Beginners Archives - HowTheMarketWorks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/category/beginners/ Free stock market game with real-time trading and built-in lessons, curriculum, and assessments. Create a custom stock game for your class, club, or friends and learn to invest. Tue, 07 May 2024 16:42:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.4 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/cropped-touch-icon-ipad-retina-32x32.png Beginners Archives - HowTheMarketWorks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/category/beginners/ 32 32 How to Explain Market Investments to Your Family https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-explain-market-investments-to-your-family/ Fri, 13 Nov 2020 16:27:34 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=15018 If you’re an investor, then you may already know that your family will most likely be interested in what you do and how you earn money. Moreover, if your investment strategies have often made you place personal funds or assets as collateral, then you have no other way but to explain to them how the Read More...

The post How to Explain Market Investments to Your Family appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Dogs of the Dow: The Simple Stock Picking Strategy that Works https://www.howthemarketworks.com/dogs-dow-simple-stock-picking-strategy-works/ Tue, 14 Aug 2018 17:55:24 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=12644 Meet the Dogs No question about it, investing is a dog-eat-dog world. Traders are constantly developing and revising strategies in order to make the most money in the stock market. Throughout time many strategies have come and gone, few sustaining any significant longevity. However, over the past decades, Michael O’Higgins’ strategy coined “Dogs of the Read More...

The post Dogs of the Dow: The Simple Stock Picking Strategy that Works appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> 3 Important Lessons Investors Can Learn from Warren Buffet https://www.howthemarketworks.com/3-important-lessons-investors-can-learn-warren-buffet/ Thu, 22 Mar 2018 22:44:40 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=12408 Warren Buffet, also known as the Oracle of Omaha is a legendary investor who dishes out sage wisdom for investment success on Wall Street. Warren Buffet’s annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway has become an annual letter to the world.  A simple online search of “Warren Buffet’s investment advice will yield tons of results Read More...

The post 3 Important Lessons Investors Can Learn from Warren Buffet appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> 6 Short-Term Financial Goals Every 20 Year Old Should Set https://www.howthemarketworks.com/6-short-term-financial-goals-every-20-year-old-set/ Thu, 19 Oct 2017 19:56:53 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=12045 It’s essential to establish a well-thought-out plan regarding your finances, no matter how young one is. The first thing you need to do is to identify your short-term goals. Though your long-term goals are just as important, the fundamental approach to achieving those hinges on your ability to hit short-term goals. Failure to define your Read More...

The post 6 Short-Term Financial Goals Every 20 Year Old Should Set appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How To Pick Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-pick-stocks/ Tue, 11 Jul 2017 15:30:30 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=11887 How To Pick Stocks – The Basics The most challenging aspect of starting to invest in the stock market is deciding what stocks to buy. Every experienced investor has his/her own techniques and strategies that they believe in.  But when you are just getting started, learning how to pick stocks can be very challenging.   Read More...

The post How To Pick Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Basic Investing Strategies https://www.howthemarketworks.com/basic-investing-strategies/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 15:42:03 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=11864 An “Investing Strategy” is a plan for how to save money to help it grow. Sometimes an “investing strategy” can just mean “plan for trading stocks”, but it really means a lot more. Liquidity, Risk, and Potential Returns All investments balance liquidity (how easily it can be converted into cash for other use), risk (the Read More...

The post Basic Investing Strategies appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Credit – Using Borrowed Money https://www.howthemarketworks.com/credit-using-borrowed-money/ Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:02:58 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=11522 What Is Credit? “Credit” is when you have the ability to use borrowed money. This can come in many different forms, from credit cards to mortgages. There is a wide range of ways to use credit, which means that it is often a challenge for beginners to learn all the different ins and outs of Read More...

The post Credit – Using Borrowed Money appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Credit Reports https://www.howthemarketworks.com/credit-reports/ Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:01:16 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=11464 Credit Reports are basically a report that contains your credit history – both the good and bad. If you watch late-night TV, you have probably seen a few commercials offering free credit reports, so you might know that these are important. Most people, however, don’t know just how big a role a credit report can Read More...

