Techniques for Stock Market Analysis

Two popular types of stock analysis include technical analysis and fundamental analysis. Technical analysis is a financial markets technique that claims the ability to forecast the future direction of security prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. Technical analysis in its purest form considers only the actual price and volume behavior of the market or instrument, on the assumption that price and volume are the two most relevant factors in determining the future direction and behavior of a particular stock or market.

Technical analysis is embraced by some and hated by others. It is widely used among traders looking for stock trades and deciding how to trade stocks. Technical analysts consider stock trends based on their chart and stock market close each day while completing stock technical analysis.

Technical analysts say that a market's price reflects all relevant information, so their analysis looks more at "internals" than at "externals" such as news events. Price action also tends to repeat itself because investors collectively tend toward patterned behavior – hence technicians' focus on identifiable trends and conditions.

When completing stock market analysis it’s important to consider stock market trends and look at the macro environment of the economy. One should study the stock indices and how they have performed lately and even years in the past by considering the stock chart of the market. Stock earnings can affect the stock market as a whole or just a few industries.

An industry that is hot could have many hot stocks within it and momentum stocks that could be very good stock ideas. Some investors decide to daytrade individual stocks that are hot and may trade up during one stock market session. It is important to do technical analysis when day trading. Investing should be considered risky and each investor needs to consider their risk tolerance.

Individual stocks can be undervalued stocks or bargain stocks that are cheap stocks. It is important to look at a stocks PE and other ratios that act as tools for investors. When considering the value of a stock, an investor needs to look at the company’s market capitalization or market cap to first have a point of comparison while researching stocks. Stock trends are also important to pay attention to as well as general stock market news for stock market analysis

Stocks trade on several exchanges including the NASDAQ, AMEX, NYSE, OTCBB and Pink Sheets. This is where buying stocks occurs by online brokers for their clients. Investors can look for value stock or any other kind of stock they want. It is important to find as much stock market information as possible to experience new information and facts.

There are many stock tips and penny picks out there that investors can start to build a stock list or screening NASDAQ and AMEX stocks with a stock screen for new stock ideas. There are lots of investment opportunities out there in the stock market.

Factors That Affect and Predict Stock Prices

This is the most frequent question that most stock/options traders may have in their minds. Stocks price changes due to market forces, i.e. buying and selling of the available stocks in the market. The following are the factors that affect or even predict the buying or selling of stock that ultimately affects stock prices of companies.

· Market sentiment. The price of the stock of a company is affected most of the time by the general market direction during a session. In a bull market, the stock price of most companies will rise and in a bear market the stock price of most companies will fall. One can gauge the market sentiment by looking at stock indexes or its future price movement. The stock indexes are S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Index, Nasdaq (USA), ASX100, ASX (Australia), Nikkei 225 (Japan), Euronext 100, Euronext 150 (Europe Union), DAX, TECDAX (Germany), FTSE 100, FTSE All Shares, FTSE Techmark (United Kingdom.

· The performance of the industry. The performance of the sector or industry that the company is in also plays in part in determining the stock price of the company. Most of the times, the stock price of the companies in the same industry will move in tandem with each other. This is because market conditions will generally affects the companies in the same industry the same way. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Sometimes, the stock price of a company will benefit from a piece of bad news in its competitor if the companies are competing for the same target market.

· The earning results and earning guidance. The main objective of a company is to make profit. Therefore, investors and traders always assess a company based on its Earning Per Share (bottom line) and Revenue (top line) and its future earning potential. In US, companies generally report the earnings results every quarter-yearly. A company that achieves good earning results (EPS and Revenue) expects a boost in its share price and one that delivers poor earning result shall see a beating in its share price. Sometimes, besides reporting the EPS and Revenue for the past quarter, a company may also issue guidance (expected value) for the EPS and Revenue in coming quarter or coming years. This is also closely monitored by investors and is an important factor that will affect the company stock price.

· Take-over or merger. In general, a company being taken-over is anticipated to get a stock price boost and the company taking over another company shall experience a drop in its share price. This is assuming that the company is being taken over at a premium, meaning it is being bought over at a higher price than its last traded stock price. Depends on the agreed term, a company can be bought over by cash or stock (of the acquirer) or a combination of the two. In some minority cases, the stock price of the acquirer may get a boost if it is perceived that the acquisition shall contribute to its earning or revenue in the near future.

· New product introduction to markets or introduction of an existing product to new markets. The introduction of new product to market is seen as a revenue enhancer for a company. This also applies to an existing product that breaks into new markets. Sometimes, the prospect of a new product introduction suffices to improve the stock price of a company, this is often observed in surges in stock prices of pharmaceuticals companies after the announcement of successful clinical trials, or FDA approvals for new drugs.

· New major contracts or major Government Orders. A company that is able to obtain new major contracts or major government order is expected to see a bull run in its stock price. Those companies that fail in the contract bidding normally experience the fate of sell-off in its stocks.

· Share buy-back. The act of share buy-back by a company will reduce the number of share available in the open market. Due to the law of supply and demand, a reduction in share available for trading in this case will cause a drop in supply, this will normally help increase the share price. Also, the continuing buying back of share of a company will also acts as a support for the share price that helps to maintain or increase the share price. The investors may also see the share buy-back by company as a confidence booster for them in the company itself. Therefore, share buy-back is quite often used as a tool to deliver value to the investors.

· Dividend. After the announcement of a dividend. The stock price may increase by an amount close to the dividend per share value. However, the stock price may drop on the ex-dividend date by the dividend per share amount. This is because anyone buying a stock on or after the ex-dividend date are not entitled to the corresponding dividend payment.

· Stock splits. Stock split in theory, should not have an impact to the stock price. However, it is generally observed that the stock price increases (after taking into account the increase in the number of share) after a stock split. Some attributed to the better affordability of the stock after stock split, some attributed this to the perception of cheap stock due to the lower stock price after the stock split. Some however believes that stock split has no real impact on the stock price (effective stock price, taking into account the change in number of shares), as the stock price will increase regardless of stock split.

· Insider trading. Insiders include CEO, COO, CFO, Chairman, board directors etc, who has first hand information about the operations and the financial status of a company. Therefore, the buying or selling of stocks by these insiders may herald some good or bad news about the company. This is being watched closely by savvy stock investors/traders. However, do be aware that due to compensation package that comes in the form of stock or stock options, the insiders may sell their stocks/stock options to cash-in their compensation benefits. So in this case, it may not signal anything significant about the company. A savvy investor should know how to observe and filter out this piece of information from your investment or trading decisions.

· Investment Gurus / Hedge Funds trading. The investment decision of highly revered investment gurus like Warren Buffett, George Soros, Carl Icahn are closely monitored by investors and therefore will move the market. Hedge fund stock buying and selling are another source of information regarding the flow of "smart money".

· Analyst upgrade / downgrades. Analyst upgrade and downgrade to a stock may have positive or negative impact to the stock prices. However, one needs to be wary of the fact that quite often analysts' upgrades or downgrades happen "after" some important news about a company. For example following a extremely disappointing earning result, many analysts will likely to downgrade the company stock. So, it is very likely that by then the stock price of that company has already priced-in the poor earning result, and analyst downgrade may not have further impact to the stock price.

