Whats separates a okay stock from a great stock?

GOOD stocks vs great stocks? differences?

I would say an ok stock is a company which is making money and looks to do so for the foreseeable future. However the products they manufacture might be a "want" and might be subject to decreased sales with a downturn in the economy.

A great stock would be a company which is making money and looks to do so for the foreseeable future. Plus the product they manufacture is a "need". Like oil. People are not going to stop buying oil. And oil is a worldwide thing. The U.S. might have a recession and reduce oil consumption, however there are other countries like China and India which are increasing oil consumption.

Then it costs a fortune for oil exploration these days. Oil companies are selling future profits in their oil wells via "royalty trusts" so they can have the cash now for that expensive exploration. There can be some nifty tax advantages to these trusts. Here are 3 examples of that...

For me a great stock is separated from an okay stock by a lot of little extras. But finding a separation is key.

Look for growth first and foremost. Also look for long term stability and value. Modest P/E ratios can have the effect of making a great stock. So too can a powerful dividend from a confident company.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Best advice I was ever taught was to get rid of emotion as best you can. I would love to invest only in companies I like that have products or services that I use. But if I did that I would not be investing very well.

You can read and learn more about it from:

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings by Philip A. Fisher

Also The Intelligent Investor By Benjamin Graham. Highly recommended..