What Does It Take To Pick A Great Stock Investment? - To A Regular Joe & Josette

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   What affects our financial system? What gets the markets roaring? 

   With all it's up's & downs, fluctuations, peaks, dips, candles & trends . Why is this market a trend anyway? What happened this day that didn't happen yesterday?

   In piecing together a simple insight into the inner workings of the functionality within our stock market! One can only hypothesize. There are no magic wards, you can't input a formula and out materializes an interpretation. 

   In today's intricate world of business finance, those who study, move, react on a hooch & clues, are the ones who most likely will not only survive but will also end up on the wealthier side of the equation.

A Comprehensive Stock Market Trading Course For Beginners. High Quality Video And Audio PLUS Bonuses

   
However, that is easier said than done. 

   Wall Street & the financial district is ALL about money. Lots & lots of money! 

   It is estimated that some $2+ trillion passed through this district everyday.  

 Everyday......? Phew!

   Money is power & power is money. And there's nothing easy about getting to it neither. 


   Man has for centuries done every conceivable act, scheme, deed, venture & jobs to get their hands on as much of that dollar dollar bill as they can possibly have. And when they do......they want more. 

   It's out there, money, wealth & riches that for sure. The bigger the payout, the bigger the risk one will take.

 The same with the markets.......

   What is the strategy for your investments? Are you looking for a long term or short term investments? 

   These two channels makes a world of difference.

   Long term, being 10, 15 - 20 years that requires you to sit and be patient. These can be medium to minimal risk. Generally called "Buy & Hold" stocks. These are the seeds you plant now . Then you nourish them through maturity and growth. You are building a passive wealth over time especially in what is called compound interest. Reinvesting your dividends  (profits) back into more shares. 

   Short term goals, couple of weeks to under 3 years. Generally, short term gain offer reasonable yield. These are your bank type saving accounts, CD Certificates of Deposit, money market (index) funds, treasuries or bonds. That are less risky.  Trading stocks in the short term game results in higher taxation issues, profits eaten away through penalties & transaction fees. 

   Even shorter term  investing is available. If you enjoy sitting around in front of a computer all day where the operations  are the same yet trading is done in as little as the same day. 

   Day trading,  buying on the fluctuation of the markets. Buy low then sell high and make a quick profit. A bit riskier of course as mentioned above, idea here is to make a little here & there multiple times throughout the day to make it worth while.

   These are just the tip of  iceberg when it comes to the workings of the stock market for a gain. Still, what are some of the barometer in determining a decent playing field? 

How does one began to get a little dirty in the world of trading?

  To start with, companies you know. Understanding the company or industry is of most importance. When you know something about the industry you are investing in. You can interpret other actions that surround that business. 

Example: 
   Let's say you are investing in the automobile industry.  Because you work as a car salesperson, you are close to the action. You have meeting on the car buying experience, your know when car buying is heaviest and in it's slow periods. 

   Other insight maybe the amount of mechanical issues a particular model might have. You get immediate feedback from consumers on a wide variety of subjects that ordinary people just are not privy to. 

   These bits of information can provide you a general feel on what direction that company is heading . If you know that consumer are not happy with the style or performance you then understand that will have an impact on sales within that company thereby influencing the value of your stock.

   Another indicator, looking at the markets for stocks that have hit a first time all-time high. There might be something going on there. Research to see has there been any improvements that may have a connection to this company. Has there been an sales inquiry or talk of merger.

   
   These are some tell-tale signs to be watchful for. If you are going to do investment for a gain. It is most certainly a safer strategy to go long-term or "buy & hold". This requires you buy your shares and hold on to them for 10, 15 or 20+ years.

   Blue chip companies are great long term prospects. Watch for great book-keeping, solid management, future projects. 

   Which takes us to a crucial element in stock trading. Understanding the companies overall value or it's market (cap) capitalization. What debt has it accumulated or it's (EV) enterprise value.  


EPS + P/E RATIO  

You are hoping for returns (profits from the company shares) it's best to look at your earning per share (EPS) growth. While this is a pretty good indication of the companies profits measurements.

What are the trends? 

   For instance,  tech & energy stocks are doing well these last few months. Pay attention to the trucking industry. Up ticks in the sales of trucks is a slick indicator that businesses are busy. People buying goods is always a great economical indicator.

   Here's a few industries that are poised to do very well over the next few years:

• Sustainable Renewable Energy 
• Artificial Intelligence AI, 
• Deep learning, Machine learning
• Drone Technology 
• Electric automobiles, 
• Solar power
• Cannabis (especially medical marijuana)
• Biotech 

        ........are just a few to name.