· Addition/Removal to/from Stock Index. Stock Index Fund are those funds that invest in those company stocks that are included in a particular stock index (e.g. S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow Jones U.S. Large Cap etc.) . Therefore, an inclusion of a company stock to a stock index will generate buying interest in the stock for these stock index fund managers. The stock index fund managers will dispose of the stock that has been removed from the stock index.

· Others. These include news about new technology, patent approval, war, natural disaster, product recalls and lawsuits that shall have positive and negative impact to the relevant company stocks. The health or mishap of a key leader in a company may also affect the stock price of the company. Take a look at the recent news about Apple Computer.

Stock Market Rallies

The stock market rallied on Friday and boy was the press upset. When I turned on my car radio I caught the market report near the end and I didn't hear the news about the stock market rally. All I heard was very depressed journalists reporting. They sounded so sad and upset. I said to myself, "oh no, what terrible thing is happening now! More miners trapped? Are more bridges falling down? No! Please don't tell me anything like that!"

So, what was this cataclysmic event that made these reporters so sad? Well, it turns out, the terrible thing was the stock market soared 233 points, and now, for the second day in a row the Dow Jones Average moved quickly and strongly upward. The day before this 233-point rise the stock market had fallen over 300 points in the morning, but then in the afternoon it turned around and rallied over 300 points!

This means the stock market moved up over 500 points in less than two days. The people who were reporting it were absolutely suicidal!

When I got home I turned on the television and caught the nightly news. The newsmen and women were almost crying. How terrible! The stock market rallied. They didn't even mention how high it went, they tried, but they choked every time they tried to say t-t-t-two. The best they could do was refer to it as a "triple-digit-gain."

I remember when a stock market rally was a positive event. It used to be everyone would be happy for those who were invested in the market when it rallied. Now, almost everybody, through 401(k) 's and such, has money invested in the stock market. So, you would think a stock market rally would be a joyful event.

Well, a stock market rally is a joyful event for normal people, but not for members of the press. Their hatred for George W. Bush overshadows all logic. They don't even realize they make fools of themselves when they make a stock market rally sound like a funeral march.

For the previous two weeks, the stock market had been plunging. The mainstream media had their hearts set on a full-fledged stock market crash. Oh! What joy! A stock market crash! Then they could all talk about how much the country needed a new direction! (Choke, gag, cough) However, much to their dismay, the Federal Reserve stepped in and lowered the discount rate. The stock market loved this move because it worked and the press hated it for the same reason.

Suppose after the 300 point drop on the day before the Fed move, the stock market had dropped another 300 points instead of bouncing back 300 points. Then the next day the Fed did nothing. Would the press have lauded that move? Of course not! That 's why the press wanted a stock market crash! Ripping anyone in the Bush administration is indigenous to their nature. It is when they're talking down from their imaginary perches situated high above George Bush that they are in their element. This is when they report with smiles on their faces.

So, it 's too bad for them. There was no stock market crash. Curses! It would have made their job of getting Hillary Clinton elected president a lot easier. Dow zero! Strike up the band! Happy days are here again! They're all just mainstream media dreams now.

I would like to thank Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, he did a great job. I would also like to thank George W. Bush for having him on his team. Oh yeah, and I'd like to thank the press. It was great fun watching them. Boy! I can't wait until the day after we win the war!

Say Hello to Profits in Stock Market

The stock market is like a gregarious, uncertain beast – you can never predict which turn it's going to take or which direction it is headed for. Having said that, let us also admit that the stock market is one of the most exciting markets in the world that can make your fortunes if you play it right.

And, if you want to play the stock market right, you have to figure out how it ticks. Here then are basics and fundamentals of a stock market that will clue you on:

What Is A Stock Market?

A stock market is a trading place where you can buy and sell stock (shares) issued by a company. Alternatively, you can also trade in several derivative products, which are basically financial instruments in the form of contracts, where the parties to the contract agree to exchange payments based on the value of a share at a future date.

Stock Market Trading Explained

Many individuals and entities trade in the stock market. Small investors, day traders who square up their transactions on the same day, investment/financial companies, banks, hedge funds, individuals with a high net worth, institutions, mutual funds – all are involved in stock market trading.

These individuals and entities place their buy or sell orders through a market intermediary, called the stockbroker. Majority of the transactions are routed through a network of computers that execute orders in a matter of seconds.

Stock Market Strategies

In the stock market, you can buy and sell the stocks you own. Besides this, there are several strategies such as short-selling, which means you do not own the stock, but sell it nevertheless (by borrowing it from your broker at a fee) because you feel its price is going to drop – and when the price does drop, you buy it back. Plus, you can buy or sell stocks at a future date if you trade in the derivatives market. Then, you can also indulge in margin buying, which in simple terms means you borrow money to buy stocks, thereby exposing yourself to debt.

Stock Market Index

The stock market index is a value, determined by the stock exchange authorities, that reflects the market's movement. This value is based on a handful of high-volume and reputed stocks – these are weighed and a number is given to them. This number or value fluctuates according to the movement in the prices of these stocks and this is what indices such as the Dow Jones, the NASDAQ, the S & P (Standard & Poor) are all about.

Methods That Influence Investment Decisions

There are two methods that can influence investment decisions in a stock market: (i) Fundamental analysis is a method, wherein the companies past and current performance is analyzed along with the factors that will affect its future profitability. Medium-long term investors invest on the basis of fundamental analysis. (ii) Technical analysis is another method that studies the correlation of price and volumes over a span of time and then gives a buy or a sell signal on the basis of this correlation.

There, those were basics of the stock market. If you want to trade successfully, then you have to understand how the stock market works, because there is no other way, no other shortcut. Happy trading.

Way To Build A List Of Penny Stocks

Trading stocks on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board or Pink Sheet stock exchanges is probably the riskiest of all forms of trading. With the potential of astronomical gains, penny stocks have drawn many people into the world of speculation, often with disastrous results. Unfortunately, this happens more often than it should because one of the characteristics of penny stocks that draws people in, is their low share price. This fact alone is the number one factor why people that cannot afford to lose money in the stock market begin trading penny stocks; minimal cost per share.

However, trading penny stocks does not always equate to losing all funds in brokerage accounts. If a person, new to these stock exchanges, spends time acquiring knowledge and learning how micro-cap securities trade, they are on the way to potential profits. Implementing and testing a trading system designed specifically for trading penny stocks is the first piece of the puzzle. Once a sufficient amount of testing has been completed, finding potential securities to trade is the next step.

Building a list of penny stocks that have potential to increase in share price is difficult partly because companies trading on the Pink Sheet exchange are not transparent allowing investors to see financial statements and other aspects of the company. The Over the Counter Bulletin Board exchange requires companies to file Securities and Exchange Commission financial reports quarterly which allows for more transparency. This makes OTCBB stocks less risky than Pink Sheet Stocks. If at all possible, it is best to refrain from trading Pink Sheet stocks and focus on OTCBB securities until a complete understanding of penny stocks is attained.

It is best to first differentiate between varying sectors within the market itself and determine which sectors may be in favor when building a penny stock list. Once favorable sectors have been determined, it is time to begin screening potential stocks to add to the list. Investors and traders usually break down into two different groups, one being technical and the other being fundamental. Technical traders rely solely on charts, trading patterns, oscillators and various other indicators to determine which stocks to trade. Fundamental traders rely on the financial aspects of the company. Profit and loss statements, amount of debt, various ratios and ultimately the company bottom line. These two camps are uniquely different and seldom will you find a combination of both trading the larger exchanges with both being adherents to their methodology.

