Analysis Topic: Investor & Trader Education
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Managing Risk with Warrants, Options & Leaps / InvestorEducation / Options & Warrants
By: Dudley_Baker
Regardless of what the markets are currently doing, now, more than ever is the time to take action to protect your portfolio.
Over the last few weeks investors have been very very surprised at the performance of virtually all of the markets with the big initial shock coming from the 9% decline in the Shanghai markets overnight. Many analysts have had some great insight into what the problems are, the effects of them and how investors should approach the markets. Unfortunately, we have many different opinions from these analysts. While differing opinions are great to read it can and does create much doubt in the mind of the average investor. This is truly a time that you, the investor, must firmly believe in your investment philosophy or at a minimum attempt to protect yourself in the event you are wrong.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Two Very Important Stock Market Investment Rules! / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Money_and_Markets
Someone once asked the famous bank robber Willie Sutton why he robbed banks. Willie's answer was simple – “Because that's where the money is!”
You know, Sutton had a point. That's why I was very interested to hear that Kevan Watts, the head of Merrill Lynch's international division, will be moving his office from London to Hong Kong.
Guys like Watts aren't flocking to Asia to eat sushi or fried rice ... they're going because that's where the money is. Heck, a third of Goldman Sachs' 2006 pretax profits came from Asia!
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Learn to Trade Like a Spartan Warrior / InvestorEducation / Learn to Trade
By: Joseph_Russo
Making a conscious decision to trade financial markets is the same as engaging in battle with the most cunning and merciless of adversaries. It is not only possible, but also essential to engage markets with the skills and instincts of an elite warrior. Odds of success can be insurmountable. In order to prevail, one must be equally cunning. Before committing to battle, it is essential that one is adequately prepared. In this article, we will outline three essential attributes one must acquire prior to engagement.
300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. In this b attle, an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian Empire army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece . Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Persians for three days in one of history's most famous last stands. As a city-state devoted to military training, Sparta possessed the most formidable army in the Greek world. The Spartan Warriors possessed extraordinary strength, courage, and ingenuity. When brute strength did not suffice, they used their wits to prevail over their adversaries.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Investing in Silver - Warp Speed / InvestorEducation / Gold & Silver
By: Roland_Watson
In the search for knowledge that helps us time exit and entry points for the silver market, I was reminded of that old science fiction series Star Trek. Now you may ask what Star Trek has got to do with silver? Well, let me define it as the "Spock-McCoy" syndrome of silver investing.
Watching reruns of that show reminded me of two mindsets when it comes to investing. First we have logical and methodical Mr. Spock who emotionlessly does everything "by the book" and will not let feelings enter into his final calculations and decisions.
Secondly, there is the headstrong Dr. McCoy who would often be bounced off Spock because he did let emotions play a part in his judgments and was often seen chiding Spock for anything that smacked off "cold-bloodedness".
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Why do 95% of traders lose trading the financial markets? / InvestorEducation / Learn to Trade
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
Why do 95% of traders basically wipe out their accounts in the first year? What does it take to be a master trader, to profit on a consistent basis and not burn out in the process?
From 1897 to 1900, 200,000 people started to the Klondike and only 30,000 reached it (1 in 6). Not more than 400 found any gold (1 in 500) and of those only a few managed to keep it (possibly 1 in 5000). It is said that if all the gold that was found (some 4 millions dollars) was divided among everyone that first started the search, each would receive $20.00!
This is not about gold, but the analogies to trading are all too real and familiar.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 12, 2007
Crude Oil Dynamic Price Action Technical Analysis over the last 9 months / InvestorEducation / Elliott Wave Theory
By: Joseph_Russo
After a wild ride from last years July top, what lies ahead for Crude Oil prices?
We'll get to the bottom of that rather “deep well” in our last price chart and closing comments. First, let's back up and take a look at what's happened to the price of Crude Oil from the near $80.00 spike high back in July of ‘06. This will give us a sense of price history, and will also reveal just how Elliott Wave Technology has been making clients HUGE PROFITS ever since . From July 13, 2006 through March 2, 2007 , position traders' using our analysis could have made a minimum of $38,000.00 per oil contract!
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Trading Doctor - Trapped in Quicksand by Holding Losing Positions . - Cut your Losses Short ! / InvestorEducation / Trader Psychology
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
Take an old pair of jeans and cut a hole in one of the front pockets. Now, start pouring sand into that pocket. What happens? Sand runs down your leg and to the ground. What do you do? Keep pouring until the sand is up to your ankles? Your knees? Your waist?
