After seven down days in a row, the markets roared back Monday and appeared to erase last week's sharp declines.
Now, Monday's action looked impressive by any measure... but the "green" chart I'm about to show you told me that we were looking at something other than the start of a sustainable rally.
And just as I thought, the markets headed lower again yesterday.
I'm not worried, though - and you shouldn't be either. Volatility like we're seeing now means we're looking forward to much bigger potential gains...
Why a "Dead Cat Bounce" Is Actually Healthy
This is the chart I saw on Monday that told me just what to expect on Tuesday. Take a good look at the colors - not the numbers.
I've only seen green across the board a handful of times after a sustained decline, and each time it's meant a "dead cat bounce."
If you've never heard the term, that's a trading euphemism meaning that a security - or in this case the broader markets - makes a temporary recovery from a prolonged decline only to be followed by a resumption of lower prices.
To be honest, many people hear this and freak out. Don't.
"Lower prices" are not synonymous with a "crash," even though many investors will interpret the possibility that way. They're simply an opportunity others don't yet recognize.
I'm actually thrilled to see the markets move up AND down because it means that they're acting normally.
There's always buying and selling.
It's something we've used to our advantage repeatedly in the Money Map Report with recommendations like Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO), Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN), and Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYSE: BDX), which are all sitting on triple-digit returns of 270.66%, 166.97%, and 114.65%, respectively.
More to the point though, every new bout of volatility shakes the weak money out. It gets scared and runs for the hills, which inevitably means more profit potential for you.
The real issue, believe it or not, is not the markets, nor volatility, nor even the looming eventuality of a Fed rate hike.
People simply lose patience.
That's terrible because it causes them to fall prey to emotion and, in turn, to make one bad decision after another. Often with financially devastating results.
Thankfully, we don't have that problem.
By concentrating on financially sound companies with globally recognized brands that are tapped into the strongest unstoppable trends, the wind is at our back. Not just now, but for decades to come.
Never forget something we talk about frequently - namely that capital is a creative force.
Short-term market noise is just that... short term. The bigger profits tend to connect with globally unstoppable trends with trillions of dollars behind them. So take the time to figure out where the biggest players are going, then put your money ahead so it'll be there when the rest of the world catches up a day late and a dollar short. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) are both great examples.
Playing the long game is always the path to higher profits, more consistent income, and tremendous financial wealth.
More from Keith... The Secret to Superior Returns
Many people are surprised to learn that dividend income and reinvestment can account for nearly 90% of total stock market returns over time.
That's right. Not a quarter... not half... but 90%.
That's why placing a high priority on dividends in the Money Map Report's proprietary 50-40-10 Strategy is paramount to its success.
Unfortunately, this goes counter to the inclinations of far too many investors. They spend the bulk of their time chasing "the next hot stock" or searching for the next "sure thing."
No doubt we all love the elation that goes with being up 25%, 50%, 100%, or more.
Don't get me wrong, though. I'll take gains like that too - and we get more than our fair share in the Money Map Report model portfolio.
Yet, when it comes to consistently growing and protecting our money, I'd rather focus on getting the cold, hard cash that dividends kick off. That's because I know those are a much bigger component of overall investment returns over time.
I point this out because what most people fail to realize is that successful investing is a matter of continuous performance - NOT instantaneous performance.
And when you see how these recommendations have performed, you'll be convinced of that, too ... Click here to continue reading.
About the Author
Keith is a seasoned market analyst and professional trader with more than 37 years of global experience. He is one of very few experts to correctly see both the dot.bomb crisis and the ongoing financial crisis coming ahead of time - and one of even fewer to help millions of investors around the world successfully navigate them both. Forbes hailed him as a "Market Visionary." He is a regular on FOX Business News and Yahoo! Finance, and his observations have been featured in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and MarketWatch. Keith previously led The Money Map Report, Money Map's flagship newsletter, as Chief Investment Strategist, from 20007 to 2020. Keith holds a BS in management and finance from Skidmore College and an MS in international finance (with a focus on Japanese business science) from Chaminade University. He regularly travels the world in search of investment opportunities others don't yet see or understand.