Successful Stock Investing: Keep it Simple

March 30, 2010

Successful Stock Investing

Successful stock investing can be very complicated and it can be very simple depending upon your approach. Successful stock investing starts with deciding on a strategy for stock picking, buying stock, and holding for long term investing. It includes knowing how and when to sell stock. Investing in the stock market involves homework, attention to detail, diversifying a stock portfolio and other strategies for managing investment risk management. The most successful stock investing comes from adhering to a few simple rules and not letting the psychology of investing or stock market tips distract you. Use of technical analysis tools such as Candlestick chart formations will help find stocks that are at the bottom of their cycle allowing for cheaper purchase of a promising stock. There is no perfect system for  picking stocks. That having been said there is such a thing as smart stock investing which will reduce your stock market risk and increase your chances for good stock market results. Smart investing is choosing a simple strategy that fits your available time and your current knowledge of the equity market. Stock investing basics are to make more than you lose month by month and year by year.Value stock investing is a means of choosing stocks that are currently underpriced, have good product potential, sound financials, and commanding positions in their market sectors. The market under prices stocks for various reasons. Why is not especially important. What is important is to pick up promising growth stocks, ones that pay good dividends year after year after year, or stocks that have a low price to earnings ratio when they are at a low price. A good rule of thumb for beginning investing in the stock market is to limit the number of stocks owned to five, in different market sectors. A good rule of thumb for successful stock investing is to never, never buy stock at current  stock market prices. Place limit orders. A buy limit order will be executed at or below the limit price you specify. A sell limit order will be executed at the price you specify or higher. If you buy or sell at market price you cannot control what you pay or what you receive. There are times in successful stock investing where you have purchased a stock and it has had a good run. The stock begins to cycle up and down and fundamental analysis or Candlestick analysis tells you that the stock is reaching the top of its potential. However, you do not want to sell on the low side of the current trading range. You choose a stock price at which you are willing to sell, near the top of the range, and place a limit order. You exit the stock position with a nice profit. Successful stock investing is deciding if you are going to  invest short term, take profits, and look for another stock each time or if you are going to buy and hold, profiting from stock splits and reinvest your quarterly stock dividends. However you choose to invest in stocks start by keeping it simple, manage your time wisely, and protect your investment capital by diversifying your stock portfolio with stocks from different market sectors. http://www.candlestickforum.com/blogs/2010/03/successful-stock-investing.html

Keep Investing Simple and Safe (KISS)

Keep Investing Simple and Safe

When is the best time to buy share?

Anytime really. You should track a list of high quality stocks. Buy when the stock is selling at a bargain price, that is, when the risk of losing your capital is low or negligible and the return substantially higher. The good investors aim for high returns with minimal risk taking.

Is there a time when you should not be buying any stocks?

1. Generally, when the market is trading at a high valuation. There is always another time to buy the stock. Be patient.

2. However, if you are not knowledgeable in stock selection (QVM) and money management, you should not be investing directly in the stock market. You are better buying a mutual fund when the market is trading at low valuation or to park your fund with a personal fund manager. The stock market is a dangerous place for the uninitiated.

3. Avoid investing money in the stock if the money you invested may be needed urgently anytime or in a short time. Investing in the market should be for the longer term. There is too much uncertainties in the returns over a short time frame.

Is now a good time to buy stocks?

Anytime is a good time to buy stock.

Rather than timing the market, one should buy or sell base on the price of the stock offered by the market. Even in the peak of the bull market, one can pick up some bargains. Of course, in the depth of a bear market, there are many good stocks selling at very low prices.

Is buy and hold, a safe strategy?

The recent severe downturn in the market brought this strategy into question once again. It is very safe for those who employs this strategy using certain criterias. It is safe for selected stocks. These stocks should be of the highest quality (QVM). These stocks should be bought at a bargain price with a margin of safety. The only time you may have to sell the stock urgently is when there is a fundamental deterioration in the business of the company. Other than this, you have the leisure of selling.

The market is cyclical. The bull-bear-bull-bear cycles ensure that the bull will always follows a bear and vice-versa. Here are a selection of Malaysian stocks that have stood the test of time over at least 3 severe bear markets: Nestle, DLady, Petdag, Guinness, Petgas, PBB, PPB, Resorts. There are also others too. At certain short period of time, each of these stocks may underperform but if assessed over a longer period of time, the returns have ALL been positive. By minimising the downside and aiming only for modest returns, investing can be surprisingly rewarding for a large number of investors and with little effort.

How to maximise returns?

1. First, ensure that there is safety of your capital. Remember not to lose your capital. By ensuring that you do not lose money and aiming for moderate returns, you can maximise total returns too with low risk. Don't be greedy for high returns by taking unnecessarily high risks.

2. Stick to the few high quality stocks you are familiar with. This is the circle of competence mentioned by Buffett. Stay within your circle of competence and never, never, never, never, get out of this circle. :-) If your circle of competence is only 6 stocks, stick to these 6 stocks.

3. Only buy high quality stocks at bargain price. At a certain price, the stock is a bargain and at another price, it is trading at a fair price. Never, never, never buy these high quality stocks when it is trading at high price. By buying these good quality stocks at a bargain price, one is buying with a margin of safety to minimise loss to your capital in the event you got it wrong. At the same time, if the event turned out to be as you expected, your return will be greater.

4. Also do not over-diversify. According to Buffett, adding the 7th stock into your portfolio reduces the overall return of your portfolio. Bet big if you are very certain of your selection.

5. Allow the wonder of compounding to grow your return over a long period of time.

Investing can be very safe. Keep it simple and safe. (K.I.S.S.)