Leon Petrus, I feel your pain. I've lost thousands of dollars and pulled a lot of hair out of my head experiencing the same things you've described.
mjunkyard, I agree hedge funds can have an influence on the market.
However, the sad truth is the markets are rigged.
Yes, the market reacts positively to good news and negatively to bad news. But so what? It doesn't last.
Think of retail traders and hedge funds of having a total bankroll of $1. Now if the market goes up or down ten cents it can have a devastating affect.
Think of centralized banks and marketplaces of having a $100 bankroll. Is that ten cent swing relatively all that significant to them? The answer is, "No".
In fact they manipulate the price forcing stops then swoop down like vultures gobbling up whatever carcasses they can find.
Fundamental and technical analysis become almost meaningless when you step back and look at the big picture.
It reminds me of the old poker adage, "If you sit down at a poker table and don't see a sucker, guess what? You're it."
The best we can do as retail traders is hope to pick up a few crumbs. We're never going to get a slice of the pie. Our pockets aren't deep enough for that.