The post Credit Reports appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fractions, Percentages, Ratios and the Stock Market https://www.howthemarketworks.com/percentages-fractions-ratios-stock-market/ Fri, 22 Jan 2016 18:52:23 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=10356 What is a fraction? A “Fraction” means one piece of a whole. You can use fractions in any case where it might be useful to look at something in parts, rather than the whole thing at once. The most delicious fractions are slices of pizza. If the pizza is in 8 slices, we know that Read More...

The post Fractions, Percentages, Ratios and the Stock Market appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Using Excel to Track Your Stock Portfolio https://www.howthemarketworks.com/using-excel-track-stock-portfolio/ Tue, 19 Jan 2016 19:57:41 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=10358 In this article we will be looking at how you can use Excel with your HTMW account to keep track of your account’s performance. Using Excel To Track Your Stock Portfolio – Getting Some Data Before we can do anything with Excel, we need to get some numbers! The information you use in excel is Read More...

The post Using Excel to Track Your Stock Portfolio appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> What is the Federal Reserve? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/what-is-the-federal-reserve/ Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:56:57 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=10346 Definition The Federal Reserve Bank, or the “Fed”, is the central banking system of the United States. It serves as the primary regulator of the US dollar, as well as the “lender of last resort” for other banks. Regulating Currency The Federal Reserve works to maintain the interest rates that banks use to lend money to Read More...

The post What is the Federal Reserve? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Finding Stocks In Specific Sectors https://www.howthemarketworks.com/finding-stocks-in-specific-sectors/ https://www.howthemarketworks.com/finding-stocks-in-specific-sectors/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2015 19:53:17 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=10308 If you’ve started buying a few stocks, you will probably be interested in diversifying your portfolio between more than one sector. This sounds easy, but it can be very challenging finding stocks from a wide range of sources that fit what you’re looking for. Thankfully, our Quotes Tool has all the information you need to Read More...

The post Finding Stocks In Specific Sectors appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> https://www.howthemarketworks.com/finding-stocks-in-specific-sectors/feed/ 1 Why Invest In Stocks? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/why-invest-in-stock-market/ Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:06:49 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=10074 Simply put, when you have money to invest for an extended period of time (like 20 years or more), the stock market historically has provided the greatest return. When most people are able to save money, they usually put it in the bank. Banks usually pay interest on the cash in your account, so if Read More...

The post Why Invest In Stocks? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Intro to Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/intro-to-stocks/ Sun, 01 Nov 2015 22:14:35 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=489 The basics about stocks. What are they? What do they represent? How does Risk figure into stock ownership.

The post Intro to Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> ETFs showing signs of stress with high trading! https://www.howthemarketworks.com/etfs-showing-signs-of-stress-with-high-trading/ Mon, 14 Sep 2015 13:52:28 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=9467 ETFs have been one of the most popular investment vehicles in the world over the last decade or so, with investors of all types attracted to the low fees, but diverse holdings, falling somewhere between mutual funds and stocks in terms of how easy they are to manage in a portfolio. However, one of the Read More...

The post ETFs showing signs of stress with high trading! appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Forex https://www.howthemarketworks.com/forex/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 21:43:36 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=168 Live Forex trading includes negotiating of national bills which is performed on a live basis at 24 hour, around-the-clock period. Forex is derived from the words Foreign Exchange which is known as the global market that does business in money trading.

The post Forex appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Stop and Limit Orders https://www.howthemarketworks.com/stop-and-limit-orders/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 20:44:54 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=83 Definition A Stop (or stop loss) order and limit order are orders that try to execute (meaning become a market order) when a certain price threshold is reached. Limit and stop orders are mirrors of each other; they have the same mechanics, but have opposite triggers. When creating a limit or stop order, you will select Read More...

