InvestHL Archives | Page 38 of 50

Sep

2023

Pairs Trading Strategy 101: A Guide for Novice Investors

By Colin Dodds | Financial Independence, Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Terminology | Comments Off

Pairs trading is a market-neutral trading tactic that allows investors to use the historical performance of stocks to place long and short bets to make big profits.

Pairs trading was first used in the mid-1980s as a way of using technical and statistical analysis as a way to find potential profits. It remained the province of Wall Street professionals until the internet opened online trading and real-time financial information to the public. Before long, there were seasoned amateur investors using pairs trades to make money, while managing their risk exposure.

What Is Pairs Trading?

Pairs trading is a day trading strategy in which an investor takes a long position and a short position in two securities that have shown a high historical correlation, but which have fallen momentarily out of sync.

The correlation between the two securities refers to the degree that two securities move in relation to one other. More specifically, correlation is a statistical measurement that measures the relationship between the historical performance of two securities.

It’s usually expressed as something called a “correlation coefficient.” This measure falls between -1.0 and +1.0, with negative 1 indicating that two securities move in exactly opposite ways. A correlation coefficient of positive one indicates that the two securities move up and down at exactly the same times under the same conditions.

What Types of Assets Are Traded in Pairs?

Numerous types of financial assets can be traded in pairs, and the list includes stocks, commodities, options, funds, and even currencies. In one sense, the asset or security at the heart of the trade is somewhat irrelevant, as traders are looking to take advantage of the difference in value (and thus, a different investment position) between the two. Again, the whole goal is to try and beat the average stock market return.

Often, though, pairs trading is discussed in relation to stocks, as that may be the asset class that most trading discussions revolve around.

Pros and Cons of Pairs Trading

Pairs trading is something that most investors can take part in, assuming they know the risks of playing the market. That’s to say that there are pros and cons to pairs trading, and investors should review them before engaging in it.

Pros of Pairs Trading

The biggest pro to pairs trading is that there is the potential for profit, or at least bigger returns than investors may have otherwise generated by executing a different investing strategy. There’s also the potential to generate positive returns no matter what the overall market conditions are. Further, pairs trading may actually be a way to mitigate risk when investing in stocks, as there are only two trades involved, and in some ways, the mechanics of the trade setup can benefit the trader — but note that this is not to say that it’s a safe or risk-free strategy.

Cons of Pairs Trading

Cons of pairs trading include the possibility of the trading model failing due to faulty assumptions on the part of a trader — that is, historical correlation between two stocks may not mean that the correlation has continued. Traders should also know that pairs trading involves fast movements, and that there’s a chance trades may not execute at the desired time — this could stymie the strategy’s effectiveness. For traders, it may be worth looking at different stock exchanges and different investment platforms to get a sense of where the strategy may be the most effective.

It may also be helpful to understand the concept of stock volume in order to have a better chance of success with the strategy.

Pairs Trading Example

In a pairs trade, an investor will look for two separate securities that have a historically high correlation, but have fallen out of sync. If “stock Alpha” and “stock Beta” have historically risen and fallen in step, they’d have a very high correlation, maybe as high as positive of 0.95. But, for whatever reason, the two stocks have diverged, with Alpha racking up big gains, while Beta languished. That has knocked the short-term correlation coefficient between the two down to paltry 0.50.

This is the most common scenario for a pairs trade. In it, an investor will take a long position on stock Alpha, which has underperformed. At the same time, they’ll short stock Beta, which has outperformed. What they’re doing in a pairs trade is betting that the relationship between the two stocks will return to their historical norm, either by one security falling, the other one rising, or some combination of the two.

Pairs Trading Strategy: Market Neutral

Pairs trading is considered a “market-neutral” strategy. There are many of these strategies, which share a common aim to profit from both rising and falling security prices, while sidestepping the risks of the broader market.

Many hedge funds will employ market-neutral strategies, because they are paid based on their absolute returns. A common market-neutral trade may involve taking a 50% long and a 50% short position in one industry, sector or market. They usually do so to take advantage of pricing discrepancies within those areas. In addition to earning a return, their main goal is often to hedge out as much systematic risk as possible.

There are also market-neutral mutual funds, which can vary wildly in what they return investors, largely because there are so many market-neutral strategies, and ways to execute them. Interested investors may want to learn the fund’s particular approach to the strategy before jumping in.

