In the current bear market, plenty of attention is being focused on investors and the negative impact this is having on their investments. Advice on how to handle the situation abounds, with the general view being that riding out the storm may be the best option. But while sympathetic sentiments are being expressed for investors, spare a thought for the people who make their living from managing other peoples’ investments.
If you are considering investing in the stock market, opening a brokerage account is the first step toward building a healthy investment portfolio. A brokerage account makes it possible for a professional broker to buy or sell stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments on your instruction – all for a fee. The commission collected by your broker differs based on whether your account is with a discount brokerage or a traditional brokerage.
In a US stock exchange trading week that was cut short by 4th of July celebrations, investors were coming to terms with the fact that a bear market has officially arrived. It is commonly accepted in investment circles that a 20 percent drop from the highs in the market, as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq and S&P’s indices, is confirmation of a bear market.
In a decisive demonstration of his confidence in the company, Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc., bought nearly $100 million in Dell shares. From Friday 27 June through to Tuesday 2 July, Dell purchased 4.5 million shares at an average of $22.07 per share. This is the first time in the past five years that a purchase of this size has been made by an individual insider at any company. This recent purchase brought his direct holdings to 22 million shares, securing Michael Dell’s position as Dell Inc.’s largest shareholder.
There was a time in the not too distant past when being environmentally and socially responsible and making money were incompatible concepts in the investment world. However, with heightened awareness of the damage being done to the earth and its atmosphere through careless misuse of natural resources, along with the damage caused by pollution, many consumers and investors are choosing to go “green”.
In light of the gloomy second quarter stock market results, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 7.4 percent, investors are no doubt reassessing their portfolios, searching for a market sector that may provide some light at the end of the tunnel. However, the reality is that in the current bear market there are very few safe ports to shelter investors from the storm.
With the second half of 2008 looming ahead, the general feeling among stock market investors and financial analysts is anything but optimistic. Following a nerve-racking first quarter, the second quarter of 2008 started off with many investors believing that the worst was over and that earnings growth and stocks would pick up as the year progressed. These high hopes were dealt a death blow as the effects of the credit crisis lingered, oil prices soared, inflation worries persisted and consumers continued to curb their spending.
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