The post Stop and Limit Orders appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Bond https://www.howthemarketworks.com/bond/ Mon, 24 Aug 2015 08:08:12 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=795 Promissory notes issued by a corporation or government to its lenders, usually with a specified amount of interest for a specified length of time. This is seen as a loan from the bond holder to the corporation. The value of Bonds traded are greater than the value of stocks traded.

The post Bond appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Stock https://www.howthemarketworks.com/stocks/ Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:46:13 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=8912 The post Stock appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Asset https://www.howthemarketworks.com/asset/ Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:43:31 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=8778 Definition: An asset is anything that has monetary value and can be sold. Assets can be anything from a pencil (though it is not worth much) to a skyscraper to things like Stocks and ETFs. There can also be intangible assets such as the value of a brand name or logo. Details: Assets generally refer Read More...

The post Asset appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Asset Allocation https://www.howthemarketworks.com/asset-allocation/ Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:21:11 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=8772 Definition “Asset Allocation” is how you have divided up your investments across different assets. You can have all your assets in one place, or you can use diversification to spread them around to reduce risk. Details Whenever you pick stocks, open a bank account, get paid, buy something, or do anything with any resources, you Read More...

The post Asset Allocation appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Investment Strategy https://www.howthemarketworks.com/investment-strategy/ Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:14:04 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=8697 An investment strategy is the set of rules and behaviors that you can adopt to reach your financial and investing goals. Choosing an investing strategy can be a daunting task when you are starting to learn about investments and finance. Here we will look at the larger overall strategies rather than very specific strategies. Given Read More...

The post Investment Strategy appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Leveraged ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/leveraged-etf-list/ Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:05:39 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=8082 ETFs are collections of assets into bundles you can invest in all at once, the most popular ones follow indecies (such as SPY following the S&P 500), which is one way for an investor to build a diverse portfolio without holding dozens of individual positions. However, using financial derivatives and debt, there are also “Leveraged ETFs”, Read More...

The post Leveraged ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> ETFs with Best Returns https://www.howthemarketworks.com/etfs-with-best-returns/ Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:49:03 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1825 ETFs with best rate of return for one and three years

The post ETFs with Best Returns appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> S&P 500 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/sp500/ Sun, 26 Jul 2015 13:29:18 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1000 The S&P 500, or the Standard & Poor's 500, is a stock market index based on the common stock prices of 500 top publicly traded American companies, as determined by S&P. It differs from other stock market indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite because it tracks a different number of stocks and weights the stocks differently. It is one of the most commonly followed indices and many consider it the best representation of the market and a bellwether for the U.S. economy.

The post S&P 500 appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Popular Canadian Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/popular-canadian-stocks/ Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:22:15 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=7926 Most Popular Canadian Stocks Looking to trade Canadian stocks in your HowTheMarketWorks portfolio, but not sure where to look? You can find a list of the most popular Canadian companies, their symbol, and quotes here! SYMBOL COMPANY NAME Quote And Chart Trade It On HTMW RY Royal Bank of Canada Get Quote! Buy It On Read More...

The post Popular Canadian Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How To Choose Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-choose-stocks/ Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:14:15 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=7919 The most challenging aspect of starting to invest is picking the first few stocks to add to a portfolio. Every investor has their own techniques and strategies, but we want to give you the tools you need to place your first trades, and get your portfolio off to a running start. Establish Goals Before choosing Read More...

The post How To Choose Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Sharpe Ratio (Beginner) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/sharpe-ratio-beginner/ Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:05:23 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=7875 Introduction The Sharpe Ratio is an important tool for evaluating a stock, or a portfolio, based on how risky it is to get a higher return. You can use the Sharpe Ratio to determine how consistent the returns of a stock or portfolio are, so you can determine if the returns are stemming more from Read More...

The post Sharpe Ratio (Beginner) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> OTC (Over The Counter) Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/oct-over-the-counter-stocks/ Fri, 15 May 2015 22:40:33 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=7225 Over-The-Counter (OTC) Stocks Most investors are familiar with NASDAQ, the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange), TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange), and most other large national stock exchanges. However, there are also thousands of companies that want to sell shares to the general public, but are not able to sell on these exchanges. Stock traded on these Read More...