In picking stocks, one must think in terms of sub-groups. What are ALL the factors that surround that company?

   See within each of these individual industries are other industries. Supply chain as they are called. Suppliers of the materials in process to the finished product.

  
  In the sustainable renewable energy field, you have solar, wind, turbine, hydro. Artificial intelligence requires chips & processors. 
Drone technology will need visual equipment and landing fields, operators, technicians and businesses that will utilize these drones. Solar power uses panels, installers. 
The medical & recreational cannabis industry will set off an agriculture boom like no other. 

   See where I'm going with this. The companies that supply the raw materials to a popular product, say like smartphones & earbuds etc. Great investment opportunities.

   Using this thought process as a foundation. Along with some other technical indicators which we will tap into as we move forward. Will help influence your confidence in your trade, buying & selling strategies. 

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   Please remember this, my one soul purpose is to post information expressed in as plain & simple to understand terminology. No fancy wording or path to complex that you can't get out there and get a piece of your own company. Build a nest egg and wealth as the wealthy have done continuously for decades. Try not to read to much into the steps. It is a learning process, let it happen. As you learn to crawl, then you learn to walk which will lead to running. 

Life isn't that complicated, we just tend to make it that way!

   There's all kind of money out there floating around. The plan is to get sucked up in that whirl wind and ride it like the riches of the rich. And ALL You have to do is what they do.

Money is not evil.......Humans are their own culprit!

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Copyright © 2017 Andrew Hayes All Rights Reserved
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN Oct. 31st 2017 Blogger Post: What A Day, Life Faith God

         Happy Halloween to All:

  Did you dress up in your best outfit? If you are out and about today or tonight, please be extra careful & have a scary good time. 

SCARY WISHES

   Before we get into any tech, health, or finance discussions of the day. I first would like to take a moment to send my condolences out to our fellow New York citizens who were selfishly & cowardly targeted for harm.  Yet, again a weak brainwashed individual has choosing to inflict unprovoked destruction upon the innocence. My prayers going up and out to the families involved.

   One last statement, actual my personal view point. Just so it's out there. I view religions as a way of "life", keyword here is "LIFE". 

   Life is FAITH, faith comes in the form of religion. Religion to express peace, love and God (GOOD). Any deviation of good is not GOD's will. In no faith, no language in anything. GOD would not harm others in the name of GOOD. That's human beings thinking they know better.   

"So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can't prove the question either way, which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?" Mr. Okamoto: "That's an interesting question?" Mr. Chiba: "The story with animals." Mr. Okamoto: "Yes. The story with animals is the better story." Pi Patel: "Thank you. And so it goes with God." Ch 99, pg 317

 ~ Yann Martel, Life of Pi

   Since I could remember, I have always had a peaceful demeanor. In fact, since I was in high-school, I have carried the nickname peacemaker or (#1stpeacemaker as it is on my social media outlet) with me. I can't tell you why or how it all came about. It is just who I am, not that I don't have my moments. People surely can bring something nasty out of anyone. But by all past forecast, I should have been the opposite. 

    One portion of this, I revealed in a short writing here 

      Most Hurtful Gesture for Anyone is to be Disrespected

   By this I mean, in short, my birth & upbringing should have giving me plenty of reason to become a negative person. I can use plenty of situations to I guess have a grudge on any number of life events. To be upset or mad about life. To be hateful or selfish, yet I turned out the likes of me by my choice. 

  My choice, uhmmm, a most privileged gift known to most  humans. 

“I was giving up. I would have given up - if a voice hadn't made itself heard in my heart. The voice said "I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far, miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen everyday. I will put in all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die. Amen.” 

~ Yann Martel, Life of Pi

   I see life, knowing that many people have had some of the most horrific unimaginable events directed upon them.

For no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not being of a certain race or religion. Or just simply succumbing to pure evil, humans version of a monster.

   I wish one thing these bastards would do before they decide to harm another human being. I wish they would first live along side the other. Do not judge until you walk on that persons path. Don't hate something you've never tried. 

“These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart.” 

~ Yann Martel, Life of Pi

   In my many years on this planet......It seems humans have two confusions........

1) We are simply just strange beings because: 

   - Everything we need is giving to us (at one point, FREE), All we have to do is work at planting our food, building our shelter and helping the next human being. 

Included were extra gift granted to us.

