Have you ever been in a position in a stock and found the market dip for two or three days so you sold and then the stock rebounded even higher than before the dip? Ever wonder what was happening? You were a victim of the shake out.

The big players drive the stock down for various reasons, sometimes simply profit taking, then jump back in and drive the stock back higher and higher since the fundamentals of the stock hasn't changed, a good stock is a good stock. This dip only takes place for two to three days, which is usually enough to get the people who are unfamiliar with it to jump out of the stock position and sell their shares. Now the big players buy this cheap stock at a better price. They drop the share price using simple supply and demand and usually there is no real news to warrant such a drop in price. A person who owns shares but is not committed to the position will run scared and sell on the dip.

This type of trading is common to every stock but the defense to this is to watch the volume and wait until the fourth day of a dropping stock on higher volume before you sell. This takes heart, to hold a position that is losing money. It will, however, come back with the absence of any material changes to management, products, competition, technical supports reached or earnings news. if the fourth day is not reached.

Most of the time on the third or fourth day the stock will rebound higher on higher volume. This signals the move back into the stock by the institutional players. If you want to invest with the big boys, you have to learn their rules.

Good Luck!

Matt Fox is a private investor and entrepreneur. He is currently writing a series of investment books giving advice and suggestions about trading different markets and making wise choices at the right time. He is finishing a book about entrepreneurship and you can check out his blog for daily tips at http://www.bizmaker.blogspot.com