However, a combination of both camps is ideal for trading smaller stocks utilizing both methods when building a list of penny stocks. Fundamentally, acquiring as much information as possible about the company can give the trader an idea of the financial condition of the company and determine if they can implement their business plan. By reading chart patterns, support and resistance levels as well as other indictors can help the trader learn how the stock trades which helps determine the technical character of the stock.

Over time, the penny stock trader will learn which stocks have potential and which ones do not have potential. Eventually the trader will build a list of penny stocks that have the best possibility of gaining in value and will soon have a core of penny stocks that can be bought and sold many times over once the trader learns their fundamental and technical characteristics.

Tips for New Penny Stock Investors

Many people who have never played the stock market game before start with penny stocks. Heck, even if you've been around investing for decades, penny stocks are still your ticket to triple, quadruple or even quintuple-digit gains. You just can't see those if you bet on the Dow.

The problem is penny stocks are a bit more difficult to research than their large blue chip cousins. To make this a bit simpler for first-time investors, here are 10 things to keep in mind when looking for solid penny stock plays:

1. Think Outside the Box

When it comes to penny stocks, some of the wackiest ideas have translated into serious gains for investors who were willing to think outside the box…

Back in the day, who would've thought that computers were the "wave of the future"? Early investors in companies like Microsoft and Yahoo, that's who! They made a bundle by thinking outside the box and betting on business models and technologies that were out of the ordinary.

There are new technologies and business models out there in the penny stock world today. Are you willing to think outside the box on your next penny investment?

2. Know What You Own

In the world of Wall Street, whether you're investing in penny stocks or blue chips, one of the biggest rules is to "know what you own." What does that mean?

You should know the company you're investing in inside and out. Know its business. Know how it makes money. Know its management.

But as important as this rule is for any investor, it's doubly important for investors in penny stocks! That's because with penny stocks, share prices can change quickly if you don't keep a handle on them.

So know what you own and your investments won't end up owning you.

3. Don't Get in Over Your Head

When you see a hot penny stock that's ready to take off, it can be hard to keep from cashing out your 401(k) to buy as many shares as you can…getting in over your head with penny stocks is an almost sure way to get burned.

Even though penny stocks can make you some serious money, they're volatile - and that means you shouldn't put more than 10% of your portfolio on the line.

What's the smart penny investor to do? Set up an account for just penny stocks and load it only with money you're prepared to lose.

4. Don't Be Afraid to Ask…

One of the beauties of penny stocks is the fact that they're smaller companies that are out there for smaller investors.

As an individual investor, a big multinational might not give you the time of day. That's usually not the case with penny stocks. In fact, it's not unheard-of for individual investors to pick up the phone and chat with a company's CEO or CFO on the spot.

If you've got a burning question about a penny stock prospect, e-mailing or calling the company's investment relations firm or corporate offices might be one of the most telling ways to figure out if that stock's for you.

5. Be a Skeptic

Remember when we said to think outside the box? Well, do that, but don't forget to be a skeptic…

Just because a company has an interesting new idea doesn't necessarily mean it's a good penny stock prospect for your portfolio. The key is…Do you think that it can monetize its idea?

If that answer isn't immediately clear, it's time to dig a little deeper into that company's prospects. Thinking outside the box is a great way to get innovative companies on your radar, but being a skeptic is the only way to make sure that translates into gains for your portfolio.

6. Think, Then Buy

When you're ready to buy shares of a penny stock, make sure you take a second to think about what you're doing. All too many first-time penny investors take the jump on just a few shares of a penny stock without realizing how much the size of their investment will affect their returns.

Think about it this way…You're an investor who sees an attractive stock for $1 per share. You don't have a large portfolio yet, and you don't want to take too much of a risk, so you buy just 50 shares for $50.

Turns out you picked a winner that made 40% in just a week - $20 of pure profit. You sell and rejoice in your penny stock success. But wait…is that celebration justified?

You're forgetting about those $10 execution fees you paid to buy and sell that stock. That's $20 altogether. Looks like you only broke even, despite the fact that you had a stellar stock.

When you're buying penny stocks, make sure you're buying a large enough quantity that account costs (like execution fees) don't eat up your profits. You can find out your minimum returns to break even with this:

Execution Fees/Stock Acquisition Price x 100 = Break-even Gain (Percent) Needed

7. Don't Get Greedy

Lots of penny stock investors see 200%, 500%, even 1,000% gains on a stock but still end up losing money in the end. It's not because they didn't plan their buys properly…it's because they got greedy!

It doesn't matter how much money a stock makes if you're not ready to press the button and realize those gains. That's why you need to set solid exit points for any penny stock you buy.

It's human nature to want to hold onto an investment as you see it climb with no end in sight, but doing that is a great way to miss out if that trend turns around. When you analyze an investment, think about a logical exit price and sell for that. Picking solid exit points will become easier as you develop your investing chops.

8. Don't Get Too Nervous

The flip side of getting greedy is getting nervous with stocks that are seeing major gains in short periods of time. Relax. As a penny stock investor, you've got to be ice-cold when you see one of your picks take off.

Again, it comes down to picking good exit points for your investments. If you're sure that your stock is bound to start losing ground before you hit that target price, maybe it's time to re-evaluate what that price should be.

Remember, you can reanalyze your targets anytime, but you should never make trades on emotion alone.

9. Be Realistic

While investors might hope for tripe-digit gains on every pick they make, even the most seasoned pros of the investing world make bad picks from time to time. That's why having realistic expectations is so critical.

As with picking the right target prices, knowing what kind of gains to expect comes with experience as a penny investor. It's tricky to know when you should expect 20% from a stock and when you should expect 200%.

But setting those realistic expectations now, from the get-go, will get you into a habit that will help you structure your portfolio in a way that will get you the most bang for your investment buck.

10. Be Ready for the Next One

It's easy to sit back and relax after you've just made a trade - especially if you banked a nice gain. But not so fast!

As much as you might want to bask in your investing success, fight that urge.

The secret to the penny stock game is to always be on the move. Always be on the lookout for that next penny powerhouse - the next one might just be your best yet.

The Stock Market Drop

Imagine your friends laughing when you say you made a lot of money as the stock market dropped. Then imagine their faces when you show them your incredible gains. They won't laugh any more. They'll beg for help.

Everybody loves it when the stock market goes up. Many people panic when it falls. But they don't need to. An American market exists that allows traders to make money regardless of whether stocks are going up or down.

Professional investors know how to hedge their bet. They take precautions because they know the economy will move through various cycles. What goes up will eventually come down.

The common man and woman are different. They assume investing is difficult so they don't take time to learn simple methods that might benefit their lifelong effort to get ahead. They throw their money into mutual funds or a 401-K account and hope for the best. This may work when things are going well in the financial markets. In a crisis, this method will be the cause of many a sleepless night.

Every family could use some extra money each month. And it's not a pipe dream, if you are capable of taking simple direction and absorbing new information.

Here's how you to make money when the stock market falls: hedge your bet by trading the mini-sized Dow Jones futures market. I know what you're thinking. Futures?! Isn't that a great way to lose money? My answer: Have you ever lost money in the stock market?

Today's economic conditions should be a reminder that our money is always at risk. Yesterday's victories may be tomorrow's defeats. All the more reason to hedge - always - your most important investments.