•    - Giving intelligence to do all the above.
•    - to LOVE
•    - Forgiveness
•    - Free will
•    - Choices

With that being said, #2:

2) Life really is NOT that complicated, humans just MADE IT this WAY!

   It really isn't a sacrifice to accept others. The way they may look, what faith they believe in, where they are from, what they eat, how they speak. Nothing is that negative as to take or hate another life!

   Truth be told, there are way more God fearing, law abiding beings on our planet than evil doers. Problem is we let the few control what is rightfully the righteous, the good folk, the hard working, family loving beings. Again, life's not complicated.

   Oops, my writing took a little longer than expected, well life is a passion. It really is a beautiful thing. Yes, it does have it's bumps. We call that as well....LIFE!

“I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always ... so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.” 
~ Yann Martel, Life of Pi

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Copyright © 2017 Andrew Hayes All Rights Reserved

Simple UNDERSTANDING of WALL STREET the STOCK MARKET!

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WALL STREET

   Located in lower Manhattan, New York City. Along a half mile long strip referred to as the financial district of America lies "WALL STREET".  

   America's major stock exchanges, a bountiful of headquarters to the largest financial & brokerage institutions in the country all reside here. 

   Books, movies and stories the likes none other. Wealth built and lost. Lives & legacies sprouting life of their own just as the $$$ signs have blown swiftly along this street for centuries. 

Wall street.....yes. I'm sure you've heard some of the stories!

   The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) & National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) are just a few of the renowned exchanges that are well established here.

   Wall streets central role, representing the backbone of American economic culture. An intense caterer to the billions if not trillions of dollars in high financial investments 5 days a week.

   It is this massive fluctuation of stocks each day that most interest investors and brokerage alike. Where buying & selling of major outstanding shares can make or break individual investors and companies. This intricate maze of regulations, speculation and estimation into the worlds business mechanics, engulfs one hopes to increase their cash flow within their portfolio.

   There are NO crystal balls, no clear cut path to predicting the ups or downs on the behaviors of a particular company. Any one element can effect the performance of said business.......the weather in one part of the world, a war in another, the politics of a country. Even the buying/selling or merging of companies ALL can funnel down line to cause movements, calculations and a frenzy amongst investors, brokers.

   It comes down to education........studying trends, past actions, research and more research. It's that gut feelings, knowing a little more about a part of that business that someone else missed. And there's a place to get all that in, call the "stock market"


STOCK MARKET

   Also known as equity or shares market, as mentioned in an earlier post, in it's simplicity.......the buying & selling (trading) shares of stocks & bonds in a company.  Giving private & public companies admission to additional capital through stock exchanges.

    These exchanges at one time use to trade through paper tickets and the investors would receive a certificates of stock from the company they've invested in. Due to technological advances certain indices like the NASDAQ are now traded completely digitally.

   Choosing these stocks is no simple task. The goal of any investor is to obviously profit. Stock exchanges will list shares of common equity as well as other securities such as corporate bonds & convertible bonds. More on these later on in the series.

   Companies do not always do well. This is where the different types of exchanges come into play. As we began to identify a few of the different index institutions. Let's take a look at these initial phases into the process of playing the markets.

   For instance, a private company is looking to expand it business. There is a process involved, a kind of two step stage for which it must proceed. 

1st - Primary market

     Primary Market  or New Issues Market (NIM) in where a private company decides to get listed (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission S.E.C.) on the exchanges enabling them to sell stocks to the public for the first time. Thereby issuing it's first shares in an Initial Public Offering, IPO aka "Going Public". Investors & investment banks purchase these shares at a price directly from the issuing company.

   Within this primary market there is what is known as "Rights Issues". And is where shares are first offered to investor at a reduced price who have already purchased shares. They are, let's say, privileged.

   Next, we have something called "Private Placement", the company issues a limited amount of stock privately to a limited number of qualified investors. Usually this happens if a company is newer, and has  not yet met public listing requirements, or simply just wants to remaining private.

   Yet, another preferred investor privileged offer is called similarly "Preferential Allotment".  Same as with private placement issued funding but with a different set of standards. Company acts vary per funding practices. 


2nd - Secondary Market

   Referred to as the secondary market, shares are brought from a second party involvement. Like a broker, seller and of course off the stock exchange.

Broken down further into two distinctive markets.

  1) AUCTION MARKET 

   Within the secondary market process, a trade is established when the buyer set their highest price and the seller has set their lowest price. A bid is agreed upon and a trade is contrived.

