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Investing in Food Stocks

You may not know what the future holds, but you know there’ll be a meal involved. A good meal or grocery trip is not only a necessity for survival, it can also be part of an investment strategy.

While restaurants and grocery stores may come to mind, the world of food stocks is larger than one might think, encompassing everything from a grain of wheat to the latest on-demand app.

Food stocks and the industries surrounding them have long been a part of investors’ portfolios. The most recent figures show that Americans dedicate close to 10% of their disposable income on food, a level that’s been consistent for about two decades. Roughly half that is spent for food at home, and the other half is on dining out.

But some types of food stocks can hold more risk than others. Read on to learn the history of food stocks in the market, the types of food stocks, and the overall risk profile of these investments.

Are Food Companies Consumer Staples or Discretionary Stocks?

Looking at the market as a whole, food stocks are part of the “consumer staples” industry, which is considered to be a “defensive” sector in investing. Defensive sectors are those less closely tied to the economy. That means even if the economy is in a recession, consumer staples are seen as less risky and more stable than other industries.

However, no stock is recession-proof. And not all food stocks are actually consumer staples. For instance, restaurant companies typically fall into the consumer discretionary category, which consist of “cyclical stocks,” or those tied to how well the economy is doing. That’s because of how people tend to dine out when they have more income to spend in their pockets.

Recommended: Investing With the Business Cycle

When deciding whether to invest in a food stock, beginner investors might want to research which industry the company falls under: consumer staples or consumer discretionary.

Different Types of Food Stocks

Food stocks include more than just memorable brands. It’s more encompassing than just consumer-facing brands or restaurants. Anything that helps food get to your plate can be considered part of the food supply chain.

Food stocks generally fall under these seven sub-industries:

Farming

Food stock investing can start at the granular level–investing in raw agricultural commodities like soy, rice, wheat, and corn. Farming stocks can also include the ancillary companies that foster that growth–companies that create and distribute insecticide and herbicide or build the industrial-size farm equipment to help harvest goods.

While one might think investing in farming stock would be actual farms, the reality is the opposite. About 98% of farms in the U.S. are family-owned and therefore, not publicly traded. So investing in farming stock primarily means the chemicals and machinery that help harvest the raw product.

Farming stocks can waver based on things like the weather and current events. It can be challenging to predict the next rainy season or drought, sometimes making it hard to track and predict value. In addition, tariffs and trade agreements can influence the performance of these stocks, making them more volatile.

Recommended: Understanding Stock Volatility

Food-Processing Stocks

Companies that work in food processing buy raw ingredients that are combined to make items in the grocery store aisles or on restaurant menus.

Some names and brands in the food processing sector might not be familiar to the casual investor. More often than not, these companies are behind the scenes, operating at a large scale to provide the world oils and sweeteners.

Food processing stocks have their own quirks when it comes to investing. Unlike farming, they’re less influenced by the whims of weather or season, but they still have an associated set of risks. The costs associated with this industry vertical are vast, and price competition across brands can lead to drops or jumps in the market.

Stocks of Food Producers

Further up the supply chain comes food producers, where novice investors are more likely to know these brands and companies from daily life and dietary habits. Food producers take the raw ingredients provided by processors and create the items found on store shelves.

Break this vertical down further to find “diversified” and “specialized” producers.

As the name suggests, diversified food producers are companies that create a ton of different products under the same name umbrella, like Nestlé, which makes everything from baby food to ice cream.

Then there are specialized producers. They make consumer products as well, but these companies often cater to a narrower audience, producing only a few items, often within the same vertical.

In times of recession, luxury or expensive food processing stocks might take a dip. Additionally, consumer trends can influence the market. Take the alternative meat craze–a popular investment trend in recent years. Investors saw larger-than-average returns for the industry due to interest in the trend.

Food-Distribution Stocks

Distribution companies have little to do with consumption or production and focus more on logistics and transport. These companies send products across the country and world.

Distribution companies range from very large, reaching national distribution, to fairly small, where they connect specialty retailers. The distribution market might have its long-term players, but investing in it comes with its own risks.

Grocery-Store Stocks

Grocery stores have become big business in the investment game. The next link in the chain, grocery stores are where the products end up once a distributor drops them off.

Grocery store investments are hardly recession-proof, but the necessity of groceries as a staple for consumers suggests these investments take a lesser hit in a market downturn.

Recommended: Investing During a Recession

Restaurant Stocks

Restaurants are an additional resting place for food distributors. In economic downturns, discretionary restaurant spending is usually the first to go, making this industry within food investing slightly less stable than the others. Additionally, this arena might be most susceptible to trends.

Food-Delivery Service Stocks

The newest addition in food stocks is more about tech than good eats. Online delivery services have burst onto the scene, and with a limited history of performance, are considered to be riskier than the traditional food stocks outlined above.

Right now, delivery service companies are still duking it out across the country, expanding to new cities and slashing the price of services to entice customers.

Pros and Cons of Investing in Food Stocks

With all the ingredients in order, it’s time to highlight a few of the basic pros and cons of investing in food stocks.