The mini-sized Dow Jones electronic market is global and stays open for business throughout the night and into the next day. It closes briefly at the end of each business day, all day Saturday, then opens again late Sunday afternoon. Plenty of time to access and manage your online account.

One significant reason for learning this market is its simplicity. You can learn to trade the market up and down - and it's all legal. For people who have only traded stocks, it is sometimes difficult to understand how a futures trader can make money when a market drops. But it's true, it can be done, without breaking any laws.

This is not true of some "short selling" that takes place in the stock market. Some rogue brokerages break Securities and Exchange Commission rules and in the process rob good, honest investors. That is not what I'm suggesting. But that illegal practice is precisely why you would be wise to learn how to hedge your stock portfolio with the mini-sized Dow Jones futures market.

There are many tutorials to help you understand how to trade this market. Google "mini-sized Dow Jones" or "the mini-Dow" and you'll have plenty to choose from.

But don't fall for offers that ask you to pay big bucks for software and platforms you won't need. I'm not suggesting you day trade - not at first anyway. So choose a guidebook that is modestly priced and then learn as much as you can from it before buying your next book.

The Chicago Board of Trade and the CME Group Exchange websites offer good, free information to help you understand the basics of trading futures. Take full advantage.

Finally, be a specialist. Master the one market that can do you the most good. The mini-sized Dow Jones stock index will be enormously beneficial if you have long-term or short-term stock investments. You'll soon realize that by concentrating on one market you don't have to be Warren Buffet to make smart moves.

Best Stock Trading Software

This post covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Since the advent of the internet and more powerful personal computers, many stock players have been looking for the best stock trading software that the market can offer. After all, what a better way to analyze the market with an online stock trading software? Capable of calculating all the important indexes and show you, in a single screen and at full color, which shares should you be considering. But, are they worth your time and money?

Let's dig in to find more.

Stock Trading Software

Right now, there are more than 200 hundred stock exchange markets in Earth. These organizations trade the shares of thousands of companies around the planet. Ergo, they produce huge quantities of information. If you really want to be connected to the world, how are you going to master all this data?

If you try to do it, you will find that it is an impossible task. There are too many variables to consider, and the human mind isn't prepared for that level of information. The only way to do it is with a online stock trading software. Today, personal computers have enough power for processing these amounts of information. So, for the first time in history, people can look at stock markets of any part of the world and analyze it's movements.

Benefits Of Stock Trading Software,/b>

The main benefit is that you are going to save enormous amounts of time. You will not have to spend hours behind the Yahoo or Google stock pages, or with the newspaper, interpreting the data. A stock trading software will download all the information that you need and in no time you will find yourself with all the processed data that you require for making the right choice.

The second benefit is that it will show you cold numbers. That means that you won't be a victim of your emotions. We are humans, and there is no way in which we can detach our emotions from our decisions. Since the stock trading software package doesn't have emotions, it will tell you nothing but the truth.

The final benefit is that you will be able to broaden your portfolio, making it more secure. That way, if the stock market of a determined country falls down, you won't be very affected. With the best stock trading software you can invest in fishmeal at Chile, in mining at Peru, in biotechnology at China and even software companies at Korea (a very interesting market considering the amount of people that play Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games).

So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about stock trading software, stock trading robot, stock, automatic buying selling stock, stock automation. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

Tips For Choosing The Best Stock Trading Software

The most important tip for choosing the best software stock trading package is that you feel comfortable with it. There isn't something more frustrating than having to use a software that you don't like. If that is the case, sooner or later you will uninstall it, feeling that you have paid unnecessary money for a lemon.

Do not place yourself into that position. Use the trial-periods offered by the different stock market trading software companies. It is the only way in which you are going to find out if there is a good chemistry between you and the product. After all, a practical software stock trading package is what you should be looking for.

The second tip is to look for a company that has been some time in the market. This is a proof that they offer a good product and that you will receive support for your acquisition. There are many stock and trading software companies that come and go, specially those that make free stock trading software.

Finally, do not trust stock trading software that promises you to make you rich, or that it can predict the future movements of stock. If that really was the case, would you sell it at $50 a copy instead of using it for making yourself filthy rich? This kind of programs are nothing but a scam so do not spend your time with them.

Remember that a stock trading software isn't the only thing that you need for making yourself rich. These programs are tools, not decision makers. It is you, the investor, the one who has to interpret that information and decide if it is worth using it or not. After all, the computer can't known how much is going to affect a company to have a backlog, or if their operations are on the brink of being nationalized by a foreign country.

You can't predict when knowing something extra about stock trading software, stock trading robot, stock, automatic buying selling stock, stock automation will come in handy. If you learned anything new about stock trading software, stock trading robot, stock, automatic buying selling stock, stock automation in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

Factors That Affect and Predict Stock Prices

This is the most frequent question that most stock/options traders may have in their minds. Stocks price changes due to market forces, i.e. buying and selling of the available stocks in the market. The following are the factors that affect or even predict the buying or selling of stock that ultimately affects stock prices of companies.

· Market sentiment. The price of the stock of a company is affected most of the time by the general market direction during a session. In a bull market, the stock price of most companies will rise and in a bear market the stock price of most companies will fall. One can gauge the market sentiment by looking at stock indexes or its future price movement. The stock indexes are S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Index, Nasdaq (USA), ASX100, ASX (Australia), Nikkei 225 (Japan), Euronext 100, Euronext 150 (Europe Union), DAX, TECDAX (Germany), FTSE 100, FTSE All Shares, FTSE Techmark (United Kingdom.

· The performance of the industry. The performance of the sector or industry that the company is in also plays in part in determining the stock price of the company. Most of the times, the stock price of the companies in the same industry will move in tandem with each other. This is because market conditions will generally affects the companies in the same industry the same way. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Sometimes, the stock price of a company will benefit from a piece of bad news in its competitor if the companies are competing for the same target market.

· The earning results and earning guidance. The main objective of a company is to make profit. Therefore, investors and traders always assess a company based on its Earning Per Share (bottom line) and Revenue (top line) and its future earning potential. In US, companies generally report the earnings results every quarter-yearly. A company that achieves good earning results (EPS and Revenue) expects a boost in its share price and one that delivers poor earning result shall see a beating in its share price. Sometimes, besides reporting the EPS and Revenue for the past quarter, a company may also issue guidance (expected value) for the EPS and Revenue in coming quarter or coming years. This is also closely monitored by investors and is an important factor that will affect the company stock price.

· Take-over or merger. In general, a company being taken-over is anticipated to get a stock price boost and the company taking over another company shall experience a drop in its share price. This is assuming that the company is being taken over at a premium, meaning it is being bought over at a higher price than its last traded stock price. Depends on the agreed term, a company can be bought over by cash or stock (of the acquirer) or a combination of the two. In some minority cases, the stock price of the acquirer may get a boost if it is perceived that the acquisition shall contribute to its earning or revenue in the near future.

· New product introduction to markets or introduction of an existing product to new markets. The introduction of new product to market is seen as a revenue enhancer for a company. This also applies to an existing product that breaks into new markets. Sometimes, the prospect of a new product introduction suffices to improve the stock price of a company, this is often observed in surges in stock prices of pharmaceuticals companies after the announcement of successful clinical trials, or FDA approvals for new drugs.

