The Nasdaq is often called the engine of tech innovation, and for good reason. It’s home to giants like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, and its performance over the last four decades tells a story of incredible growth in the U.S. tech sector. For anyone interested in , understanding the Nasdaq is key to understanding a huge part of the American economy.
For the last four decades, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been a pretty solid barometer for the American economy. It’s seen some of the longest and strongest bull markets in its entire 127-year history, especially during the 1980-2000 and 2009-2023 periods. More recently, we all saw the post-pandemic recovery create that classic V-shape on the charts, kicking off a two-year price rally. For anyone interested in , understanding these major trends is key.
The American economy is a story most of us know well. It went through a massive boom in the '80s, the dot-com frenzy of the '90s that fizzled out in the early 2000s, and the 2008 mortgage crisis that triggered a global recession. More recently, we've all navigated the pandemic. For many, this volatility makes feel intimidating, but it also creates opportunities.
It’s not easy to revisit our biggest mistakes, especially when they involve a lot of money. But back in 2007, I made a blunder in the stock market that cost me nearly two-thirds of my capital, and the lesson is too important not to share.
A renowned investor, Peter Lynch, once said, “I've found that when the market's going down and you buy funds wisely, at some point in the future you will be happy.” This idea of buying wisely during downturns is at the heart of the investment strategy we’re about to explore.
Even Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, admitted back in 1934 that he had little faith in the ability of most people—even professional analysts—to consistently pick winning stocks. His solution was a simpler, more standardized approach: just try to match the market's performance. This very idea laid the groundwork for what we now know as Exchange-Traded Funds, or ETFs.
When you’re first learning about , it’s easy to get lost in a sea of conflicting advice. But over time, you start to see that a few core truths matter more than anything else. These are the principles that separate consistently successful people from those who are always one step behind the market.
Day trading gets a bad rap, and for good reason. Most people who try it end up losing money. But over the years, I’ve relied on a simple strategy that cuts through the noise. It’s a method that works by capitalizing on a fundamental truth of the stock market: the biggest players are also the slowest.
New traders often ask me if they should get involved with Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The short answer is tricky: for someone who knows the ropes, IPOs can be incredibly profitable. But for those who don't, they're often a quick way to lose money. Let's break down why.