  
2) DEALER MARKET

   National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations  or NASDAQ is the shiny example of an dealer market. Is where trader who act on their own accounts and not a third party, buy & sell within specialized commodities. The ability to move swiftly on a trade when a value is met is the advantage to these market makers. 

The Comprehensive Stock Market Trading Course For Beginners

INDEX

How does one value a companies stock in order to decide which to invest?

   Index or indices, simply is a list. Life isn't that complicated so let's just not make it that way. It's a list of public traded companies that can have their stocks  performances track by selected groups. Some groups are tracked by payout (dividend) history, company growth or industry associations. It may be a combination of values. As we move forward, we will mostly identify with the more known indices. Yet, understand there are many many of them out there and worldwide.

   There needs to be a way in order to measure what the value of the stock market is. What baseline are companies gauged at so that the public, investors, regulators and financial institutions have a general knowledge of certain segment within the business world.

We find different stock indices widely followed, such as the S&P 500 index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index, the Nasdaq  index or the Russell 2000. They all measure the changes (value) in different portfolios of securities.

   This is done through a weighted average structure. Involving a set of mathematical values, so as the values in this group of stocks changes so will the indicators. Whatever percentage the index does, whether it goes up or down, so does the total value of that stock of those particular group of securities.

   These index value are called“points. Which in it's name is of no value, just a way of gauging. As the most important aspect in index reading is how it performs within it's market. It may be a bonds market or the stock market. On how it compares to the previous day value's or points is the assessment. 

   When talking stocks, 1 point represents $1.00. Whereas within the context of the Bonds market, the price is valued to a percentage of $1000.00. 1 point is really the equivalent to $10


Index                                                         Follows

Dow Jones Industrial Index 30 Major US companies

S&P 500                                                  500 Major US companies

Nasdaq                                                     5000 Tech stock

Russell 3000/2000/1000                 respectively 3000 companies 

Market-Value Weighted or Capitalization-Weighted Index 

   - Size of companies weight in (influence) more over the index than smaller companies when factoring value with the markets.

Price-Weighted Index

   - Components (shares) with a higher prices receive a greater (influence) weight over the index. Meaning, the focus is on the price of each shares as oppose to the companies size.

EXCHANGES 



NYSE - New York Stock Exchange 

   Is the largest stock exchange in the world. Founded around 1792, near the corners of Wall Street & Broad, a group of merchants would meet to trade bonds & stocks of the day. Story goes they would meet near a tree as would many trader & barters at that time would do. Around 1817 this group rented a building on Wall Street which would become the 1st New York Stock exchange building.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation 

   With no physical trading floor, it's computers opened in 1971, the NASDAQ is a digitized marketplace for issuing, selling & buying of securities especially in the Hi-technology industry. Including those of the likes of Facebook, Amgen, Apple, Amazon, Netflix & Google. F.A.A.A.N.G. among the technology & biotech giants.    

Dow Jones Industrial Average 

  Founded in 1896, created by a journalist editor Charles Dow named along with statistician Edward Jones. This indices 30 large publicly owned U.S. companies. 




STANDARD & POOR'S (S&P) 500

S&P (S&P) 500 Index is one such index which combines the top 500 U.S. stocks together into an index value. So over time investors can look at the fluctuation in those particular markets.

Russell 3000

The Russell 3000 Index is comprised of the 3,000 largest and most liquid stocks based & traded in the U.S. Russell 2000 consist of 2000 small-cap companies. While the Russell 1000 consisting of the 1000 largest market-cap companies.

Did you know: 


    - Even though the New York Wall Street financial district is today, the hub of trillions of dollar cycling through it system.  It was not always that manner, in fact, America's 1st official stocks trading post was not even in New York. It is said to has been established in Philadelphia in 1790. Further more, America was not the 1st to set-up the markets. That title, history tells us belongs to Antwerp, Belgium around 1460. 

   - The NASDAQ at one time trade Over-the- Counter (OTC) stocks. OTC is another name for penny stocks. Now the home of some of the worlds most sophisticated Hi-tech companies. It certainly has come a long way.

   - You've heard the saying......It's a bull or bullish market, maybe it's a bear or bearish market. They have become synonymous with the stock market for decades. If you never knew why, here what I dug up.......

   First off, bears are represented as slow moving, sluggish or dull. The bear also strikes it's paws in a downward motion doing battle. Whereas bulls are more lively, spunky and alert. In battle, the bull hooks in an upward motion.

