The financial stock sector is made up of many different sub-sectors which only have one thing in common — money (unless we’re talking about crypto). Stocks in this sector range from storied investment banks to the most cutting-edge fintech companies.
Financial stocks include all of the following:
These stocks are cyclical, meaning they tend to follow the trajectory of the overall economy. In a real sense, they are the economy. When interest rates are low, spending frees up. When rates rise — especially the way they have in the post-pandemic era — it can spell disaster for financial sector stocks like SVB Financial Group [OTCPK: SIVBQ].
Trading these stocks doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. Traders look for opportunities like the banking crisis to make profitable trades.
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The Best Financial Stocks in May 2024 — Sector Leaders
Let’s unpack what the ‘best financial stocks’ should mean to you. I definitely don’t mean that they’re the best stocks to invest in.
I don’t think that any stocks are ‘safe.’ What I look for is volatility, and the best financial stocks have plenty of it!
Your job as a trader is to profit from volatility, do NOT fall in love with any trade or asset as a trade is not profitable until you lock in your profits & getting emotional can muddy the waters. Similarly, it's difficult to cut losses fast if you become too emotionally involved
— Timothy Sykes (@timothysykes) December 7, 2021
When you’re learning about a sector, pay attention to the sector leaders. Their charts can tell you a lot about the health of the sector.
When they’re running, their momentum can affect their entire sector and create the sympathy plays I like to trade!
Berkshire Hathaway Inc [NYSE: BRK.A]
Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company with a wide array of subsidiaries engaged in diverse activities. The firm’s core business segment is insurance, run primarily through Geico, Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group, and Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group. Berkshire has used the excess cash thrown off from these and its other operations over the years to acquire Burlington Northern Santa Fe (railroad), Berkshire Hathaway Energy (utilities and energy distributors), and the firms that make up its manufacturing, service, and retailing operations (which include five of Berkshire’s largest noninsurance pretax earnings generators: Precision Castparts, Lubrizol, Clayton Homes, Marmon, and IMC/ISCAR). The conglomerate is unique in that it is run on a completely decentralized basis.
Charles Schwab Corporation [NYSE: SCHW]
Charles Schwab operates in brokerage, wealth management, banking, and asset-management businesses. The company runs a large network of brick-and-mortar brokerage branch offices, a well-established online investing website, and has mobile trading capabilities. It also operates a bank and a proprietary asset management business and offers services to independent investment advisors. The company is among the largest firms in the investment business, with over $7 trillion of client assets at the end of December 2022. Nearly all of its revenue is from the United States.
Visa Inc [NYSE: V]
Visa is the largest payment processor in the world. In fiscal 2021, it processed over $14 trillion in total volume. Visa operates in over 200 countries and processes transactions in over 160 currencies. Its systems are capable of processing over 65,000 transactions per second.
The Best Financial Penny Stocks in May 2024
The best financial penny stocks are constantly changing. Most of these companies won’t become the next Apple. I’m keeping them on watch to see if they match my preferred setups.
While we’ve highlighted some of the best financial stocks to trade in 2023, remember that the stock market is vast and dynamic. There are numerous other top-performing stocks across various sectors that could potentially offer lucrative trading opportunities. Diversifying your portfolio by investing in different sectors can help mitigate risk and increase your chances of earning profits. If you’re interested in exploring more top-performing stocks, here’s a list of 10 top stocks to invest in.
NOTE: I have NO intention of trading these stocks unless they suit my favorite setups. This is only a watchlist.
To find the best financial penny stocks requires a top-level stock screener. I use the one in StocksToTrade — I helped design it, so it has all the tools and customizations I look for to create my stock watchlists.
Try StocksToTrade for 14 days and see how it helps your watchlist skills — only $7!
These are the penny stocks I’m watching in May 2024:
New York Community Bancorp Inc. [NYSE: NYCB]
New York Community Bancorp Inc is the bank holding company for New York Community Bank. It is a New York State-chartered savings bank that operates through eight local divisions: Queens County Savings Bank, Roslyn Savings Bank, Richmond County Savings Bank, Roosevelt Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank in New York; Garden State Community Bank in New Jersey; Ohio Savings Bank in Ohio, and AmTrust Bank in Florida and Arizona. The bank compete for depositors in the diverse markets with a comprehensive menu of products and services, and access to multiple service channels, including online banking, mobile banking, and banking by phone. It is also a producer of multi-family loans in New York City.