• Pro: Food stocks, particularly those that are consumer staples, can perform consistently. Food stocks can be a relatively safe, recession-resistant investment (but remember all stocks have inherent risk).
• Con: Food stocks perform consistently. For an investor looking for a higher-risk investment, the steady year-over-year earnings might not be as enticing for someone trying to build a high-return portfolio.
• Pro: Familiarity with brands. Many food stocks are also commonly found in investors’ pantries and refrigerators. For someone new to investing, buying stocks in the brands they trust and use could be a great way to dip their toes in the market.
• Con: Not all food stocks are immune to ups and downs in the economy. Some companies, particularly restaurant groups or those that produce higher-priced products, may be hurt if discretionary spending by consumers pulls back.

The Takeaway

Investing in food companies can actually lead to investing in a wide range of different companies–those that are defensive and more immune to economic shifts, those that are cyclical and rise when the economy is hot.

It can also involve wagering on stocks that have long been a part of the food supply chain, as well as startup unicorn companies that are using innovative mobile technology to deliver meals to consumers.

For individuals who want to try their hand at picking food stocks, SoFi’s Active Investing platform may be a good option. Investors can buy traditional stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or even fractional shares of some companies. For those who need help, the Automated Investing service builds portfolios for SoFi Members and Certified Financial Planners can answer questions on investing.

Get started with SoFi Invest today.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).

2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.

3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.

For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or pre-qualification for any loan product offered by SoFi Lending Corp and/or its affiliates.
Third Party Brand Mentions: No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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Bitcoin Gold (BTG): Creation, Controversy, and How it Stacks up to BCH

Any conversation about cryptocurrency has to start with Bitcoin. It was the first crypto (it’s been around since 2009), it is the most valuable (worth over $1 trillion), and it’s the most traded (over $60 billion in daily volume). It also has the most spinoffs, or “forks,” that have become widely-used cryptos in their own right.

Perhaps the most well-known forks are Bitcoin Cash (BCH), which came out in 2017, and Bitcoin Gold(BCG), which was the product of a fork from Bitcoin a few months later.

What is Bitcoin Gold?

Bitcoin Gold was a hard fork from Bitcoin with the intent of further decentralizing Bitcoin. The idea was to use a new algorithm for the mining process that would not prioritize major mining operations, as some believed Bitcoin did.

Bitcoin Gold was an implicit criticism of Bitcoin, essentially arguing that it had betrayed or at least strayed from its initial roots as a decentralized currency with its increasingly centralized mining operations. Even if anyone can buy Bitcoin, it’s much harder (or at least not profitable) for anyone to create it.

Developers wanted to make it easier for normal computer users to mine on their own machines, a contrast to the massive Bitcoin mining industry, which is mostly done on specialized computer equipment purchased and operated by big-time operators in places like Iceland, where electricity is cheap. With Bitcoin Gold, however, the humble graphics card could carry the load.

Bitcoin Gold Controversy

Bitcoin Gold has been controversial almost since its inception. Typically with hard forks, owners of the initial cryptocurrency also receive units of the new one. For example, when Bitcoin Cash forked from Bitcoin, all Bitcoin owners got Bitcoin Cash.

When the Bitcoin Gold fork occurred, on the other hand, Bitcoin owners did not immediately get their new cryptocurrency. Instead, developers kept the Bitcoin Gold blockchain private for a few weeks so that they could mine BTG without competition—which they described as a “premine”. Critics opposed this practice, as it left fewer coins available for others to mine and also amounted to “free money” for the BTG developers.

As a result, cryptocurrency exchange and service provider Coinbase said it would not support BitcoinGold, explaining that because developers hadn’t made the code available for review by the public, it posed a security risk.

BTG Security Issues

Bitcoin Gold was worth over $8 billion when it launched, but fell dramatically in value as security issues emerged.

BTG has experienced multiple “51% attacks,” where an entity or individual or hacker is able to do the one thing that cryptocurrency is supposed to prevent: take control of transactions and “double spend” them, essentially stealing money. After one of the attacks, Bitcoin Gold was delisted from some exchanges.

In 2020, the developers behind Bitcoin Gold were able to fend off another attempt on the cryptocurrency’s network.
In early March 2021, the Bitcoin Gold team posted on its blog that its “hibernation has come to an end”—the 51% attacks that plagued the coin last year were ultimately defeated by the BTG miners and community.

What is Bitcoin Gold Worth Now?

Bitcoin Gold is ranked 73rd among cryptos according to CoinMarketCap (as of late April 2021) and has a total value of around $1.6 billion and a value per coin of around $90. Bitcoin Gold’s value was over $470 per coin at least twice in 2017, but has been under $100 since early 2018.

Bitcoin Gold vs. Bitcoin Cash Value

When comparing Bitcoin Gold vs Bitcoin Cash, the numbers speak for themselves: the original fork has a total value of almost $11 trillion, volume of almost $3 billion, and a value per coin of over $500. Bitcoin Cash is about 87 percent from its absolute peak value but is still substantially more valuable than its forked cousin on a “per coin” basis, at least so far, when it comes to Bitcoin Cash vs Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash is winning.

