The price of a company's stock tends to go up as the value of the company goes up. Most corporate managers devote their efforts to increasing the value of their company by increasing sales, earnings, and assets. The greater the sales, earnings, and assets, the more valuable their company becomes. That growing value is reflected in the rising price of the stock. The company is worth more, therefore the stock of the company is worth more.
Stock prices rise because the value of the companies they represent rises.
So if you missed this year's big run-up, don't despair. Put your money in the market and wait. Otherwise, you may be kicking yourself next year for missing out on such a great buying opportunity this year. Many investors find it difficult to invest in small emerging growth stocks because of their risk and volatility. Their concerns are certainly justified, but by playing the law of averages, you should be able to select enough big winners to more than make up for the losers that land in your portfolio.