   It's these terms that reflect how the stock market is performing. The BEAR market is in a decline or downward trend. Leaving the BULL market in an upward or rising trend.

And now you know!

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Copyright © 2017 Andrew Hayes All Rights Reserved

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When An Alternative Means Of Income Exist

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  There continues to be an honest alternative courses of action when it comes to earning an extra income online & off. We are going to focus on technology based internet of things.  

   In this ever so technological enhanced world we now live in. Using our computers/smartphones/mobile devices to generate an additional income stream can become a reality with some due diligence. Part of this reality is that utilizing these advances are just down right essential. Baby boomers who have been retiring by the thousands since 2011.  Are among the 76 million of us that will be (retiring) at some time or another over the next 14 years. 

 Social security will simply not fulfill your needs for a comfortable lifestyle, especially one deserved after years on the grind. Maybe it was a lack of financial supplement strategy that failed to adequately build a sizable nest egg.  Look, age is nothing but an number. There is always hope. Simply, become pro-active, get involved, and utilize what is available in your life today.

We are entitled to a most beautiful life in our gold years.

"Let's NOT become technology illiterate"

   We are bombarded everyday with all sorts of so-called opportunities. To be honest, it's calculated that within the industrialized countries, humans are exposed to anywhere from 4,000 to well over 10,000 advertisements per day.  A good portion of these ads are indeed, work, income opts. 

   All in the form of pop-ups, emails invites, social media outlet etc. Despite most of these get rich quick programs being worthless. There are oodles of legit home/internet based work and investment opportunities that operate within a trusted online business model. 

   These business model are not schemes, their only true fault or misinterpretation is they require effort. Nothing worthwhile in life is EVER going to come to you free or easy! We ALL should know this by now. Once you understand that statement........searching for a way to add income into your life stream will eliminate 3/4 of those seemingly quick ways to get $$$ opportunities.

You could start a physical "Brick & mortar business".

   This was how it was done for decades. Yet, I like to believe and understand that retirement was meant for us not to be working harder but smarter and of course LIVE LIFE. Not saying that opening up a physical store is awful. Or that easy living is a most.....a little hard work & elbow grease NEVER hurt anyone. Beside, the true spirit of working....is to do what you have a passion for. Remember, if we are doing work after we are retired, it best be something we want to do.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ~ Confucius

   I  just want to make aware that there are other passages one can take to achieve goals &  make extra income.  It comes in the form of technologies in computers, mobile devices and most importantly................our smartphones!

   See, what really happen a few decades back. This tech stuff was really here to help us baby boomers along. Isn't it the debt repaid for our many sacrifices so that our children could live a bit better life. 

   I see some truth within them there sentences. I see that our younger generation has taken to these mobile tech devices with ease. They have had the opportunity (time) to exercise their handle of these new devices, while we boomers were out working to make sure our children & grandchildren could have said technology. 

   Remember this one true fact millennials, it was the baby boomer generation that set the stage & help built your devices you are so comfortable using. While you were playing and grew into them. We boomers could only master them in our spare time. Please do not get us twisted..... we are NOT old, just older!

   With that being said, I think it's time that we boomers put in the effort to grasp the benefits of all this available technology.

   The benefits of using the internet as a financial tool is that it could add substantially to your financial nest-egg.

   It will however take "WORK" & due diligence!

   Many of the "baby boomers", yet not exclusively......our younger generation are finding it equally as difficult to save for a "Nest-egg".  Living the short term financial lifestyle (work, spend & try saving here and there), thinking  that is a secure enough path.  

   When corporate greed, world events, down-sizing etc. intervened. Where we once thought our "so-called privileged" (j.o.b. Just Over Broke) lifestyle would sustain. Yet, that thinking/planning did not include retirement.

So what happens now when you no longer attached to the workplace????

We.h.i.t. aka WEalth Health using Internet Technology mission will provide a little insight into a world of positive future growth in our lifestyle, wealth management & health. 

Ongoing discussions to include yet not limited to......

• Investments & investment strategies
• Eliminating debt
• Making healthy/healthier lifestyle choices
• Capitalizing on emerging technologies
• Ways to give back, WE are still useful

   I hope that I can inspire, motivate & be a positive force in our connection. This popular saying below speaks for itself.........

Please feel free to network, connect & interact. Comments & suggestion welcomed.

 

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Copyright © 2017 Andrew Hayes All Rights Reserved
DISCLOSURE: This post contains sponsored ads and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.