This Bear Market Will Create Fortunes For Some
Wednesday, 14 July 2010 07:22 | Written by Michael Swanson |
You've doubtlessly already heard about the terms 'bull market' and 'bear market'. What do these really mean? A bear market is simply when you have a drop in a large number of share prices over a relatively long period of time. Traders normally talk about a bear market when prices have dropped at least 20% over a period of no less than two months. As more and more people sell their stocks, market prices are pushed down even further.
You've doubtlessly already heard about the terms 'bull market' and 'bear market'. What do these really mean? A bear market is simply when you have a drop in a large number of share prices over a relatively long period of time. Traders normally talk about a bear market when prices have dropped at least 20% over a period of no less than two months. As more and more people sell their stocks, market prices are pushed down even further.
A bull market is exactly the opposite of a bear. Prices start rising and continue to rise with more than twenty percent for more than two months. Just as pessimism drives a market with dropping prices even further down, optimism drives a bull market upwards.
A bear market should not be confused with a simple market correction. Market corrections happen regularly and usually do not last more than a day or two.
It's not difficult to understand how people make money in a bull market - it's in fact difficult not to make money when prices go up all the time! How do traders make money while prices are dropping though?
One such way is if you could accurately predict the end of the falling market and then buy a selection of top quality stock tips. Although you can use a variety of fundamental and technical indicators to help you with predicting the turning point, it remains very difficult. Even the best of traders often fail to correctly predict the turning point of a slumping market.
Another possibility is to sell stocks short. What you in effect do is to borrow stocks from a brokerage and sell them to a third party at the current high price. Once the price has dropped, you buy them back and refund the brokerage. You should only do this with stocks which are virtually sure to drop in price.
Another route open to you is to buy what is referred to as "put options" in the industry. These increase in value during a bear market when the price of the underlying share drops. Once again you have to be right about the fact that the price is going to drop, otherwise you will lose the funds you paid for the put option.
by MichaelSwanson
You've doubtlessly already heard about the terms 'bull market' and 'bear market'. What do these really mean? A bear market is simply when you have a drop in a large number of share prices over a relatively long period of time. Traders normally talk about a bear market when prices have dropped at least 20% over a period of no less than two months. As more and more people sell their stocks, market prices are pushed down even further.
A bull market is exactly the opposite of a bear. Prices start rising and continue to rise with more than twenty percent for more than two months. Just as pessimism drives a market with dropping prices even further down, optimism drives a bull market upwards.
A bear market should not be confused with a simple market correction. Market corrections happen regularly and usually do not last more than a day or two.
It's not difficult to understand how people make money in a bull market - it's in fact difficult not to make money when prices go up all the time! How do traders make money while prices are dropping though?
One such way is if you could accurately predict the end of the falling market and then buy a selection of top quality stock tips. Although you can use a variety of fundamental and technical indicators to help you with predicting the turning point, it remains very difficult. Even the best of traders often fail to correctly predict the turning point of a slumping market.
Another possibility is to sell stocks short. What you in effect do is to borrow stocks from a brokerage and sell them to a third party at the current high price. Once the price has dropped, you buy them back and refund the brokerage. You should only do this with stocks which are virtually sure to drop in price.
Another route open to you is to buy what is referred to as "put options" in the industry. These increase in value during a bear market when the price of the underlying share drops. Once again you have to be right about the fact that the price is going to drop, otherwise you will lose the funds you paid for the put option.
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