Don't Get Too Bearish: Market Tends to Be Up 80% of the Time

 | Sep 26, 2023 05:21

  • Permabears tend to lose out on gains as they sell at the first sign of trouble
  • But selling during bear markets is not the key to long-term investing success
  • Weathering market volatility is crucial to attaining significant profits in the long run
  • Ever wondered why so many people rally behind permabears, even when their track record suggests they're often wide of the mark?

    Lately, I've found myself mulling over this question. It seems that investors may sometimes rationalize their views incorrectly, especially in the face of losses.

    They console themselves by saying, "Well, at least I didn't lose more capital," as they hastily exit the market.

    Here's the basic idea: if you're bullish, you profit when stocks rise (essentially, you're betting on an upswing), and if you're bearish, you make gains when stocks fall (taking a short position in the market). Makes sense, right?

    But here's the twist: while this approach might seem logical, it's not always the wisest course of action to remain steadfastly bullish or bearish.

    By doing so, you're reducing your exposure to price fluctuations and shifting your funds from stocks to cash in an effort to minimize risk.

    However, in the quest to eliminate risk, you also forfeit potential gains, whether your bearish or bullish prediction proves correct or not. In fact, to achieve our financial objectives, it's essential to stay in the market and endure the occasional bouts of short-term turbulence.

    So while the market is definitely giving investors many short-term bearish indicators, the trick is to adapt accordingly without losing focus on the long-term strategy.

    Let's take a look at the current state of the market.

    h2 US Dollar Continues to Rally/h2

    Meanwhile, the US dollar is once again in focus as it stages a robust comeback with a gain of over 5% following a 3.5% dip in July.