
A variety of economic factors, including interest and inflation rates, overall economic growth, unemployment, and even politics, can influence the stock market on both intra-day and longer timescales.
What kinds of things affect the stock market?
Things Affecting the Stock Market
- Economy. The conditions in a regional economy have the potential to affect the stock market. ...
- Expectations. Corporate profits are among the factors that affect stock market performance. ...
- Confidence. The level of investors' confidence has an effect on the level of participation in the stock market, according to a Santa Clara University study.
- Social Media. ...
What factors influence the stock market?
Macroeconomic Impact on the Market
- Gross Domestic Product. GDP or Gross Domestic Product is a critical economic indicator that is considered a barometer of a country’s economy and a statement on its well being.
- Inflation. ...
- Industrial production and sales. ...
- Unemployment rate. ...
How does the stock market affect you?
With that being said, should there be a new man or woman in the hot seat, whether it be Rishi Sunak, Dominic Raab or any other Tory member, it is doubtful to have any immediate impact on the market. “You still must be mindful of what the economic ...
How will this affect the stock market?
Where there is war, it has an effect on the stock market of the whole world. Some changes in government policy also affect the stock market. Changes in bank interest rates, RBI laws, differences in US Federations, changes in the policy of Bacolol and Japan have an immediate effect on the stock market.

What are the factors affecting stock market?
9 factors that affects the Indian Stock MarketGovernment Policies: ... Monetary Policy of RBI and Regulatory Policies of SEBI: ... Exchange Rates: ... Interest Rate and Inflation: ... Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs): ... Politics: ... Natural Disasters: ... Economic Numbers:More items...
What are 4 factors that affect stock prices?
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.
What has the biggest impact on the stock market?
Inflation and Interest Rates One of the more predictable influences of the stock market are periodic adjustments of interest rates by the U.S. Federal Reserve to combat inflation.
What drives a stock price up?
If more people want to buy a stock (demand) than sell it (supply), then the price moves up. Conversely, if more people wanted to sell a stock than buy it, there would be greater supply than demand, and the price would fall.
What makes stocks 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.
What are the 4 major market forces?
These factors are government, international transactions, speculation and expectation, and supply and demand.
Does GDP affect stock market?
No, GDP does not measure the stock market. GDP measures personal consumption, business investment, government spending, and net exports.
How do you predict if a stock will go up or down?
Topics#1. Influence of FPI/FII and DII.#2. Influence of company's fundamentals. #2.1 About fundamental analysis. #2.2 Correlation between reports, fundamentals & fair price. #2.3 Two methods to predict stock price. #2.4 Future PE-EPS method. #1 Step: Estimate future PE. #2 Step: Estimate future EPS.
What are the factors that affect the price of a stock?
The performance of the company in which you own stock is one of the major factors that affects price and one over which the company itself has the most control. Profitability, market share, stock price-to-earnings ratio and other financial data all illustrate how valuable a company is and how much investors are willing to pay for a share of it.
What factors influence stock prices?
1. Factors That Influence Stock Prices. 2. How Do Stock Prices Indicate Financial Health? 3. Relationship Between P/E Ratio & Stock Price. Investing in stock is among the most risky, and potentially profitable, things to do with your money. Stock prices are reflected in daily quotes as well as the ever-changing prices throughout the trading day. ...
How does a weak economy affect stock prices?
A weakening economy can bring down stock prices as investors are willing to risk less or businesses are unable to earn as much as they could under better conditions. Economic trends can be worldwide patterns or isolated to particular areas of the economy, such as the banking, housing, technology or retail sectors.
Why does stock price drop?
Likewise, when stock is readily available or investors see it as unlikely to gain much value, its price may drop . Investors' attitudes and confidence levels can affect stock price as much as any other factor, even if these beliefs are unsupported by hard economic data.
How does government policy affect stock prices?
Government Policies. Government agencies make decisions and pass laws that can affect business, which further impacts stock prices. Increased regulation that makes it more costly to do business can lead to a drop in stock prices for companies that are likely to be affected.