The post OTC (Over The Counter) Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fortune 500 Companies (401 – 500) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/fortune-500-companies-401-500/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:32:00 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6417 An annual list of the Fortune 500 companies. They are the top 500 companies to trade and also the 500 largest companies.

The post Fortune 500 Companies (401 – 500) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fortune 500 Companies (301 – 400) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/fortune-500-companies-301-400/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:12:19 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6413 An annual list of the Fortune 500 companies. They are the top 500 companies to trade and also the 500 largest companies.

The post Fortune 500 Companies (301 – 400) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fortune 500 Companies (201 – 300) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/fortune-500-companies-201-300/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 15:34:34 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6408 An annual list of the Fortune 500 companies. They are the top 500 companies to trade and also the 500 largest companies.

The post Fortune 500 Companies (201 – 300) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fortune 500 Companies (101 – 200) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/fortune-500-companies-page-2/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 14:47:04 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6388 An annual list of the Fortune 500 companies. They are the top 500 companies to trade and also the 500 largest companies.

The post Fortune 500 Companies (101 – 200) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How to Effectively Save Money https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-effectively-save-money/ Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:38:01 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6256 We will teach you how to save money so that you can afford your future now. There are two main questions you need to ask yourself to effective save money: A.“How much will I need?”, and B.“What can I afford?”

The post How to Effectively Save Money appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How to build a Portfolio https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-build-a-portfolio/ Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:58:09 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6226 A portfolio is a collection of assets that contribute collectively to an overall return. There are many different reasons you could create a portfolio, and you need to define your reason or objective from the very beginning before adding stocks and other securities to your account.

The post How to build a Portfolio appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Follow an Investment Strategy https://www.howthemarketworks.com/follow-an-investment-strategy/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:56:24 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=6114 HTMW Quote
It can be argued that the decision to follow a strategy – any strategy – is more important than the decision about what specific strategy to pick. Even a mediocre strategy… can be more profitable than the investing done by someone without a strategy at all
. . . John Reese

The post Follow an Investment Strategy appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Direxion Small Cap Bear 3X – Triple-Leveraged ETF (TZA) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/direxion-small-cap-bear-3x-triple-leveraged-etf-tza/ Tue, 07 May 2013 21:16:24 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=5955 Direxion Small Cap Bear3X - Triple-Leveraged ETF is an index fund ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) designed to seek a daily result of 300% of the INVERSE of the performance of the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index.

The post Direxion Small Cap Bear 3X – Triple-Leveraged ETF (TZA) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Candlesticks 101 – First Lesson in How to Read a Candlestick Chart https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-read-a-candlestick-chart/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:14:55 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=5810 The most basic skill needed for investing is the ability to read a stock chart and then understand how that data can aid your investing success. One of the biggest mistakes of today's investors is overlooking this basic skill and shooting from the hip. This article explains the importance of candlesticks which are the smallest building block of stock charts.

The post Candlesticks 101 – First Lesson in How to Read a Candlestick Chart appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How To Open Your First Stock Broker Account https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-open-your-first-stock-broker-account/ Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:41:22 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=5542 Opening a Brokerage Account is Easier Than you Think Be Ready for the next 5% pullback in the stock market and open your real brokerage account today! Given that most market analysts are predicting a pullback of 5% or more from the recent market highs in the coming days, now may be the best time Read More...

The post How To Open Your First Stock Broker Account appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Various Risks of Investing https://www.howthemarketworks.com/various-risks-of-investing/ Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:46:07 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=5514 Your ideal investment or investment portfolio gives you the most opportunity for the risk you can bear. In this sense, it is important to understand the risk inherent in an investment before you look for the opportunity.

The post Various Risks of Investing appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How Interest Rates Affect Bond Prices https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-interest-rates-affect-bond-prices/ Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:23:41 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=4979 Since the bottom fell out of the stock market in 2008, investors have been shifting money from stocks into bond funds. Since 2007, there have been $1.39 trillion invested in Bond Funds versus $193 billion in stock funds. The most logical explanation is an attempt to find income and safety, but are bonds truly safe?

