What drives the stock markets up and pulls it down?
613057
deerg\n\nWhen people buy stocks (market goes up) and when stocks are sold (market goes down)
702087
Wow, what a variety of answers.\n\nHere's the scoop.  Yes, some companies do it to manipulate their stock price a little, but the main reason to buy back shares is if a company cannot find alternative areas in which to invest their capital that will earn a higher rate of return.  Then they'll buy back their shares instead.\n\nWhat they're saying is, the best use of their money is to buy back their own stock, to invest in themselves.  Typically, this signals to the market that the company is believing in themselves.  \n\nConcurrently, the earnings will now be divided by fewer outstanding shares, thus raising the value of each share.\n\nHope that helps!
849701
That's the part you don't understand.  Conservatives don't blame.  They go back to work to fix the next problem, usually wrecked by a callow dem.  \n\nHere's another:  Stock markets are not controlled by political parties.\n\nGo to the library and check a few financial periodicals like the Wall Street Journal, because apparently your household does not subscribe.  \n\nThe markets are hitting historical highs.  Do you know what that means?\n\nWhile you are at it, scan the editorials.  You will find contributors from your Kofi Anon to Dick Morris, Charles Krautheimer . . . .  It can't hurt to see what's going on in the world.\n\nYou might grow up one day.  You might make a great contribution to the world too.  Maybe.  Get started.
366545
Here's a synopsis of a college course in Econ 101. The answer is that "Supply and Demand" determines price in a free market.\n\nIn the very short term, which you were watching, there are thousands of traders like myself, witht heir fingers poised over the Buy button or Sell button to be hit when certain conditions are met. You are seeing the result of the those button pushers. When many people collectively Buy the same stock, the price goes up, and when many more people sell than there are buyers, the price goes down. \n\nThat's really all there is to it, at least, within the realm of your question.
453546
market theory suggests shorting a stock (selling a stock not owned with the expectation it can be purchased in the future at a price lower than for which it was sold) in substantial enough quantities creates a temporary imbalance in the supply/demand equilibrium, requiring a lower price to attract buyers to return the stock to a new, but lower s/d equilibrium price.  This is a short run phenomenon for liquid stocks.  It should be noted that stocks with substantial uncovered open short interest are actually less resistant to price drops.
244098
Stock brokers get theri money on buy and sell fees.  They love the curn of day traders and those that want to short, make stops ect.  They could make a fortune if the market were to crash and everyone sold to get out.\n\nIt also might be illegal (after all pump and dump boiler rooms are illegal) or unethlical to have brokers to steer people to buy stocks they own.  Imagine if the broker were to buy stocks of XYZ, then he gets people to buy the stock in that company driving the price up.  Then he sell and makes money.
690489
When the interest rates rise companies that have loans will have to pay more in interest. In other words their profits will decrease. Hence the stock in such companies become less attractive and are sold off.\n\nThis can create a domino effect as many investors start to dump the stocks that are not affected by the interest rate rises without fully understanding the fundamentals.\n\nThe global markets are watching closely the US markets and usually will take the lead from it.\n\nThe recent fall was not triggered by interest rates alone but also a sharp decline in commodity prices. Markets such as Australia are immediately affected because of the mining companies in that country. In India there were other factors like rumors regarding Foreign Investors and taxation applicable to them which may have forced them to sell their holdings in India.\n\nFear and greed control the stock markets and sometimes logic does not prevail.
497614
The first uses financial and economic analysis to try and predict the movement of prices.  This could be the general economic data, earnings reports, industry reports, and so on.\n\nThe second uses the time series data of the price and volume and similar things.  It's like staring at the chart of prices and predicting what will happen in the future.  The assumption is that there are patterns in the data.
108271
Stock markets are regolamented markets in wich you can buy and sell stocks, (shares, partecipations in a corporation).\n\nThere are two different ways in which stock markets can be organized. In quote driven markers negotiations are pulled by prices: the dealers show the bid and ask prices at wich they buy and sell a share.\n\nIn order driven markets the price of a stock is determined by demand and supply for that stock without the intermediation of a price-maker dealer. Generally it is similar to a double auction sale: many sellers sell to many buyers.
1144887
If I remember correctly, wars generally have a positive affect on the stock market.\n\nThink about it-- take public money (yeah, OUR money), spend a boat-load of it on military equipment, supplies and salaries that are provided (more and more now) by private companies.\n\nThey hire people, make more money-- stock price goes up.\n\nthat's the theory anyway.  \n\nmarket is more worried about inflation and oil prices than the war.
688950
the short answer is inflation . when inflation is high the fed will raise the interest rate to combat and try to slow down inflation .
285750
Buying stocks is a good and easy way to make money ONLY if you invest in stocks that go up. If you invests in stocks that go down from the time that you buy them, you'll be loosing money big time! The stock market is a big risk...it's gambling with your money. You might earn money, but if you lose money and you don't have a lot of it, you'll have a big problem.
382324
A bull run on the stock exchange is a time when the investors create a situation that they buy shares at lower price and the buying activity is more than the selling side. In such case the prices will go on and then a reasonable rise in price means a good return for the investor. Such upswing is the Bull Market..... the Bull uses his horn to rise the stock index.\n\nOn the other hand there might be heavy selling and out pass the buying. Higher no of sellers will mean a competition to sell shares. So with more stocks available to buy the buyer will want a still lesser price. So the prices will keep falling and finally a time will come where is little to sell. At such lower prices investors may buy because that is the lowest price at which they can buy. Thus it is like a bear hugging the prey when it is on free fall. Thus the Bear run...\n\nLong story short.... Bulls.... upswing...... Bears.... downwards..\n\nHappy enjoying the bourse
445902
Here's a little something I've learned about Cramer. When he pushes a stock, the next day in the first 1/2 hr, the stock goes up. To make money off of his hype, get ready to short it.
173045
Basically, people lost confidence in the stock market and began selling their stocks, all of the selling led to lower prices of stocks, that led to lower confidence and more selling.  More info here:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929
192046
By buying back its shares in the market and then cancelling them. Often done in UK and US as it then increases earnings per share
729205
Its because the market is constantly changing and thats what day traders try to capitalize on. Stocks make money through either capital appreciation (raises in value) or dividends (money paid out from company). Day traders usually do trades that run from a couple of thousand dollars to much more. They make their money by using the large amount of stock purchased with those thousands and then later sell them after capital appreciation. Meaning the value of the stocks went up and they sold them for more and since they bought so much stock those few cents turned into much more than even thousands in some cases. The reason its so risky is because stocks fluctuate meaning they also go down although historically the stock market continually rises. Hope that gave you an idea.