How to Successfully Execute a Pairs Trade

For investors who are ready to incorporate pairs trading into their investment strategy, there are several steps they need to take in order to be successful.

Step One: Decide on Trading Criteria

The first step is to decide what securities to consider for the trade, and can be the most time-consuming in the entire process. This involves researching a vast array of possible investment pairs to find ones that have a historically high correlation coefficient but have since drifted apart. Then investors will want to build and test a model for those securities, using those results to arrive at the best possible buy-and-sell guidelines, as well as how long they intend to stay in a trade.

Step Two: Select Specific Securities

After the investor has settled on a process to select candidates for a pairs trade, it’s time to put that process into action and find securities that currently meet that criteria. Some investors may use manual research, while others prefer mathematical models. Regardless, investors need to think of how they want to use a pairs trade.

For investors who want to get in and out of a trade in a matter of hours or days, they’ll need to run their process to find possible trades on a regular basis. But investors whose trades will last for months won’t need to run their research as often.

Step Three: Execute the Trade

Once an investor has confirmed that a trade fits all their criteria, it’s time to execute the trade. With a pairs trade, there are small but important details to consider. For instance, most experienced pairs traders will execute the short side of the trade before making the long side.

Step Four: Manage the Trade

With the trade in place, the investor now has to wait and watch. This means sizing up the activity of the two securities in the trade to see if they’re approaching the criteria that would trigger one of the predetermined buy-and-sell rules. It also means watching the broader market, as well as any news that might have an impact on either security in the trade. Experienced traders will also constantly adjust the trade’s risk/return profile as markets shift and other news emerges.

Managing the trade is as important as setting it up. If a trader has a pairs trade they expect to last a month, but it reaches 50% of its profit objective in the first day after execution, what should they do? They may choose to close out of the trade that day, because the additional return isn’t worth the risk or the opportunity cost. But they also have other options. They might initiate a trailing stop loss level in the two positions as a way of locking in a portion of the profit. The decision isn’t easy, and may involve a host of other considerations.

Step Five: Close the Trade

The final step is to close the trade. But even this can come with questions and challenges, especially with trades that haven’t worked out, and whose predetermined durations are coming to an end. But it can also be the case with trades that have succeeded and are nearing their time limit. The urge to give a trade more time to turn around — or to do just a little better — has the potential to be the undoing of an otherwise successful trader.

That’s why experienced pairs traders often stress discipline as being as important as research, close monitoring and clear rules when it comes to earning consistent profits with the strategy.

History of Pairs Trading

Pairs trading is a somewhat higher-level trading strategy (though relatively simplistic at the same time), and it was actually first developed by technical analyst researchers at Morgan Stanley during the 1980s. Specifically, Nunzio Tartaglia led the charge, who ran the “quant” group at the firm.

It has since been adopted by traders and investors, big and small.

Investing With SoFi

Pairs trading is a trading strategy that involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of securities in anticipation of a price trend. The idea is that the two securities typically have shown a high historical correlation, but have fallen momentarily out of sync. The investor making the pairs trade is betting that the two stocks will return to their historical norm.

Pairs trading is merely one of many trading strategies, and like all others, it has its pros and cons. Prospective traders may benefit from a discussion with a financial professional before trying it out.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

Is pairs trading still profitable?

Yes, pairs trading can be profitable, assuming a trader knows what they’re doing, and the risks involved with using the strategy. As always, there’s no guarantee that it will be profitable, however.

What are the risks of pairs trading?

Risks associated with a pairs trading strategy include the possibility of the trading model failing due to faulty assumptions on the part of a trader — that is, historical correlation between two stocks may not mean that the correlation has continued. Traders should also know that pairs trading involves fast movements, and that there’s a chance trades may not execute at the desired time.

How many pairs should a beginner trade?

It may be wise for a beginner to start with a single pair, until they get the gist or hang of the strategy.

SoFi Invest®

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SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.
For a full listing of the fees associated with Sofi Invest please view our fee schedule.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Sep

2023

What Is a Shell Company and Why Do They Exist?

Guide to Shell Companies

By Colin Dodds | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

A shell company, also called a shell corporation, refers to any legally structured corporation that has no meaningful assets or business operations. In popular culture, they’re often used to conceal illegal businesses, or to conceal the owners of a business from law enforcement, the public, or both. However, shell companies themselves are not illegal, and they do have some legitimate uses.

