I’ve known this for years. The big “day traders” and institutions use expensive setups and access to “seats” on exchanges that allow their trades to snap into place almost instantly. I have an account that costs me almost nothing to make trades, but it takes a day or two. God help me if I ever try to catch a “wave.” I rely on long-term trends.
Sure, companies can drop like a rock or jump wildly five seconds after a particular piece of news, but if it’s a real company, with long-term prospects, things will eventually settle down. I tend to work with funds, not individual stocks, and I balance the portfolio. I’ll never hit it rich, but I don’t take the baths some people do either.
A fun movie on this theme was Trading Places.
(Now if goddam Apple would just up and split already!)