After a tumultuous couple of years, many investors are beginning to feel more optimistic about the stock market. The S&P 500 (^GSPC 1.02%) officially entered a bull market on Jan. 19 by reaching a new all-time high, rising by more than 35% from its lowest point in October 2022.
While this is exciting news, many economists are still warning about an upcoming recession in 2024 and urging investors to be cautious when investing. So what's really in store for the stock market? And is it safe to invest right now, or should you hold off? The answer could surprise you.
Image source: Getty Images.
The future of the stock market
Many investors are feeling conflicted about the market right now. The new bull market is promising, but with potential volatility on the horizon, it can be tempting to hold off on investing until the market stabilizes.
However, the harsh reality of the stock market is that it's never truly stable in the short term. As the current market climate has proven, even the experts can't agree on where stock prices are headed in the coming weeks and months. It's impossible to say, then, what will happen in the near future.
Although that can be frustrating at times, the good news is that by keeping a long-term outlook, it doesn't necessarily matter what the market is doing right now. By investing consistently through the good times and bad, you can still make a lot of money over time.
The key to long-term investing success
Time is your most valuable resource when building wealth in the stock market. So rather than waiting for the ideal time to invest, it's often better to buy now and hold your investments for the long term. Even if you invest at the "wrong" time, it can still pay off over time.
For example, say you invested in an S&P 500 index fund in October 2021. The market was thriving back then, but by January 2022, it would begin its long descent into bear market territory. While that may have been discouraging at the time, if you'd simply held on to your investments, you'd still have earned returns of more than 11% by today.
Now, you of course could have earned more if you'd bought right when the market bottomed out. But it's easy to look back in hindsight and see when you should have invested. At the moment, though, it's impossible to know where the market is headed. If you wait too long to buy, you'll miss out on valuable time to grow your investments.
If you're waiting for the perfect moment to invest, you'll end up waiting forever. A better strategy, then, is to invest now and stay focused on the long term.
Whether this new bull market will continue or another downturn is looming, stock prices will bounce back eventually. By simply riding out the storm and staying invested, you'll be ready to take advantage of those rising prices over the long haul.
Your investments will make or break your portfolio
The investments you choose are key to your success, as only strong stocks will be able to bounce back after periods of volatility. If you're investing in shaky companies, you could end up losing a lot of money if your stocks don't recover.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing stocks, but the best investments are from healthy companies. These organizations will have solid fundamentals, including strong financials, a knowledgeable and competent leadership team, and a competitive advantage in the industry.
Even the strongest stocks may be hit hard during downturns, but there's a good chance they'll recover. When your portfolio is full of these types of stocks, you won't need to worry as much about losing money during market slumps. Simply keep focusing on the long term and wait for the market to recover.
There's a lot of conflicting information out there when it comes to the stock market, and the truth is that nobody knows what will happen in the coming weeks or months. But by investing in the right places and keeping a long-term outlook, you can rest easier knowing your portfolio has a better chance of surviving whatever may happen with the market.
