Every year has its fair share of surprises for investors. This year will be no different than the rest in spite of all of the savvy predictions you've already heard and will soon hear this month. After all, that's what makes the market so interesting and fun to follow.
Also, if everyone already knew what was going to happen this year, it would be quite a boring year and unprofitable. We make the most amount of money in the shortest period of time as investors and traders when the vast majority of people are leaning the wrong way as they were back in March of 2009. The same will hold true in the year ahead as it has every single year in the market.
How low it could go and how fast it could come back
The relentless upside since March
The quick turnaround with no retest of the lows
I did not expect the rally to go on like forever
The significance and non-coincidence of 666 being the market bottom
How the markets are so detached from the realities of the business cycle
No one at banks and Wall Street seem to know (or care) how bad it really is out there
Dollar getting shafted
The rising popularity of quant programs
Interest rates way too low
How the market continues to rise on lower volume
That trading volume is not being depicted accurately
The strong correlation between all markets
Nothing is safe
How easily our government folded to the whims of Wall Street
The wide divergence of opinions from respected people
How unbelievably under valued some companies can become in times of an emotional sell off
Program trading machines running amok with my tax dollars
How technical patterns in the major indexes can fail (like H&S pattern in mid-summer)
It's business as usual - even a severe crisis was not enough for meaningful positive change
The extreme optimism of professionals who invest other people's money
The persistent negative undertones of this market
The large amount of negative press and doom and gloom prevalent even as the markets truly shoot upward
A bullish continuation when everyone is jumping to anticipate the reversal
How stocks on the verge of bankruptcy quickly found their footing and lead the market in the rally
How the market can rally with banks insolvent
The amount of liquidity the Federal Government threw at the problem
Liquidity provided by the government surpasses everything else
That Mr. Market fooled the majority
How greed can get the best of us
How banks can sell diversification and don't follow their own advice
The total escape from accountability of those who caused the crisis
The feast or famine mentality, boom or bust, strong down, strong up. The manic behavior of the market
Most surprised by the complete randomness and irrationality of markets
I am most surprised by the herd mentality of so many traders who I assume are professionals. They all sold when times were bad, and they all buy when things are looking better
The large amount of toxic assets held by Wall Street banks who are supposedly the best investors in the world
How cheap stocks were back in March
How every "expert" and everyone else has been calling for a double dip, yet it hasn't happened
I'm surprised how close 2009 resembled 2003
That inflation would stay in check
The sell off in oil
The number of secondary offerings has been astounding and with positive market acceptance
Any person could have bought a stock in March and could have made a profit
I have not found a screen that works well in down markets
I'm surprised by how quickly people forget
The market is rigged much more than I thought
The depth of corruption on Wall Street
How challenging it can be to trade gold
The low prices of many preferred stocks in March
Everyone is right and everyone is wrong
How I was able to overcome my fear and negativity and trade the rally profitably
How I missed this #$(@ing rally!
When the moment came, I was surprised I actually faced my fears and took the hard trade
The overwhelming fear I had that prevented me from buying when you were
That I was able to recover all of my losses from 2008
How much success a simple moving average cross over strategy, with a reasonable ATR stop continues to perform on most long ETFs
How much money I made in 2009 by doing what you teach us to do every day
There's a good reason why some have said that the stock market is the best drama on Earth. As I've written here before, my rule when dealing with the market is quite simple: expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised!
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