Has your broker been calling you recently with the "great opportunity" to get in on a new Initial Public Offering? With friends like that you don't need any enemies.
I don't care how good this new stock offering sounds. The chances it will stay even or go up are about 1 in 3 and I don't want to play those odds with my money.
Most of the new IPOs these days are from the technology sector. That is where the romance and big money has been, but the NASDAQ topped out on March 10 this year. It is a good idea to take a look at what has happened to these new offerings since that time.
The S&P500 Index has dropped only 3% since March 10 while the NASDAQ Composite has fallen 43%. Here are a couple of numbers you will want to remember for the rest of your life if you have any interest in the stock market. Sixty percent of the move in any stock is due to the category or sector it is in. Twenty percent of a stock price is due to the overall market movement and 20% is caused by the quality of the company itself. You can immediately recognize that even if you have bought the best stock it has only a 1 in 5 chance of going up if the other 2 factors are not working for you. Since March 10 the New Issues Index is down 67%.
With all the major market indexes in the sewer there is little hope for ever finding one of those new issues that comes out at $10 and runs up to $200. Those days are gone forever - at least in the technology field. The NASDAQ has a better chance of going to 1500 before it ever goes back to 5000.
For the next year, maybe longer, we are going to see the number of new issues dry up and almost disappear. And there are many other good reasons other than the overall market. In a new issue you have no idea how the company will perform. Will management make its projected goals? Is there any possibility of a profit? You have no track record for their price performance. Will the stock price trend up or down? The more of these unknowns you throw into the mix the less chance there is that the stock will go up.
Last year we had a raging bull charging through fences and tearing everything up and we all loved it. All we had to do was follow the bull. The bear has taken his place and is ruining the landscape. And you know what bears do in the woods. Be careful where you step - or put your money.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Copyright 2005
http://www.mutualfundmagic.com; 1-888-345-7870
high-end home cleaning Morton Grove ..Never lose money in the stock market again. Yeah, I... Read More
The single most expensive stock market trades are those made... Read More
The Surgeon General of the United States says that smoking... Read More
Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More
We keep hearing about this bear market and that the... Read More
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the King's... Read More
Because there are so many stocks that are NOT paying... Read More
I made my very first investment in the stock market... Read More
It has often been said that there is only two... Read More
The Bollinger Band theory is designed to depict the volatility... Read More
The trading method you employ to approach the stock market... Read More
The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More
What the heck am I talking about?It is often said... Read More
When the stock market is going up and all your... Read More
I feel that an investment strategy in the stock market... Read More
Among the largest forces that affect stock prices are inflation,... Read More
The recent criminal fiasco in the mutual fund industry is... Read More
How do you make money without picking tops and bottoms?I... Read More
On Friday or Saturday evening my wife gets a movie... Read More
I constantly hear the talking heads on CNBC-TV, the radio... Read More
The big bad bear is stirring again. So far he... Read More
During the day I watch CNBC-TV, the stock market channel.... Read More
Disclaimer: Please note that I do not necessarily purchase, own,... Read More
In a previously written article, we expanded the use of... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
spring cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..Yesterday I received my monthly issue of MONEY magazine. This... Read More
One of the things people are always asking me is... Read More
There is a famous cliff on the ocean in Acapulco... Read More
As an investor you will want to check out any... Read More
Why? Because I am going to shatter your conventional wisdom... Read More
Cat or dog? Maybe Zebra. Shucks, I don't know, but... Read More
There are many important things you need to know to... Read More
In today's volatile and confusing stock markets everyone is searching... Read More
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More
Have you ever thought of investing? Do you have a... Read More
You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds,... Read More
It has been said that low cost or even free... Read More
Quick, look out the window. It's raining. No, the sun's... Read More
Where is the beef? Or maybe it should be where... Read More
It looks like the market is ready to start up... Read More
Just about everything you have been told about Social Security... Read More
Are you paying any attention to your retirement savings? Do... Read More
I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter... Read More
One of the great truisms of Wall Street is "Don't... Read More
What does it mean to short a stock?This means that... Read More
Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and... Read More
I'll bet with almost anyone that has stocks or mutual... Read More
We all know that emotions control every decision that an... Read More
Now where have I heard that before? I know. It... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |