Investing in the Stock Market - When To!
Is really not as important as to how you invest in the stock market. And how you invest in the stock market should take into consideration what goals you are setting for that stock market investment.
For example, are you investing for capital appreciation or for income through dividend paying stocks? Or is the investment in the stock market for the combination of both capital appreciation and dividend income?
Are you investing through a Mutual fund(s) or selecting your own individual stocks?
Do you invest with a lump-sum dollar amount or dollar-cost average into your stock or Mutual fund positions (buying the same stock or Mutual fund at different prices over the years)?
Is your investment dollar spread too thin and are all of those dollars working for your ROI (return on investment)?
Do you pay commission fees to purchase a stock?
Do you pay load fees in your Mutual fund(s)? How much does your Mutual fund(s) charge you for management, operating and marketing fees (they are called 'hidden fees')?
'How' you invest in the stock market is more important than 'when' you invest in the stock market and 'how' you invest will determine your ROI.
When you invest in the stock market is after you devise a how-to plan that takes into consideration all of the factors above. Quite frankly, every cent of your investor dollar should benefit you and your family and no one else.
It is my opinion that all stock purchases should be made without commission fees (which is possible). That the investment in all stocks should be a long-term investment, and that every stock purchased should have a history of raising their dividend every year. And all dividends should be reinvested back into the company's shares (also commission free), until retirement.
By purchasing those companies that have a long-term history of raising their dividend each year (for example, Comerica - 35 years, Proctor and Gamble - 47 years, BB&T - 32 years, GE - 28 years, Atmos Energy - 17 years (they also provide a 3% discount on all shares purchased through dividend reinvestments), the 'HOW' you invest becomes automatic- you dollar-cost average into your holdings through the dividends provided by the companies every quarter.
The dividend is the one factor a company cannot 'fudge'. The money has to be there to pay the shareholder. If a company can raise their dividend every year, the company MUST be doing something right! When a company has a long history of raising their dividend every year you in a sense eliminate risk, since a lower stock price for that company just means a higher dividend yield. If, for example, a stock purchased at $50.00 a share drops to $36.00 a share, the income provided by the dividend income accelerates, and your dividend reinvestment provides you a better dividend 'bang for your buck'.
There have been many up and downs in the stock market these past 47 years (I know, I've been in almost 40 of them) - yet Proctor and Gamble has never failed to raise their dividend during those past 47 years.
Below is an example of two types of investors that have $10,000 to invest in the stock market. One is a lump-sum investor, the other a dollar-cost averaging investor. One investor doesn't care about dividends, the dollar-cost averaging investor does.
Each investor took a different 'HOW' to invest and both investors had the same 'WHEN' when they invested. Let's say they invested at the same time, each stock purchased at $50 dollars a share and every quarter the stock dropped $2.00 a share, till the stocks hit a bottom of $36.00, and then recovers back to $50.00.
The lump-sum investor bought the fictitious company ABC, which does not pay a dividend, and the dollar-cost averaging investor purchased the fictitious company XYZ, which pays a quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share (a 4.0% yearly dividend yield), and the company had a history of raising their dividend every March for the past 41 consecutive years. Both purchases were made in January.
The lump sum investor bought 200 shares of ABC at $50.00 a share, watched the stock drop to $36.00, then recover back to $50.00 and when all was said and done ended up right where he started with 200 shares of ABC worth $10,000.
The dollar-cost averaging investor purchased 100 shares of XYZ in January for $5,000.00, (the stock paying a quarterly 50 cent a share dividend for a 4.0 percent yearly dividend yield), and purchased $1,000.00 worth of more shares every quarter for the next 5 quarters. Each quarter the dividend from the company was also reinvested into more shares of stock. Each March the company raised its dividend 2 cents a share, marking 45 consecutive years of rising dividends. All purchases were commission free.
January, 100 shares of XYZ @ 50.00 a share = $5,000
Date: Stock Price: Div. Purchases: Share Purchases:
March $48.00 @.52 = 1.083 $1,000 = 20.83 shares
June $46.00 @.52 = 1.378 $1,000 = 21.74 shares
Sept $44.00 @.52 = 1.714 $1,000 = 22.72 shares
Dec. $42.00 @.52 = 2.098 $1,000 = 23.81 shares
March $40.00 @.54 = 2.098 $1,000 = 25.00 shares
June $38.00 @.54 = 2.637 - 0 -
Sept $36.00 @.54 = 3.169 - 0 -
Dec. $38.00 @.54 = 3.393 - 0 -
March $40.00 @.56 = 3.260 - 0 -
June $42.00 @.56 = 3.194 - 0 -
Sept $44.00 @.56 = 3.045 - 0 -
Dec. $48.00 @.56 = 2.827 - 0 -
March $50.00 @.58 = 2.843 - 0 -
The dollar-cost averaging investor now owns 247.953 shares of XYZ. The value at $50.00 a share = $12,397.65.
So, the lump-sum investor ends up right where he started, 200 shares of ABC worth $10,000, and the dollar-cost averaging investor ends up owning 247.953 shares of XYZ worth $12,397.65, along with the dividend income generated from owning those shares. Both had the same 'when' when they invested.
The dividend yield at 58 cents a quarter (.58 divided by $50.00 x 4 x 100 =), a 4.64% yearly dividend yield. Every quarter every dividend received from the company was higher than the previous dividend, no matter what the stock price was at the end of the quarter.
The dollar-cost averaging investor is receiving a dividend for the next quarter from XYZ (no matter what the stock price happens to be) of .58 X 247.953 shares = $143.81, and the next quarter (and every quarter thereafter) the dividend would be even higher if the company, at least, maintained their dividend.