What is the role of investors in stock market?
Investors are the individuals who actually determine stock prices, and their beliefs and actions impact stock prices. Investors typically are willing to pay more for stock when it's in short supply or deemed likely to grow in value. Likewise, when stock is readily available or investors see it as unlikely to gain much value, its price may drop. Investors' attitudes and confidence levels can affect stock price as much as any other factor, even if these beliefs are unsupported by hard economic data.
The Lessons of January
The first trading day of 2022 saw the S&P 500 top out at an all-time high just shy of 4,800, but it’s been all downhill since then. The benchmark index lost 5.3% in January—and there were six separate sessions where it fell by 1% or more, marking the dramatic return of volatility to markets.
How Should You Position Your Portfolio?
Regular investors need to bake into their expectations that 2022 will be different from the Covid-19 boom.
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.
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 ...
What is earnings base?
An earnings base, such as earnings per share (EPS) A valuation multiple, such as a P/E ratio. An owner of common stock has a claim on earnings, and earnings per share (EPS) is the owner's return on their investment. When you buy a stock, you are purchasing a proportional share of an entire future stream of earnings.
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.
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.
Is market sentiment subjective?
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 myopically dwell on a single piece of news that keeps the stock artificially high or low.
Why is the stock market important?
Additionally, the stock market is a helpful indicator of economic change, well-being and growth. Investors should keep a close ear to news coming out of the U.S. central bank as a gauge to where the markets might be headed next.
How did the Fed's stimulus policy affect the stock market?
The effects of this policy also resulted in more people investing their money in the markets. As a result, the stock market rallied, and valuations kept elevating. Most recently, the Fed has acted to continue to boost the equity markets.
What will the Fed do as the economy continues to grow?
In other words, as the economy continues to grow, the Fed will need to strike a balance between changing its accommodative monetary stance and not disrupting the growth in the markets and economy.
Why should investors care about announcements that come from the Fed?
Investors should care about announcements that come from the Fed because its decisions influence financial markets and the broader economy. One of the key items that comes out of the Fed is its Federal Open Market Committee minutes. The FOMC holds eight meetings throughout the year that discuss national monetary policy.
What is the role of the Fed in the economy?
The Fed provides stability to the financial system, conducts U.S. monetary policy, supervises and regulates financial institutions and activities, and promotes consumer protection. The Fed's dual mandate for monetary policy is to achieve price stability and maximum employment in the U.S. economy.
How does the Fed influence the economy?
The Fed has a lot of power to influence the economy, and this indirectly impacts how stocks move. While the stock market is not the economy, it can be seen as a reflection of how confident consumers are about the strength of the economy now and in the future. Additionally, the stock market is a helpful indicator of economic change, ...
What is the role of the Fed?
The Fed's dual mandate for monetary policy is to achieve price stability and maximum employment in the U.S. economy. (Getty Images) The role of the Federal Reserve is to help the U.S. economy operate effectively. The Fed has a lot of power to influence the economy, and this indirectly impacts how stocks move.
What are the factors that affect the stock market?
A variety of economic factors, including interest and inflation rates, overall economic growth, unemployment, and even politics, can influence the stock market on both intra-day and longer timescales. Smart investors need to be aware of what economic factors can impact the stock market, when and where changes in these factors are announced, and how to trade around them.
What are the triggers for stock market swings?
Reports of economic growth and projections of future growth are a frequent trigger for intra-day and multi-day swings in the stock market. In the same way that corporations need to perform on both reported profits and projected profits during earnings reports, economic growth announcements typically need to meet investor’s expectations of both current and future growth in order to cause a significant uptick in stock prices. While disappointing economic outlook reports may not have much of an effect in a bullish market, they can have a significant effect in volatile or bearish market conditions.
Why are interest rates important?
Interest rates are set by the Federal Reserve as a way to make borrowing money more or less expensive, and in the process keep currency inflation to within an established target rate.
How does inflation affect the economy?
