Gauging the Fear Oftentimes, market-wide sell offs are predicated on macro events. Sometimes it comes when a major economy looks close to slipping into a recession (Germany). Other times it could come from a turbulent business climate and slower-than-projected economic growth (China). These macro events tend to bring sudden and severe changes to prices across all markets. There are signals, however, that tell us when traders are expecting a big change in the direction of the markets. It is not an infallible signal, but it has given traders a heads up many times in the past. The indicator I am referring to is the VIX, a measure of the volatility in the markets. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that as the VIX rises, the amount of fear in the market is rising as well. Professional traders that have the dry powder often hold their nose and dive into the mess of the markets when the VIX is reaching highs. As the index begins to return to more palatable levels, regular investors tend to follow suit. Analysts Calling the Bottom While traders and daily market watchers have the VIX to follow, those who focus on a day job most of the time are left with a different barometer. One of the biggest sources of market-moving information (that doesn't come directly from the company itself) are the analyst reports that come from brokerages and specialty research firms. Most analysts will just ride out the volatility in their respective foxholes and keep their heads down. There are some, however, that will go out on a limb when they think the time is right; And I'm not talking about the analyst that upgrades the glamour stock. Instead, it's the stock that few have heard of that has dipped into single digits. Those big corrections give analysts the chance to really stick their necks out and start coverage or upgrade one of those unloved stocks that has seen its price drop dramatically. These events don't happen that often, but shortly after things start to look up, the upgrades will boost these stocks back to the double digits. The Best Part of the Upgrade When analysts upgrade a stock, they tend to say the story has changed and the outlook is getting better. Following a large macro-driven correction, some stocks break below the double-digit threshold, which can be just the thing that makes some analysts salivate. It is not a surprise to most when I say that some upgrades are better than others. The total reversal from sell to buy is great, but the upgrade that carries the most weight is the one that comes along with a strong move higher in earnings estimates. Not only is the analyst saying that the price of the stock is undervalued (thanks to the macro-driven correction), but the outlook has vastly improved, and the earnings estimates are being revised up as a result. Other analysts see that upgrade and, After some homework, other analysts could see that upgrade and come to the same conclusion. The best result is a string of upgrades with an equally strong string of higher earnings estimate revisions. While there are many market sources reporting on the daily upgrades and downgrades, few are watching the estimated revisions as closely as the Zacks Rank. And you can use the Zacks Rank in conjunction with macro selloffs to find the stocks that analysts like and foresee results improving. Riding the Rebounds If you're looking for one of the most potentially profitable ways to cash in on rebounding stocks, I invite you to join the investors following the live trades in our Stocks Under $10 portfolio. We focus on companies that are primed to make big upward moves. We get in when the Zacks Rank and other proven indicators point to success ahead and ride them toward serious growth. For example, we've recently closed out positions with gains of +221.2%, +393.8%, and a remarkable +995.2%.¹ Get started today and you're also welcome to download our just-released Special Report, 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. From our proven list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys, our team of experts handpicked these 7 for immediate breakout. But a word of caution: Your chance to download this bonus report is ending. See our Stocks Under $10 and download the Special Report now » Best, Brian
Brian Bolan is our aggressive growth expert and the editor of Zacks Stocks Under $10 portfolio. |
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