Thursday, April 11, 2013

Human vs. machine in the stock market

In today's fast-paced world many businesses have realized the importance of automation. The stock market is one organization that has adapted. Millions of dollars can be gained or lost in mere thousandths of a second. Trading companies had to engineer clever algorithms and programs in order to remain competitive. Nowadays, Programmed trades automatically decide when to buy or sell millions of times a day without human interaction. Despite all the modern conveniences, humans are entrusted with more critical decisions. Both human and programmed decisions have their strengths and flaws. The decision to use a human vs. machine to trade a stock might not be so clear, due to the unpredictable nature of the market.

Machines outperform humans in nearly every capacity, but there are many decision-making scenarios that require the wisdom and instinct of a real person. For example, trading a stock that is very unstable in price shouldn't be left to a set of instructions alone. Trading companies rely on human experience to turn a profit. crucial decisions are made by people, and programs decide less important trades. Humans do have weaknesses, however. Sometimes putting too much faith in a stock will result in a loss. Using proper data, a program will recognize loss and sell the stock without hesitation. Companies also need the speed of a computer program to make many trades at once. Using the right tool for the job comes with wisdom.

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