7 Stock Market Tips to Live By

By admin | Published December 1, 2010

Planning to go into stock market investment? Here are some general tips to live by.

1. Understand the basics of economics.

The stock market follows the laws of economics, particularly the law of supply and demand. If there is a greater demand for the stocks of a particular company, the price of its stocks will go up accordingly. On the other hand, if there are more stocks available for selling (more sellers) than stock buyers, the unit price of that companys stocks will go down.

2. Study your prospective company/ies.

Read up on the companys profile: products, services, operations, and track record in the business. This is important to assess the companys stability and capability to deliver its promises and meet its profit targets.

3. Choose companies that are more likely to stay.

With so many existing companies in the stock market, choosing becomes a big challenge for beginners. Government-owned companies and businesses are relatively stable, unless there is a political revolution in the horizon. Telecommunications and gasoline companies are also stable and profitable since the demand for these products and services is constant. Although IT companies are the fastest growing in the market today, be careful because there are so many of them that it checking on their profiles could be very taxing. Choose IT companies that have proven track records of profitability and stability of at least 10 years.

4. Always read and watch the news.

Dealing with the stock market is not a guessing game. Sound decisions and good intuition are results of constantly learning about the local and global political and economic happenings. Give particular attention to the industry where your company belongs. Even stable companies can suddenly go bankrupt or experience a big blow that can bring them down. Remember Enron?

5. Spread your investments.

Avoid investing in just one company. If all your stocks are concentrated to one company, the chance for loses is also greater. Spread them out so that earning investments can cushion those investments that earn less.

6. Do not rely solely on stock brokers.

Do your homework. Remember, the stock broker is gambling with your money. When an investor does not understand how the stock market works, he/she becomes vulnerable to scrupulous brokers.

7. Do not be greedy.

Although stock market investment is all about profits, becoming greedy will make an investor lose his/her better senses. He/She might suddenly forget to check on economic rumors and decide right away to buy or sell thinking that he/she would make big profits by doing so.

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Choosing the right stock market simulation game

By admin | Published November 24, 2010

A stock market simulation game is a game, usually played online, where people can experience investing in shares in the stock market without any risks or costs or any fear of losing money when they get it wrong.

Many teachers and professors of banking and finance are now using stock market simulation games to teach their students about the rudiments of investing in stocks. Most stock market simulation games come with a fee but there are some that are free of charge. One does not need have prior knowledge about the stock market to join.

This is how stock market simulation games usually works: First the player must register. After registration, he or she will be given an initial sum of virtual money with which to invest in companies. You can then build a portfolio of stocks by buying and selling shares in companies. Most stock market simulation games use real market data.

The objective of most stock market simulation games is simple: to increase the value of your portfolio of stocks greater than that of the other game players.

Below are some tips on choosing a stock market simulation game:

Choose a stock market simulation game that is used and recommended by reputable colleges, high schools, middle school, investment clubs, brokers in training, corporate education courses and any other group of individuals studying markets in the U.S. and worldwide.

Choose a stock market simulation game that is comprehensive and easy to implement in any Finance, Economics, or Investments class. A good stock market simulation game feature trading of stocks, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds from the U.S. and many of the world’s major markets.

Choose a stock market simulation game that provides a valuable, reliable, and realistic trading simulation at a reasonable price to students and other individuals who are interested to learn more about the markets or test a strategy.

Choose a stock market simulation game that has a toll-free customer service phone number and an excellent e-mail support to their users worldwide our users worldwide to quickly answer any questions that the users may have. This customer service must allow the individuals to concentrate on concepts and leaves the customer service to answer all trivial questions e.g. about ticker symbols, dividends, splits, etc.

Choose a stock market simulation game that is easy to use and easy to teach even to those who have never invested in the stock market in their entire life.

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AMIDST ALL HYPE: STOCK MARKET SCAM AND HOW TO AVOID

By admin | Published November 17, 2010

AMIDST ALL HYPE: STOCK MARKET SCAM AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

With all the prices going high these days, people would instantly grab the opportunity on anything that will make them earn money. And this is basically where fraudulent people take advantage of.

Today, there are many scams as there are starts in the sky. They had been so rampant that people became so aware of its alarming condition. But still, even if they know that there is a bound to be a scam out there, they could not yet distinguish what is a scam and how can they avoid it.

In the industry, one of the proliferating scams is the stock market scams. A lot of people are getting enticed to join these simply because their offer seems so hard to resist.