At what point do you realize and act on the fact that no matter how much or how fast you pour sand into the empty pocket, you have a hole in your pocket? At what point do you come to the conclusion that you either have to stop pouring sand or just take off the pants and run away as fast as you can?
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Secret to Successful Trading - Using Rules to Time Your Entry / InvestorEducation / Learn to Trade
By: Hans_Wagner
When learning how to invest in the stock market, one of the most important lessons is to entry the stock at the right price. Getting the entry right will go a long way to help you beat the stock market .
Many investors believe that learning to read and interrupt a chart will lead to profitable trading. Unfortunately, this isn't true. Good technical analysis is important to trading and can be learned. However, it becomes much more difficult when you are trading with real money and the emotional commitment that real-life trading creates. The key to success is using well defined rules to time your entry.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Trading Doctor - The Importance of Stress Control in Trading - The 'C' Word / InvestorEducation / Trader Psychology
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness...
Edward Stanley (14th Earl of Darby, 1799-1869)
The C word is not churn, candlesticks, commodities, contango, crash, curbs or any other Wall Street term that comes to mind. It's CORTISOL
Cortisol. an adrenal hormone, plays a critical role in the "normal" response to stress. By "normal" I mean "short-lived, fight or flight and it is over" type of stress. In this way, it is useful and protective to the body.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Trading Doctor - When it All Falls Apart - Coping with Losses / InvestorEducation / Trader Psychology
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves.
We live in denial of what we do, even what we think.
We do this because we're afraid…Richard Bach
Many years ago when I first started to trade, I went to a trading guru. In fact, I went to a several gurus. I asked them to help me, to teach me, to mentor me. Every one of them said "No", some more emphatically than others. The reasons they gave ranged from "I'm retiring soon" to "come back when you have a Ph.D. in losses and maybe we'll talk." In the interim, I got a Ph.D. in losses, but I never returned to any of them. Call it rejection sensitivity, call it stubbornness or call it whatever, I did not go back to the gurus. I learned the hard way.... by teaching myself. I made every possible mistake that a trader or investor can make, ranging from lousy stock picks to bad execution, not cutting losses, not letting profits run, not listening to the market.... and on and on.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
A Chronological Account Leading Up to Tuesdays Stock Market Meltdown in the Dow Jones Index / InvestorEducation / Elliott Wave Theory
By: Joseph_Russo
The Power of Chart Technical Analysis and Price Forecasting - In the highly competitive and at times controversial, rough and tumble financial forecasting sphere, maintaining resident impartial disciplines, and "getting it right more often than not," is virtually the closest possible reality toward capturing the Holy Grail that we know of.
Trading, investing, and managing any sum of money is an inherently risky but highly rewarding endeavor. Traders and Managers of all stripes have "big money" on the line every day, year after year. Exposed in equal measure, open positions are continually subject to both inherent risks and substantial opportunities that evolve with the passage of time. Time is critical to this equation and waits for no one. Other than by way of mere chance, time is completely void of accommodation in facilitating individual outcome preferences. Time and price evolve dynamically irrespective of participants' collective time horizons or tolerance for risk. Given this, adopting a reliable primary or secondary financial forecasting source would check risk and balance profits in all time frames.
What follows are chronicled price charts of the Dow Jones Industrial Average leading up to the market meltdown of Feb-27, 2007:
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Trading Doctor - What do You See When you Look in the Mirror ? / InvestorEducation / Analysis & Strategy
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
The way we perceive our actions or the consequences of our actions is, often, entwined closely with the way we identify who we are. We traders often define ourselves in terms of our trading...our actions and inactions, our triumphs, our gains and our losses. As a result, it is easy to merge so strongly with a decision that has resulted in unexpected negative consequences that we actually become that decision.
The disappointment and shame we feel when we make what we perceive is an error, grows until it becomes a dominant part of our identity. We rationalize our "poor" decisions by labeling ourselves incompetent decision makers, or, in the trading vernacular "idiots." Imagine walking around all day telling everyone that you are an idiot? Why are you doing that? What gain are you getting from that, and what message are you giving to those around you?
