Stock FAQs

what drives the stock price

by Ashley Raynor Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Stock prices change everyday by market forces. By this we mean that share prices change because of supply and demand. If more people want to buy a stock (demand) than sell it (supply), then the price moves up.

What factors affect stock price?

a. Supply and demand factors The demand and supply of any stock are one of the prime factors that affect stock prices. If the supply of a stock is less and the demand for it is more, then it will push the share prices to go up and vice versa.

What makes the stock market go up and down?

  • Supply and Demand
  • Investor Sentiment and Current Events
  • The Economy

Why do stock prices go up and down?

Stock prices go up and down based on supply and demand. When people want to buy a stock versus sell it, the price goes up. If people want to sell a stock versus buying it, the price goes down. Forecasting whether there will be more buyers or sellers of a certain stock requires additional research, however. Buyers are attracted to stocks for any number of reasons, from low valuation to new ...

What influences stock prices?

What Factors Move Stock Prices?

  • Fundamental Factors. The two most fundamental factors boil down to profitability and the valuation ratio, says Juan Pablo Villamarin, CFA and senior investment analyst at Intercontinental Wealth Advisors.
  • Technical Factors. ...
  • News. ...
  • Market Sentiment. ...

Who said "Investing should be boring"?

Does GDP per capita increase?

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What factors increases stock price?

Here are some company-specific factors that can affect the share price: news releases on earnings and profits, and future estimated earnings. announcement of dividends. introduction of a new product or a product recall.

What is the #1 factor that drives stock prices?

The main factor driving stock prices is investor demand. Stock prices rise when buy orders outnumber sell orders, and prices decline when sell orders outnumber buy orders.

What happens if no one sells a stock?

When there are no buyers, you can't sell your shares—you'll be stuck with them until there is some buying interest from other investors. A buyer could pop in a few seconds, or it could take minutes, days, or even weeks in the case of very thinly traded stocks.

How do you predict if a stock will go up or down?

Major Indicators that Predict Stock Price MovementIncrease/Decrease in Mutual Fund Holding. ... Influence of FPI & FII on Stock Price Movement. ... Delivery Percentage in Stock Trading Volume. ... Increase/Decrease in Promoter Holding. ... Change in Business model/Promoters/Venturing into New Business.More items...•

What drives stock prices?

Stock prices are driven by a variety of factors, but ultimately the price at any given moment is due to the supply and demand at that point in time in the market. Fundamental factors drive stock prices based on a company's earnings and profitability from producing and selling goods and services. Technical factors relate to a stock's price history ...

Why do stocks move up?

Often a stock simply moves according to a short-term trend. On the one hand, a stock that is moving up can gather momentum, as "success breeds success" and popularity buoys the stock higher. On the other hand, a stock sometimes behaves the opposite way in a trend and does what is called reverting to the mean. Unfortunately, because trends cut both ways and are more obvious in hindsight, knowing that stocks are "trendy" does not help us predict the future.

Why is low inflation bad for stocks?

2  Deflation, on the other hand, is generally bad for stocks because it signifies a loss in pricing power for companies.

Why do you buy stock with a valuation multiple?

That's the reason for the valuation multiple: It is the price you are willing to pay for the future stream of earnings. 1:26.

What is discount rate?

The discount rate, which is used to calculate the present value of the future stream of earnings. A higher growth rate will earn the stock a higher multiple, but a higher discount rate will earn a lower multiple. What determines the discount rate? First, it is a function of perceived risk.

Where are stock prices determined?

Stock prices are determined in the marketplace, where seller supply meets buyer demand. But have you ever wondered about what drives the stock market—that is, what factors affect a stock's price? Unfortunately, there is no clean equation that tells us exactly how a stock price will behave.

Do company stocks track with the market?

Company stocks tend to track with the market and with their sector or industry peers. Some prominent investment firms argue that the combination of overall market and sector movements—as opposed to a company's individual performance—determines a majority of a stock's movement.

What are the drivers of stock prices?

Unlike most auctions, in which prices start low but then rise until a sale is made, buyers bid prices up or down as they negotiate trades with sellers. Supply and demand are the primary drivers of stock prices. If there are more shares of a stock available than investors want to buy, that stock’s price drops. If a lot of investors want to buy a certain stock, that stock’s share price goes up.

What is the trade in the stock market?

In the stock market, buyers and sellers negotiate prices for shares of stock. When a buyer’s “bid”—what they are willing to pay for a stock—matches the seller’s asking price, they complete a sale. This is also called a “trade” because the buyer and seller exchange money for shares.