UP Fintech Holding Limited [NASDAQ: TIGR]
UP Fintech Holding Ltd is an online brokerage firm focusing on Chinese investors. Its trading platform enables investors to trade in equities and other financial instruments on multiple exchanges of stocks and other derivatives. The company offers its customers brokerage and value-added services, including trade order placement and execution, margin financing, account management, investor education, community discussion, and customer support.
LexinFintech Holdings Ltd. [NASDAQ: LX]
LexinFintech Holdings Ltd is an online consumer finance platform and a technology-driven service provider in China. The group is engaged primarily in online direct sales services and online consumer financial services for its customers in China. It offers online direct sales with installment payment terms and offers installment purchase loans and personal installment loans mainly through its retail and online consumer finance platform www.fenqile.com, and its mobile application to young adults between the age of 18 and 36 in the People’s Republic of China. The company also finances the loans with proceeds from partnering peer-to-peer lending platforms, commercial banks, and other financial institutions. Geographically, it derives revenue from China.
How To Trade Financial Stocks
Learning how to trade financial stocks starts with your education.
Before you venture into the world of financial stocks, it’s vital to comprehend the broad spectrum of stocks available in the market. From growth stocks to value stocks, from large-cap to small-cap, each type has its own unique characteristics and potential for returns. Understanding these differences can significantly enhance your trading strategy and decision-making process. To get a comprehensive understanding of the various types of stocks, check out this detailed guide on different types of stocks.
You also need to learn what penny stocks are, how they work, and how to identify their patterns.
My FREE penny stock trading guide is a good start.
From there, if you want to take it to the next level, consider joining my Trading Challenge.
Once you’re ready to start trading, you need a few key things…
Choose the Right Broker
To trade stocks, you need a brokerage account. Your broker is the gateway between you and trades. Choose a good one … Do your research and check out this guide for more tips.
Check out this quick startup guide to choosing a broker:
Get a Powerful Stock Platform
A stock screener can help you narrow down the many stocks available to trade. I use StocksToTrade, which can also help with the next item…
Build Your Watchlist
Before every trade, you need to perform a detailed stock analysis.
There are two key types of stock analysis: fundamental analysis and technical analysis.
See how I build my watchlists every Sunday by signing up to my NO-COST weekly watchlist!
StocksToTrade can help you do both: it has awesome charting software and links to stock news, SEC filings, and even social media mentions.
With day trading penny stocks, technical analysis — reading the charts — matters more. Chart patterns show me how a stock’s performed over weeks, months, or even years. That helps me on the next step…
Follow Your Trading Plan
A trading plan is where you plot out entry and exit points, risk, and profit goals. Ideally, you base the plan on careful research and stick to it.
Your strategy should encompass everything from risk management to identifying potential trading opportunities, from understanding market trends to knowing when to enter and exit a trade. A well-planned strategy can be the difference between success and failure in the volatile world of day trading. If you’re looking to build or refine your day trading strategy, here’s a comprehensive guide on day trading strategies that can help you navigate the market more effectively.
Track Every Trade
You need to keep a METICULOUS trading journal. This is where the science of trading comes in.
How do you know what strategies work for you, and which don’t? You look at your trading journal.
How do you know when you’ve been overtrading and need a timeout? You look at your trading journal.
If you’re not careful, your emotions can determine your trading approach. Before long, you’ll be wearing the same socks that you were wearing on your “big day.” That isn’t trading anymore — that’s gambling.
Rinse and Repeat
Real trading is a job. It isn’t a boring, 9-5 job, but it’s still something that rewards consistency and discipline.
Follow these rules throughout your trading career. That will separate you from the constant flow of newbies trying to get rich quick, and protect you from the scammers trying to sell trading shortcuts.
