as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
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what causes a stock to drop in price?
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a rising tide lifts all ships   most (but not all) stocks trend along with the general market. some trend right along with the market (and have a beta at, or very near, one) some follow the market, but are less sensitive (having a beta of less than one). some are hypersensitive (and would have a beta of greater than one).  beta defined  so most of the day to day movement of a stock is because the general market is moving (in the same direction). of course, exceptional news about the company would cause its price to move independent of the general market. but more often than not the price of a stock moves just because the rest of the market is moving.
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