How to Invest in Bitcoin Gold

Bitcoin Gold is not available to buy and sell on mainstream exchanges like Coinbase, but, according to its organizers, it is available to trade on exchanges like Binance and Bitfinex.

The Takeaway

Bitcoin Gold is yet another hard fork of Bitcoin, like Bitcoin Cash. What distinguishes Bitcoin Gold is its intent: To further decentralize and democrative mining, making it more accessible to individual miners, rather than large groups with massive computing power.

For investors interested in building a crypto portfolio, buying crypto on SoFi Invest® can be a great way to start trading crypto. You can get started with just $10, we keep your crypto secure and protected from fraud, and you can manage your account in the SoFi app.

Find out how to invest in crypto with SoFi Invest.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).

2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.

3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.

For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or pre-qualification for any loan product offered by SoFi Lending Corp and/or its affiliates.
Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments.
Third Party Brand Mentions: No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Understanding Pivot Points for New Investors

Pivot points are a tool that traders use to determine price levels of technical significance on intraday charts. A pivot point can help to identify a potential price reversal, which traders can then use (often in tandem with other technical indicators) as a cue to buy or sell.

When used alongside other common technical indicators, identifying pivot points can be part of an effective trading strategy. Pivot points are regarded as being important indicators for day traders.

What is a Pivot Point?

Pivot points are predictive indicators that average the high, low, and closing price from the previous period to define future support levels. These pivot points can help inform a decision to buy or sell.

The main pivot point is considered to be of the utmost importance. This point indicates the price at which bullish and bearish forces tend to flip to one side or the other (i.e., the price where sentiment tends to pivot from). When prices rise above the pivot point, this could be considered bullish, while prices falling beneath the pivot point could be considered bearish.

Brief History of Pivot Points

Pivot points got their start back when traders gathered on the floor of stock exchanges. Calculating a pivot point using yesterday’s data gave these traders a price level to watch for throughout the day. Pivot point calculations are considered leading indicators.

Today, pivot points are used by traders around the world, particularly in the forex and equity markets.

Different Types of Pivot Points

There are several different kinds of pivot points in addition to the standard ones. The variations make some changes or additions to the basic pivot point calculations to bring additional insight to the price action.

Standard Pivot Points

These are the most basic pivot points. They begin with a base pivot point, which is the average of the high, low, and closing prices from a previous trading period.

Fibonacci Pivot Points

Fibonacci projections, named after a mathematical sequence found in nature, connect any two points a trader might see as important. The percentage levels that follow are potential areas of a trend change. Most commonly, these percentage levels are 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8%, and 78.6%. It’s thought that when an asset falls to one of these levels, the price might stall or reverse.

Many traders love using Fibonacci projection levels in some form or another. These work well in conjunction with pivot points because both aim to identify levels of support and resistance.

Woodie’s Pivot Point

The Woodie’s pivot point places a greater emphasis on the closing price of a security. The calculation only varies slightly from the standard formula for pivot points.

Demark Pivot Points

Demark points create a different relationship between the open and close price points, using the number X to calculate support and resistance, and also emphasizes recent price action. This pivot point was introduced by a trader named Tom Demark.

How Do I Read Pivot Points?

A trader might read a pivot point as they would any other level of support or resistance. Traders generally believe that when prices break out beyond a support or resistance level, there’s a good chance that the trend will continue for some length of time.

•  When prices fall beneath support, this could indicate bearish sentiment, and the decline could continue.
•  When prices rise above resistance, this could indicate bullish sentiment, and the rise could continue.
•  Pivot points can also be used to draw trend lines in attempts to recognize bigger technical patterns.

What Are the Resistance and Support Levels in Pivot Points?

The numbers R1, R2, R3 and S1, S2, S3 refer to the resistance (R) and support (S) levels used to calculate pivot points. These six numbers combined with the basic pivot point level (PP) provide the seven metrics needed to determine pivot points.

Resistance 1 (R1): The first pivot level above the PP.
Resistance 2 (R2): The first pivot level above R1, or the second pivot level above the PP.
Resistance 3 (R3): The first pivot level above R2, or the third pivot level above the PP.
Support 1 (S1): The first pivot level below the PP.
Support 2 (S2): The first pivot level below the PP, or the second below S1.
Support 3 (S3): The first pivot level below the PP, or the third below S2.

Which Pivot Points Are Best for Intraday?

Because technical analysis has a large subjective component to it, traders will likely have their own interpretations of which pivot points are most important for intraday trading.

While some traders are fond of Fibonacci pivot points, others may prefer different points.

There are communities online, like TradingView, where traders gather to discuss ideas like these.

Pivot Points Calculations

The PP is vital for the pivot point formula as a whole. It’s important to exercise caution when calculating the PP level, because if this calculation is done incorrectly, the other levels will not be accurate.
The formula for calculating the PP is:

Pivot Point (PP) = (Daily high + daily low + close) divided by 3

To make the calculations for pivot points, a chart from the previous trading day will be needed. This is where the values for the daily low, daily high, and closing prices are obtained. The resulting calculations are only relevant for the current day.

