Stock Trading: An Introduction

By: Robert Foster
For a beginner, the concepts of stock trading seem daunting especially because there are a lot of technical terms and analysis involved. With experience, the process becomes simpler but no less stressful. A lot of investors who had been in the business for years can lose thousands, if not millions, of dollars overnight. There will always be risks involved in stock trading but there are ways to minimize your exposure.

The Basics of Becoming a Stock Investor
As an investor, there are three basic questions you need to examine when you’re interested in a listed company.
• How much did other investors pay for the company’s stock?
• How much will the stock likely to be valued in the future?
• What factors can change the perspective of other investors?
It is important to establish certain expectations about the return on investments. For example, if you’re interested in buying stocks from three companies, critically examine how much you’re willing to invest in each one. If one company shows dramatic growth potential over the short term, determine how much you want to invest in this company. On the other hand, if another company displays long term growth potential, calculate the amount of money you can afford to “tie up” with the stock.

Understanding the Stock Market

Generally, the stock market can be used to measure the economic health of a certain location. If production is high, inflation low, and unemployment minimal, the overall market gains. This is called the bull market. On the other hand, if the economy is experiencing a downturn, this is referred to as the bear market.

Except in extreme economic circumstances, the drastic changes in the stock market are typically not brought about by the country’s economic health. It has more to do with the investor’s perception of the company’s health and the overall economic condition. When a certain stock suddenly becomes highly in-demand, other investors join in the fray and this drives the price further up.
The opposite is also true because if a number of investors suddenly let go of a certain stock and its prices falls, other investors will do the same before the price becomes too low. For this reason, it is critical to have back-up financial resources before you decide to engage in stock trading. The market is vulnerable to investor psychology and perception. There will always be risks involved in stock trading no matter the amount of technical analysis you do.

What You Need to Know About Stock Trading

After you bought some stocks, you can take it one step further by learning about stock trading. If your stocks are not producing the returns you expected, consider trading it in for a potentially higher-yielding one. Stock trading can occur in two ways: in the exchange floor and computer systems. The former is more popular because movies and television shows depict the chaos in the exchange floor to your screen.

The second technique, done through computer systems, is actually less complicated. However, the investor still needs to have a broker because the general public does not have access to investment programs. In this setting, the investor typically receives immediate confirmation through email.