Coronavirus Spikes Volatility: Should You Buy Stocks Right Now or Wait?

After years of calmly rising, the stock market has hit a huge air pocket. Volatility has screamed higher as major market benchmarks such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) have plunged, and longtime investors have seen the values of their portfolios shrink dramatically in just the past few weeks. Those who are fully invested have little choice but to ride out the downturn and wait for the inevitable recovery.

However, many people have had cash on the sidelines for a while now. They were dubious about the long period of stock market gains and concluded that stocks looked too expensive to buy. Now that they're a lot cheaper, the question many cash-rich investors have is whether they should take advantage of the downturn by buying stocks now, or wait to see if they can get in even cheaper.

Below, we'll look at how you can answer that question for yourself in a way that will help you reach your long-term goals while also acknowledging short-term reality.

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Source Fool.com