The Stock Market Explained
Posted by: NaimDropper on 13 November 2008
Once upon a time, in a place overrun with monkeys, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, they became harder to catch, so the villagers stopped their effort. The man then announced that he would now pay $20 for each one. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. But soon the supply diminished even further and they were ever harder to catch, so people started going back to their farms and forgot about monkey catching. The man increased his price to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so sparse that it was an effort to even see a monkey, much less catch one. The man now announced that he would buy monkeys for $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on his behalf.
While the man was away the assistant told the villagers, "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has bought. I will sell them to you at $35 each and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each." The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys. They never saw the man nor his assistant again, and once again there were monkeys everywhere.
Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.
Posted on: 13 November 2008 by John G.
Buy low, sell high.
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Willy
quote:
Originally posted by John G.:
Buy low, sell high.
Or sell high, buy low.
Willy.
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Huwge
How many ponies for a monkey?
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Adam Meredith
It's all a bit pony.
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by jayd
So, are those what you call "blue chimp" stocks?
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by John M
too much monkey business
Posted on: 15 November 2008 by Mike7
I thought a monkey was £500?
Posted on: 15 November 2008 by NaimDropper
quote:
I thought a monkey was £500?
Much cheaper in the USA, no VAT.
David
Posted on: 21 November 2008 by count.d
I've followed stocks on the NASDAQ every day for 8 years now and never cease to be amazed. I genuinely am the worst trader that exists.
Actually I'm that bad, I don't exist and so can't be the worst.
Posted on: 21 November 2008 by JamieWednesday
Now is The Winter of our discontent... And I wonder if it's going to be many of them coming...
Posted on: 21 November 2008 by count.d
So, there we have it... market just closed and one of my stocks went up 27% in the last 35 mins of trading on the NAS. All because news reports that New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner will be nominated as President-elect Barack Obama's Treasury secretary.
That's how the modern world runs.
What a joke.
Posted on: 21 November 2008 by Wolf2
Well, Motley Fools say scoop up the bargains, but a few weeks later I get hit with another drop. Maybe in January I'll put some more in. On PBS's Investment show one guy was saying the turn around will definitely have emerging markets as a major component. It will take a long time to get back. Thankfully my utilities didn't drop as much as others and give me dividends. I turned everything to buying dividends instead of disbursing them to me in a check.
Tho wish in Feb I'd cashed out altogether. Hind sight
Posted on: 21 November 2008 by 555
Stocks haven't bottomed out yet

Posted on: 01 December 2008 by Wolf2
yeah even with talk of rescue I get messages from Schwab on BIG stocks like JNJ and MMM keep dropping by 2.5%. JNJ was in the 70s, now about $57. I'm not adding in money until March or later.
I'll buy a CD to keep me from investing.
Posted on: 01 December 2008 by 555
I would sell Wolf2 - there are plenty more drops to come.
Posted on: 01 December 2008 by Jono 13
The sooner money goes out of fashion the better.
Jono
Posted on: 01 December 2008 by Houston Joost
I think everyone is bracing for the next big fallout. That is the credit card defaults. Again, like the housing deal, no one can really value or hedge the credit card paper and this time they know it. I am in my mid 30's I am buying and will continue to buy this drop is what will allow me to retire comfortably. I will gander out a guess and say we will hit bottom before July 2009- if Obama does not do something stupid.
Posted on: 02 December 2008 by jon h
if i remember my jk galbraith correctly, the vast majority of those people who lost everything in the last big depression did so because they forecast the bottom too early.
Posted on: 02 December 2008 by 555
That's true Jon; in a falling market there are always 'sucker rallies'.
The best indicator of the markets bottom is price stability, & we're a long way from there.