As business entities, shell companies exist to protect, and sometimes to conceal (or at least misrepresent) the assets of the shell company’s owner. But there’s nothing necessarily illegal about shell corporations themselves. It’s important to not only understand the definition of a shell company, but also to recognize how and why they’re used by businesses and people.

How Are Shell Companies Created?

There is more than one way to create a shell company. Most often, the people or corporations that launch new shell corporations use a registered agent in the country where the company will have its legal headquarters. So, in the United States, shell companies would need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In most countries, the agent must register his or her name, and the name of an owner or a shareholder director. The cost of creating and legally registering a corporation will vary from country to country, from as little as a few thousand dollars to as much as several hundred thousand dollars.

Being “hollow,” by definition, shell companies can do many things. They can open bank and brokerage accounts. They can transfer funds in and out of their home country. They can buy and sell real estate or other companies. And own copyrights and earn royalties on those copyrights.

💡 Quick Tip: Investment fees are assessed in different ways, including trading costs, account management fees, and possibly broker commissions. When you open an investment account, be sure to get the exact breakdown of your “all-in costs” so you know what you’re paying.

3 Uses of Shell Companies

People and corporations use shell companies in a wide range of legitimate businesses for legitimate reasons. Those might be used as a vehicle to raise funds, as a legal entity to attempt to take over another business via a reverse merger, or as a legal entity to give form to a company that intends to go public.

1. Tax Benefits of Shell Companies

Many shell corporations operate in a legal gray area, and it’s possible that corporations and wealthy individuals may use them to avoid taxes.

Many companies have found ways to move their profits to offshore shell corporations to take advantage of less expensive, or more permissive tax regimes in other countries (similar to how some states may be more tax-friendly than others). American corporations might set up shell companies in countries with inexpensive labor, where they have already begun to outsource some of their operations.

Corporations aren’t the only ones that use shell companies to avoid paying taxes. Wealthy individuals around the world may also use shell corporations, domiciled all over the world, to hide their earnings and their wealth from the governments of the countries in which they prosper.

2. Less Risk, More Opportunity

Tax avoidance isn’t the only reason a corporation would set up a shell corporation. It might create a shell company to operate in a country, while protecting its other operations from the legal, political, and financial risks related to that country. That way, if something goes wrong in the country where it operates, the parent company can limit its exposure by existing — at least on paper — offshore.

A corporation may also set up a shell corporation in another country to gain a window into new regions. A business might set up a shell company in Panama or Switzerland to gain access to the local business community, in order to generate contacts and information that would lead it to business opportunities in Latin America or Western Europe.

3. SPACs

While shell companies come up in the news in relation to questionable tax-avoidance schemes, in recent years, they’ve also been mentioned alongside special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.

At any given time, there may be hundreds of shell companies that qualify as SPACs — which may be a reason that SPACS were so popular for a couple of years in 2020 and 2021. These are companies formed exclusively to raise capital via an initial public offering (IPO), which will then purchase a company already in operation. SPACs are a type of “blank check company.”

These companies issue an IPO, then hold the money in a trust, until the SPAC management team chooses a company and buys it. And if the SPAC doesn’t find a company to buy, or can’t buy the company or companies it likes within a pre-set deadline — often two years — then the managers promise to liquidate the SPAC and give investors their money back.

Recommended: What Is A Backdoor Listing?

Example Shell Companies

An example of a shell company could be as follows.

Say there’s an entrepreneur that’s looking to raise money before they officially launch a startup — maybe the next big emerging growth company. They may create an LLC, which is a business entity, that doesn’t have any assets or employees. It only exists on paper. But the business entity — a shell company — can be used to store the money being raised for the startup prior to its launch.

In effect, the company itself is merely a shell used to hold cash until it’s ready for use. It’s not really a functional business in the traditional sense.

Shell Companies and Shady Dealings

While there are many legitimate uses for shell companies, as outlined, bad actors also might use them to shield their operations and their assets from authorities. And as different jurisdictions compete for business, new loopholes emerge on a regular basis. In Panama, the British Virgin Islands, Nevada and Delaware, to name only a few, there are strong laws that prevent the government from revealing the beneficial owner of a given shell corporation.

And for creative financiers, there are always new ways to add layers of anonymity, such as phony company directors, who agree to sign their names for a few dollars. Among professionals who specialize in such things, there are ways to find would-be board members, and for countries and states with convenient tax and privacy laws.