Learn why the stock market and individual stocks tend to fluctuate and how you can use that information to become a better investor

Tim writes about technology and consumer goods stocks for The Motley Fool. He's a value investor at heart, doing his best to avoid hyped-up nonsense. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @TMFBargainBin

What affects stock price?

High demand for a stock drives the stock price higher, but what causes that high demand in the first place? It's all about how investors feel:

The big picture is what matters

Long-term investors, like those of us at The Motley Fool, don't much care about the short-term developments that push stock prices up and down each trading day. When you have years or even decades to let your money grow, analyst reports and earnings beats are often fleeting and irrelevant.

Who said the value of a stock today is the sum of all future dividend payments discounted back at some required rate of

John Burr Williams was the first to apply this theory to stocks. He said the value of a stock today is the sum of all future dividend payments discounted back at some required rate of return. In other words, the more a company pays out to its owners in the future, the more valuable that company is to its owners today.

How does inflation affect the economy?

In addition, inflation is impacted to a large degree by economic growth . When the economy is growing at a faster rate, the Federal Reserve will generally tighten monetary policy, which raises interest rates. The importance of inflation is also reflected in several of our models.

What happens to interest rates when inflation is rising?

Inflation is also one of the primary drivers of interest rates. If inflation is rising, it has the effect of diminishing the real rate of return for a bond investor. In that environment, a bond buyer will demand a higher rate of interest to compensate for the loss of purchasing power.

Is earnings volatile during recession?

In times of recession, earnings are particularly volatile. Earnings can be calculated in a variety of different ways, which adds additional complexity. We don’t think earnings should be completely discounted in valuing companies or the stock market as a whole.

What are the factors that drive stock prices?

The economic factors that drive stock prices include interest rates, unemployment and currency fluctuations . The U.S. Federal Reserve raises short-term interest rates to control inflation. Higher rates mean higher borrowing costs for individuals, who cut back on non-essential spending, and higher interest expenses for businesses, which reduce payroll and other operating expenses. Rising unemployment leads to further revenue and profit declines for companies, and stock prices suffer. However, if the Federal Reserve lowers rates to stimulate economic growth, consumer spending and business investment resume. This leads to a virtuous circle of rising revenues, profits and stock prices. Currency fluctuations affect exports and imports. When the U.S. dollar weakens against foreign currencies, exporting companies do well because American goods become cheaper. However, importers face higher costs and consumers may have to spend more on energy and other imports. Conversely, imports are cheaper and exports are more expensive when the U.S. dollar strengthens against other currencies.

Why do stocks rise?

Stock prices rise when buy orders outnumber sell orders, and prices decline when sell orders outnumber buy orders. Demand is proportional to four factors: earnings, economy, expectations and emotion. Stock prices usually rise when all four factors are positive and fall when all four are negative. Stock prices are volatile because these factors ...

Why do analysts use stock prices?

Stock prices also factor in expectations about global economies, because many companies rely on overseas markets to drive revenue growth.

Why do investors pay premiums?

Investors are often willing to pay a premium for companies that can demonstrate above-average earnings growth and cash flow. The reaction on the downside can often be harsh. The markets can cut stock prices in half or more when companies fall short of expectations, even by a few percentage points.

Pro Tip

Investing always carries some risk. That’s why it’s a good idea to spread out your investments among many different stocks.

Fundamental Factors

The two most fundamental factors boil down to profitability and the valuation ratio, says Juan Pablo Villamarin, CFA and senior investment analyst at Intercontinental Wealth Advisors.

Technical Factors

Technical factors are things that change the supply and demand of the stock that won’t fundamentally alter the prospects of generating cash, Plumb says.

News

If you’ve ever seen a company’s stock price go up or down following an earnings call, it’s because of the news.

Market Sentiment

Market sentiment, or investor sentiment, is the investor outlook regarding a particular stock’s performance in the market. Sentiment drives demand, which also influences supply.

Why do stock prices go up and down?

Stock prices go up and down based on supply and demand. When people want to buy a stock versus selling it, the price goes up. If people want to sell a stock versus buying it, the price goes down. Forecasting whether there will be more buyers or sellers in a stock requires additional research, however. Buyers are attracted to stocks ...

Why do stocks go up?

Sometimes, stocks go up simply because they have been going up. In a strategy known as momentum investing, investors buy shares in rising stocks and sell shares in those that are following. This momentum builds on itself and continues to drive rising share prices higher.

Why are buyers attracted to stocks?

