The phrase stock market crash brings to mind images of speeding ticker tape machines and panic on the trading floor. The common perception is that stock market crashes are random and unpredictable phenomenon. There is, however, a pattern to the markets larger fluctuations. The market crash is a familiar term but an unfamiliar concept.
To understand what happens in the market when a crash occurs, we first need to look to the period that precedes a crash. The cycle begins at a time when the stock market is weak and people are generally pessimistic about the financial future of themselves and country. The bear market has caused most people to sell many stocks in order to save some of their investment. This is the point where the smart investors can pick up undervalued stock at bargain prices. These smart investors know that the market will be turning in the near future and they can resell these stocks for a much higher price. This accumulation of undervalued stock causes the market to start to rise. The rising stocks will attract the attention of mutual funds, and as the mutual funds invest in the stock, billions of dollars are reintroduced to the market place. Mutual fund...