
According to O’Neil, the following are signals on when to sell a stock for profit:
- If a stock runs up too quickly within 2-3 weeks, this could indicate a climax top activity
- When it becomes “obvious” that the stock is going to go higher
- If its quarterly earnings growth slows materially or earnings actually decline for two consecutive quarters
Why wait three days to sell stock?
Apr 08, 2022 · Knowing when to book a profit is tough A set of guidelines can help you make sell decisions easier. Rules for selling are increasingly important given economic uncertainty. Ringing the …
What is the best way to sell stocks?
As we saw in How to Buy Stocks the ideal buying range is from the ideal buy point up to 5% above that price. So let's say you bought 2% above the ideal buy …
When is the best time to sell stocks?
Jul 28, 2021 · When to sell stocks or hold them mostly depends on your AGE. If you’re closer to (or at) retirement age, you’ve likely been investing for a while and can sell your investments to live off of for your retirement. If you’re younger, though, this isn’t the case.
How to sell stock without a brokerage firm?
Answer: Promoting shares could be a good suggestion if you happen to're doing it for the correct causes. There are proper and improper causes to promote a inventory. Whereas it is typically a nasty thought to promote a inventory just because its …

What are the reasons to sell a stock?
If something fundamental about the company or its stock changes, that can be a good reason to sell. For example: 1 The company's market share is falling, perhaps because a competitor is offering a superior product for a lower price. 2 Sales growth has noticeably slowed. 3 The company's management has changed, and the new managers are making reckless decisions such as assuming too much debt.
Where is Matt from Motley Fool?
Matt is a Certified Financial Planner based in South Carolina who has been writing for The Motley Fool since 2012. Matt specializes in writing about bank stocks, REITs, and personal finance, but he loves any investment at the right price. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his latest work!
Is it bad to sell stocks at a loss?
When to sell stocks at a loss. Similarly, it's usually a bad idea to sell a stock only because its price decreased. At the same time, though, sometimes you just have to cut your losses on a stock position. It's important to not let a drop in a stock's price prevent you from selling.
Is it a bad idea to sell stocks?
While a tax strategy known as tax loss harvesting can reduce your taxable capital gains by incurring losses on unprofitable stock positions, it's nonetheless a bad idea to sell stocks just to lower your taxes.
Can a company be acquired in cash?
A company can be acquired in cash, stock, or a combination of the two: For all-cash acquisitions, the stock price typically quickly gravitates toward the acquisition price. But if the deal is not completed, then the company's share price could come crashing back down.
Is it worth holding on to shares after an all cash acquisition?
It's rarely worth holding on to your shares long after the announcement of an all-cash acquisition. For stock or cash-and-stock deals, your decision to hold or sell should be based on whether you have any desire to be a shareholder in the acquiring company.
Does the Motley Fool sell stock?
The Motley Fool sells stock regularly, too. While The Motley Fool always approaches investing with a long-term perspective, that doesn't mean we only suggest stocks to buy. We regularly give "sell" recommendations to our members and often for one of the reasons described above.
When to Sell a Stock for Profit: Selling for Better Opportunities
Unless you’re selling for retirement or making a big purchase, this should be the biggest reason to sell a stock.
When to Sell a Stock for Profit: Selling if a Stock Gets Too Expensive
The market can act irrationally in some cases, and stocks can rise significantly in days or even hours. Stocks can jump irrationally for many reasons — overreaction on the news, insider trading or even as simple as retail investors piling into meme stocks.
When to Sell a Stock for Profit: Selling to Diversify Your Portfolio
When building your portfolio, you should aim to set rules for yourself, such as limiting your positions to a maximum percentage of your portfolio.
When to Sell a Stock for Profit: Selling When an Investment Goes South
Most people refuse to sell a stock based on a misconception that “it’s not a loss until you sell.” But this is wrong, and it’s already a loss even if you don’t sell.
When to Sell a Stock for Profit: Selling to Lock In a Capital Tax Loss
Another reason to sell is to use your loss to reduce taxes on regular income or capital gains — known as tax-loss harvesting. Locking in a capital tax loss involves selling an investment below its book value, thereby making the investor realize a loss on their investment.
Bottom Line: When Should You Sell a Stock for Profit?
Of course, the exception to these rules is on potential mega winners — the stocks that can turn into your 100 baggers over time (i.e. the Amazon’s and Netflix’s of the world). But identifying these mega winners is another lesson.
When buying a stock, should you put a price target on it?
When you buy a stock, you should put a price target on it. Then you know that when the stock hits that target, you need to sell and move on to the next opportunity. The only exception to that is when the stock still looks like a bargain even after you’ve made a profit. Most stocks will become more expensive as the price rises.