Are Shell Companies Legal?

Yes, shell companies are legal, and are most often used for perfectly legal purposes. While they can be used for illegal purposes, a shell company is generally used for a more or less boring or run of the mill business purpose — as discussed in the previous example above.

Shell Companies vs Holding Companies

Though there may be some superficial similarities, shell companies and holding companies are not the same thing. As discussed, shell companies may be formed to serve as empty entities that may be used to take advantage of different taxation regulations, for example. A holding company, on the other hand, is a parent company — holding companies holds or owns other companies within it, like an umbrella. It allows its owners to control numerous businesses without necessarily actively managing any of them.

The Takeaway

Shell companies are legal business entities that are often used for perfectly legal reasons, and often to reduce tax liabilities or store funds. Shell companies can be used for illegal purposes, too, which is what they’re often associated with.

Most investors wouldn’t use shell companies in their day-to-day trading, but they might consider allocating part of their portfolios to a SPAC. It’s important to remember that these are speculative, risky investments, so they don’t make sense for every portfolio.

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

Is a shell company legal?

Yes, shell companies are legal, and are generally used for perfectly legal purposes. A shell company is simply a business entity that has no assets or employers, or engages in much or any meaningful business operations.

What is an example of a shell company?

An example of a shell company could be an LLC formed by an entrepreneur planning to launch a startup. The entrepreneur files the paperwork to create the LLC, and then uses it simply to store funds until the startup launches, rather than have the LLC engage in any business itself.

What is the difference between a holding company and a shell company?

Holding companies are parent companies, or umbrella organizations, that often have multiple businesses running underneath or within them. Shell companies do not have assets or employees, or any meaningful business operations.

Photo credit: iStock/akinbostanci

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INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Sep

2023

What Is Scalp Trading?

By Laurel Tincher | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Scalp trading, or scalping, is a style of short-term trading used with stocks, cryptocurrencies, and other assets. The goal of this trading style is to make profits off of small changes in asset prices. Generally this means buying a stock, waiting for it to increase in value by a small amount, then selling it.

The theory behind it is that many small gains can add up to a significant profit over time. Scalp trading is one of the most popular day trading strategies. Scalping requires a lot of focus, quick decision-making, the right trading tools, and a strategy — and even then, it’s no sure thing. Since traders make many small gains, one big loss could wipe out all their profits.

How Scalping Works in Trading

The goal of scalping is to make many small profits during a trading session. This is the opposite of a buy-and-hold or long term trading strategy, where one hopes to see their portfolio grow over time. Scalpers might make anywhere from 10 to more than 100 trades in a single day, taking a small profit on as many of them as possible. And they might only stay in each position for a few minutes.

With each trade they assess the risk-to-reward ratio with a goal of profiting on more than 50% of their trades. Each win may be small, but the profits can add up over time if they outnumber the losses. Often, scalpers make use of stop losses and leverage when making trades.

Scalp trading reduces risk exposure, since traders only have their money in the market for a short amount of time. It can also be an easier day trading strategy than some others because the goal is to capitalize on small price movements. Small moves happen constantly in the market, and it’s easier to make a profit of a few cents or dollars than a larger amount.

However, any type of day trading involves a significant amount of risk. Scalping is challenging and can result in large losses. This is just one reason why some traders use scalping along with other trading methods.

💡 Quick Tip: All investments come with some degree of risk — and some are riskier than others. Before investing online, decide on your investment goals and how much risk you want to take.

Scalp Trading Strategies

There are many different scalp trading strategies, some of which can be used together.

Systematic Planning

Technical analysis helps scalp traders spot trading opportunities and plan exits ahead of time. Traders use one-minute charts, Level II quotes, moving averages, exchange order books, and other tools while scalping. Since positions may be entered and exited within seconds or minutes, five- or 10-minute charts aren’t very useful.

On the Fly

Although fundamental analysis doesn’t play a large role in scalping, it can help to identify stocks that are currently in the news or of interest based on a current event, which may lead to more price movement and trading opportunities. Higher volatility is generally a good sign for scalpers.

Shorting Stocks

Some scalpers also short stocks and sell when they decrease in value. This can be done with the same asset repeatedly, or with different assets throughout a trading session.

