These days there are so many different factors affecting the value of stocks that it’s nearly impossible to know when to invest without some strategy. A strategy allows you to conduct a comprehensive analysis of a stock for long or short term investments depending on your goals.
You could also use these strategies while diversifying your portfolio by picking the best stocks from different industries and companies worldwide. Having a strategy will help you search for the best stocks to buy, allowing you to invest with confidence.
More often than not, buying and selling shares in companies with an excellent reputation and record of growth will make you more money; however, if you want to go broke and invest in riskier stocks, be sure to do thorough research beforehand.
Safety first
Never invest all of your money into just one stock trading strategy. Diversification is the key to success – keep some funds on hand so that you won’t lose everything if one particular strategy doesn’t work out.
Have patience
Don’t expect instant results from your investment strategies. Although there are stories of people making millions by purchasing their stocks at the right moment and selling them at the perfect time, these cases are sporadic. Even for experienced investors, seeing consistent double-digit growth in your portfolio might take years. Only invest what you can afford.
Believe in yourself
Of course, no strategy will work without a bit of faith thrown into the mix. The good news is that there are lots of strategies out there, and finding one that works for you won’t be hard if you’ve got some confidence and determination behind you.
Check your numbers
Before you decide on trading stocks, take a good look at the company’s financial records. Although it’s crucial to take past performance into account when evaluating a strategy, it’s also crucial that you look at their balance sheet and cash flow statement if you want to make money from that stock.
Get educated
Always research before buying or selling stocks. The more work you put in now, the more likely it is that your strategies will pay off in the future – not just for this year but for years to come! You could read up on financial reports, watch educational videos online, attend seminars, or even hire a professional who can show you how much potential a particular stock has based on sophisticated algorithms..
Be creative
If you can’t find any suitable strategies out there or if they seem boring to you (who wouldn’t be bored by buying low and selling high?), why not make up your own? You may need to experiment at first but don’t be discouraged – stick with it until you perfect your strategy. You’ll be surprised how rewarding it feels once the investment starts working for you.
Long-term comes first
Never risk all your money in one place. Even if your long-term strategy is set up to make money for you by generating capital gains, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore the potential of short term strategies too. If anything, they can help create a healthy portfolio because they’re less risky than picking stocks yourself and are almost guaranteed to generate some profit!
Keep it simple
Don’t complicate things – sometimes it pays off to be conservative. An essential investment plan would include setting aside some time each week or month to research the markets and price the investment options accordingly, invest when there are good deals on offer, sell your stocks when necessary and so on. You don’t have to get overly technical or creative with your trading just for the sake of it.
Stick to a budget
When making investment decisions, think about how much money you have available and only make investments that won’t use up your resources. For example, if you got HKD 10,000 saved up for investing in stocks but decided to buy one share at HKD 1,000, you’re not thinking logically – after all, what are the chances of that stock doubling anytime soon?
Investors who are good at money management can turn their lack of resources into an advantage by using small amounts to test different strategies before deciding on which ones will provide them with the best returns.