”. This is one word that can pull or push the market and can also bring the market crashing down. People speculate over a certain situation and this speculation can shakethe stock market .. If the factors are in line with speculation then the market sees very little change but if the news is reverse to the speculation then there is an abrupt change with rattles most investors.
Economic news, financial news and terrorism bring market to a standstill but if the news is sweet enough for the investor to digest then the market surges forward. Investors need not be frightened of sudden bumps, as they will smoothen over time and only make the investor more scared. Investors should stay alert and grab opportunities when the market goes into the red. Over-priced stocks should be eyed and if it does cross your range pick it up, and if the stocks cross your limit and expectation due to surge then book profits immediately.
When you want to sell stocks of large volume then it makes sense to watch out for earnings report or the budget or any other important meeting that could raise the price of that particular stock. When the bull market is at its highest speed, it is the right time to sell and save a little for tomorrow.
Distinctive features of successful stocks
A leader is not born he is made. This saying goes well with stocks too. A leader in the market is created mainly be consumers. It is the consumer who holds the key to the lock (share). The market should accept a particular company and its product to survive and sustain competition in this fast moving world.
The first and foremost question to be asked is whether the company’s products and services are needed tomorrow. A company may be a leader in a particular product in the market today but will that product survive tough competition and will it last the next few years. Technology and science is changing before we blink our eyes and so companies should adopt products and services that will not fade away i.e. will sustain any market conditions.
A decade ago who would have ever imagined that cassettes and VCR’s would become extinct and would pave way to DVD’s and CD’s. The television is also seeing a major revolution and the slim TV is gaining importance. PC’s are replaced by LAPTOPS. Companies should have products and services which can adapt to the changing needs of the consumer.
Very strong competitive advantages safeguard strong companies from competitors. A popular trademark, high cost of entry and heavy manufacturing costs are some reasons why companies stand out during tough times.
Market leadership is one of the greatest factors which determine a companies share in the market. Market leaders are followed by the others in the industry. But don’t only rely only on market leaders. Some companies grow slowly and lose their leadership tag and this brings their share price down. Market leaders have to be prompt in decisions and should not let competitors overtake them, as once strong ground is lost; it is very difficult to get back to number one position.
Although financial status and positions hold the first preference in determining the trait of a company and its shares, there are various other factors like that the ones mentioned above which determine the quality of a companies share. So you should be very careful while picking up stocks of major companies.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Stock Market Investing:Making sense of a topsy turvy Market
Mention "Stock Market" to most people and the comments will most likely be "losing proposition", "I lost everything", "what a joke", "are we headed for a crash?", or something to that effect. If you are a casual investor who has savings tied to the stock market, or a professional stock trader, all you are thinking about is selling what you have while companies are still solvent. Everywhere you turn it seems, is all gloom and doom. Most professional brokers and savvy investors are thinking just the opposite. Stay in and hunker down. Ride the season.
Stock Market Trading in Tough Times
Stock Market trading, even in tough times such as these, can be exciting and yes, even profitable. The thing is that you must arm yourself with the proper foundation - through education, and you need to understand the ins and outs before you plunge in and make any kind of trading decision.
Super-Market Stock Trading
The Stock Market isn't an ordered store. You do not get in pushing a shopping cart and pulling a profitable stock of the aisle of profitable stocks, or a low-priced-up-and-coming high-tech stock, or even a great investment package from a utility or other. It does not work like that. There's a lot more to that than just deciding on a product and making a purchase. You need to understand what is behind the decision to buy one stock instead of another. It's nothing like what you may have seen on television when there's a shot of the stock market with the many traders shouting "buy, buy" or "sell, sell". Before the order gets to the floor, it goes through several steps and it is important for a budding investor to know and understand before putting down any hard earned cash.
Standing on a Good Foundation
The one thing that you should understand before placing an order through a broker, or through your computer from the comfort of your home, is that you have a good understanding of the underlying foundation to that product. If you are buying a stock, does the company, or industry - if you are working with an index - have a track record that shows that you will be able to get a profit out of that purchase? If you are selling a stock, before you own it, and you can do this, provided you understand what's involved, do you know with some certainty that the company is on a downward spiral? or are you just guessing? Guesswork in the Stock Market can cost you dearly.
Gambling your Winnings Away.
Stock Market trading can be very thrilling. The closest I can come to is the thrill of the casino poker games where a decision is made based on a lot of guess work and some understanding of how the players will react on a given situation. If you made a good decision, you win the pot. If you made a bad choice, you lose. And the loss can be monumental or minimal. It all depends on what you have invested. The Stock Market trading is, as far as I am concerned, a gamble but with far better odds.
Risk Avoidance, Anyone?
Stock market trading can seem very confusing and far too risky, especially for the overly cautious among us. Of course, stocks do rise and fall, and there are risks involved, but that is true with nearly everything in life. Investing in the stock market takes some education and some sound planning. There is enough information online to help you make the closest to the right decision you can make, but like everything else, it is a risk. The best approach is to get a good foundation, test it on paper trades, know your limits to start with, invest below those limits until you are comfortable and certain that your method is right more often than not. Once you have seen some good results from your investment choices, you can start taking some of those profits and invest in new investments, and make sure to diversify so that you don't end up losing it all.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Stock Market Trading Tips and Suggestions
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