What to consider when Buying Stocks

Before making any significant investment, research, and research thoroughly. That remains the cardinal rule of investment. Stock markets have an uncanny ability of making rich and poor men in equal measures. This therefore dictates that one should consider some essential factors before committing their hard work’s earnings into uncharted territory.

New investors frequently opt to buy stock from a company, but are more often than not unsure of how to go about it. Before making any investment decision, there are key factors you should first consider. It is paramount to ascertain the price of the entire company you are investing in rather than just the share price.

To ascertain the value of a company, market capitalization is often used. This is the price of all shares multiplied by the quoted price per share. For instance, an entity with an outstanding one million shares and a stock price of eighty dollars per share, would have a market capitalization of eighty million dollars. This strategy remains an essential tool in determining a company’s worth, and it will ultimately safeguard you from overpaying for a stock.

Another factor that one should consider is room for growth. When looking for investment opportunities, give priority to companies whose business models are likely to generate more revenue each quarter. Such growth is often triggered by entry into new markets and innovations. Scour the company’s financial statements to get additional information on their growth prospects.

Do not forget the investing mantra; Thou shall not put all eggs in one basket. Increase your safety with diversification. Spread the risk by buying different stocks. In case one stock drops significantly, you will be cushioned from total loss. Diversity also entails buying from different industries just in case one goes south.

The price to earnings ratio or P/E as financial professionals put it, can be a reliable indicator of a good buy. P/E means the valuation ratio of the current share price of a company compared to its per-share earnings. It is one of the most popular metric of stock analysis. It gives you an indication of how high a stock’s price is relative to its profitability. Compare the P/E of the company in which you desire to invest in with others in the same industry to gauge how high or low the price is. This is important because many people can actively trade stock in a stable company thereby causing its price to go higher than it is really worth.

Finally, price is the most important factor to consider when making an investment. The amount that you will pay for an investment will at the end determine whether it’s a great or sour investment. For example, let’s assume you are looking for a shirt to buy and its marked price is $100. You eventually purchase the commodity and return home pleased because you got what you desired. The shirt fits you monetarily and physically.

Later on, you see a friend with the same shirt, but the difference is that he only had to part with only $45 to get it. That is when it dawns on you that although you value your shirt, you paid too much for it. This scenario is similar to stock trading. The best products are not worth buying unless you are getting a good price.

Purchasing a stock even in the best company at the wrong time can be detrimental. It is therefore extremely important to keep a calm head and search for value buys in the stock market. In whatever stock you invest in, do not let your emotions (heart) affect your decisions. In other words, use logic or your head. Refrain from investing in high-risk financial instruments if you cannot afford to lose everything. If the deal is too good to be true, then it probably is.