Risk Management In Stock Trading

Risk comes from not knowing the results of youryou.
actions. At the same time it is equally true that theOn the other hand if the price of your stock rose
root source of our earnings lies in our ability to takesubstantially above your buy price and fell down a
risks. Business, they say, is another word for takinglittle, it would not be a crash for you.
risks. For any investor, risk is a fact of life.In another example, the price of your stock has risen
There is a risk even in 'safe' investments such assubstantially over your buy price. Then there is news
bank deposits, because the earnings from interestin the media about a strong and imminent correction.
may not be able to beat the rate of inflation. InThere is a kind of stampede among the shareholders
financial matters risk can be translated as a state ofin selling off their stock. Obviously the prices of the
uncertainty. It is a kind of deviation from theshares will fall. The next day, the correction does
standard norms.happen, but it comes as a far cry from being a
It is said that the more risk you take, the morepotential collapse. It was like a straw that hit the
income you can make. The deeper you dive into thecamel's back.
ocean, the more valuable gems you can find. TheHow should you manage your risk in stock trading?
opportunity to make profits from your investment is1. The first and most important step in managing
associated with the possibility of suffering losses asyour risk in stock trading is to diversify your portfolio.
well. While this argument is true to a great extent,Do not put all your eggs in one basket. If you lose in
taking risk should not become a game of gambling.one stock, you gain from the other. The loss will be
You cannot work in a state of fear and uncertainty.nullified to some extent.
Protecting yourself against excessive losses in stockDiversification means that not only should you invest
trading is called risk management.in a variety of stocks, but you should also invest in
The risk in stock trading stems primarily from thedifferent types of investment plans. For example,
unpredictability or the volatility of the stock market.you may invest in ETFs, dividend reinvestment
You do not know when the price of your stock willplans-DRIPs-scheduled investment plans, retirement
suddenly fall. You have to live and work with theplans, and education plans and so on.
anxiety and fear of the unknown.2. Price fluctuations are a characteristic feature of
A shrewd stock trader takes risks and usesstock trading. You must take a long-term horizon in
protective measures to reduce the possibility ofinvestment. It has been found that despite ups and
losses. You should not dive into the ocean withoutdowns in stock prices that occur almost on daily
protective life saving equipment.basis, the value of good quality stock rises over a
Risk management, first involves understanding theperiod of time. Patience and forbearance are
risks and then devising measure to secure againstmatchless virtues in stock trading. Don't let you heart
them. You need to properly evaluate the marketbeat fast or slow with every rise or fall in price of
risks and the level of uncertainty surrounding them.your stock.
Once you understand the nature of the risk and the3. If you are a short-term investor, you must learn
level of your tolerance, the element of fearto fix an achievable target on the profit margin on
associated with risk is substantially reduced.your investment. You may, for example, fix a return
Here are some examples of risks that are anof 10% to 20% on your investment. As soon as the
inevitable accompaniment of stock trading.price of your stock rises to this level, you must sell
The sudden 'crash' in stock market price is oftenoff your stock even if its price appears to be
cited as an example of risk. The implications of crash,shooting through the roof. Do not be taken in by the
however, differ from investor to investor.greed to let your investment double or treble before
Suppose you bought a stock at $ 100 per share. Itsyou decide to sell it. The price of the stock may
value increased to $200 in 15 months. Suddenly therecrash down any moment dashing your dreams to
was a correction in stock prices. The price of yourdust.
stock fell to, say, $50 per share. This was a crash for