Investing in the stock market is all about finding the right stock at the right time. However, it is quite possible at times to miss out on a golden opportunity due to a large scheme of things surrounding different stocks. To avoid any such instances, you can maintain a watch list and keep an eye on the trading prices of all the different stocks which you want to monitor on a single screen!
First Off, What is a Watch list?
The Indian stock market has thousands of stocks listed on NSE and BSE. And it, at times, can become difficult to keep track of the specific stocks in which you are interested in investing. This is where a watch list comes into play.
A watch list is a digital list of stocks that you wish to regularly monitor for spotting good and profitable investing and trading opportunities. You can make your watch list on an online trading platform according to the stocks and sectors you want to monitor. Also, various investing platforms offer an auto-prepared watch list to you, matching your investment preference and risk profile.
How to Make a Profitable Watch list?
For making a watch list, you need to understand the market, price movements, and the factors that can affect them, such as the company’s fundamentals and ongoing economic and geopolitical events. Also, since the stock market is highly dynamic and sensitive to the surrounding happenings, you need to update your watch list as and when required. Below, we have mentioned some ways that can give you a profitable watch list –
- Study different sectors of the economy. Assess them based on their industrial outlook in both the short and long term. This will help you identify the ones which are capable of leading the economy or at least being the top runners. Once you know in which sectors you should put your money, add the strongest players of those sectors to your watch list to trade in them when the time is right.
- Don’t make a long watch list; otherwise, it will be difficult for you to keep an eye on the main stocks. Don’t let weak prospective stocks shadow the high potential ones by adding a lot to your watch list.
- Check and update your watch list regularly to avoid missing out on any new trade opportunity. Also, if you are not trading in some particular sectors at a time, then do not remove them entirely from your list, as you never know when the market behavior changes and make those sectors worth investing in.
- Try and make a permanent section of those evergreen stocks that often either remain in the news or appear as the market drivers.
Conclusion
A watch list of stocks is a must to have thing if you are engaged in online investing and trading. It helps you avoid missing good trading opportunities but also helps you keep track of your portfolio and know when it is a good time to either exit or enter a new sector or stock!