What happens when an investment is no longer sound?
The investment is no longer sound or has become too expensive (exceeded your price target) You want to liquidate the investment to invest elsewhere, rebalance your portfolio, or use the cash. The key is to not become blinded by paper gains and forget to cash in your winnings when it makes sense to.
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Do you have to sell before hitting the price target?
Sometimes you need to sell before you hit the price target you’ve determined. That may be the case if overall market conditions start to change. If you start seeing negative reports and overall declines, you may want to cash out early and wait on the sidelines until you see bargains emerge again.
Can you lose money by selling a stock?
Nobody can lose money by selling a stock at a price that’s more than the price at which they bought. I’m not saying you need to sell the moment you turn a profit. If the same reasons you bought the investment to begin with are still true and you would buy it even after you’ve made money, then you shouldn’t sell.
Do bulls make money?
There’s a common saying on Wall Street, “bulls make money, bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered.”. Basically, don’t be too greedy. Sound advice, but it’s much easier to say than to do in real life.
Who is Daniel Cross?
Daniel Cross has been in the industry as an investment writer and financial advisor since 2005. He holds the Chartered Financial Consultant designation (ChFC) as well as Series 7 and Series 66 licenses, and has embarked on the arduous journey of obtaining the coveted CFA designation.
How much do growth stocks advance?
Typically, growth stocks tend to advance 20% to 25% after breaking out of a proper base, then decline and set up new bases, and in some cases resume their advances. So in most cases (see the 8-week hold-rule exception), you're better off locking in your gains to avoid watching your profits disappear as the stock corrects.
How to double your money?
Here's how it works: Take the percentage gain you have in a stock. Divide 72 by that number. The answer tells you how many times you have to compound that gain to double your money. If you get three 24% gains — and re-invest your profits each time — you will nearly double your money. It's much easier to get three 20%-25% gains out ...
Why is selling your own goods important?
But selling some of your own goods is an important psychological step — it will let you prove how serious you are both to yourself and to your family (which will help if you’re asking them for help). Ask your family if you can borrow the money from them. Note: This doesn’t work if your family is crazy.
What does it mean when the stock market goes down?
If it’s going down, that means the entire market is down. If you believe the market will recover (which it will), that means investments are on sale for cheaper prices than before, meaning not only should you not sell, but you should keep investing and pick up shares at a cheaper price.
What to do if you think the industry is going through a cyclical downturn?
If you think the industry or investment is simply going through a cyclical downturn, then hang on to the investment and continue regular purchases of shares. If, however, you think the industry won’t recover, you may want to sell the investment.
Can you take money out of a 401(k) for medical expenses?
With a 401k, you can take money out for “hardship withdrawals,” which typically include medical expenses, buying a home, tuition, preventing foreclosure, and funeral expenses, but you’ll probably still pay early-withdrawal fees.If it comes to this, consult your HR representative.
Do professional money managers beat the market benchmark?
The stock picks of pundits are usually no better than pure chance, and even professional money managers barely ever beat the market benchmark. In other words, they don’t just underperform but they do it by A LOT.
Why do investors buy more stock?
In fact, the investor might actually purchase more stock because it is undervalued and selling at a discount. With any other situation, such as high P/E and low earnings growth, the investor is likely to sell the stock, hopefully minimizing losses. This approach works with any investing style.
Why doesn't a value investor sell?
The value investor, however, doesn't sell simply because of a drop in price, but because of a fundamental change in the characteristics that made the stock attractive. The value investor knows that it takes research to determine if a low P/E ratio and high earnings still exist.
What is the axiom of investing in stocks?
The classic axiom of investing in stocks is to look for quality companies at the right price. Following this principle makes it easy to understand why there are no simple rules for selling and buying; it rarely comes down to something as easy as a change in price. Investors must also consider the characteristics of the company itself. There are also many different types of investors, such as value or growth on the fundamental analysis side.
What is value investing?
Let's demonstrate how a value investor would use this approach. Simply put, value investing is buying high-quality companies at a discount. The strategy requires extensive research into a company's fundamentals.
What is the best offense in football?
The Best Offense Is a Good Defense . Championship teams have one thing in common: a good defense. This principle can be applied to the stock market as well. You can't win unless you have a predetermined defense strategy to prevent excessive losses.
When did the housing bubble burst?
Unfortunately, it isn't that easy in real life. When the housing bubble burst in 2007 and stocks started their descent into a bear market, investors froze like deer caught in a grizzly's jaws. Many didn't even react until the value of their portfolio holdings had declined by as much as 50% to 60%.
Is there a hard and fast selling rule for investing?
All investors are different, so there is no hard-and-fast selling rule which all investors should follow.
