As your frustrations mount in an ever changing stock market have you changed your investment strategy? Do you wonder who is making money in the market and how they do it? Do you read a constant flow of books teaching the hot ideas of stock market strategies? In desperation do you listen to the constant bombardment of market gurus on the financial channels?
If you see yourself in any of the above scenarios you will benefit from the 4 principles to picking winning stocks in todays stock markets. Why? Because there are an endless amount of variables that effect your investments and you need some guiding principles which we call tactical principles. These are different from strategies you employ such as buying stocks that pay dividends or diversifying your portfolio. These principles have helped all professionals stay close to profits in down markets while creating large gains in up markets.
Invest in Financially Sound Companies
Companies whose products you see everyday is a great place to start. Do you buy Clorox bleach, Campbell's soups, Dell computers, Apple iPhone or see Caterpillar equipment. They are good examples of financially sound companies. What makes a company sound financially?
To start with always look to see how their price earnings or PE ratio compares with others in the same industry. If they lag a little bit it could be because they are overlooked or if they lag a lot maybe they are in financial trouble. Read news releases, search financial websites for articles on the company and don't forget to look at the company website.
If they pay a dividend then how safe is that dividend? Is the payout ration lower then 50%? If it is then you can bet it will pay that dividend or higher for a long time. The payout ratio is the annual dividend divided by the earnings per share.
Another key ratio is the debt ratio. This tells you how much debt they have in comparison to their assets. I like to compare their debt payments to their cash flow to see how much they struggle making that payment.
Earnings and revenues are key components in a sound financial company. Do they consistently make their quarterly numbers? If so they operate under a sound conservative financial plan of operations and have a great handle on their business.
All publicly traded companies must file with the SEC so all their financial documents are available for free. Review them thoroughly. This will help you sleep at night I promise.
Invest in Sectors that are Hot
Right now technology is a hot sector because of the mobile internet and health care is not because of new government regulations curbing expenses. Although we encourage diversification we feel that you can achieve diversification through the top 6-7 sectors that are hot right now.
Under a zero interest rate environment with the federal reserve we believe that materials, industrial equipment, technology, energy, chemicals, consumer staples, and banking are the sectors to be in at the moment.
As the recessionary recovery continues those sectors will change and mature and so should your investments.
Take Profits Early and Often
Over the years I have become a proponent of taking profits early and often. Why? Because of computer or flash trading. The market can react so quick that your investments with a nice profit can become a loser in a matter of seconds. Take for instance the recent drop in the market that left P&G down from $62 a share to $30 a share due to broker error on entering a large order in the system. Sure the SEC rescinded some trades but you get the point, it happens in a flash.
Have a goal in mind for the year. Mine is 20% return on the value of my portfolio on January 1st.
A good guide as to what constitutes a good profit is when it exceeds the dividend for the year. If you own a stock that will pay you annually $300 and you have a $400 dollar profit then take the profit and trade out of the stock. Chances are it will fall back in price and you can repurchase again and again. I have repurchased Apple Computers probably 4 times this year alone in my IRA making money each time. If like Apple they don't pay a dividend assume a 3% dividend as a basis to explore reasonable profits.
Always... Always... Have Cash Available
Always try and maintain a 10% minimum cash position for special occasions. Once in a while a certain stock will for no apparent reason drop in value. It usually happens because a mutual fund or a hedge fund must liquidate a position to satisfy cash flow requirements or to pay out a large redemption.
Don't assume you should always be 90% invested. Only invest when you can buy low and make a profit when you sell high. Sometimes you may only be 40% invested just wait till the market drops 3% or more then review the investments in light of the drop.
If you institute these simple stock picking tactics in your investment portfolio you will be surprised at the returns and lack of loses you will endure compared to a buy and hold or trying to grow your portfolio using high risk small cap stocks.
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