In the two weeks leading up to the trade, I observed several stocks on Yahoo Finance, obtained information from my colleagues, and searched the Internet for possible options. I started by typing random tickers into Yahoo's search bar. Then I would look at the fifty-two week range. If the current price were closer to last year's lowest price, I would look at the five-year chart to see how each stock has performed. Once I saw that there was a decent profit margin, I noted stocks to buy on MarketWatch Virtual Stock Exchange when it opened on January 28th. Additionally, some of my classmates advised me on stocks in which they received excellent returns. Since I learned to never trust websites and people when it comes to the stock market, I know that I should verify by reviewing charts, financial statements and history before making a decision to buy or not the shares of a company. Additionally, search engines such as Google have made it easier to find titles. I researched the best stocks to buy and those that are rising in price. Although this tactic was not very useful, I gained valuable information from penny stocks. Even though the minimum stock price on MarketWatch is two dollars, I found a few that exceeded the entry amount. Overall, I think I was well prepared to enter this investment game with confidence. When it came time to buy stocks for a portfolio, one of the first stocks I chose was Sears Holding Corporation (SHLD). For the past two years, I worked for Kmart, a company that has been part of Sears since 2005. As with any retail outlet, stock prices rise in November and Christmas due to shopping holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because my store had a... middle of paper ......ding Corporation tried several tactics to target more customers. They have offered promotional offers and free layaways, but that is not enough. They also ran commercials such as "Big Gas Savings" and "Ship my Pants", which were very successful. They recently signed a contract with Why Not Lease It to allow customers to purchase large items by making small payments based on their salary and not on credit. The company strives to make customers' shopping experience enjoyable, but I think they should lower their prices if they want to become the best integrator retailer in the world. Therefore, investors will be able to earn a small return on stocks in the long term. On the other hand, investors will be able to obtain a greater return if they buy in late spring and sell shortly after Christmas..