All the formulas for R1-R3 and S1-S3 include the basic pivot level (PP) value. Once the PP has been calculated, you can move on to calculating R1, R2, S1 and S2:

R1 = (PP x 2) – daily low
R2 = PP + (daily high – daily low)
S1 = (PP x 2) – daily high
S2 = PP – (daily high – daily low)

At this point, there are only two more levels to calculate, those of R3 and S3.

R3 = Daily high + 2x (PP – daily low)
S3 = Daily low – 2x (daily high – PP)

How Are Weekly Pivot Points Calculated?

While pivot points are most commonly used for intraday charts, the same thing could be accomplished for a weekly time frame by instead using a weekly chart from the previous week as the basis for calculations that would apply to the current week.

The Takeaway

The pivot point indicator is best used with other indicators on short, intraday time frames. This indicator is thought to provide a good guess as to where prices could “pivot” in one direction or another.

Different types of pivot points are preferred by different traders, and they all can potentially be incorporated into a successful trading plan.

For hands-on investors, active investing with a SoFi Invest® online brokerage account lets members make trades and manage their account directly from the convenient mobile app.

Find out how to get started with SoFi Invest.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).

2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.

3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.

For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or pre-qualification for any loan product offered by SoFi Lending Corp and/or its affiliates.
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What Does Buying the Dip Mean?

A down stock market could create an opportunity for investors to buy the dip. In simple terms, this strategy involves making an investment when stock prices are low.

This is a way to capitalize on bargain pricing and potentially benefit from price increases down the line. But like any other investing strategy, buying the dip involves some risk—as it’s often a matter of market timing.

Knowing when to buy the dip (or when not to) matters for building a solid portfolio while managing risk.

What Does It Mean to Buy the Dip?

To buy the dip is to invest when the stock market is down with the potential to go back up. A dip occurs when stock prices drop below where they’ve normally been trading, but there’s an indication that they’ll begin to rise again at some point. This second part is crucial; if there’s no expectation that the stock’s price will bounce back down the line then there’s little incentive to buy in.

Why Do Stock Dips Happen?

Dips can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, general stock market volatility can cause stock prices to tumble temporarily on a broad scale. A recent example of a dip would be the lows the market experienced in the spring of 2020 connected to economic fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, followed by a gradual rise in stock pricing.

Stock pricing dips can also be connected directly to a particular company, rather than overall market trends. If a company announces a merger or posts a quarterly earnings report that falls below expectations, for instance, those could trigger a short-term drop in its share price.

What’s the Benefit of Buying the Dip?

If you’re wondering, “why buy the dip?” or “should I buy the dip?” it helps to understand the upsides of this strategy.

Buying the dip is a way to cash in on the “buy low, sell high” mantra that’s so often repeated in investment circles. When you buy into a stock below it’s normal price, there is a potential (but not a guarantee) to reap significant profits by selling it later if prices rebound.

Example of Buying the Dip

Say, for example, you’ve been tracking a stock that’s been trading at $50 a share. Then the company’s CEO abruptly announces they’re resigning—which sends the stock price tumbling to $30 per share as overall investor confidence wavers. So you decide to buy 100 shares at the $30 price.

Six months later, a new CEO has been installed who’s managed to slash costs while boosting profits. Now that same stock is trading at $70 per share. Because you bought the dip when prices were low, you now stand to pick up a profit of $40 per share if you sell. The potential to earn big gains is what makes buying the dip a popular investment strategy for some people.

Risks of Buying the Dip

For any investor, it’s important to understand what kind of risk you’re taking when buying the dip. Timing the market is something even the most advanced investors may struggle with—as it’s impossible to perfectly predict which way stocks will move on any given day. Understanding trend indicators and what they can tell you about the market may help, but it isn’t foolproof.

For these reasons, knowing when to buy the dip is an inexact science. If you buy into a stock low and then are able to sell it high later, then your play has paid off. On the other hand, you could lose money if you mistime the dip or you mistake a stock that’s in freefall for one that’s experiencing a dip.

In the former scenario, it’s possible that a stock’s price could drop even further before it starts to rebound. If you buy in before the dip hits bottom, that can shrink the amount of profits you’re able to realize when you sell.
In the latter case, you may think a stock has the potential to recover but be disappointed when it doesn’t. You’ve purchased the stock at a bargain but the profit you’re able to walk away with, if anything, may be much smaller than you anticipated.

How to Manage Risk When Buying the Dip

For investors who are interested in buying the dip, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help with managing risk.

Understand Market Volatility

First, it’s important to understand how market volatility may impact some sectors or industries over others.

For example, take consumer staples versus consumer discretionary. Staples represent the things most people spend money on to maintain a basic standard of living, like food or personal hygiene products. Consumer discretionary refers to the “wants” people spend money on, like furniture or electronics.

Recommended: How to Handle Stock Market Volatility

In the midst of a recession, people spend more on staples than discretionary expenses—so consumer staples stocks tend to fare better. But that may create a buying opportunity for discretionary stocks if they’ve taken a hit. That’s because as a recession begins to give way to a new cycle of economic growth, those stocks may start to pick back up again.