· New major contracts or major Government Orders. A company that is able to obtain new major contracts or major government order is expected to see a bull run in its stock price. Those companies that fail in the contract bidding normally experience the fate of sell-off in its stocks.

· Share buy-back. The act of share buy-back by a company will reduce the number of share available in the open market. Due to the law of supply and demand, a reduction in share available for trading in this case will cause a drop in supply, this will normally help increase the share price. Also, the continuing buying back of share of a company will also acts as a support for the share price that helps to maintain or increase the share price. The investors may also see the share buy-back by company as a confidence booster for them in the company itself. Therefore, share buy-back is quite often used as a tool to deliver value to the investors.

· Dividend. After the announcement of a dividend. The stock price may increase by an amount close to the dividend per share value. However, the stock price may drop on the ex-dividend date by the dividend per share amount. This is because anyone buying a stock on or after the ex-dividend date are not entitled to the corresponding dividend payment.

· Stock splits. Stock split in theory, should not have an impact to the stock price. However, it is generally observed that the stock price increases (after taking into account the increase in the number of share) after a stock split. Some attributed to the better affordability of the stock after stock split, some attributed this to the perception of cheap stock due to the lower stock price after the stock split. Some however believes that stock split has no real impact on the stock price (effective stock price, taking into account the change in number of shares), as the stock price will increase regardless of stock split.

· Insider trading. Insiders include CEO, COO, CFO, Chairman, board directors etc, who has first hand information about the operations and the financial status of a company. Therefore, the buying or selling of stocks by these insiders may herald some good or bad news about the company. This is being watched closely by savvy stock investors/traders. However, do be aware that due to compensation package that comes in the form of stock or stock options, the insiders may sell their stocks/stock options to cash-in their compensation benefits. So in this case, it may not signal anything significant about the company. A savvy investor should know how to observe and filter out this piece of information from your investment or trading decisions.

· Investment Gurus / Hedge Funds trading. The investment decision of highly revered investment gurus like Warren Buffett, George Soros, Carl Icahn are closely monitored by investors and therefore will move the market. Hedge fund stock buying and selling are another source of information regarding the flow of "smart money".

· Analyst upgrade / downgrades. Analyst upgrade and downgrade to a stock may have positive or negative impact to the stock prices. However, one needs to be wary of the fact that quite often analysts' upgrades or downgrades happen "after" some important news about a company. For example following a extremely disappointing earning result, many analysts will likely to downgrade the company stock. So, it is very likely that by then the stock price of that company has already priced-in the poor earning result, and analyst downgrade may not have further impact to the stock price.

· Addition/Removal to/from Stock Index. Stock Index Fund are those funds that invest in those company stocks that are included in a particular stock index (e.g. S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow Jones U.S. Large Cap etc.) . Therefore, an inclusion of a company stock to a stock index will generate buying interest in the stock for these stock index fund managers. The stock index fund managers will dispose of the stock that has been removed from the stock index.

· Others. These include news about new technology, patent approval, war, natural disaster, product recalls and lawsuits that shall have positive and negative impact to the relevant company stocks. The health or mishap of a key leader in a company may also affect the stock price of the company. Take a look at the recent news about Apple Computer.

Stock Market Movement

Understanding Stock Market Movement

Given enough time investing in the stock market, a trader will tell you that the research and analysis require the most time. In order to be successful, an investor needs to understand how the markets move and how to interpret differences in the various market indexes and what they mean. This kind of evaluation becomes an important part of an investor’s technical analysis of the stock market. It can add further clarity to various stock market movements and help an investor to find potential trades.

Let’s start this review by looking at each of the big three market indexes:
• S&P 500 – This market index is most commonly used by professionals in the financial world because it includes such a large sector of the market. It includes 500 of the most widely traded stocks and because it is a market cap weighted index, changes in larger companies tend to reflect more strongly than small cap stocks. The S&P 500 tends to be a more accurate indicator of market movements than the Dow.
• The NASDAQ Stock Market Composite – Even though this market index includes all of the stocks that are listed on the NASDAQ market, it is historically weighted toward technology stocks. This condition is the result of the fact that it is a market cap weighted index and thus the large cap stocks of technology companies strongly influence this index.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average – This is the old-timer of the bunch. The Dow is the oldest, most widely known and most quoted of all the market indexes. The Dow tracks 30 of the most influential companies in the US and because it represents only large companies, it misses out on the small and mid-size companies completely. Unlike the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, the Dow is a price weighted market index which means that if a stock price changes by $1, the effect on the market index is the same no matter the price of the stock. The Dow reflects only about 25% of the total market but changes in the Dow tend to reflect consumer confidence in the stock market as a whole.

What perspective does each index take?
Because each of the indexes takes a different approach, the stock market movement for each is different. For example, the NASDAQ structured so that technology stocks enjoy greater prominence that those in other stock sectors. This was evident in the late 1990’s when the technology boom was taking place. As events unfold that effect the technology sector, the NASDAQ will tend to see the most dramatic stock market movement, although the Dow will also be significantly affected.

The S&P 500, on the other hand, is not as severely impacted by tech stocks but tends to have a stock market movement that more accurately reflects the market in its entirety. Because it is weighted to the larger stocks it does not have the violent reaction to Wall Street news that its small-cap stocks might cause. The overall balance of the S&P 500 causes a more accurate representation of market movement than the Dow. This is the reason that most financial professionals use it as their barometer for stock market movement.

The Dow is the interesting one of the bunch; the granddaddy of the market indexes, it looks only to the 30 most influential stocks for its analysis of market movements. These are all large-cap stocks so they do not accurately evaluate the entire market, yet the Dow has proven to be the best market index for indicating consumer confidence.
Conclusion

No one index gives you the entire picture of stock market movements. The combination of the three can help you draw better conclusions about the market movements and what is motivating them. Activity by the tech sector will appear with strong reactions by the NASDAQ. Strong movements by the Dow can indicate whether the consumers are feeling good about the market in general. The Dow, though weighted to the top, will be a better indication of the overall stock market movement. By considering all three, successful traders can locate where highs and lows in stock market movement can be found and invest accordingly.

Stock Market Research

It is nothing but foolishness to invest in the stock market without knowing about the market and market condition. But market research can help you gather relevant information about the stock business, which will help you play safe in the stock market. Market research companies advise you to study closely the performance chart, stock price, day trading and penny stocks of the company. They advise you to look for a reliable and experienced stockbroker. You can even refer to Stock Market Research Guides.

The stock market research must be based entirely on market research fundamentals and technical market research analysis. In India, there are many websites, which present a list of stocks that are profitable to invest in, based on market research principles.

Successfully venturing into the Stock market is not a child’s play. It requires deep understanding of the market, as said by market research firms and market research websites. If you want to profit in the stock market, then you have to develop a deep understanding of the stock market and have its basic knowledge.

Investors are tempted to invest in companies, which have large earnings and a high turnover rate. Market research firms help the investors to decide which company is profitable to invest in.

Market research professionals have formulated a principle that you have to keep in mind before investing in the stock market or any other market:

Buy low sell high — An intelligent investor is one who buys the shares at a low price and then sells it at a high price. It is this ability that will determine the profits or losses that you will earn from investing in the stock market. Market research companies tell you which company is reliable to invest in and what is the financial position of the company that you are willing to invest in. This information provided by market research firms helps you to take wise investment decisions.

