The Science of Making Money in Stocks
Why do some people succeed spectacularly in the market while others fail?
The market is the same for one person as it is the next.
So why the big difference in performance between one person and another?
It all boils down two things:
1) Knowing what works, and
2) Doing what works
While the stock market isn't a perfect science, the fact remains that if you concentrate on what works and stop doing what doesn't, you will most surely succeed in the market.
Knowledge Is Power
We've all heard the old adage: 'knowledge is power'.
It's a great saying because it's true.
And that saying couldn't be truer than when it comes to investing.
Take a look at your last big loser for example. After analyzing what went wrong, you soon discover some piece of information that - 'had you known that, you never would have gotten into it in the first place'.
I'm not talking about things that are unknowable, like surprise announcements that can catch even the most professional of professionals off guard. I'm talking about things that you could have known about or should have known about before you got in.
This is part of 'knowing what works'.
Did you know that roughly half of a stock's price movement can be attributed to the group that it's in?
- Did you also know that oftentimes a mediocre stock in a top performing group will outperform a 'great' stock in a poor performing group?
- And did you know that the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1?
- And did you also know that the top 10% of industries outperformed the most?
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Now you can be among a few 'in the know' who master the nearly market-tripling power of the Zacks Rank. Learn how to make money no matter which way the market is headed. No classes. No seminars. No need to wait for winning stock picks - simply roll up your sleeves and find them yourself.
There's a special advantage for starting by this Saturday, June 15.
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Was your last loser in one of the top industries or in one of the bottom industries?
If it was in one of the bottom industries, you should have known to not take a chance on something with a reduced probability of success.
That's the 'doing what works' part.(And not doing what doesn't work.)
That's not to say that stocks in crummy industries won't go up -- they do. And that's not to say that stocks in good industries won't go down -- because they do too.
But more stocks go up in the top industries, and more stocks go down in the bottom industries.
And that's part of the science of making money in stocks.
If you follow a set of proven profitable rules, you'll have a higher probability of succeeding.
Know What Works
Did you know that stocks with 'just' double-digit growth rates typically outperform stocks with triple-digit growth rates?
- Did you also know that stocks with crazy high growth rates test almost as poorly as those with the lowest growth rates?
Did your last loser have a spectacular growth rate?
If so, and it got crushed, would you have picked it if you knew that stocks with the highest growth rates have spotty track records?
Once again, this is the 'know what works' part.
It seems logical to think that the companies with the highest growth rates would do the best. But it doesn't always turn out to be the case.
One explanation for this is that sky high growth rates are unsustainable. And the moment a more normal (albeit still good) growth rate emerges, the stock gets a dose of reality as well.
Instead, I have found that comparing a stock to the median growth rate for its industry is the best way to find solid outperformers with a lesser chance to disappoint.
Do What Works
Remember, you need to 'know what works' and also 'do what works'. That's the science of making money in stocks. And quite frankly, the science of success in everything.
Do you know how well your stock picking strategies have performed?
- Whether good or bad - do you know why?
- Do you know if your favorite item to look for is helping you or hurting you?
- What will you do differently to make this your most successful year yet?
Get help with the answers to these questions and more. And discover what works and what doesn't before your next trade.
Get Started Today
Our Zacks Method for Trading: Home Study Course can help you become a more successful investor. It's an interactive online course that guides you to better trading step by step. In it, we go over in detail how to identify what kind of trader you are, how to find stocks with the highest probability of success, and how to trade them so you can consistently beat the market, regardless of what the market is doing. It also reveals some of our best performing strategies for a variety of different trading styles, and it shows you how to create and test your own.
This is a great time to look into this course. It is available at very special terms, but only until Saturday, June 15.
Find out more about the Zacks Method for Trading: Home Study Course >>
Thanks and good trading.
Kevin
Zacks VP Kevin Matras is our chart patterns and stock screening expert. He runs the Research Wizard and personally developed many of its built-in market-beating strategies. He also directs the Zacks Method for Trading: Home Study Course.
