Yup, appreciation (if you buy a stock) or depreciation (if you short a stock) can make you money on your shares. There are a ton of indicators out there that tells you how likely a stock is to appreciate over time.
Buying and selling stocks and profiting through appreciation can be a lot more profitable then dividends. Dividends are just nice if you have a lot of money. This way you can invest your money and let it grow without being slowed down by taxes (until you sell your shares) and getting a side income from that investment.
