Momentum Investing

#1
A method of picking stocks that is closely related to technical analysis is momentum investing.

Anyone who's ever watched a snowball going down a hill knows how quickly it picks up speed.

That's momentum in action!

Momentum investors look for stocks that are moving at high speeds, on the theory that you can just ride out a stock as long as it continues to rise in price -- as long as you bail out before the stock crashes and burns!

The recent incredible bull market has brought momentum investing into the spotlight and some investors have fallen prey to it.

Momentum investing is basically the type of investing that people do when they follow trends. Momentum investors buy stocks that have been very popular and appreciating rapidly and they hope that the trend will continue.

You've probably heard of the popular saying "buy low, sell high."
Momentum investing has a similar slogan but it's "buy high, sell higher."
What Are Investment Trends?

Trends occur when the public finds something very popular and they "must have it."


It's very true that trends can make investors a great deal of money but they also have many added risks that make momentum investing less appealing.

If you look back in time, you'll notice that trends don't last forever. When something becomes very popular, it usually takes off but ends in a sharp decline!

Stocks work the same way and if you get caught during this decline, you can lose a large amount of money.

Also, because momentum investors "buy high and try to sell higher," they usually have more room to lose money.

Momentum investors usually don't buy stocks near their lows. Instead, they buy near their highs and hope that they can appreciate even farther.

It's not always the case!

But stocks that are priced high and overvalued usually experience sharper declines than those that are undervalued.

Trends come and go but real investors keep focused on their long-term goals without having to worry about what might happen the following day.
 

sh50

Active Member
#2
In an uptrend, a trader can either buy on dips and higher highs. It is true that higher highs can be extremely dicey and risky. Dips to my mind is a better bet but the stock can always dip further.
 

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