If XYZ repeated the same performance history ($50.00 down to $36.00, back up to $50.00) for the next 3 years, and ABC did the same - the HOW you invest in the stock market makes all the difference in the world.
---
You have permission to this article either electronically or in print as long as the author bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way, (typos excluded). Please provide a courtesy e-mail to: charles@thestockopolyplan.com telling where the article was published.
Charles M. O'Melia is an individual investor with almost 40 years of experience and passion for the stock market. Author of the book 'The Stockopoly Plan', published by American-Book Publishing. For more excerpts from The Stockopoly Plan, please visit http://www.thestockopolyplan.com
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingMore Stocks & Mutual Funds Information:
Related Articles
Stock Market Investing: Knowing When (and when not) to Sell
One of the greatest challenges of investing in stocks is developing a "sell discipline". Some of the most adept investors struggle with the decision of when to sell.
The 401(K): How The Insider Has Stolen Your Retirement!
Mutual funds were moderately successful in creating a presence in the stock market until the advent of the investment retirement account and in particular the 401(k). Corporate insiders persuaded the federal government to allow for the 401(k) in lieu of offering employees the traditional pension.
You Wont Like This
Why? Because I am going to shatter your conventional wisdom as I have many times in previous columns about the lies that Wall Street continues to tell you. This time we are going to go deeper into the economy to unearth the truth about lies the politicians are telling you.
365/7/24
What does it take to be a stock trader? It takes a total mental commitment to the task. It becomes a complete way of life.
Mousetrap
The spring-loaded rat catcher is the ultimate low-tech device invented more than 100 years ago and remains the best demouser in the world. It is so simple anyone can master it and best of all you can keep on using it year in and year out.
Trading Baskets II: The Crapolio, A Roll of the Dice in the Stock Market
In a previously written article, we expanded the use of the term "Trading Baskets" to include stocks from different sectors or industries. Now I want to share with you an approach to day trading or swing trading that I had some success with back in the wild and woolly, pinnacle days of day trading that may still work today.
Trading vs Investing
I often hear from people, "I don't trade. I invest.
The Seven Mistakes All Novice Traders Make and How to Correct Them
We learnt the following the hard way! If any of these things applies to you, don't worry - there is an easy solution!MISTAKE ONELack of Knowledge and No PlanIt amazes us that some people expect to trade the stock market successfully without any effort. Yet if they want to take up golf, for example, they will happily take some lessons or at least read a book before heading out onto the course.
Analyzing Growth Stocks: An Important Focus For Any Investor
Analyzing growth stocks is an important focus for any investor. This is especially important, since stocks are an irreplaceable part of any good investment plan, and since unbiased stock research is hard to find.
Money, Insanity and Wall Street
Money: the most charged word in the planet. It means something to everyone.
Patterns
The Law of Chaos is the theory of random unpredictable action applied to the cosmos, mathematics, mechanics, almost everything. Those who believe it will definitely think the stock market is in chaotic state at this time.
Mutual Funds: The Modern Den of Thieves!
Mutual funds were created with the idea that one person can specialize and manage the investments of a large pool of money from multiple investors. Before the great depression mutual funds were called investment pools and mutual fund managers were called pool operators.
Trading Tips No 8: Picking the Best Stock Market Price
Carefully thinking through your goal as a trader is of prime importance, when picking the best stock market price. It is very difficult if not impossible to meet a goal that is ill defined.
Momentum
One of the basic laws of physics states that a body in motion will continue in motion in the direction it is going until interrupted by another force.That basic physics law also applies to stocks and mutual funds.
Online Investing & Stock & Share Trading: 4 Reasons Why Most Online Investors & Traders Go Broke
Are you attracted to the idea of being in control of your financial future, but confused about how to start investing in the stock or share market, while avoiding costly mistakes?Or maybe you're disappointed with your performance so far?Does it sometimes feel like every time you take the plunge and buy into the market, the price goes down?That's understandable..
Option Trading Basics
Options trading can increase the profits you make when trading Stocks if you understand how to use them and know what you are doing. Options can be a very useful tool that the average investor can use to enhance their returns.
Bull or Bear?
Cat or dog? Maybe Zebra. Shucks, I don't know, but my broker keeps telling me it is a bull and to buy this and that.
My Stock - Right or Wrong
We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong", but have you ever thought about the stocks or mutual fund you own and said to yourself, "My stock - right or wrong" and held on to your position even as you saw your hard-earned money disappearing?This is the Buy N Hold strategy and, in case you haven't noticed, lost from 40% to 60% and more of investors' money from 2000 to 2003. Fortunately, for the past year stock markets around the world have gone up and folks have recovered about 25% to 30% from those low numbers.
Trading as a Business
What can I expect to make my first year of trading?We get questions like this one quite often. We find that most aspiring traders don't have a clue as to what to expect from the market.
Choosing a Stock Broker
If you were to find that you had some severe illness that required surgery, would you attempt to perform that surgery upon yourself? What if your car broke down and needed a valve job? Would you get out the Craftsman tool set you got for Christmas three years ago and start tinkering under the hood even though you know absolutely nothing about engines? Of course you wouldn't do either of these things because there are times in life when we know we must seek the assistance of a professional. So why is it that so many people try to make their own investment decisions without consulting a professional stock broker?A stock broker is a trained financial professional who knows how to watch the trends of the stock market, is kept up to date on financial developments by her brokerage firm, and knows how to make wise and sound investment decisions.