Archive for the ‘Investment’ Category

Commodities Trading – Trading Soybean

With perhaps the exceptions of resident vegetarians and commodities traders, soybeans don’t have much allure for the general population. However, this bean is one of the most profitable trades commodities around, and it is also low risk.The Chinese people first cultivated soybeans thousands of years ago. They continue to be grown there today. They were first introduced to America in the 1800s; their load was used to stabilize clipper ships. Now, their use as a food source continues to grow as technology advances and new uses are discovered.During World War II, the US became one of the world’s largest suppliers when Chinese crops were damaged. Today, 31 states in the United States grow soybeans. Illinois alone produces over 500 million bushels, with Iowa coming in close behind at 400 million.Now, Brazil is jumping into the fray as a producer as well. Although it has suffered drought and this has impacted its production over the last two years, crop yields are now recovering. They should reach record levels in 2007. Although coffee and sugar are among Brazil’s major exports, soybeans are fast catching up. In 2004-2005, over 20,000

Evaluating Stock Risk

For a long time, the stock market was viewed as a way for people to make a lot of money in a short period of time provided they were lucky or knew how to choose the right stocks. Unfortunately, the end of the “dot com” craze in the early and mid 90′s proved yet again that the stock market was also an excellent way for investors to lose everything if they aren’t careful. Stock scandals such as the WorldCom and Enron problems have further emphasized this point since then.It is still possible to make money in the stock market, though it takes patience, common sense, and the ability to recognize the risk inherent in any investment and react to changes in the market accordingly.Defining risk in the stock market There is always risk when it comes to investing your money, especially if you’re investing it into shares of stock that are issued by various companies. The events surrounding the WorldCom and Enron scandals have shown that even companies that seem stable and secure can have risk involved when you choose to invest. The risk that is referred

Corporate Stock – Common, Preferred

Choosing a stock while taking an investment decision depends upon your financial goals. Corporations issue different types of stocks, the basic two types being common stock and preferred stock. Another type of classification which is commonly used is to classify stocks as growth, value or blue chip stocks, amongst others. It is important to understand the various terms clearly so that you can make a wise investment decision.Common StockThis is the basic stock issued by a corporation and represents the fraction of the company owned by you. Common stockholders bear the most risks associated with the company. Common stockholders get dividends only after preferred stockholders have got theirs. However, the investors holding common stocks have voting rights in the company, which enable them to influence corporate resolutions. Preferred stock holders do not have voting rights.Preferred StockThis is a form of equity, but has the characteristics of both bonds and common stock. As the name implies, preferred stock holders can claim the earnings and also the assets in the event of liquidation of the company, prior to common stock holders. However, the claims of preferred stock holders come

Scalping Day Trading

All three styles have their proponents. All three have advantages and disadvantages. The important key is that the trader pursues the style of trading that BEST fits his or her personality, strategy, risk tolerance and intended discipline.I personally feel that scalping type of trading best fits my psychological profile. I am comfortable taking moderate, measured risks in an attempt to capture what I consider to be significant profits in percentage terms of my account equity. I prefer to trade in and out quickly by “scalping” profits from the markets through the use of small, frequent trades. Discipline and adherence to a pre-planned strategy is critical in successful application of this type of trading.Scalping is a trading style focusing on taking profits on small price changes, generally immediately after one enters a trade becomes profitable. It requires a strict and aggressive exit strategy because one large loss could wipe out the several small gains realized. Having the right tools such as a live feed, a direct-access broker and the propensity to execute many trades is required for this strategy to be successful. A scalper’s main objective is to