The post How Interest Rates Affect Bond Prices appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> The Power of Supply and Demand on Stock Prices https://www.howthemarketworks.com/the-power-of-supply-and-demand-on-stock-prices/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:15:37 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=4646 Stock prices are a direct result of supply and demand. All the other influences like debt, balance sheets, earnings and so on affect the desirability of owning (or selling) a stock.

The post The Power of Supply and Demand on Stock Prices appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> What Affects Stock Prices https://www.howthemarketworks.com/what-effects-stock-prices/ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:27:52 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=4287 Stock market prices are affected by business fundamentals, company and world events, human psychology, and much more.

The post What Affects Stock Prices appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Why Study Stock Charts? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/why-study-stock-charts/ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:59:12 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=4241 But with the advancement of technology and the increased popularity of technical analysis, the use of charts has greatly increased, making them one of, if not the most important tools used by technical traders.

The post Why Study Stock Charts? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Stocks To Buy? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/stocks-to-buy/ Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:49:52 +0000 https://www.howthemarketworks.com/?p=3511 The post Stocks To Buy? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Hedging with ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/hedging-with-etfs/ Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:41:29 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2344 With ETFs, you can scaled down the size of the transaction for small investors.

The post Hedging with ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Bull and Bear ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/bull-and-bear-etfs/ Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:10:03 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2337 Bear ETFs short stocks to achieve their goals. Bear ETFs show gains when the underlying stocks loose value. Bull ETFs use long positions and show gains when the underlying stocks show gains.

The post Bull and Bear ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Diamond ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/diamond-etfs/ Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:34:30 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2328 The DIA -DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 ETF invest in a basket of Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks that will track the price and performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index.

The post Diamond ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Compound Interest https://www.howthemarketworks.com/compound-interest/ Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:02:57 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2240 Had the American Indians sold their beads and trinkets they received from selling Manhattan Island, invested their $16 and received 8% compounded annual interest, not only would they have enough money to buy back all of Manhattan, they would still have several hundred million dollars left over. That is the power of compound interest over time.

The post Compound Interest appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Market Hours for Stocks and Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/market-hours-for-stocks-mutual-funds/ Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:28:45 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2162 Real-life and virtual trading hours for our site (all times Eastern).
Note: Stock Market trading is Monday-Friday, except on holidays.

The post Market Hours for Stocks and Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Factors that Impact Stock Prices https://www.howthemarketworks.com/factors-that-impact-stock-prices/ Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:13:31 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2153 Stock market prices are affected by business fundamentals, company and world events, human psychology, and much more

The post Factors that Impact Stock Prices appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Order https://www.howthemarketworks.com/stock-order/ Sun, 14 Oct 2012 17:10:59 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2145 An investor's instructions to a broker or brokerage firm to purchase or sell a security. Orders are typically placed over the phone or online. Orders fall into different available types which allow investors to place restrictions on their orders affecting the price and time at which the order can be executed.

The post Order appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fortune 500 Companies (2012) – 500 Largest Companies https://www.howthemarketworks.com/2012-top-500-companies/ Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:08:58 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=2030 An annual list put together by FORTUNE Magazine of the 500 largest companies. This list uses the most recent figures for revenue and includes both public and private companies with publicly available revenue. These are the top 500 companies in the USA.

The post Fortune 500 Companies (2012) – 500 Largest Companies appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Most Popular Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/most-popular-mutual-funds/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:08:34 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1962 A list of the 25 most popular (largest) mutual funds.

The post Most Popular Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Mutual Fund Screener https://www.howthemarketworks.com/mutual-fund-screener/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:03:48 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1957 Mutual Fund screeners are available on countless websites and trading platforms. They allow users to choose trading instruments that are suitable for certain criteria profile.

