General Patterns In the Markets

If you analyzed all of the data from the stock markets as a whole over a long period of time ie decades you will see that year on year in general the stock markets as a whole are growing (in the region of 8% a year).
You only have to look at the recent record finish of the "Dow Industrial Average" above a historic 14,000 points.

If this is the case one may ask themselves why it is the small minority of individuals and organisations that ever make consistent returns in the stock markets.
This is generally universally because as many professional's will tell you the Stock Markets are influenced by emotion as a pose to Cold Hard Logic.

If you type it in to Google you will probaly see a the terms "Greed and Fear" come up in the context of the markets a few times.
This is generaly the reason that the markets as a whole can be full of such volatility.
If you can grasp this concept and understand the main protaganists of the stock markets then you will be able to predict future behaviour more effectively.