Investors may be sizing up shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC). After a recent check, we see that the current quarter EPS consensus estimate provided by Zacks is standing at 0.61. This EPS estimate is comprised of 1 sell-side analysts polled by Zacks. For the last reporting period, the company posted a quarterly EPS of 0.78. Analysts and investors will be closely studying the next round of company earnings reports. Consistent success on the earnings front may point to the company moving in the right direction. On the flip side, a company that has strung together a few bad quarters may ring the warning bells for interested investors.

Traders using technical analysis typically believe that all the needed information to trade a specific stock can be spotted in the charts. These traders are generally taking a shorter-term view when studying the market. Technical analysts are usually striving to spot the directional trend of a stock. Trends may be noted as upward, downward, or sideways. Many technicians will rely heavily on support and resistance levels in order to make informed decisions when buying and selling equities. These traders are also closely watching volume levels to help gauge activity. Traders are constantly searching for patterns in the charts. There are many different identifiable patterns that traders can look for. Some of these include head and shoulders, triangles, and double tops/bottoms.

In the fast paced world of stock market investing, individuals are always looking for information to help provide an edge. Many investors will study sell-side analyst opinions to help assist with navigating the market. Turning the attention to shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC), we can see that the current average broker rating is now 1. This rating is provided by Zacks Research using a scale from 1 to 5. Following this scale, a 1 would indicate a Strong Buy and a 5 would represent a Strong Sell rating. Digging a little deeper, we can see that out of the polled analysts, 2 rated the stock a Strong Buy or Buy. This average broker rating may help investors decide if they feel the same way about the stock as the professionals.

Investors might be trying to gauge which way shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) will swing over the next couple of quarters. In recent trading activity, the stock has been seen near the $14.28 level. Many investors pay increased attention to shares when they are nearing notable historical highs or lows. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has touched a high price of 18.91, and seen a low price of 9.68. Looking at some additional historical stock price information, we note that shares have seen a move 4.39% over the previous 12 weeks. If we pull in closer to look at performance over the past month, we see that shares have seen a change of 1.64%. Over the last 5 trading sessions, the stock has moved -7.09%. Investors will most likely be keeping their eyes peeled to see how the stock performs heading into the next round of earnings reports.

Many new investors may be frantically researching the best way to study the stock market. It is hard to say with any certainty which approach will work out the best. Traders may tend to gravitate towards studying the technical, while longer-term investors may be more likely to use fundamental analysis. Of course, many individuals will opt to use a combination of both. Determining the individual risk tolerance and time horizon can play a big part in deciding which way to tackle the market. Short-term trading can be highly risky and may not be suitable for certain individuals. Long-term investing may be the favored way to get into the stock market, but this may vary from person to person. Investment strategies can range from super simple to ultra complex. The one thing that most stock market followers would agree on is that there is rarely any substitution for hard work, dedication, and putting in the required hours of study.