Consider the Reason for the Dip

Next, consider the reasons behind a dip and a company’s fundamentals. If you’ve got your eye on a particular stock and you notice the price is beginning to slide, ask yourself why that may be happening. When it’s specific to the company, rather than something general happening across the market, it’s important to analyze the stock and try to understand the underlying reasons for the dip—as well as how likely the stock’s price is to make a comeback later.

Buy the Dip vs. Dollar-Cost Averaging

Buying the dip is more of a hands-on trading strategy, since it requires an investor to actively monitor the markets and read stock charts to evaluate when to buy the dip or when to sell. If an investor prefers to take a more passive approach or has a lower tolerance for risk, they might consider dollar-cost averaging instead.

Dollar-cost averaging is generally an investing rule worth keeping in mind. With dollar-cost averaging, an individual continues making new investments on a regular basis, regardless of what’s happening with stock prices. The idea here is that by investing consistently over time, one can generate returns in a way that smooths out the ups and downs of the market.

Example of Dollar-Cost Averaging

For example, you might invest $200 every month into an index mutual fund that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. As time goes by and the S&P experiences good years and bad years, you keep investing that same $200 a month into the fund.

Recommended: What to Know About Dollar Cost Averaging

You’ll buy shares during the dips and during the high points as well but you don’t have to actively track what’s happening with stock prices. This may be a preferable strategy if you lean toward a buy and hold investing approach versus active trading or you’re a beginner learning the basics.

The Takeaway

Knowing when to buy the dip can be tricky, but there are times when it may pay off for some investors. A few things that can help: knowing when to buy in and understanding how likely it is that a stock or the market as a whole will rebound.

You can buy the dip with individual stocks or use exchange-traded funds instead to manage risk. Both strategies are options with SoFi Invest® online trading, where investors can start trading with as little as $1.

Find out how to get started with SoFi Invest.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).

2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.

3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.

For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or pre-qualification for any loan product offered by SoFi Lending Corp and/or its affiliates.

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Source: sofi.com

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What is Rent Control?

Did you ever wonder how Monica and Rachel in “Friends” could afford rent in a two-bedroom New York City apartment on a waitress and chef’s salary? Well, the answer is rent control.

Rent control is a rare policy that fixes the price of rent indefinitely and falls under the umbrella term “rent regulations.”

It sounds great, right? Before you get too excited, you need to understand exactly what is rent control.

We’ll talk about the difference between rent control vs. rent stabilization, explain how it really works and give you a few advantages and disadvantages of living in a rent-controlled apartment.

Rent control vs. rent stabilization

Both rent control and rent stabilization are concepts centered around the idea of protecting tenants from major increases in the price of rent. The goal is to keep housing affordable while also enabling landlords to increase rent.

While people often confuse the two, there is a big difference between them.

Rent stabilization

Rent stabilization is the more common practice and means that landlords or property owners can only increase rent by a specific percentage year-over-year. In areas that have rent stabilization in place, the state sets the rate at which landlords can increase rent. Because this is a state issue, not a federal issue, it can vary drastically state-by-state. For example, Oregon limits yearly rent increases to 9.2 percent while Los Angeles County in California limits yearly rent increases to a mere 3 percent.

This is a more common practice and you’ll likely have an easier time finding a rent-stabilized apartment than a rent-controlled apartment.

Rent control

Rent control is a policy that means landlords cannot increase a tenant’s rent. Effectively, rental rates remain set and won’t increase. Rent-controlled apartments have a set price for rent that will not increase whereas rent-stabilized apartments will see price increases but there is a cap on how much the rate can increase each year.

Rent-controlled apartments are incredibly rare, so if you live in or can find a rent-controlled apartment, you’re very lucky.

Friends apartment in NYC.

In fact, there are only 22,000 rent-controlled apartments out there. Even if you can find a rent-controlled apartment on the market, you have to meet a specific set of criteria to qualify for one. This includes:

  • You cannot make more than $200,000 for two years in a row
  • The building must have been built before 1947
  • The apartment must have been lived in by the same family since at least 1971
  • The apartment must be passed from family member to family member
  • The person who inherits the rent-controlled apartment must have lived in it for two years straight before officially inheriting it

Now, it makes sense how Monica had such a great apartment in New York — she lived in the apartment with her grandmother for two years prior to inheriting it from her. This allowed her to take over the rent-controlled apartment and keep it in the family.

Where is rent control most common?

Out of the 50 states, only five have specific rent control policies in place. The other 45 exempt rent control or have no active policies in place.

The five states that have some rent-controlled apartments are California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Oregon.

Map of rent control.

Photo source: National Multifamily Housing Council

Pros and cons of rent control

As with everything, there are pros and cons to rent control depending on your perspective and situation.

Pro: Cheaper for tenants

Because rent-controlled apartments have a fixed price for rent, they are very affordable. You will pay the same price for rent year after year, even as your neighbors experience price increases. Rent-controlled apartments are cheap.