Why? Because who wouldnt resist a get rich quick strategy? These are just petty things but are actually bigger problems than what you thought it is.

For people to know what stock market scams are and how to avoid them, heres a list of the common stock market scam lurking mostly in the Internet today:

1. The Pump and Dump stock market scam

This type of stock market scam is mostly disseminated in the Internet. Here, people usually get to see messages posted in the Internet advocating them to purchase a stock at once. This type of scam also urges those who have stocks already to sell their stocks immediately before the value depreciates.

These deceptive scammers claim that they have reliable sources about a threatening development. They even assert that they utilize a foolproof combination of the stock market and the trade and industry data so as to get some stocks.

The bottom line is that this type of stock market scam is detrimental especially to those who are starting small. In reality, people behind this scam would want to manipulate the stock market through small time businesses because small businesses are easier for them to manipulate.

2. Pyramid scam

Just like its motherboard, this pyramid scam in the Net tries to hoard money from the consumers by letting them invest their little amount of money and grow it really big provided that they recruit more people into the company.

These two are the most common stock market scams lurking in the Internet today, and the only way to avoid them is information. Its a must that people should be aware of them, know their styles, and how they recruit people. If in case, they cannot determine if it is a scam or not, they should verify the claims from the right people. Thats the simplest thing to do.

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Rocket Investing: Stock Market Research Advice

By admin | Published November 10, 2010

The stock market is not a black hole. People come out of it successful, business savvy and rich! Here are 5 things you must remember to conquer the investing black hole:

1. Be resourceful. The key to investing is knowledge: know anything and everything about the company and the factors affecting its performance. There are 2 excellent resources for your stock market investment:

a. The newspaper. Get the most-updated information on the country or the regions economy. These largely influence the health of the stock market. Aside from the economy, news on politics, society and weather can affect your stock market investment.

b. The Internet. From Stock Market 101 to How-to-Be-the-next-Warren-Buffet (Forbes Magazines 2nd richest man in the world), everything is in the Internet. Thank God for search engines: type a word and a host of information awaits! Make sure to visit the website of the company you intend to invest in, to get the official information on their corporate set-up, financial health, historical stock performance.

2. Be analytical. Information on the Internet can be overwhelming, but not all are accurate. Carefully scrutinize everything. The devil is in the detail or the lack of it. If you do not find credible information to support one claim, then move on to the next site. One quick tip: use your bookmarks when researching. Skim first through each link on the list and bookmark the ones that are useful, for later reading. Once you have 3 or 4 bookmarked, start your detailed stock market research.

3. Be strategic. You have the data, you know which ones to use, now decide is this the right time to invest on this company? Use your data to calculate your next move. The goal is always to end up at the earning more than what you invested. At this point, reading expert advice, or better yet, paying for one, will definitely help.

4. Be patient. Hand-in-hand with being strategic is being patient. If you do not need the money immediately, it is best to let it hold for a longer time. Stock market investment gains average 10-12% over a 10-year period. Net, if you hold on to your stock for or about that long, chances are, you will realize such level of gains.

5. Be on your toes. At the extreme end of patience is complacency. A good investor is never one. Watch out for IPOs that have a bullish outlook. Use digital tools (like SMS stock alerts or Blackberry breaking news) to get news as they happen. Do all the necessary moves before the bell rings!

Follow those 5 advices on stock market research and zoom your way to a profitable future!

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“Reporting the Stock Market”

By admin | Published November 3, 2010

The stock market is a wonderful place to play with your money. A good investment can change your finances so drastically; you will have a hard time recognizing it yourself. At the same time, a small mistake can actually cost you more than you are willing to risk.

The problem is if you do not know which stocks to look for and how to approach these while limiting your risk, you would not be able to get considerable profits.

The best way of going about this is to watch out for stock market reports.

The stock market report contains technical and fundamental analysis used by brokers and professional investors. They use this to interpret the direction and valuation of equity markets or stocks.

The report provides a synopsis of the stock market from different points-of-view. They contain charts and texts of daily data of the performance of stocks in the market allowing traders to evaluate their stock portfolio.

They provide long-term views on certain stocks, predictions on how stocks will perform over the course of a day, weeks or even a year. They also provide reports on certain factors that will affect the performance of these stocks.

Stock market reports are provided by a lot of sources. Brokers provide their clients special reports of certain stocks currently in the market. This allows their clients to make decisions with regards to then buying and selling of stocks.

