10 Golden rules of investing
-
Bob Farrell’s insights on technical analysis and general market tendencies were glorified as “10 Market Rules to Remember” and have been distributed widely ever since. Here, we review these timeless axioms and how they can help you achieve better returns.
1. Markets return to the mean
Whether markets face extreme positivism or negativity, markets eventually revert to rational, long-term valuation levels. According to this theory, returns and prices will go back to the position from where they came – reversion generally puts the market back to a previous state. So when it comes to individual investors, the lesson is clear: Make a plan and stick to it. Try to weigh out the importance of everything else that’s going on around you and use your best judgment. Don’t get thrown by the daily gossip and havoc of the marketplace.
2. Surplus leads to an opposite Surplus
Like a diverging car driven by an inexperienced man, we can expect overcorrection when markets overshoot. Remember, a correction is represented by a move of more than 10% of an asset’s peak price, so an overcorrection can mean bigger movements. During a market crash, investors are presented with really great buying opportunities. But they tend overcorrect in either direction—upward or downward – and trading can happen at unbelievable levels. Tuned-in investors will be suspicious of this and will possess the patience and know-how to take measured action to safeguard their capital.
3. Extras are never permanent
The tendency among even the most successful investors is to believe that when things are moving in their favor, profits are limitless. That is just not true, and nothing lasts forever – especially in the financial world. Whether you are riding market low which represent buying opportunities, or soaring at highs so they can make money by selling, don’t count your chickens before they have all hatched. After all, you may have to make a move at some point, because as the first two rules indicate, markets revert to the mean.
4. Market corrections don’t go sideways
Sharply moving markets tend to correct sharply, which can prevent investors from planning their next move in quietness. The lesson here is to be decisive in trading fast-moving markets and to place stops on your trades to avoid emotional responses.
Stop orders help traders in two ways when asset prices move beyond a particular point. By determining a specific entry or exit point, they can help investors limit the amount of money they lose, or help them lock in a profit when prices swing in either direction.
5. Public buys most at the top and least at the bottom
The typical investor reads the latest news on his mobile phone, watches market programs, and believes what he has told. Unfortunately, by the time the financial press gets around to reporting a given price move, that move is already complete and a reversion is usually in progress. This is precisely the moment when people decide to buy at the top or sell at the bottom.
The need to be a contrarian is underlined by this rule. Independent thinking always outperforms the herd mentality.
6. Fear and Greed: stronger than long-term resolution
Basic human emotion is perhaps the greatest enemy of successful investing. But whether you’re a long-term investor or a day trader, a disciplined approach to trading is a key to profits. You must have a trading plan with every trade. You must know exactly at what level you are a seller of your stock—on the upside and the down.
Knowing when to get out of a trade is far more difficult than knowing when to get in. Knowing when to take a profit or cut a loss is very easy to figure in the abstract, but when you are holding a security that is on a quick move, fear and greed act quickly to separate you from reality and your money.
7. Markets: strong when broad, weak when narrow
While there’s much to be gained from a focus on popular index averages, the strength of a market move is determined by the underlying strength of the market as a whole. So, broader average offer a better take on the strength of the market.
8. Bear markets have three stages
Market technicians find common patterns in both bull and bear market action. The typical bear pattern, as described here, first involves a sharp sell-off. During a bear market, prices tend to drop 20% or more. In most cases, bear markets involve whole indexes. This kind of market is generally caused by weak or slowing economic activity.
This is followed by what is called a sucker’s rally. Investors can be drawn into the market by prices that jump quickly before making a sharp correction to the downside again. These rallies, which can be a result of speculation and hype, do not last very long. But who are the suckers, the investors of course. They are called suckers because they may buy on the temporary highs, but end up losing money when asset prices drop.
The final stage of the bear market is the torturous drudge down to levels where valuations are more reasonable and a general state of depression prevails regarding investments overall.
9. Be Alert of experts and forecasts
This is not magic. When everyone who wants to buy has bought, there are no more buyers. At this point, the market must turn lower. Similarly, when everyone wants to sell, no more sellers remain in the market. So when market experts and the forecasts are telling you to sell, sell, sell – or buy, buy, buy – be sure to know that everyone is jumping on that lobby, so much so that there is nothing left to sell or buy. By the point you jump in, something else is likely to happen.
10. Bull markets are more fun than bear markets
This is true for most investors since prices continue to rise during these periods. Who doesn’t love seeing their profits rise, unless you are a short seller. A short sale is when you sell an asset that you don’t own yourself. Traders who use this strategy sell borrowed securities hoping the price will drop. The seller must then return an equal amount of shares in the future.
KEY TPOINTS
- Investors should keep in mind that prices never stay the same and corrections are inevitable.
- Excesses are never permanent and try using stops to take the emotion out of trading.
- Don’t go with the herd, but remember that fear and greed need to take a backseat to discipline.
- Consider alternative indexes to watch the health of the market.
- Take expert advice and forecasts with a grain of salt.
Conclusion
No one said investing was easy. There’s a lot at stake, and so much to take in. Whether you’re a novice trader or someone who’s been watching the markets for a great deal of time, it’s easy to get caught up in the swings of market news, emotions, and the free-for-all of the market. But if you follow Bob Ferrell’s time-tested secrets, you may just come out a winner in the end.1
Financial and Business expert having 30+ Years of vast experience in running successful businesses and managing finance.