Pro: Affordable even when wages don’t increase

It’s common knowledge that rent prices are rising faster than wages are. So, you can live in the same apartment at the same price and still afford it, even if you don’t see a pay bump on your paycheck very often.

Pro: Foster safe neighborhoods

Rent-controlled apartments offer renters financial stability because they know that they can live on a fixed income. When there is financial stability, people will stay in the same location, develop relationships with neighbors and decrease renter turnover. All of these factors contribute to a safer neighborhood and environment.

Pro: Automatic lease renewals

When you live in a rent-controlled apartment, you automatically get the first right of renewal on your lease. Basically, you always have a place to live and can always re-sign your lease at the same rate.

Con: Not always well-maintained

Because of the fixed rent price in a rent-controlled apartment, landlords don’t maintain, update or refurbish them as often because it isn’t profitable for them. At times, rent-controlled apartments have outdated appliances because no one invests in them.

Con: Hard to come by

As we mentioned earlier, there are roughly 22,000 rent-controlled apartments in the wild, so they are incredibly rare and hard to come by. As such, you’ll be frustrated looking for one as the supply is so low.

Con: Landlords often lose money on rent-controlled apartments

If you’re a landlord of a rent-controlled apartment, you’re likely losing money compared to other landlords who can increase the price of rent each year. If you’re a tenant, this is great. But, it’s a con for the property owner.

Reviewing and signing a lease.

How to find a rent-controlled apartment

Rent-controlled apartments are a unicorn in the real estate world. When you have one, hold onto it as they are very rare and you likely won’t have a better deal anywhere, especially in an expensive metro like New York City.

If you want a rent-controlled apartment, you have two ways to find one.

  1. You can inherit a rent-controlled apartment
  2. Research the city or state’s database of rent-controlled apartments

If you can’t find or qualify for a rent-controlled apartment, don’t fret. Rent.com has thousands of affordable apartments all across the country that would be perfect for you. Start your search today!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice. Readers are encouraged to seek professional legal or financial advice as they may deem it necessary.

Source: rent.com

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The Best Places to Live in Wyoming in 2021

Wyoming became an official state in the United States in 1890. Since then, this gem of America, with its roving bison herds, gorgeous mountains and sweeping plains and plenty of rodeos, keeps the spirit of the West alive.

The best places to live in Wyoming immerse you in all the benefits of the Cowboy State.

The state of Wyoming boasts a strong academic record, an economy with a mineral and tourism focus and one of the lowest costs of living in the country. The average price of rent in Wyoming is less than the national average. Plus, Wyoming has no state income tax — so money stretches further.

When you choose to live in one of the best cities in Wyoming, you decide to begin a brand-new adventure in one of America’s natural beauties. Take your pick from the following:

Casper, WY.

Casper first appeared on the map thanks to Fort Caspar, a stop on the Oregon Trail, the Wyoming Central Railway and an oil boom. Now “Oil City” is Wyoming’s second-largest city with a thriving rental market.

Casper provides ample education opportunities, with more than 25 schools and Casper College serving the area.

Natural beauty and outdoor activities abound in Casper. The city continually appears on lists as a top place for fishing in the country; its North Platte river provides plenty of angling opportunities and gorgeous scenery for canoeing excursions.

Plus, historic downtown hosts various shops, a historic walking tour and delicious restaurants and cafes to enjoy here.

Cheyenne, WY, one of the best places to live in wyoming

Known as the “Magic City of the Plains,” Cheyenne serves as the capital of Wyoming. The Old West-inspired city is famous for producing the likes of country music legend Chris LeDoux and hosting the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days.

For a capital city, Cheyenne’s rental market is remarkably affordable, with the average three-bedroom apartment running under $1,100 a month.

The city itself has grown into a family-friendly place. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Paul Smith Children’s Village, along with movie theaters, museums and city parks, provide plenty of activities year-round for little ones.

Plus, living in Cheyenne puts residents a short drive to Vedauwoo Recreation Area and Granite Springs Reservoir Campgrounds, beautiful hiking and fishing areas for those who want to escape.

evanston wy

Source: Rent.com / Classic Lodge Apartments

Standing at 6,800 feet with 300 days of sunshine a year, Evanston is an ideal spot for sun worshippers. Plus, the Bear River flows right through this spirited small town set near the Uinta Mountains, creating a beautiful backdrop.

Locals enjoy wandering the vibrant downtown district or golfing at the Purple Sage Golf Course during the summer months. Hunting, fishing and hiking flourish in the area, with Bear River State Park just a stone’s throw from the town.

Winter provides plenty of opportunities for skiing and snow-shoeing, ice-fishing, dog-sled races, parades and holiday celebrations.

Evanston’s recreation center, parks and public schools make the town an excellent choice for families who like to stay busy year-round.

Gillette, WY, one of the best places to live in wyoming

Gillette is the “Energy Capital of the Nation” due to its minerals and fuel production, but there is more to this city than mining. Adventurers and families thrive in Gillette, which serves as a base for travel to Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore.

Campbell County Parks and Recreation provides the city with everything from team sports and an annual dodgeball tournament to swimming and rock-climbing lessons.

