What makes you decide to sell?

[Kaitlyn]

Whether you're up or down, how do you decide if you're going to sell?

If it's down, "it could still rebound a little or completely"
If it's up, "It can go up even more"

I especially have problems selling for profit (oh, the irony...)

The last thing I want to do is sell for a profit only to see it go up even more. Obviously I'm not interested in having my gains cut either, though.

So what factors into your decision to buy/sell or continue holding?

[Stryker]

Whether you're up or down, how do you decide if you're going to sell?

If it's down, "it could still rebound a little or completely"
If it's up, "It can go up even more"

I especially have problems selling for profit (oh, the irony...)

The last thing I want to do is sell for a profit only to see it go up even more. Obviously I'm not interested in having my gains cut either, though.

So what factors into your decision to buy/sell or continue holding?

If I don't notice the signs before the event, a dividend cut would do it for me. I sell asap.

[Cerenity]

Whether you're up or down, how do you decide if you're going to sell?

If it's down, "it could still rebound a little or completely"
If it's up, "It can go up even more"

I especially have problems selling for profit (oh, the irony...)

The last thing I want to do is sell for a profit only to see it go up even more. Obviously I'm not interested in having my gains cut either, though.

So what factors into your decision to buy/sell or continue holding?

sounds like your context is trading
if that's the case, you should determine your upside and downside sell points BEFORE you get into the trade, to remove emotion biasing your judgement once you actually hold the trade

both trades and investments must be backed with a thesis.

a trade is a trade. a trade shouldnt become a long term investment just because your thesis was wrong, and the stock is now down 15%
similarly, an investment is an investment, dont get shaken out or lured into short term profit taking if you believe your long term thesis is intact

[rfdrfd]

Whether you're up or down, how do you decide if you're going to sell?

If it's down, "it could still rebound a little or completely"
If it's up, "It can go up even more"

I especially have problems selling for profit (oh, the irony...)

The last thing I want to do is sell for a profit only to see it go up even more. Obviously I'm not interested in having my gains cut either, though.

So what factors into your decision to buy/sell or continue holding?

I'm going to give away some gold nuggets here, something I learned at my OTA school (which I paid lots of money for). If you follow these steps below, you will NEVER have these questions again. Everyone should be doing this:

1) before you enter a trade, pick out 3 things: Entry price, exit for profit price targets (target 1, 2) and exit for loss price
2) how you do (1) is up to you, I say, learn how to read charts
3) once you enter the trade for real, SET an auto stop loss exit at your exit for loss price, DO IT, no excuses

4) if you are profiting, and if it hits your Target 1, exit 50% (profit), then move your stop to breakeven price, then let it go, ignore it
5) if it hits target 2, exit the remainder. (or if you know Technical analysis, exit 50% and move stop via technical stop method). if it does not hit target 2, it will either go sideways or it will come down and your auto stop loss (at breakeven) will kick you out


So, the MOST important part is to figure out your 3 prices in (1). For that, I know it from learning TEchnical Analysis from my school. And fune tuning it every day.

Also, RECORD down your trades in a journal. Recognize your mistakes and learn and improve. Keep your position sizes small until you are good, that could take 3 yrs. No kidding.

DONE, No thinking, no wondering. No emotions. This is the ONLY way to be consistently winning.

[ACC-Major]

You have no idea of the flash crash of May 2010 do you?
You have not experienced a huge price volatility before open. Your stop win or stop loss orders won't even trigger.

[cmackie]

I buy because of increasing expectations and momentum of fundamentals along with basic long term price trends. As long as those reasons are still there, I'll keep holding. I do not set exit prices because the fundamentals will dictate to me what to do. If the reasons for buying are no longer there, and if expectations swing, I'll make a switch. Keeping to a strict discipline, whether with technicals or fundamentals, can provide solid long-term results. I generally stay away from technicals though.

[Mark77]

I sell for basically 2 reasons:

a) I see early warning signs of a deterioration of a business or industry, due to overcapacity. For instance, I think its probably a good time to sell anything related to healthcare or anything reliant mostly on big government spending.

b) If the market collapses, I will sell positions that have outperformed the collapse, and buy some of the most beaten up names. For instance, gold and silver stocks have been collapsing over the past year -- I sold off shares in a restaurant chain, and bought certain gold and silver companies with excellent producing assets and balance sheets for 1/2 to 1/3rd of their former prices.

[SkimGuy]

Buy and hold forever

[ccyk]

I sell like this
re buy if it moves past the line on the up side, or short if it goes down

[rfdrfd]

You have no idea of the flash crash of May 2010 do you?
You have not experienced a huge price volatility before open. Your stop win or stop loss orders won't even trigger.

If you were referring to my reply. Please guru, please explain the flash crash to us.

1) flash crash is called a that for a reason
2) why wouldn't the stop loss order trigger? Of course it would, you may get slipped but still it will trigger and sell you are market price. Are you confusing between Stop limit and Stop market orders?

Are you suggesting to people to njot set a stop loss? What if the flash crash wasn't a flash crash and continued to go down after that?

I have yet to see any true realistic proof from you for any good advice on here. All you seem to know how to do is criticize someone else's reply. Nothing original. I see no value added in any of your replies.

[rfdrfd]

Buy and hold forever

No kidding, my Dad and his generation is stuck on this concept. It really did work back when he was younger, because the market kept going higher. Until the internet came and self-directed trading came.

[ilfsoy]

Buy and hold forever

Probably the best advice in this thread, lol.

[ilfsoy]

If you were referring to my reply. Please guru, please explain the flash crash to us.

1) flash crash is called a that for a reason
2) why wouldn't the stop loss order trigger? Of course it would, you may get slipped but still it will trigger and sell you are market price. Are you confusing between Stop limit and Stop market orders?

Are you suggesting to people to njot set a stop loss? What if the flash crash wasn't a flash crash and continued to go down after that?

I have yet to see any true realistic proof from you for any good advice on here. All you seem to know how to do is criticize someone else's reply. Nothing original. I see no value added in any of your replies.

Seems the learning curve is a bit steep here... easy to spot the canned advice followed by the needless attack on a fellow poster. Let's spell this out in very simple terms neglecting complex order variations for now.

First stop losses, and better variations on the basic option, can work well on boring stocks, but can add needless additional risk to already volatile stocks that can easily whipsaw your set price on any given day. You seem content on catching the falling knife, and additionally content on missing the recovery bounce. It is implied from your posts here that the person you attacked is not the one in need of wisdom.

[ilfsoy]

Whether you're up or down, how do you decide if you're going to sell?

If it's down, "it could still rebound a little or completely"
If it's up, "It can go up even more"

I especially have problems selling for profit (oh, the irony...)

The last thing I want to do is sell for a profit only to see it go up even more. Obviously I'm not interested in having my gains cut either, though.

So what factors into your decision to buy/sell or continue holding?

Selling a winner is a problem for several people... as is selling a loser. You sell when momentum wains plain and simple. Problem is judging when that happens. Aka it's all about the timing so technicals are used on top of the fundamental picture.

Only amateurs and people with no time or interest in closely watching the stocks of interest bother with stop losses. However, with more sophisticated variations of the basic stop loss usually offered now you can often get away with setting one and enjoy your lounge on the beach, but you may still get burned from time to time.

For those with the time and mindset to pay attention, watching stocks is still the better option. The caveat being that most people don't have the discipline to watch their stocks daily without reacting poorly. Nor should you waste the prime of your life doing so...