You have to be wise enough to invest in the stock market seeing the conditions prevailing in the market. Do not invest unless you know well about the market that you are investing in. It is always wise to analyze the stock market well, before actually stepping into it.

Stock Market Corrections

A correction is a beautiful thing, simply the flip side of a rally, big or small. Theoretically, even technically I'm told, corrections adjust equity prices to their actual value or "support levels". In reality, it's much easier than that. Prices go down because of speculator reactions to expectations of news, speculator reactions to actual news, and investor profit taking. The two former "becauses" are more potent than ever before because there is more self-directed money out there than ever before. And therein lies the core of correctional beauty! Mutual Fund unit holders rarely take profits but often take losses. Additionally, the new breed of Index Fund Speculators is ready for a reality smack up alongside the head. Thus, if this brief little hiccup becomes considerably more serious, new investment opportunities will be abundant!

Here's a list of ten things to think about doing, or to avoid doing, during corrections of any magnitude:

1. Your present Asset Allocation should be tuned in to your long-term goals and objectives. Resist the urge to decrease your Equity allocation because you expect a further fall in stock prices. That would be an attempt to time the market, which is (rather obviously) impossible. Asset Allocation decisions should have nothing to do with stock market expectations.

2. Take a look at the past. There has never been a correction that has not proven to be a buying opportunity, so start collecting a diverse group of high quality, dividend paying, NYSE companies as they move lower in price. I start shopping at 20% below the 52-week high water mark... the shelves are beginning to become full.

3. Don't hoard that "smart cash" you accumulated during the last rally, and don't look back and get yourself agitated because you might buy some issues too soon. There are no crystal balls, and no place for hindsight in an investment strategy. Buying too soon, in the right portfolio percentage, is nearly as important to long-term investment success as selling too soon is during rallies.

4. Take a look at the future. Nope, you can't tell when the rally will come or how long it will last. If you are buying quality equities now (as you certainly could be) you will be able to love the rally even more than you did the last time... as you take yet another round of profits. Smiles broaden with each new realized gain, especially when most Wall Streeters are still just scratchin' their heads.

5. As (or if) the correction continues, buy more slowly as opposed to more quickly, and establish new positions incompletely. Hope for a short and steep decline, but prepare for a long one. There's more to Shop at The Gap than meets the eye, and you run out of cash well before the new rally begins.

6. Your understanding and use of the Smart Cash concept has proven the wisdom of The Investor's Creed (look it up). You should be out of cash while the market is still correcting... it gets less scary each time. As long your cash flow continues unabated, the change in market value is merely a perceptual issue.

7. Note that your Working Capital is still growing, in spite of falling prices, and examine your holdings for opportunities to average down on cost per share or to increase yield (on fixed income securities). Examine both fundamentals and price, lean hard on your experience, and don't force the issue.

8. Identify new buying opportunities using a consistent set of rules, rally or correction. That way you will always know which of the two you are dealing with in spite of what the Wall Street propaganda mill spits out. Focus on value stocks; it's just easier, as well as being less risky, and better for your peace of mind. Just think where you would be today had you heeded this advice years ago...

9. Examine your portfolio's performance: with your asset allocation and investment objectives clearly in focus; in terms of market and interest rate cycles as opposed to calendar Quarters (never do that) and Years; and only with the use of the Working Capital Model (look this up also), because it allows for your personal asset allocation. Remember, there is really no single index number to use for comparison purposes with a properly designed value portfolio.

10. So long as everything is down, there is nothing to worry about. Downgraded (or simply lazy) portfolio holdings should not be discarded during general or group specific weakness. Unless of course, you don't have the courage to get rid of them during rallies... also general or sector spefical (sic).


Corrections (of all types) will vary in depth and duration, and both characteristics are clearly visible only in institutional grade rear view mirrors. The short and deep ones are most lovable (kind of like men, I'm told); the long and slow ones are more difficult to deal with. Most recent corrections have been short (August and September, '05; April though June, '06) and difficult to take advantage of with Mutual Funds. So if you over think the environment or over cook the research, you'll miss the party. Unlike many things in life, Stock Market realities need to be dealt with quickly, decisively, and with zero hindsight. Because amid all of the uncertainty, there is one indisputable fact that reads equally well in either market direction: there has never been a correction/rally that has not succumbed to the next rally/correction...

Stock Market Window Dressing

As investors, and we all are investors these days, it is important that we understand the idiosyncrasies of the Stock Market pricing data we use to help us in our decision making efforts. On Wall Street, investing can be a minefield for those who don't take the time to appreciate why securities prices are at the levels that appear on quarterly account statements. At least four times per year, security prices are more a function of institutional marketing practices than they are a reflection of the economic forces that we would like to think are their primary determining factors. Not even close... Around the end of every calendar quarter, we hear the financial media matter-of-factly report that Institutional Window Dressing Activities" are in full swing. But that is as far, and as deep, as it ever goes. What are they talking about, and just what does it mean to you as an investor?

There are at least three forms of Window Dressing, none of which should make you particularly happy and all of which should make you question the integrity of organizations that either authorize, implement, or condone their use. The better-known variety involves the culling from portfolios of stocks with significant losses and replacing them with shares of companies whose shares have been the most popular during recent months. Not only does this practice make the managers look smarter on reports sent to major clients, it also makes Mutual Fund performance numbers appear significantly more attractive to prospective "fund switchers". On the sell side of the ledger, prices of the weakest performing stocks are pushed down even further. Obviously, all fund managements will take part in the ritual if they choose to survive. This form of window dressing is, by most definitions, neither investing nor speculating. But no one seems to care about the ethics, the legality, or the fact that this "Buy High, Sell Low" picture is being painted with your Mutual Fund palette.

A more subtle form of Window Dressing takes place throughout the calendar quarter, but is "unwound" before the portfolio's Quarterly Reports reach the glossies. In this less prevalent (but even more fraudulent) variety, the managers invest in securities that are clearly out of sync with the fund's published investment policy during a period when their particular specialty has fallen from grace with the gurus. For example, adding commodity ETFs, or popular emerging country issues to a Large Cap Value Fund, etc. Profits are taken before the Quarter Ends so that the fund's holdings report remains uncompromised, but with enhanced quarterly results. A third form of Window Dressing is referred to as "survivorship", but it impacts Mutual Fund investors alone while the others undermine the information used by (and the market performance of) individual security investors. You may want to research it.

I cannot understand why the media reports so superficially on these "business as usual" practices. Perhaps ninety percent of the price movement in the equity markets is the result of institutional trading, and institutional money managers seem to be more concerned with politics and marketing than they are with investing. They are trying to impress their major clients with their brilliance by reporting ownership of all the hot tickets and none of the major losers. At the same time, they are manipulating the performance statistics contained in their promotional materials. They have made "Buy High, Sell Low" the accepted investment strategy of the Mutual Fund industry. Meanwhile, individual security investors receive inaccurate signals and incur collateral losses by moving in the wrong direction.

From an analytical point of view, this quarterly market value reality (artificially created demand for some stocks and unwarranted weakness in others) throws almost any individual security or market sector statistic totally out of wack with the underlying company fundamentals. But it gets even more fuzzy, and not in the lovable sense. Just for the fun of it, think about the "demand pull" impact of an ever-growing list of ETFs. I don't think that I'm alone in thinking that the real meaning of security prices has less and less to do with corporate economics than it does with the morning betting line on ETF ponies... the dot-coms of the new millennium. [Do you remember the "Circle of Gold" from the seventies? Isn't GLD, or IAU, about the same thing?]