The community works hard to provide a rich social life for everyone. Local organizations put on year-round events like the Festival of Lights and the 4th of July celebrations.

Families arriving in Gillette will find excellent schools, a local community college and plenty of kid-friendly activities.

Adventurers and explorers will discover myriad getaway opportunities, fly fishing expeditions and unique sites to visit in this diverse and growing city.

Gillette, WY.

Jackson has become the Hollywood of Wyoming. The city is home to many celebrities, from Kanye West to Harrison Ford, and it’s no wonder why. Jackson, also known as Jackson Hole, boasts one of America’s best ski-resorts — Jackson Hole Mountain Resort — and some of the best scenery Wyoming has to offer.

Nestled in the Tetons, within the Bridger-Teton National Forest and National Elk Refuge, Jackson offers a sea of trees and mountainous views unlike any other.

The economy grows every year in Jackson, thanks to its diverse tourism market and thriving town culture.

The Snow King Mountain Resort provides adventure galore with an alpine coaster, adventure park and an ice-climbing park to satiate any fun-seeking resident. At the same time, the town itself boasts plenty of spas, cafes and delicious restaurants for a relaxing evening.

Lander, WY, one of the best places to live in wyoming

Lander brings the best of rural and city living together within the Absaroka Mountains. This little town comes with a whole lot of fun for the residents of gorgeous Wind River Country.

Renowned for the rock climbing and national parks nearby, Lander is the outdoor enthusiast’s best friend.

The Wind River Casino, Lander Brewfest and International Climbers’ Festival bring plenty of entertainment for the young adult crowd.

History and culture lovers enjoy traveling along the California and Oregon Trail, visiting ghost towns, panning for gold and attending Native American powwows while thoroughly enjoying the Lander cultural experience.

Lander, WY.

Home to the University of Wyoming, Laramie may just be the smallest state university town in America. Football, family and fun are a major part of Laramie’s community, with the whole town often closing down to watch the Border War game against Colorado State University — the University of Wyoming’s biggest rival.

But this college town isn’t just for co-eds. Albany County School District serves the younger students of Laramie, while its recreation center, Snowy Range ski area and nearby Medicine Bow National Forest provide plenty of indoor and outdoor fun for everyone.

Rock Springs, WY, one of the best places to live in wyoming

Rock Springs came about much the same way as many Wyoming towns. The railroad and coal mining made this little town, and thanks to these industries — Rock Springs grew into a melting pot of diversity.

The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes live nearby on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and descendants of railroaders still reside in the city today.

Living in Rock Springs won’t break the bank. A two-bedroom apartment costs less than $800 — well below the national average. Plus, living here puts you a hop, skip and jump away from some of America’s most interesting landmarks, including Killpecker Sand Dunes and the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

Kayakers and hikers can travel along the Wind River Canyon for outdoor fun, while the Rock Springs Historical Museum offers plenty for indoor exploring.

Saratoga, WY.

Saratoga’s name comes from the Native American word “Sarachtoue,” which translates to “place of miraculous water in the rock.” It speaks to the rich array of hot springs in the area, including Hobo Hot Springs and the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort.

Meandering down Main Street in Saratoga brings the spirit of the Old West alive. The quintessential small town has gorgeous hiking and camping grounds and miles of running river a stone’s throw from town, comfortable and historic lodgings like Hotel Wolf and plenty of good hometown cooking and shopping.

Saratoga provides its residents with a small but devoted school district, a community pool and a community center for entertainment. The city also boasts prime fishing locations, with a large population of blue-ribbon trout swimming in Saratoga Lake and the North Platte River.

Sheridan, WY, one of the best places to live in wyoming

Lovingly called “Wyoming’s Jewel” by locals, Sheridan lies nestled in the forested northern reaches of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. The city was once home to Buffalo Bill Cody, whose wild west show sparked imagination and adventure across America. His Sheridan Inn still stands today for travelers to enjoy.

Sheridan’s school district provides excellent education, while Sheridan Recreation District offers sports and activities for all ages.

The city itself houses several dude ranches where horse-loving, trail-riding travelers can explore and stay. Sheridan also cultivates a unique and busy cultural atmosphere, with festivals and events filling the calendar. Locals love the legendary Don King Days rodeo and the Antelope Butte Summer Festival.

Find your own best place to live in Wyoming

The state of Wyoming offers cities and towns ideal for adventurers, nature lovers and families, alike. Affordability, natural beauty and a statewide community come together to create amazing options for renters looking to move to Wyoming. Find the perfect place for you to live in Wyoming today.

Source: rent.com

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Pairs Trading, Explained

Pairs trading is a market-neutral trading tactic that allows investors to use the historical performance of stocks to place long and short bets to make big profits.

Pairs trading was first used in the mid-1980s as a way of using technical and statistical analysis as a way to find potential profits. It remained the province of Wall Street professionals until the internet opened online trading and real-time financial information to the public. Before long, there were seasoned amateur investors using pairs trades to make money, while managing their risk exposure.

What Is Pairs Trading?