The post Mutual Fund Screener appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Why Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/why-mutual-funds-vs-stocks/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:04:54 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1930 American investors, covering the past decade, have conclusively come around to mutual funds so they may save towards their retirement as well as other financial targets.

The post Why Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Fund Families – Largest Mutual Funds – Fund Family https://www.howthemarketworks.com/largest-mutual-fund-families/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:42:52 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1908 The following list is the 100 largest Mutual Fund Families according to Morning Star.

The post Fund Families – Largest Mutual Funds – Fund Family appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Largest Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/largest-mutual-funds/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:19:24 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1899 We offer an unbiased view of the ten largest U.S. mutual funds — pointing out the pros and cons of both active and passive funds, while simultaneously suggesting real alternatives. Almost all of these funds come in different shares classes, each with their own fee structure, and are ranked by assets under management as reported by Morningstar.

The post Largest Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> How to Pick Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-pick-mutual-funds/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:54:38 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1880 The possible choices for investing in a mutual fund is less complicated than you think.

The post How to Pick Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Mutual Fund Fees https://www.howthemarketworks.com/mutual-fund-fees/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:17:10 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1854 Mutual fund charges and costs are fees that may be acquired by investors who possess mutual funds

The post Mutual Fund Fees appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Most Active ETFs by Volume https://www.howthemarketworks.com/most-active-etfs-by-volume/ Sun, 07 Oct 2012 08:59:46 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1820 ETFs with the most trading volume and the most total assets.

The post Most Active ETFs by Volume appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Open End Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/open-end-mutual-funds/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 18:13:33 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1768 An open end mutual fund don't have limits on the quantity of shares the fund will issue. Provided that demand is requested often, the fund will continue to issue shares no matter the number of investors.

The post Open End Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Screeners https://www.howthemarketworks.com/screeners/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 18:05:11 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1762 A tool that investors and traders can use to filter ETFs based on user-defined metrics. ETF screeners are offered on many websites and trading platforms, and they allow users to select trading instruments that fit a certain profile set of criteria.

The post Screeners appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/mutual-funds/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:35:24 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1732 A mutual fund is a form of professionally executed investment tool that merges money from numerous investors to buy securities.

The post Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Spider ETF https://www.howthemarketworks.com/spider-etf/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:56:59 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1714 A Spider ETF is a summary of Standard & Poor's depositary receipt, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) administered by State Street Global Advisors.

The post Spider ETF appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Most Popular ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/most-popular-etfs/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 11:53:02 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1710 Most Popular ETFs by Volume Symbol Name Avg Volume Total Assets SPY SPDR S&P 500 122,437,320 $120,699.8 M XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR 49,102,004 $8,232.3 M EEM MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund 42,278,938 $37,379.9 M IWM Russell 2000 Index Fund 40,192,414 $17,667.3 M QQQ QQQ 34,720,602 $34,638.4 M VWO Emerging Markets ETF 19,842,342 $57,872.7 M Read More...

The post Most Popular ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Commodity ETF https://www.howthemarketworks.com/commodity-etf/ Sat, 06 Oct 2012 11:45:58 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1706 Exchange-traded funds that invest in physical commodities such as natural resources, agricultural goods as well as precious metals.

The post Commodity ETF appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Country ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/country-etfs/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:57:13 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1694 A group of risks combined with investing in a foreign country.

The post Country ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Indexed ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/indexed-etfs/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:46:17 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1689 A type of mutual fund with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500). An index mutual fund is said to provide broad market exposure, low operating expenses and low portfolio turnover.

The post Indexed ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> ETFs vs Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/etfs-vs-stocks/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:58:34 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1684 What are the differences between investing in Exchange Traded Funds verses stocks? This article will discuss the pros and cons …

The post ETFs vs Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> ETFs vs Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/advantages-of-etfs-over-mutual-funds/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:08:22 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1674 Your goal should be to build and manage a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds with the lowest possible fees and the greatest possible tax efficiency. ETFs offer seven advantages over index mutual funds: lower cost, greater tax efficiency, better tax management, easier asset allocation, easier portfolio rebalancing, no fraud and you can short ETFs.

