When to buy? And when to sell? Here's my answer.
This has to be one of the most debatable topics in the world of investing. Just when you think you've done all the hard work and chose the right stock, now you have to ponder about when you should buy or sell it. In all honesty, this is a question that has no direct answer. My answer, as always, is that it all depends on your strategy and what you need. It varies from person to person.
Being someone who can afford to wait for my money to grow, I expect to withdraw my holdings in index funds like $S&P 500 Index(.SPX.US$ in a few years. Why? Because historically, the S&P 500 has grown at an average of 8% a year, and I expect it to continue being on an upward trajectory. This is a play that's safe, but also takes a significant amount of time. I buy more during dips and at the end of the day, my goal is to cash out by the end of at least a decade. Perhaps if you're in a good spot financially and you can afford to wait for this money to grow, you could do the same too!
I'd do the same for stocks which are generally safer and will be able to sustain their revenues and cash flows for the next few years. $Apple(AAPL.US$ , $Intel(INTC.US$ , $JD.com(JD.US$ and $Alibaba(BABA.US$ are a few well-known long-term holds, along with many more!
The strategy I apply to stocks I swing-trade/momentum-trade/day-trade is very different though! I apply a simple rule - exit at 10% profit or the next technical breakout. For me, this has been effective with $NIO Inc(NIO.US$ , $Atossa Therapeutics(ATOS.US$ and $Luokung Technology(LKCO.US$ . However, selling is the easy part. It's when to buy that's the difficult part.
Keeping a lookout for potential catalysts like stock splits, FDA approvals and earnings reports and buying just before these things happen is a common strategy among most swing traders or day traders. Some traders with insider information are able to receive buy signals before most people.
Another way to decide when to buy is when RSI indicators show that a stock is severely oversold, and you believe for a fact that the price of the stock will run up after the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) clears up.
Day-traders often prefer a more technical take, and trade based on volume, moving averages and candlestick charts. This is a very specific skill that's hard to get right.
I have left a special section here for some people whi choose to buy the dip when "meme stocks" like $GameStop(GME.US$ and $AMC Entertainment(AMC.US$ are down, and sell when the price runs up from a short squeeze. While I do not encourage this, this is indeed another strategy of buying and selling adopted by some investors who prefer to take on more risk.
However, I have to warn you that these strategies are far from foolproof, and you have to assess your risk before deciding what to invest in. If you are not able to hold your funds for a long time, or if you're bleeding cash paid to interest because you are trading on margin/leverage, it is good to set a stop loss at whatever percentage that's suitable for you.
The most important thing is that the way you buy or sell a stock depends on what kind of stock it is. If it's a day trading stock, you buy it based on indicators and signals and sell it once you see good profit. If it's a stock to hold for the long run, you normally just add on dips and sell it years later, unless something fundamentally negative comes up. If it's one of those swing-trading stocks, buy it and sell it based on your own due diligence. Look at how the experts are playing the game and learn a tip or two. There is no direct answer, and while I have offered you my way of doing it, it doesn't work for everyone. We need to all understand that the answer for these questions don't just appear at the end of a workbook. It takes experience and research to know what's right for you.
While you're at it, learn to trade options! Selling puts can be your best friend when you're stuck in a dilemma. Take my word for it and look it up!
Happy trading everyone!
Being someone who can afford to wait for my money to grow, I expect to withdraw my holdings in index funds like $S&P 500 Index(.SPX.US$ in a few years. Why? Because historically, the S&P 500 has grown at an average of 8% a year, and I expect it to continue being on an upward trajectory. This is a play that's safe, but also takes a significant amount of time. I buy more during dips and at the end of the day, my goal is to cash out by the end of at least a decade. Perhaps if you're in a good spot financially and you can afford to wait for this money to grow, you could do the same too!
I'd do the same for stocks which are generally safer and will be able to sustain their revenues and cash flows for the next few years. $Apple(AAPL.US$ , $Intel(INTC.US$ , $JD.com(JD.US$ and $Alibaba(BABA.US$ are a few well-known long-term holds, along with many more!
The strategy I apply to stocks I swing-trade/momentum-trade/day-trade is very different though! I apply a simple rule - exit at 10% profit or the next technical breakout. For me, this has been effective with $NIO Inc(NIO.US$ , $Atossa Therapeutics(ATOS.US$ and $Luokung Technology(LKCO.US$ . However, selling is the easy part. It's when to buy that's the difficult part.
Keeping a lookout for potential catalysts like stock splits, FDA approvals and earnings reports and buying just before these things happen is a common strategy among most swing traders or day traders. Some traders with insider information are able to receive buy signals before most people.
Another way to decide when to buy is when RSI indicators show that a stock is severely oversold, and you believe for a fact that the price of the stock will run up after the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) clears up.
Day-traders often prefer a more technical take, and trade based on volume, moving averages and candlestick charts. This is a very specific skill that's hard to get right.
I have left a special section here for some people whi choose to buy the dip when "meme stocks" like $GameStop(GME.US$ and $AMC Entertainment(AMC.US$ are down, and sell when the price runs up from a short squeeze. While I do not encourage this, this is indeed another strategy of buying and selling adopted by some investors who prefer to take on more risk.
However, I have to warn you that these strategies are far from foolproof, and you have to assess your risk before deciding what to invest in. If you are not able to hold your funds for a long time, or if you're bleeding cash paid to interest because you are trading on margin/leverage, it is good to set a stop loss at whatever percentage that's suitable for you.
The most important thing is that the way you buy or sell a stock depends on what kind of stock it is. If it's a day trading stock, you buy it based on indicators and signals and sell it once you see good profit. If it's a stock to hold for the long run, you normally just add on dips and sell it years later, unless something fundamentally negative comes up. If it's one of those swing-trading stocks, buy it and sell it based on your own due diligence. Look at how the experts are playing the game and learn a tip or two. There is no direct answer, and while I have offered you my way of doing it, it doesn't work for everyone. We need to all understand that the answer for these questions don't just appear at the end of a workbook. It takes experience and research to know what's right for you.
While you're at it, learn to trade options! Selling puts can be your best friend when you're stuck in a dilemma. Take my word for it and look it up!
Happy trading everyone!
Disclaimer: Community is offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. and is for educational purposes only.
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Robert Peterson : when to buy- a checklist
do you have money?
buy AMC.
do you still have money?
buy more AMC.
lusy bubb : Thank you for your analysis. It's very specific. I need to check some tips
alaricOP Robert Peterson: Hahah
alaricOP lusy bubb: No problem! Glad it helped
alaricOP Robert Peterson: What is your price target in the short term for AMC?
alaricOP lusy bubb: What are the tips you've checked so far!
alaricOP : Thank you all for commenting
alaricOP : How do you guys buy or sell stocks?
知道賣股票的才是師傅 : Know buy is an apprentice, know that selling is the master. What kind are you?
alaricOP 知道賣股票的才是師傅: They're still learning.