I feel like fundamental analysis is completely useless

Discussion in 'Economics' started by RGLD, Aug 13, 2020.

  1. Nine_Ender

    Nine_Ender

    For me, I see it in reverse. Technicals confirm my theories based mostly on fundamentals. They also help define logical entry and exit points. But the main reason for taking on an investment/trade for me is based on fundamentals, sector/market momentum, and news. When I was younger, I had more of a trading approach. Now, I have more of an investment approach but I will take short term profits or losses if things develop quickly.

    There are advantages/drawbacks. For example, I've badly missed the mark of US IT in general. On the plus side, I jumped in on metal/energy cycles nicely at times and I know when the banks are good value.
     
    #11     Aug 13, 2020
    ironchef likes this.
  2. RGLD

    RGLD

    This has nothing to do with technical more of the flaw of fundamentals. Anyone coined that term "Don't catch a falling knife"? Is that when a stock is going down and you're buying it?

    If the balance sheets of a company look good but the stock is going down, wouldn't it occur to you that you might be missing something? And doesn't that mean you are going AGAINST the market. Which every "professional" says not to do?

    That's because we never hear from the ones that fail. Nobody ever does. And this is not excluding technicals - people who lost fortunes on technicals are never heard from also.


    That's not exactly what the situation is... I'm saying what if your fundamental research looks good but the stock is trending down. Would you still buy it based on your fundamental analysis?
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
    #12     Aug 13, 2020
  3. Trader Curt

    Trader Curt

    Fundamentals have their place. But you need to figure out which fundamentals actually make a difference in the market? And then you need to figure out when they will make a difference? Also technicals can help you pinpoint when to buy/sell. To me fundamentals are 75% important and technicals are 25%. Ask yourself what would a professional trader think about this information? Then go into a trade it as if you were a professional!
     
    #13     Aug 13, 2020
  4. Tradex

    Tradex

    Fundamentalists could not care less, if their "good" stock is going down they simply... buy more! :confused:

    Technical analysts, on the other hand, see the downtrend in progress, short the stock, and then laugh all the way to the bank, leaving the fundamentalists scratching their head.
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
    #14     Aug 13, 2020
  5. Snuskpelle

    Snuskpelle

    If your time frame is years (or maybe months) then fundamentals do matter. But FA is generally of no concern to intraday trading aside from:
    A) price fluctuations that newly published fundamental information causes (gotta be quick then as you're competing against HFT).
    B) helping you set up a long or short bias in order to only take trades in the expected long term trend, but that can also be done in other ways.
     
    #15     Aug 13, 2020
    _terminus_ likes this.
  6. Tradex

    Tradex

    There are literally hundreds of "fundamentals" parameters.
    It has been shown that our brain cannot process more than 5 parameters at the same time. Beyond that level it's all confusion.
     
    #16     Aug 13, 2020
  7. RGLD

    RGLD

    Isn't fundamentals the reason why people lose everything?

    I mean think about it, you keep buying going against the market. It keeps going down, than one day the stock goes to 0 because there was a piece of news that you missed? A piece of valuable information that'll NULL all the balance sheets stuff.

    I feel like fundamentals are worthless in this age because of all the fake / Opinion driven / bias news. Look how bad you would have gotten killed if you were betting on unemployment numbers being highest ever. The news were feeding you the bullcrap narrative, and everyone who listened got caught short. You need to have a very strong mental filter and imagination to profit from purely fundamentals alone.

    This was the June 2020 unemployment numbers. Fox made a whole skit making fun of them. lol
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
    #17     Aug 13, 2020
    Tradex likes this.
  8. lindq

    lindq

    You can buy the finest sailboat in the harbor, with the fastest keel.

    But trying to sail against the wind is not advisable.
     
    #18     Aug 13, 2020
  9. Tradex

    Tradex

    Yes, essentially.

    Fundamentalists love to keep a stock even if it's going down big time, because they truly believe it has "value".

    Then they sell it only when the pain is too strong and they can no longer lose an extra dollar.

    Technical analysts, on the other hand, see a breakout of a support line (or an uptrend line) and liquidate their long positions immediately (or even go short), they don't give a hoot about the "value" of the stock.

    Neeeeext!
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
    #19     Aug 13, 2020
  10. ironchef

    ironchef

    That is not what we fundamentalists do.
     
    #20     Aug 13, 2020