3 Risk or opportunity signals guide stock market investors. These signals give market odds two quarters ahead. When the trend is up, invest to play long. When the trend is down, hold, get out or go short. Use the strategy detailed in your investing plan. This lesson explains how the 3 risk or opportunity signals deliver stock market information. Links at the end guide you to related lessons if you want to learn more.

Managing Investment Markets Risks, Lesson 9. To know market direction, use these three stock market guidelines rather than endless expert reports. The market looks about 6 month ahead anticipating where the economy will be going during the next two quarters. Identify that trend, up or down and take positions that benefit from that direction.

1. The market has a predictive function

2. Up or down, the trend is your friend

3. Up, go long, down hold, get out or short

Part 1 of 4: White Top View, Market Direction series

Using those basic guidelines you can replace 10, 100 or 1,000’s of economic studies, reports and opinions. Investors check the 3 guides signal stock market risk or opportunity before making any changes.

10 to watch for just one thing! Again…
Where is the market going?
We want just one thing, the answer. And we want it now!

In the market there is never just one thing. The market is a complex and noisy place. It quickly reflects the short-term emotions and opinions of participants. At a more measured pace it also arrives at a market value for each stock listing. It helps to know 3 guides signal stock market risk or opportunity.

All the data and noise combines to make up the complex interaction of the stock market. To know what to do, we need to make sense of that ocean of data.

Information continually flows and comes from many sources. It includes government agency releases to private reports or academic findings. The data sets range from fact collections to opinion surveys. Each contributes part of the information needed to paint an overall picture of the economy. That in turn can give the most likely stock market outlook and direction.

As an example of the never-ending data flow, this week we see multiple significant economic reports as listed below:

Monday
1. Purchasing Managers Index - monthly private sector survey  reports that their business is better, worse or the same.

Tuesday
2. S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices
3. Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index

Wednesday
4. Core Durable Goods Orders
5. New Home Sales
6. Crude Oil Inventories

Thursday
7. Unemployment Claims
8. Pending Home Sales

Friday:
9. Personal Spending & Core Personal Consumption Expenditures
10. Revised University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment

Without full-time dedication you can not possibly pay attention to and understand that volume of data flow. It continues with many more such reports week after week. Much easier to use 3 Risk or opportunity signals to guide your search for money making opportunity.

Stock market guidelines show direction

The guidelines noted at the beginning of this discussion help us cut through the ocean of data to understand and make use of the information. To invest or trade well we need to get a basic indication of future market direction and trend.

Noting the overall tone of the reports, either positive or negative, as well as how the information trends helps us anticipate the future. Either things are getting better or worse. Today's point, be content to know which way we are generally trending.

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Use White Top Investor lessons to learn investing. By doing that you can grow into a knowledgeable, comfortable and confident investor. To learn how, you can learn investing one small step at a time at your own pace. Do that and become the master of your financial security and independence. White top Investor never sells or shares our email list. Learn more.

Managing Investment Market Risks, lesson links:

Introduction to Managing Investing Market Risks Lesson 1

Dangerous dividend warning signs Lesson 2

Investor retirement saving dangers Lesson 3

Exotic ETFs blow-up portfolios Lesson 4

Stock scam awareness defense Lesson 5

4 Stock scam tips Lesson 6

Bitcoin fraud trust and psychology Lesson 7

Investors hold patient cash Lesson 8

3 Risk or opportunity signals Lesson 9

Option risks, dangers and opportunities Lesson 10

Cautious look at options Lesson 11

Selling low melts wealth Lesson 12

Next lesson 6: Look forward with data

Have a prosperous investor day!

Bryan

White Top Investor

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