As if all of these institutional forces weren't enough, you need also consider the impact of tax code motivated transactions during the always-entertaining final quarter of the year. One would never suspect (after watching millions of CPA directed taxpayers gleefully lose billions of dollars) that the purpose of investing is to make money! The net impact of these (euphemistically labeled) "year end tax saving strategies" is pretty much the same as that of the Type One Window Dressing described above. But here's an off-quarter buying opportunity that you really shouldn't pass up. Simply put, get out there and buy the November 52-week lows, wait for the periodic and mysterious "January Effect" to be reported by the media with eyes wide shut amazement, and pocket some easy profits.

There just may not be a method to actually decipher the true value of a share of common stock. Is market price a function of company fundamentals, artificial demand for "derivative" securities, or various forms of Institutional Window Dressing? But this is a condition that can be used to great financial advantage. With security prices less closely related to those old fashioned fundamental issues such as dividends, projected profits, and unfunded pension liabilities and perhaps more closely related to artificial demand factors, the only operational alternative appears to be trading! Buy the downtrodden (but still fundamentally investment grade) issues and take your profits on those that have risen to inappropriately high levels based on basic measures of quality... and try to get it done before the big players do. To over simplify, a recipe for success would involve shopping for investment grade stocks at bargain prices, allowing them to simmer until a reasonable, pre-defined, profit target is reached, and seasoning the portfolio brew with the discipline to actually implement the profit taking plan.

Just call me old fashioned, but I miss the days when there were just stocks and bonds... interesting place Wall Street.

Stock Marketing and Investing Mistakes To Avoid

Investing in the stock market is probably one of the riskiest ventures you can delve into with your money. It is also one of the most profitable. So it is only normal that you may have reservations about actually trying your luck in the stock market.

There are two people that you need to find and make friends with to get started investing in the stock market. If you are a brand spanking new beginner then first find a friend that invests in stocks. Preferable you want to find someone you have known for a while and someone that you can trust as a friend. You can use your friend to bounce ideas off of and get help from. Also you want to find a good stockbroker to begin trading. You might ask your friend who he or she uses as a stockbroker. Later on once you have gotten your feet wet you will want to strike out on your own but have a safety net in place before doing that.

One of the worst stock moves you can make is with variable annuities using the premium of your insurance. A variable annuity is an insurance contract that allows you to invest your premium in mutual fund-like investments. This sounds good in paper, but if you look at it a little harder, you will find that they are bad investments in the long run for the following reason:

Some other things that you want to watch out for and be carefully when considering investing follow.

Tax cuts
Ordinary investments in stocks and mutual funds qualify for low capital gains treatments, thus smaller taxes. Your gains from investing your premium, on the other hand, get taxed as income as soon as you withdraw the money.

Early withdrawal penalties
Insurance plans are designed for retirement. Taking out money from your premium entails a certain amount of penalty from both the insurance company as well as the government. So if you withdraw your profits, you will be penalized.

Death benefit
If your stocks are down upon your death, your beneficiaries can get as much as the investments you put in. Unfortunately, if your stocks are up, they get taxed as a regular income.

Costs
Annuities with insurance features are actually more expensive than ordinary mutual funds. The more insurance features your annuity has, the more annual feels are heaped against it, which naturally eats up your profits.

Timing
There are specific times as well, when to and when to not make an investment. For example times of natural calamity may drive prices of stocks down but there are no insurance these would recover to make a good profit.

Of course investing money in the stock market is inherently risky and you will lose some money at some point in your stock investing career. It is natural and a part of the learning process. The important thing is don't give up and stop just because you have a lost a little money. Take the loss as a learning experience and move on. Now if you find all of your trades end up losing money then you might decide to take a different route. However by following the advice and tips above along with your own knowledge you will end up profitable int he long run.

Hollywood Stock Exchange

Back in 1993 on a movie tracking newsgroup, a group of guys started a predicting game. They set up a system where they could bid on upcoming films, and then figured out math formulas based on the buzz and the activity of those films in regards to the newsgroup to see if the price would rise or fall. It soon began to expand enough to become a website with an actual program running on it and thus the HSX or Hollywood Stock Exchange was born.

The HSX has gone through a lot of changes since those early beginnings, back in the dot.com boom of 2001, HSX went public and raised a good chunk of capital that it used to finance a TV channel, radio spots, and a whole slew of other market ideas, almost all of which have fallen through now.

Hollywood Stock Exchange is protected by US patents due to the specific formulas and processes they use and they have successfully protected themselves against software pirates who have attempted to nab the code for their own use. The HSX runs on a java platform with active server pages helping to keep the actual process hidden behind a shielded server wall.

When somebody decides to play the Movie market, they open a free account with HSX and are given 2 million Hollywood Dollars or H$. This is the online currency of the market, and is the only way to play the game. Players then buy and sell shares in the market and if they pick the right shares at the right time, their funds increase. I have been playing the HSX for about 18 months and have achieved more than H$43 million so far, which is not too bad.

Some of the biggest gains can come from predicting how much cash a movie will take on it's opening weekend. Because that is applied with a multiplier to the actual stock price, and if it is higher, then the stock price can jump up or down significantly. A big gain I managed to do was put some H$ onto Spiderman 3 before it released to theatres. That stock jumped more than H$43 on the strength of the box office, meaning every share held increased by that amount.

The HSX is a very good example of a prediction market, and the software that runs it is always being adjusted and tweaked by the operators to keep the system running at it's best performance. Thus we come to the big problem with HSX, downtime.

In the 18 months that this site has been monitored, not a week goes by that the site is not down for at least a couple of hours, or sometimes a full day. Quite often it will simply go down and nobody will say anything, then it recovers and people keep playing. Other times, the server will error or the database will fail, or any number of other excuses may occur that will cause the system to stop working, leaving the game's 10,000+ active players out of luck until the game is reset.

Now, even though the site is currently owned by an investment capital firm, I would imagine they would make it a priority to ensure their game, which is known around the world for what it is, would be kept up and stable. But it appears that they don't want to put too much into it. Even though HSX is ranked at 14,731 on Alexa's top 100,000 websites, which means it gets well over 10,000 hits a day if not more. HSX is also associated with the movie speculation site the numbers.com as they share information daily and have cross-links.

I find that quite sad as this type of site has a strong potential and it seems to be being squandered by the owners who seem to have no idea what to do with a concept like this, other than to let it sit without much improvement and let it die a slow death through neglect.

AMEX - The Third Stock Exchange

American Stock Exchange directors Alan Quasha, Philip Frost and others hit on investment option that the individual investor should consider: The Exchange-Traded Fund that combines the best of two worlds.

Many of us are familiar with the two major U.S. stock exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ), for very obvious reasons. The NYSE is the stock exchange with the largest dollar volume in the world - the combined capitalization of all its listed companies was over $30.5 trillion (as of 31/12/07) - and its almost 4,000 listed companies make it one of the three stock exchanges with the highest number of listed companies. The NASDAQ has more trading volume per day than any other stock exchange in the world, and with its over 3,900 listed companies it competes with the NYSE for the second highest number of listings (the Bombay Stock Exchange has over 4,700 listings making it the stock exchange with the most listings, yet it has a combined capitalization of less than $2 trillion).