Certain brokerage services also provide these reports for subscription. Most of these contain stock picks for active trading or long-term investments. Other tips offered are entry and exit strategies, stock market commentaries, analysis, trading and investigation education.

Analysis of the stock market is also provided in business programs in television, cable, and newsprint as well as online portals.

Business programs in cable provide the most current and up-to-date information on stock performance. Reports are made on gainers and losers throughout the trading hours.

Online portals providing financial reports and stock market analysis are also good sources of stock performance information.

Much of the information you will need over the course of your trading experience will come from stock market reports. So it is best to choose a good source of these reports for yourself. Reputable institutions will provide you the best information in the market.

Keeping yourself well-informed with stock market reports will provide you the best chance of making the most out of your trading. It will give you a more definite and clear view on the stock market and enable you to make intelligent decisions with minimal risk.

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Stock Market Quotes 101

By admin | Published October 27, 2010

The stock market quote is the basic collection of numbers an investor must understand to achieve success in the stock market. It is a list of prices for certain stocks at one point within the trading day. In the past, stocks were quoted in fractions, but now, most exchanges use decimals. Stock market quotes are found in newspapers, as well as online. Stock quotes are updated regularly during the trading day.

What are the numbers and columns in the stock quotes mean? Though most are easily understandable, some may be confusing for a stock market newbie. Here is a review of the common numbers in the stock quotes and what they mean.

Newspaper Stock Market Quotes. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) format is easiest to follow.
Listed below are the columns and a brief explanation for each column.

- YTD % CHG The Year-To-Date Percentage Change. This represents the stock price percentage change for the year. This percentage is adjusted for stock splits and dividends over 10%.

- 52-Week HI & LO The two numbers in the column record both the highest and the lowest price the stock is traded for within the last 52-weeks. Previous trading day not included.

- Stock (SYM) This is where the stock name and symbols are listed. Stock names are usually abbreviated. The stock symbol is printed in boldface. Some newspapers dont print them at all.

- DIV This stands for Dividend reflecting the annual distribution rate based on the last regular disbursement for a stock.

- Yield % The yield percentages are the other disbursements paid to stockholders as a percentage of the stocks price.

- PE The Price to Earnings Ratio is the per-share earnings over the closing price.

- VOL 100s This means sales volume expressed with two missing zeros.

- CLOSE The last price the stock traded for a certain day. But it doesnt mean that this will be the price the stock opens at the next trading day.

- NET CHANGE This is the amount at which the stock closed today against yesterday.

- Footnotes These notations point out any extraordinary circumstances within the listing such as new highs and lows, unusual dividends, first day of trading, etc.

Online Stock Market Quotes. Online stock resources cover the same information as the newspaper stock quotes. However, the difference is mainly with regards to getting the live information. Compared to reading yesterdays stock quotes on the paper the next morning, the information presented on online resources are updated constantly within the course of the trading day.

Indeed, stock market quotes offer a wealth of information when it comes to wise stock investment. as long as one understands what the numbers mean.

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How Stock Market Price Rises and Falls

By admin | Published October 20, 2010

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 companys 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 companys profitability. Rumors of change in management, take-over, mergers, and even personal issues about the companys top executives can affect the companys 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.

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The Use Different Stock Market Investment Tools in making Investment

By admin | Published October 13, 2010

The Use Different Stock Market Investment Tools in making Investment Decisions

There are different stock market investment tools available today that help investors maximize the availability of information in their investment trading activities.

The internet contains a wealth of information about different publicly listed companies in the US. There maybe websites that provide free research information although the information available maybe general knowledge in nature. There are also companies that publish in-depth research reports on listed companies although they may available on a per subscription basis which may be costly for a retail based investor to subscribe to. These research reports may cost from a hundred to a thousand dollars depending on the quality of the research reports being sold.

News articles, research reports and analyst reviews about companies are tools that provide fundamental information about a company. Fundamental information can be from current news events about a companys activities or analysis of their previously published financial reports. Investors can then make more fundamental research and analysis from this information to gather more data that aid him in his investing strategies.

There are also tools available today that provide management of raw data such as current stock quotes, historical price data or index performances. These tools can be bought from software companies and can be installed in PCs and these tools will be a big help in gathering, processing and analyzing of raw data available and come out with information that will be more useful to the investor. From raw data containing the historical closing prices of specific companies, these can be run thru investment tools to come out with information such as historical price trend of one company as compared to an index of companies its being compared with or probably have a report of the volume of stocks traded on these companies on a specific period of time. These reports generated thru these investment tools will help an investor in making more efficient trading strategies from the raw data initially available.

