Sharp investors are usually looking for true bargains in the stock market. Finding these stocks can help give the stock portfolio a boost. Shares of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (:KL) have come into focus recently. Checking in on the stock, we can see that it has been trading near the $45.93 level. Going forward, the investment community will be closely monitoring shares looking for signs of positive momentum. Investors will often follow the current stock price relative to its 52-week high and low levels. The 52-week high is presently 46.54, and the 52-week low is sitting at 17.57. When the stock is trading near the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may pay increased attention to see if there will be a move through that level. Scanning back over the past 12 weeks, the stock has moved 48.64%. Heading back to the beginning of the calendar year, we can see that shares have changed 76.04%. Over the last 4 weeks, shares have seen a change of 10.65%. Over the last 5 sessions, the stock has moved -0.65%.

Investing in the stock market offers the potential for big returns. On the flip side, investors can also experience major losses when trading equities. Investors are typically trying their best to maximize returns while limiting losses. Figuring out the best way to do this is no easy proposition. There may be periods where everything seems to be working out, and the returns are rolling in. There may be other times when nothing seems to be going right, and the losses start to pile up. Nobody can predict with pinpoint certainty which way the market will shift in the future. Preparing the portfolio for multiple scenarios can help the investor stick it out when the waters get choppy. Having a properly diversified stock portfolio may help investors ride out the turbulence when it inevitably takes control of the market.  

Sell-side analysts have the capability of providing stock ratings for companies that they cover. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average broker rating on shares of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (:KL) is 2.22. This average rating includes analysts who have offered Sell, Buy and Hold ratings on the stock. This rating falls on a numeric scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 would indicate a Buy recommendation, and a score of 5 would represent a Sell recommendation. Out of all the analysts offering ratings, 4 have pegged the stock a Strong Buy or Buy, based on data provided by Zacks Research.

Tracking the current quarter consensus EPS estimate for Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (:KL), we have noted that the number is currently 0.65. This estimate is using 1 contributing analysts polled by Zacks Research. For the last quarter, the company posted a quarterly EPS of 0.53. Sell-side Wall Street analysts study companies and provide their opinions of where the stock might be going in the future. A lot of weight is given to analyst estimates, and earnings beats or misses revolve around these predictions. Sometimes these estimates are very close to the actual, and other times they are not. When a company announces actual earnings results, a large surprise factor can result in increased volatility. If a company beats estimates and posts a positive earnings surprise, the stock may see a near-term bump in price. On the flip side, a negative surprise may move the stock lower. Based on the unknown, many investors may choose to trade with caution around earnings releases.

Analysts have set a target price on shares of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (:KL). The current consensus price target is $43.32. Wall Street analysts often provide price target projections on stocks that they cover. Price target projections can be created using a wide variety of methods. Many investors will closely track stock target prices, especially when analysts make updates. A thorough research report will generally offer detailed reasoning for a certain target projection. Some investors may watch sell-side targets very closely and use the information to help with their own stock research.

Investors are usually trying to figure out the best strategy to use when tackling the equity market. Because there is no one perfect method for picking winning stocks, investors may have to try various techniques before they get it right. There are many different factors that can affect the financial health of a company, and this makes it hard to concoct a formula that works well across the board. Studying all the data can help with investing decisions, but it is typically more important to be focusing on the right information. Knowing exactly what data should be studied may only come by logging many hours of research.