Buyers are attracted to stocks for any number of reasons, from low valuation to new product lines to market hype. Learning how the stock exchange works is the first step in understanding the factors that make a stock go up and down; knowing what makes stocks valuable can help you predict which ones are more likely to rise.

What attracts buyers to a stock?

One of the factors that attracts buyers to a stock is valuation . Companies can be valued in a number of different ways, but earnings per share and P/E ratio are two common factors in the equation.

What is stock in business?

A stock is simply an ownership share in a physical company. Stock shares allow investors to buy or sell an interest in a company on an exchange through a bidding process. Sellers indicate prices at which they are asking to give up their shares, and buyers similarly post prices at which they’re bidding to buy shares.

What happens after a trade at $10.10?

After the first trade at $10.10, there are no more sellers willing to accept such a low price. The next trade occurs at $10.20, as the demand to pay a higher price exceeds the willingness of sellers to accept a lower price.

What does earnings per share mean?

Earnings per share represent a company’s profitability. Generally speaking, investors are more interested in companies with rising earnings. Earnings per share is also a metric for comparison to other companies in a particular industry.

Why are stocks going down?

Political issues, economic concerns, earnings disappointments and countless other reasons can send stocks lower or higher. But over the long term, stock prices will be driven by just a handful of fundamental factors such as earnings growth and changes in valuation.

Why are stocks volatile?

Stocks were volatile around the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections as investors waited to see which administration would be in charge for the next four years. But often, the reaction of markets isn’t obvious and traders can quickly shift their attention to a new topic of concern or excitement.

What is the effect of higher discount rates on valuation?

Higher discount rates lower the valuation investors are willing to pay. An investor who demands a 12 percent return is willing to pay less for the same asset as an investor who requires only an 8 percent return. The change in valuation can have a big impact on investors’ returns over time.

What is discount rate?

A discount rate is the rate investors use to calculate the present value of future cash flows. The discount rate can be influenced by an investment’s risk, interest rates and the return available from other investments. Higher discount rates lower the valuation investors are willing to pay.

Why do companies share their earnings with shareholders?

Mature companies tend to share more of their earnings with shareholders in the form of dividends or share repurchases because they aren’t able to deploy it themselves at attractive rates of return.

What is technical analysis in stock trading?

This analysis uses recent price movements and chart patterns in an effort to predict a stock’s future direction. Technical analysis can influence a stock’s price over the short term, but ultimately its value will come from the long-term earnings power of the business.

What is the key contributor to a company's return?

A key contributor to your return is the company’s growth in profits. This will be driven by the growth rate of the overall economy as well as the circumstances of the specific business.

Who said "Investing should be boring"?

Legendary investor George Soros once said, “Good investing should be boring”. But an increase in volatile themes today suggests this maxim has gone ignored by at least some market participants.

Does GDP per capita increase?

GDP per capita has steadily risen globally over time, and in tandem, the standard of living worldwide has increased immensely. This map using data from the IMF shows the GDP per capita (nominal) of nearly every country and territory in the world.

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Fundamental Factors

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In an efficient market, stock prices would be determined primarily by fundamentals, which, at the basic level, refer to a combination of two things: 1. An earnings base, such as earnings per share(EPS) 2. A valuation multiple, such as a P/E ratio An owner of common stockhas a claim on earnings, and earnings per share (EPS) i…
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Technical Factors

  • Things would be easier if only fundamental factors set stock prices. Technical factors are the mix of external conditions that alter the supply of and demand for a company's stock. Some of these indirectly affect fundamentals. For example, economic growthindirectly contributes to earnings growth. Technical factors include the following.
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News

  • While it is hard to quantify the impact of news or unexpected developments inside a company, industry, or the global economy, you can't argue that it does influence investor sentiment. The political situation, negotiations between countries or companies, product breakthroughs, mergers and acquisitions, and other unforeseen events can impact stocks and the stock market. Since s…
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Market Sentiment

  • Market sentiment refers to the psychology of market participants, individually and collectively. This is perhaps the most vexing category. Market sentiment is often subjective, biased, and obstinate. For example, you can make a solid judgment about a stock's future growth prospects, and the future may even confirm your projections, but in the meantime, the market may myopica…
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The Bottom Line

  • Different types of investors depend on different factors. Short-term investors and traders tend to incorporate and may even prioritize technical factors. Long-term investors prioritize fundamentals and recognize that technical factors play an important role. Investors who believe strongly in fundamentals can reconcile themselves to technical forces with the following popular argument…
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