Pairs trading is a day trading strategy in which an investor takes a long position and a short position in two securities that have shown a high historical correlation, but which have fallen momentarily out of sync.

The correlation between the two securities refers to the degree that two securities move in relation to one other. More specifically, correlation is a statistical measurement that measures the relationship between the historical performance of two securities. It’s usually expressed as something called a correlation coefficient. This measure falls between -1.0 and +1.0, with negative 1 indicating that two securities move in exactly opposite ways. A correlation coefficient of positive one indicates that the two securities move up and down at exactly the same times under the same conditions.

Pairs Trading Example

In a pairs trade, an investor will look for two securities that have a historically high correlation, but have fallen out of sync. If “stock Alpha” and “stock Beta” have historically risen and fallen in step, they’d have a very high correlation, maybe as high as positive of 0.95. But, for whatever reason, the two stocks have diverged, with Alpha racking up big gains, while Beta languished. That has knocked the short-term correlation coefficient between the two down to paltry 0.50.

This is the most common scenario for a pairs trade. In it, an investor will take a long position on stock Alpha, which has underperformed. At the same time, they’ll short stock Beta, which has outperformed. What they’re doing in a pairs trade is betting that the relationship between the two stocks will return to their historical norm, either by one security falling, the other one rising, or some combination of the two.

Pairs Trading Strategy: Market Neutral

The pairs trade is considered a “market-neutral” strategy. There are many of these strategies, which share a common aim to profit from both rising and falling security prices, while sidestepping the risks of the broader market.

Many hedge funds will employ market-neutral strategies, because they are paid based on their absolute returns. A common market-neutral trade may involve taking a 50% long and a 50% short position in one industry, sector or market. They usually do so to take advantage of pricing discrepancies within those areas. In addition to earning a return, their main goal is often to hedge out as much systematic risk as possible.

For less affluent investors, there are market-neutral mutual funds. Because there are so many market-neutral strategies, and ways to execute them, these funds can vary widely in their returns. Interested investors may want to learn the fund’s particular approach to the strategy before jumping in.

How to Successfully Execute a Pairs Trade

For investors who are ready to incorporate pairs trading into their investment strategy, there are several steps they need to take in order to be successful.

Step One: Decide on Trading Criteria

The first step is to decide what securities to consider for the trade, and can be the most time-consuming in the entire process. This involves researching a vast array of possible investment pairs to find ones that have a historically high correlation coefficient but have since drifted apart. Then investors will want to build and test a model for those securities, using those results to arrive at the best possible buy-and-sell guidelines, as well as how long they intend to stay in a trade.

Step Two: Select Specific Securities

After the investor has settled on a process to select candidates for a pairs trade, it’s time to put that process into action and find securities that currently meet that criteria. Some investors may use manual research, while others prefer mathematical models. Regardless, investors need to think of how they want to use a pairs trade. For investors who want to get in and out of a trade in a matter of hours or days, they’ll need to run their process to find possible trades on a regular basis. But investors whose trades will last for months won’t need to run their research as often.

Step Three: Execute the Trade

Once an investor has confirmed that a trade fits all their criteria, it’s time to execute the trade. With a pairs trade, there are small but important details to consider. For instance, most experienced pairs traders will execute the short side of the trade before making the long side.

Step Four: Manage the Trade

With the trade in place, the investor now has to wait and watch. This means sizing up the activity of the two securities in the trade to see if they’re approaching the criteria that would trigger one of the predetermined buy-and-sell rules. It also means watching the broader market, as well as any news that might have an impact on either security in the trade. Experienced traders will also constantly adjust the trade’s risk/return profile as markets shift and other news emerges.

Managing the trade is as important as setting it up. If a trader has a pairs trade they expect to last a month, but it reaches 50% of its profit objective in the first day after execution, what should they do? They may choose to close out of the trade that day, because the additional return isn’t worth the risk or the opportunity cost. But they also have other options. They might initiate a trailing stop loss level in the two positions as a way of locking in a portion of the profit. The decision isn’t easy, and may involve a host of other considerations.

Step Five: Close the Trade

The final step is to close the trade. But even this can come with questions and challenges, especially with trades that haven’t worked out, and whose predetermined durations are coming to an end. But it can also be the case with trades that have succeeded and are nearing their time limit. The urge to give a trade more time to turn around—or to do just a little better—has the potential to be the undoing of an otherwise successful trader.

That’s why experienced pairs traders often stress discipline as being as important as research, close monitoring and clear rules when it comes to earning consistent profits with the strategy.

The Takeaway

Pairs trading is a trading strategy that involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of securities in anticipation of a price trend. The idea is that the two securities typically have shown a high historical correlation, but have fallen momentarily out of sync. The investor making the pairs trade is betting that the two stocks will return to their historical norm.

Investors looking for a hands-on trading experience might consider opening an opening an online brokerage account. SoFi Invest® offers an active investing solution that allows you to choose stocks, ETFs, crypto, and more, and manage your account from the convenient mobile app.

Find out how to get started with SoFi Invest.

SoFi Invest®
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Source: sofi.com