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Stock Watch

When Should You Enter and Exit the Stock Market?

BY Soko Directory Team · February 16, 2021 06:02 pm

KEY POINTS

Enter the market when the price is right for you.

Investing in the stock market is a risky affair for many. However, to rephrase Warren Buffet, risk only comes from not knowing what you are doing if you want to take part in the stock market; whether as a short-term trader or long-term investor, there are two things you have to know when to get it and get out.

Knowing those two things will be the difference between success and failure in the stock market. They will also influence how big or small either of them is.

If you want to know when you should enter and exit the stock market, continue reading:

What Kind of Trader Are You?

The first thing you will want to establish is what kind of trader you are. There are various types of traders in the stock market, depending on how long you hold your positions.

Basically, a day trader will hold positions for minutes or hours. A swing trader will hold positions for hours or days. A position trader will hold them for days or weeks. An investor will hold positions for months or years.

Once you establish what kind of trading you want to do in the stock market, then you can know when you should get in and out of the market. Choose an approach that is most compatible with your temperament and financial goals.

Entry

Entry into the market is a matter of a lot of contention in the investment community. However, there is a general rule of thumb that any trader can use: Enter the market when the price is right for you.

You should be able to assess the company and figure out if the price per share is sufficient for an equal share in the business. If it is, then you can buy the share at any price being quoted on the stock market.

Timing the market for the perfect time to enter the market or buy a stock almost never works. Even the most successful traders, such as The Robust Trader, will tell you how difficult it is. You will rarely time the market perfectly. Therefore, you should first conduct a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the business and decide the business’s value. The quantitative evaluation will include checking various metrics that tell you about the success or failure of the business. These metrics include the rate of turnover, revenue, and profit margins, among others.

Qualitative evaluation involves evaluating the unmeasurable aspects of the business. These will include elements such as the management, value of the brand, and company reputation, among others. You can also enter the market and buy a stock if you are certain of its upward price trajectory. You can then purchase it at a low price and sell it at a high price. However, there are risks to entering a generally rising market.

Once you have conducted enough research, you can effectively purchase your stock. Entering the market should be a financial and personal decision about the worth of a company, not simply timing the market.

Exiting the Market

When you exit, the stock market is just as important as entering it. It may even be more important because when you exit the market is when you get paid.

Generally speaking, you should leave the market when you feel that you will receive a sufficient return upon selling your stock. People have different financial goals, so the definition of a sufficient return will vary according to the individual. On the other hand, you should know that not all investments will result in profit. Therefore, you may decide to exit the market if you feel you have taken enough of a loss on a position.

The good news is that there are certain actions you can take to hedge your bet and ensure that you don’t lose too much of your money. One such action is placing a stop loss on your trade, which means that your stock will be automatically sold once the share price drops below a certain position. You may also decide to exit the market if you feel that you would get a better return elsewhere. You can then take a small profit in order to gain a larger one, which is a smart move.

Entering the stock market is a daring choice, and leaving it is an equally bold one. When you choose to place a trade in the market, you can exit at any time so long as there is a buyer. You are not limited to how you exit the market as you can do so at once or gradually. Therefore, feel free to exercise your freedom as long as it is in your best interest.

Soko Directory is a Financial and Markets digital portal that tracks brands, listed firms on the NSE, SMEs and trend setters in the markets eco-system. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/SokoDirectory and on Twitter: twitter.com/SokoDirectory

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