Stocks Follow a Pattern, Dropping in Last Hour

[Liberal_in_LA]

Stocks Follow a Pattern, Dropping in Last Hour

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/business/economy/05markets.html?_r=1&hp

Stocks Follow a Pattern, Dropping in Last Hour

By JACK HEALY
Published: December 4, 2008

After posting two days of solid gains, shares on Wall Street fell sharply Thursday as investors were again hit with persistent reminders of economic weakness: falling retail sales numbers, high unemployment and layoff announcements from AT&T, Dupont and several media companies.

----------------

Once again, the markets made a wild swing around 3 p.m. — which has become the unpredictable witching hour. Markets had bobbed between positive and negative territory all afternoon, but raced downward in the last hour.

“It’s almost a Pavlovian reaction,” said Quincy Krosby, chief investment strategist at the Hartford. “The market has almost waited for end of the day selling into any strength.”

[bemildred]

1. Nobody know why stocks go up and down.

It's true that markets are manipulated, but still in the long run, markets do whatever they like. Investing is like gambling. Never forget it.

[Trajan]

2. Stocks follow a pattern ...

Sometimes up ... Sometimes down ....

Never changes ....

[SlicerDicer-]

3. buy low, sell high! You can never lose!

[Art_from_Ark]

4. That reminds me of Will Rogers' version of Calvin Coolidge's

State of the Union message:

"Now I know a lot of you are investing in the stock... mahket. As your President, let me advise you: Don't gamble. Take all your savings and buy some good stock, and hold it till it goes up. Then, sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it."