Bid/Ask Profiting

Some scalpers prefer to earn profits off of the bid/ask spread rather than actual stock price movements. This takes a significant amount of experience and is a particular trading skill that takes time to learn. It entails looking for trades with a wide spread, meaning a large difference between the broker’s ask price and the price at which a trader buys the asset.

Range Trading

With this strategy, the trader waits for an asset to enter a specific price range before they start trading. Generally, the range is between a support and a resistance level.

Market Making

Market making is when traders post a bid and an offer on a stock at the same time. This only works with stocks that trade a large volume but have low volatility, and the profits are small.

How to Scalp Trade

While there is no one way to engage in scalp trading, these are the general guidelines that scalpers follow to make decisions:

• Create a watchlist each day based on fundamental analysis and news

• Trade stocks with enough liquidity that there will be price movement and more options for exit points

• Quickly sell a stock isn’t increasing in value

• Make a daily profit goal

• Set goals for each stock trade and stick to them

• Buy stocks at breakouts

• Keep trades short for more chance at a profitable exit

• Adjust exit points as stocks move.

Pros and Cons of Scalp Trading

Scalp trading is a particular day trading strategy which works well for some people, there are many risks associated with day trading.

Pros of Scalp Trading

• Small gains can add up to significant returns

• It reduces risk exposure to market due to short trade times

• It may be easier than some other day-trading strategies

• It can be easier to make profitable trades when the goal is to profit off of small movements rather than large price movements

• There are many trading opportunities, no matter what the market conditions are.

💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self-directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.

Cons of Scalping

• Even one large loss can cancel out any gains made during a trading session

• It requires a lot of focus to watch the charts for several hours and execute trades, and can be tedious

• It requires knowledge and experience with technical analysis

• Transaction and commission fees can add up quickly if making multiple trades per day—and potentially cancel out profits. It’s key to use a broker that doesn’t charge commissions or one that offers discounts to high volume traders.

• If traders experience a few losses it can be distressing, and it’s easy to let emotions get in the way of good trading habits. Scalping may be one of the most stressful trading strategies.

• Scalpers often use margin trading and leverage to increase their positions, which can be very risky.

The Takeaway

Scalp trading, or scalping, is a style of short-term trading used with stocks or other securities. Scalping is best suited for more experienced traders, since it requires an understanding of technical analysis, fast trades, and an understanding of how to set up and execute trades in specific ways.

But scalp trading is just one of many different strategies when it comes to trading stocks and other assets. While trading can seem complex, there are simple ways to get started building a portfolio.

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

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Sep

2023

Averaging Down Stocks: Meaning, Example, Pros & Cons

By AJ Smith | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Averaging down stocks refers to a strategy of buying more shares of a stock you already own after that stock has lost value — effectively buying the same stock, but at a discount. In other words, it’s a way of lowering the average cost of a stock you already own.

It’s similar to dollar-cost averaging, where you invest the same amount of money in the same securities at steady intervals, regardless of whether the prices are rising or falling.

While this strategy has a potential upside — if the stock price then rises again — it does expose investors to greater risk.

Table of Contents

What Is Averaging Down?
Example of Averaging Down
Why Average Down on Stock
Pros and Cons of Averaging Down
Tips for Averaging Down on Stock
The Takeaway

What Is Averaging Down?

By using the strategy of averaging down and purchasing more of the same stock at a lower price, the investor lowers the average price (or cost basis) for all the shares of that stock in their portfolio.

So if you buy 100 shares at one price, and the price drops 10%, for example, and you decide to buy 100 more shares at the lower price, the average cost of all 200 shares is now lower.

💡 Quick Tip: Look for an online brokerage with low trading commissions as well as no account minimum. Higher fees can cut into investment returns over time.

Example of Averaging Down

Consider this example: Imagine you’ve purchased 100 shares of stock for $70 per share ($7,000 total). Then, the value of the stock falls to $35 per share, a 50% drop.

To average down, you’d purchase 100 shares of the same stock at $35 per share ($3,500). Now, you’d own 200 shares for a total investment of $10,500. This creates an average purchase price of $52.50 per share.

Potential of Gain Averaging Down

If the stock price jumps to $80 per share, your position would be worth $16,000, a $5,500 gain on your initial investment of $10,500. In this case, averaging down helped boost your average return. If you’d simply bought 200 shares at the initial price of $70 ($14,000), you’d only see a gain of $2,000.