The post ETFs vs Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) https://www.howthemarketworks.com/etfs/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:44:46 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1663 A stock like security that follows an index, a commodity or a basket of assets like an indexed mutual fund. Securities like ETFs trades like a stock. ETFs prices change throughout the day, like a stock, as they are bought and sold.

The post Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Creating a Stock Portfolio https://www.howthemarketworks.com/creating-a-stock-portfolio/ Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:24:19 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1571 This planning center has the information and advice you need to confidently place your first buy order.

The post Creating a Stock Portfolio appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Common Investment Mistakes https://www.howthemarketworks.com/common-investment-mistakes/ Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:17:51 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1568 There are many investment errors that are easy to avoid. This list of Common Investment Mistakes will help the beginner save money.

The post Common Investment Mistakes appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Finding Stocks Using a Stock Screener https://www.howthemarketworks.com/finding-stocks-using-a-stock-screener/ Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:12:01 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1506 There are many research tools available and many of them are free. Of course, there are some very sophisticated tools that come with hefty price tags; however, for most investors all the research they’ll need is free or available for a modest subscription.

The post Finding Stocks Using a Stock Screener appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Buy Stock: Making Your First Trade and Which Stocks to Buy https://www.howthemarketworks.com/making-your-first-trade/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:26:12 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1444 Steps to consider as you make your first trade.

The post Buy Stock: Making Your First Trade and Which Stocks to Buy appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Types of Stocks https://www.howthemarketworks.com/different-types-of-stocks/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:06:58 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1431 Common and preferred are the two main forms of stock; however, it's also possible for companies to customize different classes of stock in any way they want.

The post Types of Stocks appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> What Are Stocks? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/what-are-stocks/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:58:58 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1428 Stocks are shares in ownership of a company. Stocks represents a claim on the company's assets and earnings. As you increase your holdings of a stock, your ownership stake in the company increases. Whether you say shares, equity, or stock, it all means the same thing.

The post What Are Stocks? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Stock Market Myths https://www.howthemarketworks.com/stock-market-myths/ Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:31:33 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=1207 Everyone has their favorite stock market myths but here are a few you might like to add to the collection:

The post Stock Market Myths appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> What is a Balance Sheet? https://www.howthemarketworks.com/balance-sheet/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:33:38 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=903 A summary of the financial balances of a sole proprietorship, a business partnership, a corporation or other business organization, such as an LLC or an LLP. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year.

The post What is a Balance Sheet? appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> P/E Ratios https://www.howthemarketworks.com/pe-ratio/ Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:43:23 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=882 The price to earnings ratio is a useful tool but certainly not the holy grail of investing as it is sometimes made out to be.

The post P/E Ratios appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Best Practices for New Investors https://www.howthemarketworks.com/trading-rules/ Tue, 18 Sep 2012 15:58:17 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=416 If I've learned anything in my decades of trading, I've learned that the simple methods work best. Those who need to rely upon complex stochastics, linear weighted moving averages, smoothing techniques, Fibonacci numbers etc., usually find that they have so many things rolling around in their heads that they cannot make a rational decision. One technique says buy; another says sell. Another says sit tight while another says add to the trade. It sounds like a cliche, but simple methods work best.

The post Best Practices for New Investors appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Learn To Trade Mutual Funds https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-trade-mutual-funds/ Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:06:06 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=393 Learning how Mutual Funds works and how to trade Mutual Fundss is easier than you might think. But before you can run you need to walk, and to help you get started we have pulled together this list key concepts that you should understand before you risk your real money.

The post Learn To Trade Mutual Funds appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]> Learn To Trade ETFs https://www.howthemarketworks.com/how-to-trade-etfs/ Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:02:43 +0000 http://virtual-stock-exchange.net/?p=389 ETFs are Exchange Traded Funds. They act like Mutual Funds but they can be traded intra day like a stock. Learn more.

The post Learn To Trade ETFs appeared first on HowTheMarketWorks.

]]>