You have to think it might all be random when you consider the silly correlations between irrelevant events and the stock market, such as whether the Yankees win the World Series. When they win, the market goes up by 10% on average the next year, and when they lose it goes down 13%. Now, what the hell do the Yankees have to do with the DJIA, one wonders. Yet, trading on this basis would stand one in better stead than many other far more plausible strategies. This sort of observation just gives one pause to think that maybe it is all B.S., and the market is really just one long random walk. I don't personally buy that at all, and I think that view is just a pessimistic, defeatist, nihilistic form of giving up. Clearly, there are ways to predict what's going to come next and to do so with consistent success, and it's all a question of whether trader A is better in his analysis than trader B on the other side of the trade. Either that, or trader A has deeper pockets and more patience than trade B on the other side. Trading is ultimately war, and the best general with the best forces at his disposal is going to win.