Potential Risk of Averaging Down

As with any strategy, there’s risk in averaging down. If, after averaging down, the price of the stock goes up, then your decision to buy more of that stock at a lower price would have been a good one. But the stock continues its downward price trajectory, it would mean you just doubled down on a losing investment.

While averaging down can be successful for long-term investors as part of a buy-and-hold strategy, it can be hard for inexperienced investors to discern the difference between a dip and a warning sign.

Why Average Down on Stock

Some investors may use averaging down stocks as part of other strategies.

1. Value Investing

Value investing is a style of investing that focuses on finding stocks that are trading at a “good value” — in other words, value stocks are typically underpriced. By averaging down, an investor buys more of a stock that they like, at a discount.

But in some cases, a stock may appear undervalued when it’s not. This can lead investors who may not understand how to value stocks into something called a value trap. A value trap is when a company has been trading at low valuation metrics (e.g. the P/E ratio or price-to-book value) for some time.

While it may seem like a bargain, if it’s not a true value proposition the price is likely to decline further.

2. Dollar-Cost Averaging

For some investors, averaging down can be a way to get more money into the market. This is a similar philosophy to the strategy known as dollar-cost averaging, as noted above, where the idea is to invest steadily regardless of whether the market is down or up, to reap the long-term average gains.

3. Loss Mitigation

Some investors turn to this strategy to help dig out of the very hole that the lower price has put them into. That’s because a stock that has lost value has to grow proportionally more than it fell in order to get back to where it started. Again, an example will help:

Let’s say you purchase 100 shares at $75 per share, and the stock drops to $50, that’s a 33% loss. In order to regain that lost value, however, the stock needs to increase by 50% (from $50 to $75) before you can see a profit.

Averaging down can change the math here. If the stock drops to $50 and you buy another 100 shares, the price only needs to increase by 25% to $62.50 for the position to be profitable.

Pros and Cons of Averaging Down

As you can see, averaging down stocks is not a black-and-white strategy; it requires some skill and the ability to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each situation.

Pros of Averaging Down

The primary benefit to averaging down is that an investor can buy more of a stock that they want to own anyway, at a better price than they paid previously — with the potential for gains.

Whether to average down should as much be a decision about the desire to own a stock over the long-term as it is about the recent price movement. After all, recent price changes are only one part of a stock’s analysis.

If the investor feels committed to the company’s growth and believes that its stock will continue to do well over longer periods, that could justify the purchase. And, if the stock in question ultimately turns positive and enjoys solid growth over time, then the strategy will have been a success.

Cons of Averaging Down

The averaging down strategy requires an investor to buy a stock that is, at the moment, losing value. And it is always possible that this fall is not temporary — and is actually the beginning of a larger decline in the company and/or its stock price. In this scenario, an investor who averages down may have just increased their holding in a losing investment.

Price change alone should not be an investor’s only indication to buy more of any stock. An investor with plans to average down should research the cause of the decline before buying — and even with careful research, projecting the trajectory of a stock can be difficult.

Another potential downside is that the averaging down strategy adds to one particular position, and therefore can affect your asset allocation. It’s always wise to consider the implications of any shift in your portfolio’s allocation, as being overweight in a certain asset class could expose you to greater risk of loss.

💡 Quick Tip: It’s smart to invest in a range of assets so that you’re not overly reliant on any one company or market to do well. For example, by investing in different sectors you can add diversification to your portfolio, which may help mitigate some risk factors over time.

Tips for Averaging Down on Stock

If you are going to average down on a stock you own, be sure to take a few preparatory steps.

• Have an exit strategy. While it may be to your benefit to buy the dip, you want to set a limit should the price continue to fall.

• Do your research. In order to understand whether a stock’s price drop is really an opportunity, you may need to understand more about the company’s fundamentals.

• Keep an eye on the market. Market conditions can impact stock price as well, so it’s wise to know what factors are at play here.

The Takeaway

To recap: What is averaging down in stocks? Simply put, averaging down is a strategy where an investor buys more of a stock they already own after the stock has lost value.

The idea is that by buying a stock you own (and like) at a discount, you lower the average purchase price of your position as a whole, and set yourself up for gains if the price should increase. Of course, the fly in the ointment here is that it can be quite tricky to predict whether a stock price has simply taken a dip or is on a downward trajectory — so there are risks to the averaging down strategy for this reason.

Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Sep

2023

What Is Asset Allocation?

By Samuel Becker | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Asset allocation is the practice of investing across asset classes in a portfolio in order to balance the different potential risks and rewards. The three main asset classes are typically stocks, bonds, and cash.

Asset allocation is closely tied with portfolio diversification. Diversification means spreading one’s money across a range of assets. In a general sense, it’s like taking the age-old advice of not putting all your eggs in one basket. An investor can’t avoid risk entirely, but diversifying their investments can help mitigate the risk that one asset class poses.

In addition to stocks, bonds and cash, some investors also allocate money into real estate, a range of commodities, private-equity or hedge funds, as well as even cryptocurrencies. Determining what kind of asset allocation makes the most sense for you depends on personal goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

Here’s a deeper dive on how asset allocation works.

Common Assets

The most common assets you can invest in are:

• Stocks: Stocks can be volatile, with the market going up and down, but they can also offer a higher return than bonds over the long run.

• Bonds: Bonds, such as Treasuries or municipal bonds, can be lower risk because they’re backed by government entities, but they also offer lower returns. There are higher-yield corporate bonds, which have greater returns and risk, but also tend to be less volatile than stocks.

• Cash or cash equivalents :This includes money in savings accounts or money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit or Treasury bills. Obviously, the returns on these are very low but they’re also very secure. The biggest concern with cash investments is if inflation outpaces the return, then you technically could be losing money (e.g. future purchasing power).

What Factors Determine Your Asset Allocation?

There are three basic factors that will affect your asset allocation — your goals, your risk tolerance, and your time horizon.

• Goals. Your goals may be short term, such as adopting a child, starting a business, or saving for a down payment on a house in the next year or two. Or they may be long term, like planning ahead for that child’s education or saving for your retirement.

• Risk tolerance. Your risk tolerance is how much volatility — or ups and downs in the market — you can tolerate. This factor is important to get right. If you take on more risk than you’re comfortable with, and the market starts to drop, you might panic and sell investments at an inopportune time.

• Time horizon. Finally, your time horizon is the amount of time you have to invest before you need to achieve your goal. This factor can help you determine how much risk you’re comfortable with and influence your portfolio allocation. For example, if you have a long horizon there is more time to ride out the ups and downs in the market, and as a result, your risk tolerance may be higher.

You can see how these three factors come together to determine your asset allocation. If you have a short-term financial goal and will need your money relatively quickly — for example, if you’re about to buy that house you’ve been saving for — your risk tolerance will likely be lower, as you don’t want a market downturn to take a bite out of your investments just when you need to cash them out.

On the other hand, if you have a greater tolerance for risk — and if you think you may need more money for a down payment — you may choose a more aggressive allocation (for instance, tilting toward stocks) — in the hope of seeing more growth.

What’s a Good Asset Allocation Strategy?

The best asset allocation to meet your financial goals depends on a number of factors, most importantly your timeframe and your risk tolerance. For example, if you’re very far away from retirement, then you may be able to handle more risk in your retirement portfolio. But if you’re investing for your teenage kids’ college education, then that’s a shorter time frame and you probably shouldn’t take as many risks.

Your risk tolerance will also affect how you react to ups and downs in the market. Multiple studies have correlated the frequency with which you check your portfolio to losses over time — the more you stress over it, the more likely you are to pull your money out when you should just wait and stick with it.

So if you’re going to be someone who worries about every little blip in your investment portfolio, then you might need less risky investments. No investment is without risk, but you can spread the risk out across different assets and asset classes. But in general, higher-risk investments often have higher returns.

The 100 Rule

A common rule of thumb is known as The 100 Rule: Subtract your age from 100 and that’s the percentage of your portfolio that should be invested in stocks. For example, if you’re 25, then the 100 rule would suggest that 75% of your portfolio be in stocks and 25% in safer investments, like bonds, Treasurys, cash or money market accounts.

Target date funds are funds that more or less follow this style of rule — automatically adjusting the make-up of stocks vs. bonds as you near your target retirement date.

However, there are some caveats to this rule of thumb — people are living longer, every person’s situation may be different, and this is really only an asset allocation suggestion for retirement, not other financial goals you might have. Some financial advisors have even adjusted it to “The 110 or 120 Rule” because of increases in life expectancy.

