With thousands of companies to invest in, figuring out which ones both align with your financial plan and are going to pay off can be overwhelming. To better identify specific stocks start by focusing on some of these areas:
Economic and political trends influence company performance. Some do better with growth, some do better with recession. Opportunities and challenges also arise based on taxation, interest rates, privatization and minimum wage laws.
Demographic and social trends, like the rise of China as a major global economy and the wave of aging baby boomers in Western countries, create new markets. Industries most impacted are energy, health care, and technology.
Company information like financials, mergers and product launches impact share prices in the short term, mostly. Keep tabs on developments in industries that interest you, even monitor specific companies.
Financial analysts provide opinions on stocks they think are good buys and sells. They provide insights into what companies might be doing right and wrong and how that may translate into gains and losses. They aren't always right, but you may trust some more than others.
As a DIY investor, having the right tools and resources to monitor and evaluate your portfolio is vital. We partner with Qtrade Direct Investing® to ensure our Members can easily buy and sell stocks as well as make better investment decisions. Their platform helps you manage your portfolio of stocks, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds and other securities by:
- Screening for undervalued or high dividend yield stocks, or customized by things like sector and market capitalization
- Creating watchlists to monitor a portfolio of stocks in real time (tip: set alerts so you know when market events or stock prices change)
- Providing model portfolios of professional managers that you can replicate in your own portfolio or just use for ideas
- Sending you headlines and insights to keep you informed of the latest company, market, business and economic news (tip: under Quotes & Market Info select Market Commentary)
- Giving you access to initial public offerings (IPOs) so you can be one of the first to invest in new securities when they start trading
- Making it easy to compare performance, history and ratings of any company to their peers
To learn more about how DIY Investing fits into your plan book an appointment today. If you’re just starting out, opening an account is easy with Qtrade Direct Investing® and is a great way to help you reach your financial goals.
*Online brokerage services are offered through Qtrade Direct Investing®, a division of Aviso Financial Inc.