Like interest rates, inflation rates have a number of effects on the economy that can be hard to tease apart. Interest rates that are too low can shake consumer confidence , which hurts businesses , while interest rates that are too high can make it too expensive for consumers to purchase goods .
How do interest rates affect the economy?
When interest rates are high, it is more expensive for consumers and businesses alike to borrow money – which can cause people to think twice about buying a home or a car or to borrow money to hire more employees or purchase new equipment.
What can cause sudden intra day shifts in the market?
Announcements about interest rate changes or the release of reports about job and wage growth can cause large, sudden intra-day shifts in the way the markets are trading. At the same time, sustained economic movements can dramatically affect the way that the markets are trading from day to day – for example, economic factors may influence whether ...
Why do investors worry about the spread of a currency crisis?
In many cases, investors worry that crisis in one country or market may spread because of the global nature of the companies that make up the large US exchanges and the potential increase in the costs of foreign goods if a currency is destabilized.
How does the stock market affect a company?
The Stock Market and Business Operations. The stock market's movements can impact companies in a variety of ways. The rise and fall of share price values affects a company’s market capitalization and therefore its market value. The higher shares are priced, the more a company is worth in market value and vice versa.
What happens when stocks rise?
When stocks rise, people invested in the equity markets gain wealth. This increased wealth often leads to increased consumer spending, as consumers buy more goods and services when they're confident they are in a financial position to do so.
Why do stocks rise?
A rising stock market is usually aligned with a growing economy and leads to greater investor confidence. Investor confidence in stocks leads to more buying activity which can also help to push prices higher. When stocks rise, people invested in the equity markets gain wealth. This increased wealth often leads to increased consumer spending, ...
How does stock performance affect issuance decisions?
Share issuance decisions can also be affected by stock performance. If a stock is doing well, a company might be more inclined to issue more shares because they believe they can raise more capital at the higher value. Stock market performance also affects a company’s cost of capital.
How does stock market performance affect cost of capital?
The higher the expected market performance, the higher the cost of equity capital will be .
What happens when a company's stock falls?
Companies may also have substantial capital investments in their stock which can lead to problems if the stock falls. For example, companies may hold shares as cash equivalents or use shares as backing for pension funds. In any case, when shares fall, the value decreases, which can lead to funding problems.
What happens when you buy more stocks?
When consumers buy more, businesses that sell those goods and services choose to produce more and sell more, reaping the benefit in the form of increased revenues . Stock market losses erode wealth in both personal and retirement portfolios. A consumer who sees his portfolio drop in value is likely to spend less.
What is the interest rate that impacts the stock market?
The interest rate that impacts the stock market is the federal funds rate. Also known as the discount rate, the federal funds rate is the rate at which depository institutions borrow from and lend to each other overnight.
How do higher interest rates affect stock prices?
Higher interest rates tend to negatively affect earnings and stock prices (with the exception of the financial sector). Understanding the relationship between interest rates and the stock market can help investors understand how changes may impact their investments.
What happens to the market as interest rates fall?
Conversely, as interest rates fall, it becomes easier for entities to borrow money, resulting in lower-yielding debt issuances.
How does the business cycle affect the market?
At the onset of a weakening economy, a modest boost provided by lower interest rates is not enough to offset the loss of economic activity; stocks may continue to decline.
Why did the Dow drop?
The number of points the Dow dropped on Oct. 10, 2018, due to the fear of higher interest rates. That said, the Dow also dropped even more significantly in March 2020 as the Fed cut rates to near zero amidst the global coronavirus pandemic.
What is the opposite effect of a rate hike?
A decrease in interest rates by the Federal Reserve has the opposite effect of a rate hike. Investors and economists alike view lower interest rates as catalysts for growth—a benefit to personal and corporate borrowing. This, in turn, leads to greater profits and a robust economy.
What happens to the stock market when a company is cut back?
If a company is seen as cutting back on its growth or is less profitable—either through higher debt expenses or less revenue—the estimated amount of future cash flows will drop. All else being equal, this will lower the price of the company's stock.

Fundamental Factors
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.
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 ...
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…
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…