Buying stocks when the overall market is down can be a smart strategy if you buy the right stocks. You could pick up some blue-chip winners that will perform well in the long run. Weaker stocks that rode the market higher are better avoided. The same rule applies to selling when the overall market is down.
In general, buying stocks when the market is down may be a more risky proposition but could also lead to greater rewards if the market eventually rebounds. On the other hand, buying stocks when the market is up may be a less risky investment but could also lead to more modest returns.
There's a misconception that investing is about trying to time the market. This means buying when prices are low and selling when they're high. But no one can know for sure what the markets are going to do. Rather than trying to time the market, it might be better to focus on time in the market.
With a long-term outlook, there's no bad time to invest -- as long as you're investing in the right places and can afford to leave your money in the market for the foreseeable future. Those two factors are key, and without them, you could be better off waiting to buy.
The Bottom Line
Buying more shares at a lower price than an investor previously paid is known as averaging down, or lowering the average price. Investors should evaluate the reasons behind a stock's price decline before buying the dip or averaging down.
What Is Short Selling? Short selling is a strategy for making money on stocks falling in price, also called “going short” or “shorting.” This is an advanced strategy only experienced investors and traders should try. An investor borrows a stock, sells it, and then buys the stock back to return it to the lender.
While many investors may feel nervous about the potential for a fall, our analysis of stock market returns since 1926 shows that investing at a new high can be profitable.
One of those tools is known as the Rule 72. For example, let's say you have saved $50,000 and your 401(k) holdings historically has a rate of return of 8%. 72 divided by 8 equals 9 years until your investment is estimated to double to $100,000.
“It's also a mistake to sit on your cash and wait for the upcoming correction before you invest in stocks. In trying to time the market to sidestep the bears people often miss out on the chance to run with the bulls.”
Another alternative is to buy put options on any stocks that you own that have options or on one or more of the financial indices. These derivatives will increase enormously in value if the price of the underlying security or benchmark drops in value.
“One way to limit the impact of a market downturn is to diversify a U.S. stock portfolio with other kinds of investments, including international stocks; longer-term, high-quality bonds like treasurys and high-grade corporate and municipal bonds; and other assets,” says Matthew Diczok, head of Fixed Income Strategy, ...
Do you lose all the money if the stock market crashes? No, a stock market crash only indicates a fall in prices where a majority of investors face losses but do not completely lose all the money. The money is lost only when the positions are sold during or after the crash.
In a nutshell, a recession can be a great time to buy the stocks of top-notch businesses at favorable prices, but there's no need to put all of your money to work at the same time, regardless of how cheap stocks look.
The 3 5 7 rule is a risk management strategy in trading that emphasizes limiting risk on each individual trade to 3% of the trading capital, keeping overall exposure to 5% across all trades, and ensuring that winning trades yield at least 7% more profit than losing trades.
The U.S. stock market is considered to offer the highest investment returns over time. Higher returns come with higher risk. Stock prices are typically more volatile than bond prices.
On average, the stock market closes at an all-time high 18 times each year. In 2024, the S&P 500 has closed at an all-time high 50 times, see chart below.
If you invest in stocks with a cash account, you will not owe money if a stock goes down in value. The value of your investment will decrease, but you will not owe money. If you buy stock using borrowed money, however, you will owe money no matter which way the stock price goes because you have to repay the loan.
Key Takeaways. Stock price drops reflect changes in perceived value, not actual money disappearing. Market value losses aren't redistributed but represent a decrease in market capitalization. Short sellers can profit from declining prices, but their gains don't come directly from long investors' losses.
Selling stocks during a market downturn can be counterproductive; investing for the long term is often more beneficial. Dollar-cost averaging allows investors to buy more shares when prices are low, potentially increasing returns.
On average, it takes around five months for a correction to bottom out, but once the market reaches that point and starts to turn positive, it recovers in around four months. Stock market crashes, however, usually take much longer to fully recover.
Best Months to Buy or Sell Stocks. Our analysis of S&P 500 data from 2000 to 2024 also revealed some clear monthly patterns. November is historically the strongest month, with an average daily return of 0.107% and positive returns 57% of the time. April and July are the next strongest months.