Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Great Stock Market: Being a Stock Picker and Blue Stocks

By Maxwell Smithson

With the stock market, the currency traders are the vampires of the Stock Market. Their work day begins in the wee hours of the night and ends often times at the break of dawn. The commodity traders check headlines all over the world in order to determine how the volatile futures market is going to play out for the day. If there is a natural disaster that impacts a commodity the commodity trader needs to take note. The commodity trader needs to factor in significant and sometimes obscure news events that may spur on or decrease the availability of a commodity. The commodity trader is a news junkie.

The Stock Market is the greatest show on earth and this can be explained by the very human trait of enjoying the art of the trade. It is the present day version of a day in the square with all of the smells, color and fanfare of a carnival where people communicate and come together to sell their wares. The Stock Market provides that ingredient of human existence that enjoys watching or participating in a good trade. .

The stock pickers

In the brand name product area you may need to look on the packaging to determine the name of the company to find the stock. Some favorites like Clorox, Johnson & Johnson, and others are listed under the familiar company name. Due to mergers and acquisitions many name brand products have become subsidiaries or subsumed in a larger company's product line. All you need to do is check out the references on the label or customer service information that is located somewhere on the product.

Your cupboard or your shopping cart may be a good indicator of the stocks you should consider choosing. The other good aspect of investing using your cupboard is personal satisfaction. As a consumer you have the dual role of being an investor in your product. It is a good feeling to put your dollars into growth instead of simple consumption.

The blue chip stocks

In times of uncertainty and for long term investors the Blue Chip stocks are a part of every portfolio either in direct stock purchases or through mutual funds. The Blue Chip stock is a large cap company and has decades and even a century of presence on the stock market. Some Blue Stock stocks are relatively new players like Home Depot or the result of a merger & acquisition. If you look around your house and around your town the brand products you use or have come to rely on are Blue Chip stocks.

In blue chip stocks, the investor can pick and choose a Blue Chip stock and buy it through a stock broker or on-line with a trading company like Scotttrade or E*Trade. This gives you access to the companies performance on the short term and charts going back at least 10 years. The investor can access the company's financial reports and quarterly earnings on-line. The investor can ask the company to send you a company prospectus.

With the Blue Chip stocks, merit a good review in all times just like any type of investment, not just in times of market uncertainty. - 16463

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