Maybe on those days when investors feel like they have been left behind, they can take a little inspiration from 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird. Ultimately reaching the wire well ahead of many multi-million dollar favorites, the 50-1 long-shot horse which (was bought for only $9,500) worked his way up from the back of a muddy field to win it with ease. If you watched the first half of the race, you would have never guessed it would end that way! Meanwhile, I Want Revenge, the program favorite up until the morning of the race, scratched.
Training
We are not gamblers. The team of professionals in the investment business working in our Lighthouse Point, Florida, branch, enjoys assisting investors with a desire to strictly rely on the fact-based system of analysis which we know is proven successful. Adam Sarhan and I have both completed the highest level of training offered by IBD on this system. This makes us better qualified than most other representatives (regardless of their firm affiliation) in assessing the merits of individual equities based upon the fundamental and technical aspects that were identified in the stock market's biggest winners. Being aware of what to look for in companies, and knowing what to look for in the market environment in general, result from solid training.
Training has a lot to do with success in all sports. I am sure the trainer of a winning thoroughbred does everything he can to improve his odds of coming up with a winner! As investors, we improve our odds when we have trained ourselves properly. This is why we carefully study the field of stocks each day for those with winning characteristics - strong annual and quarterly earnings histories supported by solid sales revenues growth being among the most critical components.
Tactics
After the Kentucky Derby, I saw television interviews with various celebrities who commented about their race betting strategies, and one of them said he had placed a bet on every horse so he could be sure to have a winner. This tactic is somewhat comparable to the over-diversified mutual fund portfolios that so many investors own. For investors who are content to get "average" results, such an approach will get the job done. However, the buy-and-hold, always-in approach is being questioned today. The major averages have been punished with 2 painful Bear Markets in the past decade, each of which essentially cut the benchmark S&P 500 Index and the average investor's portfolio in half. In order to make up for the damage most investors have seen to their investment portfolios, many today are considering other options to the over-diversified approaches they have previously embraced. Investors who are nervous about an "aggressive" investment approach that involves concentrating their investments in just a small handful of stocks must simply remember Rule #1 for successful investing - always limit losses while they are small by selling whenever any stock you buy falls more than 7% from your buy price.
The has been more improvement in the sheer number of advancers versus decliners, which was shown in my last monthly issue (read
here). That is good news, as it shows that the market environment has been offering investors better odds.
Trust
If you have been hurt financially by the advice or the service you have received from your present broker or advisor, the confidence you once may have had has probably been damaged. There might be a way you can overcome that setback and continue relying upon their advice, or you might be looking to make a change. I believe the full service approach we employ could be a great help to many of you who wish to achieve better results. You can depend on our team to help your reach your goals by honestly and reliably delivering on our promise to provide professional input based upon proven practices. Get in touch if you would like to discuss how we can work more closely with you at maximizing your investment returns and minimizing losses.
