When do you sell your stocks?

[peenie 2,027]

Do you sell when you need money?
Do you sell when you think the stock is starting to fail/fall?
Do you sell when you've held it for a certain period?
Do you sell when you have a certain profit?

I'm curious because I haven't sold any of my stocks or cryptos yet. I'm wondering if that is a bad thing? Like, should I be selling some off to get profits or just keep them for longer...not sure. Warren Buffet said, "“Our favorite holding period is forever.” 

I'm just trying to learn from you guys. TIA

Oh, and I changed my profile pic to a canary in the coal mine. (When unemployment starts rising, Black women’s unemployment rises first.)

[thegeneral 3,730]

Buy low, sell high.

-thegeneral and EF Hutton
 

[peenie 2,027]

1 minute ago, thegeneral said:

Buy low, sell high.

-thegeneral and EF Hutton
 

So, that's the thing, I missed the high because I didn't know it was going to go back down! 

[Strike 6,050]

When you say stocks, are you saying you buy individual stocks?  

[peenie 2,027]

6 minutes ago, Strike said:

Whem you say stocks, are you saying you buy individual stocks?  

Yes. Is that bad? I have some ETFs like SPY and QQQ. I'm not thinking to sell those. 
Like, I bought Duolingo stock at $100 and then it went all the way up to $500 and then back down again. I wasn't paying attention. I wondered if I should be noting if there is a rise and then I should sell or something? I figured you guys might have some sort of alert to let you know when you should sell a stock you're holding. Just wondering if you had any tips. People seem to sell their Bitcoin off as well. I don't understand when one should do it, when you should sell. 

[Strike 6,050]

  Some people here play with individual stocks, but YOU shouldn't.  

[peenie 2,027]

29 minutes ago, Strike said:

  Some people here play with individual stocks, but YOU shouldn't.  

I just have regular things like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and McDonalds, just ordinary stuff. I'm not rich nor savvy. Oh, and Delta. (Which is sort of silly since SPY just invests in those same stocks, but I didn't know about ETFs when I first started to purchase.)

[thegeneral 3,730]

5 minutes ago, peenie said:

I just have regular things like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and McDonalds, just ordinary stuff. I'm not rich nor savvy. Oh, and Delta.

Personally would keep all those long term except Delta which I don’t follow so have no opinion. I do like them as a customer on the occasion I do have to take them.

[Horseman 2,758]

1 hour ago, peenie said:

Yes. Is that bad? I have some ETFs like SPY and QQQ. I'm not thinking to sell those. 
Like, I bought Duolingo stock at $100 and then it went all the way up to $500 and then back down again. I wasn't paying attention. I wondered if I should be noting if there is a rise and then I should sell or something? I figured you guys might have some sort of alert to let you know when you should sell a stock you're holding. Just wondering if you had any tips. People seem to sell their Bitcoin off as well. I don't understand when one should do it, when you should sell. 

When you have SPY or QQQ you have all the same companies and the fund sells companies automatically when they drop out of the index. That way you don't have to ask this question or think about it.  You shouldn't buy the companies individually.  Shouldn't buy bitcoin either.  

And, instead of the trendy funds like SPY get VOO which is the same thing with a lot lower expense ratio. 

Finally, you can ask questions like this in the stock market thread.  

[Horseman 2,758]

1 hour ago, peenie said:

I just have regular things like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and McDonalds, just ordinary stuff. I'm not rich nor savvy. Oh, and Delta. (Which is sort of silly since SPY just invests in those same stocks, but I didn't know about ETFs when I first started to purchase.)

Is this in a retirement account, tax sheltered?  If so sell them all near their 52 week high and put the money into the ETFs.  

[WhiteWonder 3,024]

1 hour ago, peenie said:

Do you sell when you need money?
Do you sell when you think the stock is starting to fail/fall?
Do you sell when you've held it for a certain period?
Do you sell when you have a certain profit?

I'm curious because I haven't sold any of my stocks or cryptos yet. I'm wondering if that is a bad thing? Like, should I be selling some off to get profits or just keep them for longer...not sure. Warren Buffet said, "“Our favorite holding period is forever.” 

I'm just trying to learn from you guys. TIA

Oh, and I changed my profile pic to a canary in the coal mine. (When unemployment starts rising, Black women’s unemployment rises first.)

depends what kind of investor/trader you are. I have assets I won't sell because they are "buy it and forget it" and collect the dividends along the way. There are funds, there are individual holdings, etc.  Everyone should have investments like this.

I also have an active trading account which technically answers more of your questions. I don't sell when I need money because I don't invest money I will need. It would have to be a crazy emergency for me to need to sell any stocks I've bought in that account. Generally, I sell if a stock has made me a certain % within a certain time period and I feel it is due for a correction. Mostly I am jumping in on stocks that I feel have been oversold and dropped too much. If i'm wrong and they continue to drop, they become a longer term investment for me because fundamentally I believe in each stock I am purchasing so I am also willing to invest (and probably already am) long term in them. 

I don't worry about short term vs long term capital gains tax unless it just so happens that a stock which is up a certain % is also approaching the 1 year purchase anniversary. Then I may hold a little longer to save on taxes. 

So basically I sell when I have a certain profit, but there is also a profit to time ratio for me. When I sell, I take my profits and reinvest the original capital in my next oversold pick.... but that specific account is very much something I view as a secondary source of income. Actively trading is something i enjoy doing and i've made upwards of 75k/yr with that account. 

[Maximum Overkill 2,652]

Sell when your stock has served it's purpose. If you've made money from that stock and need money then sell it. 

Sell to get out of a bad investment, don't stay in it hoping for the next Amazon stock. 

Sell.stocks that have no trajectory. Meaning, sell flat stocks. 

Most importantly, read the terrain. The whole idea is to get in on a stock early or at a low and sell on a high. I made huge $$$ buying during Covid and was able to build a huge portfolio because of it. 

See a financial advisor if you aren't sure

[Mike Honcho 5,558]

Quote

When do you sell your stocks?

Usually in the morning, after breakfast, but sometimes in the late afternoon if I'm not too busy.