On March 2, 2015 the Nasdaq Composite Index, more commonly referred to as the NASDAQ, closed above 5,000 points for the first time in fifteen years. As this occurred, Wall Street trading floors swelled with the collective anxiety of investors who had observed the same milestone during the Dot-Com era (in March 2000). Only two days after the NASDAQ eclipsed 5,000 on March 9th, the tech-oriented index began its dramatic collapse.
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An Organic Problem
No matter what you do, it's impossible to escape popular trends; organic products are everywhere and are waging war against what was once known as "common food." From your favorite restaurant to the neighborhood supermarket, these additive-free products are inescapable. In fact, according to the Organic Trade Association, organic food sales increased 11.5% in 2013, to $35.1 billion.
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Minimize Risk, Maximize Return
There is a discernible thrill to picking stocks correctly. Carefully considering risks, weighing possible options, and evaluating every aspect of a company, pulling the trigger, and finally seeing all your hard work pay off is extremely satisfying—and it can be very profitable too. While one must take care to avoid being sucked into the gambler’s paradise of day-trading, there is clearly an important role for the active investor, in value and growth. But there is an obvious catch: consistently successful trading is extremely difficult (read more here).
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Beating The Odds
In my previous article, Getting Back To Basics, I explained why long-term investing is a viable strategy for new investors and provided numerous examples of basic investment fundamentals. This week, I aim to build upon those fundamentals by introducing two more investment concepts, diversification and index investing, while also describing how exchange traded funds (ETFs) help investors mitigate risk.
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Getting Back To Basics
Last Friday concluded one of the worst weeks for the stock market in recent memory. The Nasdaq took the largest hit, losing 3.1% for the week (its biggest single week loss since 2001). The S&P 500 finished down 2.6%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 2.3%. Inspired by this sharp turn in the market, panicked investors went on a selling spree, specifically towards the end of the week.
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S&P 500 Darlings
Last week the stock market celebrated the five-year anniversary of the S&P 500 Index, since hitting its lowest point during the Great Recession. Over the past five years, the recovering bull market has rewarded a number of blue chip E-Commerce companies with soaring stock prices. However, there is also much skepticism surrounding the future of the market, leaving investors worried.
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