Why is fundamental analysis so important?

Many investors like to rely on hard numbers, such as earnings or production numbers, when evaluating a stock or other asset. Fundamental analysis can give these traders the hard numbers they need in order to make comparisons and judgments regarding the future price of the asset being studied. So, fundamental analysis is important because it gives us concrete, objective data to work with. By using fundamental analysis, the intrinsic value of a company or an asset type can be fairly evaluated, allowing better trading decisions to be made.

What is top-down vs. bottom-up fundamental analysis?

The top-down approach to fundamental analysis begins by considering the health of the overall economy. It looks at macroeconomic factors such as GDP, interest rates, and inflation levels to determine the overall direction the economy is heading in. It then moves down to look at the sectors and industries within the economy that are performing best, and offering the best trading opportunities. Alternatively, a trader can use the bottom-up approach to fundamental analysis, which starts by looking at individual stocks or assets, and works up to the broader sector and then to the overall economy. Bottom-up analysis is more focused on the microeconomic factors that can impact on markets.

Is fundamental analysis better than technical analysis?

The goal of fundamental analysis is to determine a fair value for an asset or individual stock to see whether it is overvalued or undervalued and whether it should be bought or sold. The goal of technical analysis is to evaluate price action, looking for historical patterns that can help to forecast future price movements. The two methods use quite different hypothesis and methods, and one is not inherently better than the other. Indeed, many successful traders use a combination of fundamental analysis and technical analysis in their trading strategies.

Fundamental Analysis (Tips & Examples for 2024)

AvaTrade strives to ensure that all our traders are well equipped to take on the markets in confidence, with the educational guidance to assist you in better understanding trading and the markets. Let’s take a deeper look into Fundamental Analysis:

What is Fundamental Analysis?

When doing fundamental analysis, a trader studies the overall state of the economy, concentrating mainly on elements closely related to his trade. The research focuses on financial events including those that are remotely related but yet could affect the trade. Political, social and general events can all have a significant influence on the markets.

Why Conduct Fundamental Analysis?

This type of analysis is for traders who wish to dig deeper into the financial world. It takes a little more time than some traders are willing and able to invest, but should have positive outcomes if done properly. What stands behind any type of analysis is the wish to avoid surprises that might jeopardize the trader’s money. Therefore the deeper the research and analysis, the lower the chances to be taken by surprise. Some of the world’s top traders, who regularly appear on top rich lists employ fundamental analysis. This is defiantly a good track to follow.

We must emphasize that even when conducting a thorough fundamental analysis, there is no guarantee the trade will be successful. The nature of trading any instrument is its relationship to external factors that can impact it, and the fact that the market can dramatically change within minutes, flipping our speculations and changing the fate of our trades.

Fundamental Analysis vs. Technical Analysis

When delving deeper in to the world of market analysis, the technical versus the fundamental analysis are on contrasting sides of the spectrum. Where a fundamental analysis is conducted, assets and liabilities, earnings and expenses are the most valued, assessed and characterised. On the other hand, in a technical analysis has nothing to do with the numbers game and everything to do with history and how history repeats itself. Looking at past market activity that includes prices and volume.

Deciding which analysis to follow is really up to the trader, it has been a debate for many years and as an educated trader you will need to find the best trading strategy that works best for you and your trading techniques.

How to Perform Fundamental Analysis?

Once you have decided on fundamental analysis as your course of action, we recommend starting by familiarizing yourself with the instrument you wish to trade. All frequent events that can impact your instrument should be taken into account. You should find the right sources to get daily news and make sure to follow them by subscribing to their newsletter and logging on regularly.

One of the main tools of fundamental analysis is to closely follow the economic calendar. It is crucial for a trader to familiarize himself with upcoming financial events involving influential players in the financial arena, such as treasuries, banks etc. One should learn which events are relevant to his trading market, and then detect how to prepare for those events.

What is the importance of Fundamental Analysis?

An example that displays the importance of fundamental analysis can be found with the monthly US unemployed report, called the Non-Farm Payroll (NFP). The NFP usually affects the USD rate, which may lead to changes in the value of other instruments, such as gold, crude oil and others. Before the NFP is announced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, traders speculate on the content of the declaration, and based on that calculate their trades. This is called fundamental analysis.

Common Economic Indicators Used

Unemployment rate
Interest rates
New building permits
Federal funds rate
Changes in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Income/Wages
Consumer Price Index (Inflation)
Currency Strength
Corporate Profits
Balance of Trade

Fundamental Analysis Tips

To begin employing fundamental analysis, every trader should find a number of informative sources, which will provide him/her with knowledge that will help with fundamental analysis, thus assisting and improving his trades. We invite you to check out our blog, which updates on a daily basis with crucial data relevant to all instruments.

Fundamental analysis FAQ

Why is fundamental analysis so important?
Many investors like to rely on hard numbers, such as earnings or production numbers, when evaluating a stock or other asset. Fundamental analysis can give these traders the hard numbers they need in order to make comparisons and judgments regarding the future price of the asset being studied. So, fundamental analysis is important because it gives us concrete, objective data to work with. By using fundamental analysis, the intrinsic value of a company or an asset type can be fairly evaluated, allowing better trading decisions to be made.
What is top-down vs. bottom-up fundamental analysis?
The top-down approach to fundamental analysis begins by considering the health of the overall economy. It looks at macroeconomic factors such as GDP, interest rates, and inflation levels to determine the overall direction the economy is heading in. It then moves down to look at the sectors and industries within the economy that are performing best, and offering the best trading opportunities. Alternatively, a trader can use the bottom-up approach to fundamental analysis, which starts by looking at individual stocks or assets, and works up to the broader sector and then to the overall economy. Bottom-up analysis is more focused on the microeconomic factors that can impact on markets.
Is fundamental analysis better than technical analysis?
The goal of fundamental analysis is to determine a fair value for an asset or individual stock to see whether it is overvalued or undervalued and whether it should be bought or sold. The goal of technical analysis is to evaluate price action, looking for historical patterns that can help to forecast future price movements. The two methods use quite different hypothesis and methods, and one is not inherently better than the other. Indeed, many successful traders use a combination of fundamental analysis and technical analysis in their trading strategies.