While it can seem simple from the outside, one of the main things that gets in between investors and long-term success is emotions – mainly fear and greed. But having a strategy and sticking to it regardless of outside noise is the ultimate way to outperform the markets.

This guide walks you through the steps to identify exciting new investment opportunities.

Establish a Timeframe

The first thing you need to know before looking for new investment opportunities is how long you will hold the investment. Longer-term investments allow you to ignore the short-term volatility of assets, but the trade-off is that the asset must perform well long-term, which can sometimes be difficult to predict.

That said, one of the best ways to get involved with investing is by holding long-term blue-chip assets with a proven history. 

The important thing about your timeframe is that you must stick to it. Sometimes, you must exit a position early, such as if a CEO who goes against your investment strategies takes over a stock you hold. But for the most part, ignore your emotions telling you to enter and exit positions at times not part of your timeframe.

Know Your Strategy

Next, you must develop an investment strategy. The strategy mainly comes down to your risk tolerance and time frame. Some of the leading investment strategies include growth, value and quality investing. While these methods are traditionally applied to investing in stocks, some investors use them to buy new cryptocurrencies, commodities, or forex.

Once you find the right strategy, you can begin sifting through the different opportunities.

Begin to Filter 

Thanks to technology, virtually unlimited resources are available to learn about new investment opportunities, which can lead to paralysis by analysis. Therefore, we recommend you develop a system that helps you quickly find opportunities with the most potential.

One of the most efficient ways to learn about new investments is social media; whether it is Twitter, Telegram, Discord or YouTube, there are communities discussing every investment strategy and the hottest new opportunities.

Another excellent place to learn about new opportunities is news and media websites. Many of these sites provide daily updates on the markets and new events, with some even covering the hottest emerging cryptocurrencies and stocks daily.

The great thing about building a system like this is that it saves you a lot of time. Instead of researching every potential asset out there, you can let others in the industry bring the opportunities to you.

That said, never enter an investment on the word of someone else before doing your personal due diligence. 

Make a List

So, you have a strategy, a timeframe and have heard of a new opportunity that aligns well. Now what? Simple. Add it to a shortlist.

Then when you are ready, you can begin researching each of the potential investments on your list.

Head to the Charts

Technical analysis of price charts is the best place to start when researching a potential investment. This will give you a clear indication of its performance and where it currently sits. Even for long-term investors, price charts can provide insight into whether you could get a better entry price if you wait a little longer.

Although there are many trading indicators you could use for investing, to start with, good trend lines combined with support and resistance lines are sufficient. Highlight key levels that the price tends to gravitate towards and make an assessment of where it could head in the future.

Fundamental Analysis

Fundamental analysis is essential for investors, with leading investors like Warren Buffet relying on fundamental strategies to manage billions.

Even the best-looking chart in the world cannot survive weak use cases, poor management and undesirable industry conditions. On the other hand, you might see a chart that looks overvalued, but if the asset is a leader in an emerging industry with long-term potential, it could still be an excellent investment.

When it comes to fundamental analysis, you could consider many factors. That said, over-analysis could prevent you from pulling the trigger on lucrative investments, so once you have a strategy, ignore the noise of factors outside it.

Below we have suggested the primary fundamental analysis considerations you should include in your investing strategy.

Macroeconomics

Whether it is Forex, stocks, crypto or any other asset class, the first step is always to analyse the broader macroeconomic markets. This means studying employment rates, inflation, GDP and interest rates. 

Studying macroeconomics will give you better insight into whether the investment has potential. For example, if unemployment is high and GDP slows, better investment opportunities may exist than a luxury fashion stock. On the other hand, rising inflation can be a fantastic chance to invest in alternative stores of value like new emerging cryptos.

Industry Strength

One of the key ways to spot a strong industry is if it is actively attracting new personnel. Whether they are helping build the industry or are using it, a growing sector is a key indicator of strength. 

That said, you can also analyse its strengths and weaknesses, taking extra care to highlight any vulnerabilities and their likelihood of occurring.

Analyse the Asset

Once you understand the broader economy and industry strength, you can break down the asset in question. The factors you will consider will vary based on the asset class. However, some core questions you can always ask are:

• What is its moat or competitive edge?
• How do its market cap and trading volume stack up versus the competition?
• Who leads the company or organisation? Do they have a track record? Can they be trusted?
• What does the future look like for the asset? Will it still be around in 20 years?

Questions like these will help you determine whether a potential investment has potential and allows you to asses its position relative to its competition.