What Is Risk Tolerance–Based Asset Allocation?

Risk tolerance–based asset allocation involves shaping your portfolio based on the level of risk you’re most comfortable with. For example, if you fit into the aggressive investor risk tolerance profile, that means you may commit a larger share of your portfolio to stocks and other higher-risk investments.

On the other hand, you may have a smaller asset allocation to stocks if you lean more toward the conservative end of the spectrum. The style of investor you are will likely shift throughout your lifetime. As discussed above, different life stages bring new concerns and priorities to mind, and this will naturally change how you view your asset allocation.

One thing that’s important to understand when basing asset allocation on risk tolerance is how that aligns with your risk capacity. Your risk capacity is the amount of risk you must take to achieve your investment goals. This is important to understand for choosing assets based on risk tolerance to find the right portfolio allocation.

If you have a low risk tolerance, but a higher risk capacity is required to achieve the investment goals you’ve set, then you may be at risk of falling short of those goals.

Meanwhile, having a higher risk tolerance but a lower risk capacity could result in taking on more risk than you need to in order to achieve your investment goals. Finding the right balance between the two is key when using a risk tolerance based asset allocation strategy.

How to Rebalance Asset Allocation

The other factor to consider is when to rebalance your portfolio in order to stay in line with your asset allocation goals. Over time, the different assets in your portfolio have different returns, so the amount you have invested in each changes—one stock might have high enough returns that it grows and makes up a significant portion of your stock investments.

If, for example, you’re aiming for 70% in stocks and 30% in bonds, but your stock investments grow faster until they make up 80% of your portfolio, then it might be time to rebalance. Rebalancing just means adjusting your investments to return to your desired portfolio make-up and asset allocation.

There are many rebalancing strategies, but you can choose to rebalance at set times — monthly, quarterly, or annually — or when an asset changes a certain amount from your desired allocation (for example, if any one asset is more then 5% off your target make-up).

In order to rebalance, you simply sell the investments that are more than their target and buy the ones that have fallen under their target until each is back to the weight you want.

The Takeaway

The effect of asset allocation has been studied over the years and while the findings varied, one thing has remained constant—how you allocate your money to different assets is vitally important in determining what kind of returns you see.

However, it’s more than just diversifying within each asset class—it’s also about diversifying your entire investment portfolio across asset classes and styles. In general, for instance, stocks are considered riskier than bonds—though there are also different kinds of bonds.

There are many different kinds of funds with different asset allocation, and a fund doesn’t guarantee diversification—especially if it’s a fund that invests in just one sector or market. That’s why it’s important to understand what you want out of your portfolio and find an asset allocation to meet your goals — which may require professional help.

SoFi Invest® offers Automated Investing for those who need help finding the right mix of assets in their portfolio. Investors who want to pick and choose stocks, ETFs and fractional shares themselves can take advantage of the Active Investing platform.

Get started with a SoFi Invest account today.

FAQ

How often should I review and rebalance my asset allocation?

You can review and rebalance your portfolio and asset allocation at any time, but you may want to set regular check-ins, whether they’re quarterly, biannually, or annually. One general rule to consider is rebalancing your portfolio whenever an asset allocation changes by 5% or more.

What factors should I consider when determining my asset allocation?

There are three main factors that will affect your asset allocation. First are your goals and whether they’re short term like saving for a house, or long term like retirement. Second is your risk tolerance, or how many ups and downs in the market you can live with. Risk tolerance is important because you’ll want to take on only as much risk as you can tolerate. Otherwise, you might panic during a market downturn and sell investments at a loss. The third factor to consider for asset allocation is your time horizon, or the amount of time you have to invest before you need to achieve your goal. This factor can help you determine how much risk you’re comfortable with.

How can I assess my risk tolerance and align it with my asset allocation strategy?

With risk tolerance–based asset allocation, you shape your portfolio based on the level of risk you’re most comfortable with. That said, the type of investor you are will likely change through the decades. Different life stages come with new priorities, and those will influence how you view your asset allocation.

When you base your asset allocation on risk tolerance, it’s important to understand how it aligns with your risk capacity, or the amount of risk you must take to achieve your investment goals. For instance, if you have a low risk tolerance, but a higher risk capacity is required to achieve your investment goals, you might fall short of your goals. Finding the right balance between the two is critical when you’re using a risk tolerance based asset allocation strategy.

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