Volatility in stocks results in tight window of opportunity

Stocks hit a high of 1356 on the S&P 500 back on July 7th and then dropped precipitously over the following two months, to an intraday low of 1074 on October 4th (last Tuesday).  This decline represented a 21% fall from that July 7th high.  I was buying heavily on Monday and Tuesday of last week, and was able to put a lot of cash to work at that time.  Since last Tuesday, the S&P 500 has rebounded roughly 10.5%, to a current level of 1188, gaining back fully half of what was lost over the prior 8 week period.  This quick rally from the low underscores the fact that buying opportunities in stocks do not last long in today's highly volatile environment.  Investors must be prepared with an actionable strategy in place, and must be ready to pull the trigger when the opportunity comes along, because that opportunity will not be around for long.