1. Earnings
Four times a year U.S. companies report results. Stocks often move sharply on earnings day, and what matters most is how results and guidance compare with what analysts expected, not just whether the company made money.
2. Interest rates
When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, borrowing gets more expensive and safe investments like bonds pay more, which tends to weigh on stock prices, especially for fast-growing companies. Rate cuts tend to work the other way.
3. Economic data
Reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending shape expectations for company profits and for interest rates, so the whole market can move on a single data release.
4. Analyst ratings and price targets
Upgrades, downgrades and changes in price targets from Wall Street analysts can move a stock, particularly smaller companies that few analysts cover.
5. Insider buying and selling
Executives' trades in their own company's stock are public within two business days on SEC Form 4. Large purchases, especially by several insiders at once, sometimes draw attention from other investors. Sales are common and often routine.
6. Buybacks, dividends and deals
Share buybacks reduce the number of shares outstanding. Dividend changes signal how confident a board is. Mergers and acquisitions can move both the buyer and the target.
7. Sentiment
Fear, enthusiasm and momentum can push prices further than the news alone would justify, in both directions. That's one reason short-term moves are so hard to predict.