Stock Market Investment Strategies

Feb 16

08:36

2011

Tom A Lingle

There are several different stock market investment strategies. Which strategy individuals choose is based on how much they have to invest, their tolerance for risk, and how they believe the market behaves. While no single strategy can guarantee success for an investor, it is wise to have one in place before you start buying and selling stocks. The three most basic strategies for investing in the stock market are the buy-and-hold, fundamental analysis, and technical analysis. Investors can use one strategy or combine them.

One strategy is known as buy-and-hold or the index method. This technique is for anyone who is looking for long-term growth with little risk. The buy-and-hold follows the theory that, while there will be short-term fluctuations, stock prices will go up in the long term. In addition to being low risk, this strategy has other benefits. Taxes and trading commissions are reduced for investors who hold onto stocks for a long time instead of sell them. Many investors have a diversified portfolio of index stocks even if they use additional strategies. This diversified portfolio can resemble the S&P 500 index.

One of the main stock market investment strategies is called fundamental analysis. This method analyzes the value of the company and its stock. This investment strategy takes time but it is fairly straightforward. Someone who uses this method is looking to buy stocks that are priced lower than what their perceived value would be. They will also sell or short stocks with an overpriced value. Investors using this method look at several different factors to determine the stock's intrinsic value. They focus on a company's predicted future dividends and earnings along with how likely the company will continue to grow at a certain rate. To make their predictions, fundamental analysis investors may study SEC filings for a company's financial statements, economic conditions, and current business trends.

Technical analysis is another basic stock market investment strategy. Unlike the fundamental analysis method, it focuses on predicting market trends rather than analyzing a specific company. Investors who use this method study things such as the stock's historical prices. This strategy may be used for individual stocks or the market as a whole. These investors look for trends and patterns from the past that can be used to predict future earnings.

While there are other stock market investment strategies, they tend to be based on either fundamental analysis or technical analysis. No matter what theory investors follow, most use a diversified strategy to help ensure their portfolio's growth.

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