Have you ever considered owning a percentage of a company? Stock investing allows you to do just that. Prior to sinking all of your resources into a stock purchase, it is important to gain a solid base of knowledge in advance. Below is some of the information that you will need.Remember that stock prices are reflections of earnings. In the short term immediate future, market behavior will flucutuate depending on news and rumor and the emotional responses to those, ranging from enthusiasm to panic. In the longer term picture however, company earnings over time wind up determining whether a stock price rises or falls.Make sure that your investments regularly have the opportunity to grow by setting up an automatic payment from your daily account to your investment account. Set up an automatic transfer to occur on payday so that you are effectively paying yourself like any other bill. And then watch your investments monies grow.When considering company stocks to invest in, consider any past negative surprises. Similar to the idea that one pest is typically indicative of more pests in your home, one blemish on the company record typically indicates more in the future. Choose businesses with the best reputations to avoid losing money on your stocks.Adjust your margin of safety based on the reputation, profitability, and size of a particular company. While businesses like Google or Johnson & Johnson are hardy and tend to stick around, there are certain companies that may do very well for a while before crashing. Keep this in mind when selecting stocks.If you are nearing retirement or your investment goal, then your stock picks should be more conservative than average. Large cap stocks, dividend stocks, blue chips and any company with low or no risk of capital depreciation are all good choices. This is also a good time to start shifting out of the stock market and into bonds or other fixed income assets.Keep performance of the past in mind. You may happen upon a stock that looks great, but many times past performance can be a sign of future performance. If a stock has done well historically, chances are that it will continue to do well. Read past financial reports and note any major changes before investing in stocks that are just starting to take off. This will help you to be more confident about investing in them.Don't buy stock in a company you haven't thoroughly researched. A lot of people make rash decisions and invest a little too quick into a stock they hear has potential. What happens when people follow what they hear at times is unpredictable and you can lose a lot of money from following what you hear.Pay attention to stock dividends if you own stock in a company. This is of particular importance for investors who are older and who are looking for a stock that is stable and pays solid dividends. When profits are high, companies have the choice of paying dividends to shareholders or reinvesting in the company. Divide the stock price into the annual dividends to see the dividend yield.Be sensitive to the paradox of stock market history. History clearly demonstrates that those who buy good stocks and hold them, do better than those who trade frequently. However,  amibroker data feed  are not absolutely sure to follow in the future, and while the market averages 10% annual returns, it does not do 10% every year.Whenever you lose money in the stock market try to think of it as a learning experience. You should try to reevaluate the situation and try to pinpoint where you went wrong. This will help you because you can do everything you cannot to make the same mistakes in the future.Before you invest into any stocks, do your best to set some goals for yourself. You might want to gain income through low-risk trading, or maybe you're looking for quick investments with high-risk. No matter the case, it is important to create a strategy to get you to accomplish specific goals.Now that you have read this article, how do you feel about the stock market? Is it still an appealing option? If you are still interested, proceed to take your baby steps. So long as you don't forget the advice you've just read, you'll soon be trading stocks without having to clean out your bank account.