The third largest U.S. stock exchange with over 850 equity listings is the American Stock Exchange (Amex), and while it may seem to pale in comparison to the NYSE and NASDAQ it has many positive attributes that set it above its larger brothers. The Amex has much more liberal policies when it comes to the listing requirements, and this makes it much easier for small and medium sized companies to list. However, there is another aspect of the Amex that makes it attractive to the small investor - and it is here that its uniqueness and innovation is expressed.

In 1993 the Amex gave birth to a new investment instrument called the Exchange Traded Fund (EFT). In conjunction with State Street Global Advisors, Amex launched the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the introduction of the S&P 500 index fund (SPDR - colloquially termed "spiders"), which was linked to the S&P 500 Index. Since then, ETFs have flourished across all the stock markets, yet the Amex remains the home and breeding ground of the majority of ETFs. The flurry of activity following the introduction of the SPDR gave rise to many ETFs, many of them index-linked, and the years immediately following the SPDR's burst onto the investment stage coincided with the tenure of Amex governors Alan Quasha and Philip Frost, who together with the Amex leadership nurtured the ETF revolution.

To understand what an ETF is, and also to appreciate its advantages over other investment strategies, requires a basic knowledge of some of the classic investment options available to the private investor. The ETF is in reality a mutual fund that benefits from the advantages of a fund, yet it acts as a regular bond or stock, and thus incorporates the advantages of a stock, thereby eliminating the limitations of the mutual fund. (Many mutual funds - and in turn, ETFs - are linked to indices, which means the funds mimic the successful diverse combination of investments that comprise an index.)

A mutual fund is a collective investment fund which incorporates a basket of shares of listings across the market and it is seen as one of the most solid forms of stock market investment. This is due to its management by professional managers, but primarily due to the fact that it comprises a diverse portfolio covering many spheres of the market, and thus it is less vulnerable to sectorial fluctuations. Not only does it offer the small investor this cross-market diversity, but he is able to invest in numerous and high quality companies that would require funds far beyond the financial abilities of private individuals. (Of course the exact solidity and yield of the mutual fund depend on the declared aims and scope of each mutual fund.)

Regular stocks and bonds are the most basic commodities of a stock market. They are the shares that offer the public ownership in part of the listed company. Unlike shares in a mutual fund that may only be traded at their closing price at the end of the trading day, classic stocks may be traded at any moment, and the price fluctuations during the day can be utilized by investors in speculative activities. Thus the most fluid, dynamic and flexible investment on the stock exchange is the regular stock.

The exchange-traded fund combines the strongest aspects of mutual funds and regular stocks in offering the solidity and diversity of the mutual fund, together with its increased funds and professional management, and also incorporating the fluidity and dynamism of the stock, allowing all the investment activities and real time behavior of the stock. Additional benefits include lower management expenses, as regular brokerage fees apply, tax incentives expressed by lower rates, and the short-term capabilities of the stock. In effect, while investment in a mutual fund resembles an investment in stocks across the market, the ETF allows one to trade in numerous stocks across the entire market as if they were one stock.

With the many benefits of the ETFs, it is no surprise that this market has grown include hundreds of ETFs within only a few years. The Amex remains the fertile ground for the majority of ETFs, and this will continue due to its experience and flexible constitution. This fast growing investment option is estimated to surpass a capitalization of $1 trillion by 2010, and it is certainly one of the prime investment instruments that the individual investor must consider.

How to Improve Stock Exchange Systems

Stock Exchanges are more and more technology driven. The information systems SE uses, can be improved by using a technique that is entering all kinds of domains these days; Data Mining.

Data mining and business intelligence has changed many businesses already. A good example is sports. In soccer the game has been made more interesting because of additional comments that were provided by information systems. We get information on how many times the team has won in similar circumstances, how many penalties a player has missed, or how many corners converted into goals...

The Stock Exchange is another area where defaming technique could help to improve the main function of the exchange. This is to offer a platform for trade. During this crisis the value of Stock exchange stocks have decreased more than you would imagine the profits would decline, given the amount of trading. Many will trade less during a bear-market.

The worst a stock-exchange can do is to close down. This happened last week in Moscow and in Vienna. Closing down an exchange will not raise the confidence people have in such an exchange. There are many other mechanisms to control sell-off by stock-exchange-rules, but these are not always enough.

The decision to close an exchange is motivated by the fear of a massive sell-off. Similar to a run on banks. If people sell now, how do we know whether they come back ever?

Data mining may offer help in such a situation. To gain back some confidence wall displays or information on websites may offer information to put the decline in a perspective; for example: "in ... (similar) situations a three days decline like this, was followed by a 15% increase in the following two days."

The right and exact messages need to be assessed, but the idea is to control pure fear. And to offer an alternative to closing the exchange.

The Soccer game has changed since data mining and maturity of information systems.
The stock exchange is a market that has already changed much of its form. It used to be a floor with people, and they could communicate to each other, now only information systems can control a path that has been entered by use of these same information technology. And defaming seems the most appropriate for the short term. Stock-Exchange-stocks that are best developed with these kinds of technology will outperform other SE-stocks in the future.

Stock Scanning Tips

Stock scanning is a vital tool used by professional traders to find symbols that fit their criteria. There are thousands of programs and resources that scan the stock market based upon investor criteria, locating stocks that fit your trading system. Are you seeking stocks with a price between $5 and $50 with a PEG ratio of .4? A stock scanner will search through piles of data and return with hundreds of names that match the criteria. Why do all the initial searching when automated programs can do it for you?

Stock scanning saves time

Looking through thousands of stocks listed on trading exchanges takes time – when your most valuable resource as a trader is the time you can spend trading rather than searching.

Finding stocks does not make money for you; it’s the trading that does. Planning to use a stock scanner or manual scanning in a trading plan is a good way to lay down the rules for your trading systems.

What to consider when adding stock scanning tips

Consider what kind of trader you are in creating the parameters for your stock scanning. For example, if you find yourself making money shorting stocks and losing on buying, scan only for stocks that have a fundamental problem.

Inherently, when you trade with the market, the odds are in your favor. Creative techniques, such as only selling stocks short if they are largely unprofitable, are a good way to increase your odds. Likewise, buying companies with huge year over year growth makes much more sense than selling the stock at a top. If you flow with the uptrends, downtrends and sideways trends, you’ll produce bigger profits and smaller losses. That’s a combination that can’t be beat.

Trading plan planner

Profitable traders know that a good trading plan planner creates the foundation of successful profits. A trading plan planner will allow you to organize your thoughts and system into one comprehensive trading plan.

Outline your stock scanning tips and proven strategies in a step by step plan. Start with the most simple but also definitive indicator. For example, if only 10% of stocks qualify for a certain criteria, it would be smart to start off the steps with that specific criteria set. Weeding out the bad stocks as quickly as you can will speed up the scanning process and leave you only with quality stocks you would want to hold.

Philosophy of stock scanning

Stock scanning is done to save time and money, while allowing you to place quality trades. It isn’t the number of trades that count, but the quality and what each stock brings to the table. In many respects, stock scanning is the best way to count through thousands of shares and find the best company for your trading plan. When trading plan and quality stocks meet, you’ll become a profitable trader.