Traders have given them many names, like bulletin board stocks, micro caps, penny stocks, and others. The attraction to them, however, is all built around the same premise " that the market is on the verge of deciding a particular company is the next big thing. There are a few lessons to keep in mind about trading small cap stocks though.
While volumes of books have been written on the matter, five core principles may be more than enough to really establish a framework for success in the penny stock market.
First, the very best small cap traders tend to at least do one important task very well " they can differentiate a short-term trade and a long-term investment. Mechanically both trades may start and end the same way. Mixing and matching the underlying philosophies, however, often leads to frustration.
The second idea a small cap stock trader must be in tine with is recognition that the smaller the company, the more apt the stock is to be volatile. This can be a good thing, if good news is announced while youre in a trade. Conversely, it can work against a trader if youre on the wrong side of a rapid move.
The third concept small cap speculators need to accept is simply that these stocks dont always move towards appropriate valuations the same way large caps do. Large companies have a massive audience, and errant valuations are noticed pretty quickly. Small and micro caps, on the other hand, can rest sit at inappropriate for long periods of time. Thats why these traders are as concerned about charts as much as they are values.
Fourth, small cap stock speculators should recognize theyre in a competition of sorts with other small cap speculators. Plenty of profitable companies see their stocks sink, and plenty if unprofitable and pre-profit companies watch their stocks sky-rocket. This is because all the games players are trying to beat one another to the punch, so you also have to think about how your opponents are thinking.
Fifth, great penny stock traders will lock in profits least every now and then. Yes, you have to be willing to hold onto a stock to achieve the multi-year, mega-gains offered by a company like Microsoft (MSFT). However, those huge hits are few and far between. For every success story like Microsoft there are also three more stocks that were wildly profitable for a brief period, and then fizzled. They were still a profit opportunity though.
Its not really that complicated, is it? These are just five simple ideas, yet five very powerful ideas. Their simplicity may surprise a lot of traders, in fact (new-comers in particular). Adding layers and layers of modeling and analysis should translate into better small cap picks, but all that analysis can obscure the most important basic ideas like these.
Small and micro cap stocks are going to reward someone - it may as well be you. Applying these five concepts can help make that happen. - 16036
While volumes of books have been written on the matter, five core principles may be more than enough to really establish a framework for success in the penny stock market.
First, the very best small cap traders tend to at least do one important task very well " they can differentiate a short-term trade and a long-term investment. Mechanically both trades may start and end the same way. Mixing and matching the underlying philosophies, however, often leads to frustration.
The second idea a small cap stock trader must be in tine with is recognition that the smaller the company, the more apt the stock is to be volatile. This can be a good thing, if good news is announced while youre in a trade. Conversely, it can work against a trader if youre on the wrong side of a rapid move.
The third concept small cap speculators need to accept is simply that these stocks dont always move towards appropriate valuations the same way large caps do. Large companies have a massive audience, and errant valuations are noticed pretty quickly. Small and micro caps, on the other hand, can rest sit at inappropriate for long periods of time. Thats why these traders are as concerned about charts as much as they are values.
Fourth, small cap stock speculators should recognize theyre in a competition of sorts with other small cap speculators. Plenty of profitable companies see their stocks sink, and plenty if unprofitable and pre-profit companies watch their stocks sky-rocket. This is because all the games players are trying to beat one another to the punch, so you also have to think about how your opponents are thinking.
Fifth, great penny stock traders will lock in profits least every now and then. Yes, you have to be willing to hold onto a stock to achieve the multi-year, mega-gains offered by a company like Microsoft (MSFT). However, those huge hits are few and far between. For every success story like Microsoft there are also three more stocks that were wildly profitable for a brief period, and then fizzled. They were still a profit opportunity though.
Its not really that complicated, is it? These are just five simple ideas, yet five very powerful ideas. Their simplicity may surprise a lot of traders, in fact (new-comers in particular). Adding layers and layers of modeling and analysis should translate into better small cap picks, but all that analysis can obscure the most important basic ideas like these.
Small and micro cap stocks are going to reward someone - it may as well be you. Applying these five concepts can help make that happen. - 16036
About the Author:
John Monroe has devoted over 20 years to understanding and effectively analyzing small cap stocks poised to create above average returns. If you would like to receive timely penny stocks trading ideas like the ones described above, the Small Cap Network newsletter is a tremendous free resource and starting point toward uncovering hidden gems in today's dynamic market environment.
