How do you people who sold your stocks feel now?

[burnedout]

I have not sold since August of 00. Just hang on for the ride!

 

[ST4RCUTTER]

Unemployment?? highest it's EVER been?


You're right...doh. I must have chopped out the rest when I was editing. Sorry. Highest it's been in a long time!

 

[AmigaMan]

Exercised my options at my old company at $10 (high was at $12.00) in Feb 2000
It's stock is now at $1.05.
I make 1 1/2 times more at my new job.

Woot! I feel great!

 

[nippyjun]

<<

<< I think that the marked will go below it's recent lows. I'm also worried that greenspan has lowered interest rates too much. 9 times in 9 months seems crazy, when a lot of the effects of these rate changes take months to show up. >>



There will be a 10th cut in Oct, giving us 10 cuts in 10 months... 🙂

The market will be fine... they will do whatever it takes to save it...

Jason >>



The goal of the fed is not or should not be to boost the stock market, but to help the economy.

 

[ST4RCUTTER]

If you're a long term investor, holding on during these times of drought is a wise decision, but the buy and hold method that works well with Mutual funds does not carry over to equities. It's far better to set targets and sell to realize your profits and then look for opportunities to buy. I learned the hard way. I held a stock and watched it rise and fall for over two years. If I had set stop loss orders so that I could realize my gains and then buy the stock back, my position would be worth more than double what it is today. I'm young though, and I have time to learn these things.

 

[burnedout]

If you're a long term investor, holding on during these times of drought is a wise decision, but the buy and hold method that works well with Mutual funds does not carry over to equities. It's far better to set targets and sell to realize your profits and then look for opportunities to buy. I learned the hard way. I held a stock and watched it rise and fall for over two years. If I had set stop loss orders so that I could realize my gains and then buy the stock back, my position would be worth more than double what it is today. I'm young though, and I have time to learn these things.

Holding = Yes.

Setting Targets = Depends on whether or not you believe the company will continue to grow. Or how one values the company.

Last summer, I had an issue appreciate from $7 1/4 to 73 1/2 within 14 months. Of course I sold out. Heck of a capital gains hit for 200 shares too. However, my philosophy is nevertheless to buy and hold large, multi-national, blue chip American companies. Make a few "value investments" through the DRIP accounts when the stock price dips below a certain level. Reinvest the dividends.

I've had accounts with American Century, Templeton, Fidelity, Berger. Bought and held for at least 5 years in every case. As far as overall performance, no mutual fund I've ever owned has outperformed the overall gains I've realized with 10-15 different DRIP stock accounts.

 

[jehh]

<<
Dell and Cisco afirming their earning targets is good news. People covering their shorts isn't, it's expected. The unemployment rate is still higher than its ever been, and there are a ton of earning statements in the pipeline. All it would take to make the market head south is a few bad earning reports from some large companies. Don't get me wrong, I'm saving up money like mad to buy, but I think we have at least a quarter or so to go.

Nokia, Cisco, GE, Texas Intruments...they're all on my list. >>



So what you're saying is that you're trying to time the market?

🙂

Don't bother, if you have several thousand to invest, just put in 1/3 of it this month, 1/3 next month, and the rest in December... That way you'll dollar cost average...

The pros don't know what the market is doing tomorrow, so you don't know what it will do in 3 months... (neither do I of course), but I do know it will be higher in 5 years...

If you pay $10 or $8 or $12 for a stock that is going to be $30 in 10 years, what difference does it make what you paid?

Jason

 

[Eug]

<<

<< Russ my friend, good timing, but now is the time to get back in... >>



I don't think so. I don't think we're looking at the market dropping by another half as some doom and gloomers are claiming, but I also don't think the slide is over yet. Frankly, I'm operating only on gut in that belief, but it's a gut that's been investing for nearly 25 years.

I also believe that anybody who's jumping back in right now simply because of a couple of days of upside is very foolish.

Russ, NCNE >>


Even if it does drop a bit more, there's no harm in buying now and holding, as opposed to the "buy-high sell-low" philosophy the lemmings have been using.

 

[ST4RCUTTER]

So what you're saying is that you're trying to time the market?

Actually, I'm trying to save more money to buy more stock! 😉 Just because I haven't "pulled the trigger" on the money I have with my broker doesn't mean I'm trying to time the market. I would rather pay one commision than three.

 

[Mister T]

I agree with Russ on this.
No recovery anytime soon. We are in a recession at the moment.

GDP forecasts for 3rd and 4th quarter are projected to be negative.
Unemployment is continuing to rise.

The recovery will occur next year in the year in the 1st and 2nd quarter.