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The Trading Doctor - TIME TRAPS - Learn to Manage your Time / InvestorEducation / Analysis & Strategy
By: Dr_Janice_Dorn
Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges... Jose Luis Borges, Essay: "A New Refutation of Time," 1946
We react and respond to the following: data, information, knowledge and wisdom. My vision is to bring you knowledge and wisdom which will enrich your life, challenge you and propel you to higher and higher levels of evolution of your brain. I want each and every one of you who who reads what I write to be--not on the cutting edge of the curve-- but far ahead of the curve. My wish for you and for myself is that we retain and remain imbued with a personal value system that enriches and nourishes every aspect of our lives.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Call Options, Leaps and Warrants - Investor 101 / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Dudley_Baker
With the Precious Metals markets heating up once again, and investors, both individual and professionals, considering how to invest appropriately, we thought it would be timely to discuss objectively some of your choices to increase leverage.
We realize investors have different views, different time horizons and different levels of risk tolerance and this affects our opinions and choices of investment vehicles to use in the search of ways to increase leverage.
While we at Precious Metals Warrants are biased as to our personal choice, we will discuss and define objectively the difference in call options, leaps and warrants so that readers can have the knowledge to make their own decisions as to which is the best for their situations.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
What the PE Ratio can tell us about the Future Stock Market Direction / InvestorEducation / Corporate Earnings
By: Hans_Wagner
S&P 500 earnings are on track for a 20% gain compared to last years 3 rd quarter. Next quarter earnings should rise about 11%, marking the fifteenth straight quarter of a double-digit gain. Along with the excellent earnings performance we have experienced dramatic strength in the major averages as well. The DJIA is at all time highs and the S&P 500 is above 5 year highs.
The outlook for continued good performance in both earnings and the indices remains strong. Given this positive outlook, I thought it might be appropriate to see if stock valuations are getting ahead of themselves by looking at current and past PE ratios.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Trading - Timing The Entry into a Market Position / InvestorEducation / Forecasts & Technical Analysis
By: Hans_Wagner
Timing the Entry sets the parameters to buy the potential high profit stocks that have been identified. The objective is to identify the rules that will be used to enter a buy (or short), the exit target and the trailing stop. Technical analysis provides the best way to effectively plan the trade. Many people believe that being able to properly read and interpret a chart leads to profitable trades. Unfortunately, this is not true. Reading a chart to identify the existing patters, trends and interpreting the indicators only provides the framework for executing a trade. The secret is to identify the characteristics on the chart that when realized will yield an optimal trade opportunity. You are preparing to commitment your hard earned money, so you want to be as sure as possible that the trade criteria is the best it can be.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Investment decisions based on the Business Cycle and Sector Rotation / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Hans_Wagner
The business cycle is a long-term pattern of changes in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that follows four stages: expansion, prosperity, contraction, and recession. After a recessionary phase, the expansionary phase can start again. The phases of the business cycle are characterized by changing employment, industrial productivity, and interest rates. Some economists believe that stock price trends precede business cycle stages. As a result the economic cycle provides the strategic framework for economic activity and investing. The business cycle affects employees, employers and investors. For example:Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Investor, Trader and Gambler - How to make Profits / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Hans_Wagner
What do an investor, a trader and a gambler have in common? As professionals, they have succeeded by following a strict set of rules. Actually, we all live our lives by following some set of rules. Some of us are more disciplined than others. Shortly after we are born we start to learn the rules of life. Some of these rules we had to learn the hard way, such when you fall down you can skin up your knees. Others we learned from our parents, like look both ways before crossing the street. Learning from our parents is easier, at least sometimes. However, we seem to do a better job remembering the ones we learned the hard way.
As investors we have a choice. We can learn the hard way and hopefully survive our lessons and not run out of money. Or we can learn from three very successful professionals.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Cult of the Bear - Another Missed Bull Market / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Clif_Droke
A gradual procession of super bears has been quietly admitting they've been wrong in their bearish assessment of the stock market. As the major stock market indices continue to push to higher highs and as market internals continue to reflect a stellar market condition, even the most stubborn of bearish traders and market commentators have been forced to reconsider their positions. Slowly, and with little fanfare, they've been covering short positions.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, February 16, 2007
How to Set Stop Losses to Lock in Profits / InvestorEducation / Investing
By: Hans_Wagner
I have had several questions regarding how I set stops and why sometimes I use a trailing percent stop and other times I use a specific price. I hope to help clarify my approach with this Point of Interest. The trailing stop is an excellent method to lock in profits or protect from greater losses. By placing a stop order below the current price it limits your loss to a predetermined amount. When the bid price hits the stop price your position is sold and you exit your position.Read full article... Read full article...