Understanding Good ETF Trading Strategies PDF Print E-mail
Written by Patrick Deaton   
Friday, 04 December 2009 10:12
As an investment vehicle that can promise a consistent -- and sometimes exceptional -- rate of return on investment (ROI), exchange traded funds can really deliver. Getting a handle on ETF trading strategies will be necessary, though, before jumping into investing in ETF's in any meaningful way. There are a few things to know, first of all, about exchange traded funds.
by PatrickDeaton


As an investment vehicle that can promise a consistent -- and sometimes exceptional -- rate of return on investment (ROI), exchange traded funds can really deliver. Getting a handle on ETF trading strategies will be necessary, though, before jumping into investing in ETF's in any meaningful way. There are a few things to know, first of all, about exchange traded funds.

These particular funds resemble mutual funds in some ways, especially in how they are set up. Additionally, ETFs usually restrict membership -- if you want to call it that -- to what ETFs refer to as "authorized participants." This usually means institutional investors who have the ability to buy and sell huge blocks of assets. Small investors can participate through ETF trading systems, though.

Imagine corporate stocks and how they are traded or bought and sold and you will have a good idea of how exchange traded funds are also moved through the markets. Almost every exchange traded fund establishes its operations so that it can track one or several of the major market indexes. For example, many track the S&P 500. This makes it easier to follow trends and set up trading strategies.

For a fact, there are endless trading strategies out there that can be used to track market movements and then timing buying and selling by those movements. Most, however, fall into two categories known as technical trading strategies and fundamental trading strategies. Technical strategists believe they can pick out shapes and patterns in market movements.

Those traitors who are good at picking out patterns and shapes in the movement of markets use stock charts to do so. Income earned can be very lucrative if done correctly. Those movements upwards or downwards can, basically, be timed through analysis and then markets can be exploited by those movements through trading of stocks at the right time.

One of the most common of technical strategies that exists today is to utilize what professional and amateur traders call the "moving average cross." With it, traders look at short-term movements in the market -- or a stock or fund -- and then overlay that short-term movement on a long-term trendline. Usually, most short-term movements are from-- to 25 days in duration to create a moving average line.

Once the moving average line can be established, traders then take that line and lay it over the analysis of the short-term movements in order to pick out the actual movement in the price of a stock or asset such as held in an ETF will result in after the stock crosses over the moving average line. The second part involves long-term trends, which use a 50 day moving average in order to smooth out the short-term trend.

Employing this strategy, traders can look at trends in the long-term and develop the moving support line. Those who are skilled at this strategy can pick out the right time to buy a stock at the bottom of its upward climb or at the point when the stock has touched or lightly penetrated the 50 day average. One can also use it to sell the stock short in an effective manner. Money is usually made on the margins.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

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