Making money requires work - even in the stock market.
Most successful investors study a variety of sources
and ask a lot of questions.
STEP
1
Shop for undervalued companies.
STEP 2
Find stocks that have price-earnings ratios significantly
lower than those of their peer group.
STEP
3
Watch for bad news. Wall
Street often overreacts to bad news such as missed
earnings, which will drive a stock lower than
it should go.
STEP
4
Pick
the jockey, not the horse. Find out who is running
the company and where the executives worked previously.
STEP
5
Look for strong
balance sheets. Companies with low debt loads,
positive cash flow and consistently good earnings
are good prospects.
STEP
6
Check out the
portfolios of successful mutual-fund companies.
If they are getting great returns year after year,
they are holding stocks you might want to buy.
STEP
7
Know when to
cut your losses. You want to invest for the long
term, but you don't want to stick with a consistent
loser.
STEP
8
Work
hard. Do research. Read financial news. Study
quarterly and annual reports as well as registration
statements, looking for trends and opportunities.
STEP
9
Grill
your broker. If the broker is recommending XYZ
stock, ask for a detailed explanation, with an
eye to growth prospects and historical performance.