Weathering the market...
A study conducted in Hong Kong during 2002 found that those who checked the stock market daily were more likely to be depressed than those who did not.
With that said, you should probably also know that within the past few days, my biggest percentage gainer in my investment club's gains have been cut in half. Before their earnings release last week, Intuitive Surgical was trading near it's 52-week highs - around $139. After their earnings (which suggested a growth slowdown), their shares tumbled. It has yet to recover. Now, days later, rumors surface about a possible Japanese company entering into the robotic surgery market. Shares tumbled again, and closed today a few pennies above $100.
To be completely honest, I am not worried. I wasn't worried when it fell to $115 after their earnings release. I'm not worried now that it continued to fall to $100 on competition worries. Why? Intuitive Surgical is a strong company, with a good product. Yes, there are concerns about the sustainability of their growth. But such is true with any company. It's call phases in a company's life cycle. It can't be in the baby/growth stage forever, can it?
Plus, the "recent" rumors about Toshiba entering into the robotic surgery market have been around for awhile, or so a Reuters.com article says. There's no use getting all worked up over an old, retold rumor.
Although I check my stocks every day, I know how to separate money from my emotions. Losing 50% of my gain in ISRG in a few days could ruffle a few peoples' feathers. Not me. I've learned to handle the short term swings. And the sooner you realize that short term ups and downs mean nothing in the long run, the sooner you'll become a happier investor.
If you really can't handle the volatile swings of the stock market, maybe your money is better off elsewhere.
With that said, you should probably also know that within the past few days, my biggest percentage gainer in my investment club's gains have been cut in half. Before their earnings release last week, Intuitive Surgical was trading near it's 52-week highs - around $139. After their earnings (which suggested a growth slowdown), their shares tumbled. It has yet to recover. Now, days later, rumors surface about a possible Japanese company entering into the robotic surgery market. Shares tumbled again, and closed today a few pennies above $100.
To be completely honest, I am not worried. I wasn't worried when it fell to $115 after their earnings release. I'm not worried now that it continued to fall to $100 on competition worries. Why? Intuitive Surgical is a strong company, with a good product. Yes, there are concerns about the sustainability of their growth. But such is true with any company. It's call phases in a company's life cycle. It can't be in the baby/growth stage forever, can it?
Plus, the "recent" rumors about Toshiba entering into the robotic surgery market have been around for awhile, or so a Reuters.com article says. There's no use getting all worked up over an old, retold rumor.
Although I check my stocks every day, I know how to separate money from my emotions. Losing 50% of my gain in ISRG in a few days could ruffle a few peoples' feathers. Not me. I've learned to handle the short term swings. And the sooner you realize that short term ups and downs mean nothing in the long run, the sooner you'll become a happier investor.
If you really can't handle the volatile swings of the stock market, maybe your money is better off elsewhere.
posted by L.Su at 4:53 PM
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