To say it's been a big week in terms of market movements is an understatement. For some investors, the holiday season may have lost a little shine with this recent sell-off. For traders, however, the volatility has brought some great opportunities. When you take a technical approach it's not so much the up and down that counts; it's making sure you are in the right spot or safely on the sidelines!

Context is key. When some stocks become oversold, with significantly more traders looking to sell compared to those eager to buy, those stocks are often headed lower. These are stocks that have broken down, that are trading below their 200-day moving average and that are better left alone--or sold short--than bought on a bet. For these stocks, while "completely black" would probably be an exaggeration, it would also be a mistake to make a habit of buying these broken down names.

PowerRatings make it easy for investors to stay out of the bad areas, the industries that are likely to underperform both the market and the average industry going forward. By looking to see which industries have low, "in the red" PowerRatings of 1, 2, or 3 -- and rarely if ever buying stocks from those low-rated industry groups -- investors can save themselves from both a great deal of grief and a poorly performing portfolio.

Just when you thought Bob Rodriguez couldn't get any gloomier, the highly regarded value investor has become even more downbeat. Rodriguez, the hugely successful manager of FPA Capital (NASDAQ:FPPTX - News) and FPA New Income (NASDAQ:FPNIX - News), recently announced he put a halt to purchases of stocks and high-yield bonds at both portfolios on Dec. 14. His decision is a reaction to the subprime mortgage-induced credit crunch, which he expects to worsen in coming months. Rodriguez says he'll review his actions weekly, but he doesn't anticipate any change in course until February or March 2008.

IBD's Earnings Stability Rating lets you see at a glance how steady a company's earnings have been. It assigns a rating from 1 to 99 to companies based on the consistency of their earnings, with 1 being the most stable and 99 the least stable.

When it comes to delivering packages, many people have a preference for either FedEx (NYSE:FDX - News) or United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - News). But increasingly, when it comes to delivering above market returns on stocks, investors are likely to be pleased regardless of which company they choose to invest in.