I don't think an average investor should do any of this. You don't need to quit your job to turn a few bucks into many bucks with relatively little risk over time. Almost NO ONE should day or swing trade - it's FAR too risky for the small investor, and very risky overall.
And hurricanes, natural disasters, lawsuits, drug approvals, etc almost always get priced into the markets and the individual securities that may be affected by these things before or after market hours, so that the markets and the stocks open at the higher or lower price it is now valued at due to whatever is happening.
Announcements on FDA approvals, M&A, earnings, lawsuits, management changes, activist investor filings, etc almost always occur after the bell, or before it the next morning. Things like natural disasters that happen usually result in the markets opening lower than where they closed the day before.
These are "gaps" that usually occur on these things. If AAPL closes at 525 and shoots up to 555 after hours on positive earnings news, it will likely sell off a bit before and after the open the next morning. If you didn't own it already before the bell on that afternoon, you're taking a big gamble by buying it after the open the next morning - you'll likely see it sell off that next day. If you didn't already own it or at least own a call option, you're probably SOL on trying to get in on any further "pop".
Almost everyone is better off thinking much more longterm and investing with that in mind. At some point you realize that you want to retire wealthy at a farily young age - NOT brag to everybody how much $ you're making and spending while you're young.
if you're gonna invest, it has to be a full time job.
you wake up early and watch the pre-market report, and you trade all day.
all you're trying to do is ride on the coat-tails of the big market movers.
if a stock pop's 3 percent, you're not gonna get that full 3 percent, all you wanna do is catch that middle 1 percent.
the easy thing is all you have to do is pay attention... and use common sense (usually.. sometimes common sense doesn't work. lol).
there's a hurricane? get long oil and short airline's.
there's a natural disaster? short insurance co's with the greatest exposure.
co loses a lawsuit? short it and cover before it bounces back... then get long and hold it on the way back up for a quick pop.
pharma co gets a drug approved? that's good for a 5 point pop, all you wanna do is catch the middle 3 points.
ect, ect, ect....
if you don't pay attention you WILL lose your money, so in that sense, sure, it's like a casino... but when I go to the casino and jump on the roulette table, i'm not throwing chips over the table all willy nilly.... i'm looking at the odd's of the past numbers hitting and i'm playing those, and i'm spreading my chips... top 3rd, end 3rd, black, 4 corners, ect... you increase your chances of winning, but lower your overall winnings. i'd rather make a little for a long time, than make a lot once or twice.