To make comparisons between companies, sectors and markets a little easier, there are a number of mathematical models used. The most common and often the most helpful is the P/E ratio. The Price to Earnings ratio takes the share price and is divided by the earnings per share. It is possible to calculate this using past earnings, projected future earnings and with all sorts of moving averages ;-) Therefore, this is one number that it is vital for any investor to know and understand.
Alternatively, you may be looking at digging hidden gems that may be well below the top 50 or top 100 projects, but still have a very solid technology or are undervalued. Doing your own research may help here, but of course it will require more investment and time spent, with a possibly longer ROI (Return on Investment) but the hope of higher gains.
Fear of missing out: the psychological concept of buying something because of the fear that we may miss out on hypothetical future earnings, or that the occasion is too good and might not present itself again. Abbreviated FOMO, this is typical of very huge sales/discounts, such as Black Friday, where people buy a lot of useless stuff because they fear they may miss out on a huge bargain. FOMO is very much linked with « pump and dump » movements.
Finally, one point to mention is that a given cryptocurrency can be listed in more exchanges, with different listing prices (see below – Arbitraging). The best place to look for a cryptocurrency listing in term of total market capitalisation is Coinmarketcap. Cryptocurrencies are listed per descending order of market capitalisation; the site also allows to deep-dive on each cryptocurrency to see their value over time and where they are listed. Some cryptocurrencies may be listed on several exchanges but only 1 or 2 exchanges may see the critical mass of transactions taking place.
In contrast to finding an expert or two that seems to make valuable and careful decisions, do your best to avoid listening to share market 'tips' from friends or work colleagues. Typically these people will know less than you and have very little to base their suggestion on. No matter how well meaning it may be, advice from someone who knows next to nothing about the topic in question is not advice.
Should the company management and majority owners choose, they can pay one or more dividends per year to stockholders. The money for these dividends will typically come from profits earned within the business. In most countries, these dividends are subject to income tax payable by the receiver. Often there is a withholding tax taken at source to ensure that non-resident shareholders pay as well.
In addition to knowledge of basic trading procedures, day traders need to keep up on the latest stock market news and events that affect stocks—the Fed's interest rate plans, the economic outlook, etc. So do your homework. Make a wish list of stocks you'd like to trade and keep yourself informed about the selected companies and general markets. Scan business news and visit reliable financial websites.
Stock brokers are people or firms licensed to buy and sell stocks and other securities via the stock market exchanges. Back in the day, the only way for individuals to invest directly in stocks was to hire stock brokers to place trades on their behalf. But what was once a clunky, costly transaction conducted via landline telephones now takes place online in seconds, for a fraction of what full-service brokers used to charge for the service. Today, most investors place their trades through an online brokerage account. (A little lost? Check out our explainers on brokerage accounts and buying stocks.)
Warning 2: this is serious. If you don’t believe me, just go on Reddit (r/Cryptocurrency) and look for posts of people who ask for help. There are some devastating stories out there which are all based on greed, credulity, inexperience and/or outright stupidity. You may become rich, but you may also lose everything. People are taking loans with high repayment rates to buy at peak price and will end up ruined. Young inexperienced people have burned their relatives’ lifetime savings, others have no money to pay their university tuition. Don’t be those guys.