Some stock market investment tools are purchased from software companies and they would usually cost hundreds of dollars which may not be practical for a small scale individual investor. There are analysis tools available on the internet from online stock market trading companies that they are accessible online and are made free to their clients. These tools are made available to their online investing clients as this also helps aid them in their trading strategies.

While the stock market tools, information and research products are available around the internet, careful planning, data gathering and interpretation of analysis made from these tools are equally important to ensure successful trades and long term investment growth of an investors portfolio.

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Strategic Moves on Stock Market Investment

By admin | Published October 6, 2010

Stock market investment is a risky stance, but it should not stop any aspiring investor from taking the first step. The choice to make the stock market endeavor succeed lies upon the investor.

1. Knowledge

A wise investor would only delve into stock market investment upon being apprised with the necessary and crucial information. It is a must to invest on companies only upon learning everything about it, from its past records, current performance and future plans.

Stock market investment advice should be sought considering the difficulty of locating that right stock that will give big returns. The investor must fully know the fundamental value of the stock he or she will buy.

Invest in a company which belongs to a familiar industry. The stock market investor must have a good understanding of the business in order to realize more the value of the stocks. This will also make the investor less dependent to analysts and advisers.

The sources of information to rely upon must be carefully chosen too. Tips offered in the market should be avoided as much as possible. These are usually given by people with vested interests.

2. Long-term goal

An important consideration in stock market investment is setting a long-term goal. The long-term goal would determine the approaches to be taken and influence the decisions to be made.

The adherence to that goal would ensure regularity in instances of indecision when the stock market gyration comes to play. It would avoid whimsical decisions adversely disturbing the finances. A long-term goal could result to a more stable financial future through steady purchases investments. The key word here is consistency.

3. Calculated Risks

There are risks in any business endeavors. However, this must be calculated to minimize the probability of loss and to increase the expectation of profits. Speculating is not an option.

Never gamble and risk losing big money in the stock market. Investments should not rake in huge losses. It is easy to buy stocks, but money lost would be difficult to gain back. One cannot afford costly mistakes.

The established system in realizing the long-term goal must be strictly followed then. This will reduce the probability of putting too much money just to incur big losses.

5. Discipline

To make the most of the stock market investment, the investor himself must possess the proper determination and discipline to continually persevere in realizing the long-term goals set.

Stock market investment today requires passion and courage to come out as a winner. The stock market gives the opportunities; all that is required of the investor is being prudent.

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Stock Market Investment Software: A Helpful Trading Tool

By admin | Published September 29, 2010

When man invented the computer, it became an invaluable tool to many people who has learned to use it and has become a part of their everyday lives. Many people turn to various types of computer software to suit their needs, and most of these softwares are tailored to the clientele it hopes to accommodate.

Nowadays, many people can access their bank accounts online. From this single account, they can enroll other accounts which may include bills for credit cards, utilities such as electricity and water, and even schedule payments for their insurance premium. These advances in the financial world have helped facilitate better, safer, easier transactions which always benefit consumers.

Similarly, when stock market investments shifted from person to person trading to todays more sophisticated process of online stock trading, companies began putting up websites to encourage their clients to do most transactions online. This is usually done using stock market investment software.

An investor may subscribe for free or pay a certain amount for an account through his trading companys website. As he does this, he is required to download and install the stock market investment software that the company is using. This is mostly done so that the subscriber and the trading company use the same investment software.

There is a number of stock market investment software available in the software industry today. They can go from the simple to the highly sophisticated one. Most of these application softwares offer the same basic features of a graphical user interface (or GUI) to help a user perform one or more specific tasks. There are types of these stock market investment softwares that are intended for large scale use and there are types which cater for more personalized usage, as in the case of users installing and using personal financial managers in their personal computers and digital assistants.

Investors mostly use the software of their choice to manage their accounts, and check the value of their stocks. This is very helpful to online investors as the softwares GUI facilitates the tasks that they want to perform.

Stock market investment softwares are purchased separately by the trading companies that use them to transact with their clients. They usually have agreements with the company that developed the software so they could avail of their product at a lower price. Some companies hire stock market investment software developers to design their software so that it is easier to tailor it to their particular needs.

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