When you stand on the ocean shore and watch the waves breaking you might become aware that the tide is coming in or going out. It is a slow process to watch the water retreat and when it finally gets to its lowest point it is almost impossible to tell if it has stopped or will retreat further. Plenty of wave action, but going nowhere.
This reminds me of our current stock market. It still looks like the tide is going out because for the last 2 months all the major stock indexes have been inching down. Even the talking heads on CNBC are saying you must be cautious. They would be fired if they told you to sell. How can you tell what is gong on? Almost every analyst and broker looks at the major market indexes ? the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Index. On the surface they look very negative.
The DOW is composed of 30 large companies. The S&P500 has 500 companies of many sizes, but the number (index) generated is weighted by the size of the company. The bigger it is the more it affects the index. And the Nasdaq is smaller companies and have more of the high tech corporations that have been hit so hard and are still having mucho trouble. The professional traders and mutual fund managers relate more to the S&P500. Almost all domestic stock mutual funds have been lower in price for the first quarter.
Even though the S&P has been slipping it is interesting to note that 300 of the 500 stocks that make up the index are HIGHER. Yes, 60% of them have continued to advance, but it doesn't show - yet. When a market is changing directions it is similar to watching the tide stop going out and slowly change. That is what is going on now. The wave action is there, but you can't see that the body of water is now beginning to move the other way.
There are some strong underlying currents such and the Small and Midcap Value stocks, Real Estate stocks, the Leisure group and Financials. This applies to picking individual issues as well as buying mutual funds that specialize in these areas. If you want to be successful ? make money ? in this market you must be with the strongest group so you must switch from weak stocks and mutual funds to those that are currently strong. Fund managers tell you to look at the 3 and 5-year track record and "stay for the long haul". All that does is make money for him, not you. You must find the no-load mutual funds that are going up the fastest during the past 3 and 6-month time period and buy them now.
The only way to Buy and Hold is to buy and hold only while they are going up and to sell them immediately when they start to decline. Don't let the weak stocks or funds carry your cash out with the money undertow.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Copyright 2005
family-safe home cleaners Lincolnshire ..Professional stock options traders use the term lean to refer... Read More
People are always asking me when should I sell my... Read More
Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers... Read More
I mean it when I say that. While plastic silverware... Read More
One of the big advertising kicks today from mutual funds... Read More
Are hedge funds a suitable investment for you? Hedge funds... Read More
It takes a total mental commitment to the task. It... Read More
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR standing firm in the... Read More
On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on... Read More
Never lose money in the stock market again. Yeah, I... Read More
This is a guide to the different types of mutual... Read More
The Macedonian Stock Exchange (MSE) is not operating successfully. True,... Read More
One of the things people are always asking me is... Read More
(1) CHK stock price $16.74, NAV $32.5CHK is my favorite... Read More
I have a 2-car garage. There are nice shelves on... Read More
Now that you have some money burning a hole in... Read More
Disclaimer: Please note that I do not necessarily purchase, own,... Read More
To become a successful trader you must have some kind... Read More
It looks like we have now entered a new bull... Read More
Now where have I heard that before? I know. It... Read More
The broker told me not to sell because the mutual... Read More
The single most expensive stock market trades are those made... Read More
In one of my previous articles (Investing in the stock... Read More
The Shadow knows. Remember him? It seems a shadow has... Read More
Well, not really. What I mean is I don't mind... Read More
maide service in Buffalo Grove ..A common problem I often see when working with living... Read More
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a group of passive index... Read More
In one of my previous articles (Investing in the stock... Read More
The Surgeon General of the United States says that smoking... Read More
A colleague of mine just returned from a scuba diving... Read More
If you have not back tested your trading system, you... Read More
In today's volatile and confusing stock markets everyone is searching... Read More
On Friday or Saturday evening my wife gets a movie... Read More
For the last 12 years we have seen the Japanese... Read More
With the stock market stubbornly refusing to settle down and... Read More
Buy high and sell low -- It's not a typo.Millions... Read More
Sometimes the best way of lowering exposure to risk is... Read More
Whenever I see mutual fund comparisons in the trade publications... Read More
How many times have you said to yourself, "I'd like... Read More
Any online investor / trader seeks an excellent off or... Read More
For some "long term" would mean holding a stock position... Read More
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More
If you have been watching the stock market at all... Read More
Carefully thinking through your goal as a trader is of... Read More
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR standing firm in the... Read More
Refuse is a serious issue in any society, about as... Read More
The Macedonian Stock Exchange (MSE) is not operating successfully. True,... Read More
Many people would like to diversify their portfolios to expand... Read More
Let me start by saying that...Most online brokers do not... Read More
04/28/2005NASDAQ dropped -12.5% year to date in 2005. S&P500 index... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |