Before Top Stocks Usher In The Golden Sell Rule, Here's When To Cut Losses Faster (2024)

No one wishes to take losses fast in the stock market — especially in the top stocks. But seasoned IBD readers know that at some point you'll take a lump.

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IBD's golden rule of investing is this: Cut your loss if the stock falls 7% below your purchase price. But can you do better than that? Can you find clues that the stock isn't acting right, then get out with a smaller loss?

Absolutely.Splunk offered a good example in 2018, ahead of the market's plunge in the fourth quarter that year.

The Big Data analytics expert (which was acquired by Cisco Systems (CSCO) in March) jumped past a 112.76 buy point on May 8 in a strange-looking cup base.

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At first glance, it may have the look of a cup with handle. The decline on the cup's left side? A mild 16%. Good. But the lowest price within the handle (1), or 96.28, nearly matched the cup's own low of 94.39.

Before Top Stocks Usher In The Golden Sell Rule, Here's When To Cut Losses Faster (1)

That's a flaw.

A handle marks the final shakeout of weak shareholders before a stock breaks out and runs into new high ground. But that handle should form in the upper half of the cup, not the lower half.

Let's say you go for it, anyway. You buy shares right at 112.76. At day's end, 1.65 million shares exchanged hands. By itself, that's a lot. But turnover actually was 16% below Splunk's 50-day average (2).

Disappointing? Yes. You want to see volume soar on the breakout day. On an IBD daily chart, the volume bar should vault well over the red line draped across the volume bars. That red line shows average turnover over the past 50 sessions.

Look for at least a 40% rise vs. the 50-day average on the breakout day, or in the next few days.

One More Rally, But Mostly In Low Turnover

Splunk failed to see such a strong gain in healthy turnover. Instead, in the next few weeks the stock reversed lower in heavy volume, jabbing a few times below the 112.76 buy point. On May 25, Splunk dropped more than 5% in enormous volume (3). If you sold at the day's close at 110.26, your loss would have been only 2.2%.

In the next day, the stock fell 1.7% but refused to clip the 50-day moving average. Then shares made a decent run-up and hit a new high of 121.64. But volume came in below average on many of those up days. At the peak, volume grew as the stock closed in the lower half of the day's range (4).

That action resembled a negative reversal. When Splunk reversed lower again in mid-June, it offered multiple chances to exit the stock at break-even or salvage a small profit.

Splunk dropped 7% on June 22 and plunged right through the 50-day line. Volume soared(5). That day, Splunk also triggered the 7%-loss sell rule.

A version of this article first appeared in July 2018 and has been updated. Please follow Saito-Chung on Twitter at @SaitoChung and @IBD_DChung for more on growth stocks, charts, buy points, sell signals, and financial markets.

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Before Top Stocks Usher In The Golden Sell Rule, Here's When To Cut Losses Faster (2024)

FAQs

Before Top Stocks Usher In The Golden Sell Rule, Here's When To Cut Losses Faster? ›

IBD's golden rule of investing is this: Cut your loss if the stock falls 7% below your purchase price.

When should you cut your losses on a stock? ›

A good rule of thumb that most investors live by is to cut losses anytime a stock falls 5-8% below the price you purchased it at. The most important thing to remember is that the earlier you accept a loss, the more money you'll save in the long run.

What is the golden rule for stop loss? ›

The golden rule of Stop Losses is that they should never be moved away from the market once the trade is opened. If a trader feels that their stop loss is incorrectly placed, they are recognising that the foundations of their trade are incorrect and therefore they should close out.

What is the golden rule of stock? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

How to cut losses quickly in trading? ›

Having a stop-loss order on shares you own, particularly the more volatile stocks, has been a mainstay of advice on this subject. The stop-loss order prevents emotions from taking over and will limit your losses.

What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading? ›

The 3-5-7 rule is a simple approach to managing your trades. Here's how it works: as your trade gains value, you take profits at three different levels—3%, 5%, and 7%. This method helps you lock in profits gradually, instead of waiting and hoping for a bigger win that might never come.

What is the 7% rule in stocks? ›

That brings us to the cardinal rule of selling. Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. This basic principle helps you always cap your potential downside. If you're following rules for how to buy stocks and a stock you own drops 7% to 8% from what you paid for it, something is wrong.

What is the 2% stop loss rule? ›

The 2% rule in investing suggests that you should never risk more than 2% of your capital on any single trade or investment. This approach helps manage risk by limiting potential losses and preserving capital for future opportunities.

What is the 6% stop loss rule? ›

The 6% stop-loss rule is another risk management strategy used in trading. It involves setting your stop-loss order at a level where, if the trade moves against you, you would only lose a maximum of 6% of your total trading capital on that particular trade.

What is the Golden Rule strategy? ›

Treat people the way you want to be treated."

What is Warren Buffett's golden rule? ›

His investment philosophy, honed over decades, has produced unparalleled success and wealth, making him a model for investors worldwide. Central to Buffett's philosophy is a deceptively simple yet profoundly impactful rule: "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No.

What is the Buffett rule of investing? ›

Some of his most well-known principles include the following: “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” One of Buffett's most famous quotes highlights his focus on value investing. He believes that it is more important to focus on the value a company provides, rather than simply its stock price.

What is No 1 rule of trading? ›

Rule 1: Always Use a Trading Plan

You need a trading plan because it can assist you with making coherent trading decisions and define the boundaries of your optimal trade.

At what point should you cut your losses? ›

Having a rule in place ahead of time can help prevent an emotional decision to hang on too long. It should be: Sell now, ask questions later. By limiting losses to 7% or even less, you can avoid getting caught up in big market declines. Some investors may feel they haven't lost money unless they sell their shares.

How not to get ripped off when trading options? ›

Here's how: Try to avoid paying the bid or ask on securities that are more than a penny wide. Focus on trading at prices that are as close to the middle of the bid/ask spread as possible.

How do most traders lose money? ›

One of the primary reasons traders lose money is the absence of a clear trading strategy. According to research by Bloomberg, over 80% of day traders quit within the first two years, often due to insufficient strategies. One of the primary reasons traders lose money is the absence of a clear trading strategy.

How do you know when to cut your losses? ›

Sometimes many of us struggle to pinpoint the best time to cut our losses in a situation. While, of course, if it is no longer serving you, your goals, your purpose, or your physical or mental health can be quality time to go, it when it's draining you more than fulfilling you that it's time to cut your losses.

At what percentage loss should you sell a stock? ›

A common rule of thumb is to cut losses at around 10% below your purchase price. This way, if a stock turns out to be a poor performer, you're limiting the damage it can do to your portfolio.

What is the 30 day rule for stock loss? ›

If you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 calendar days before or after the sale, you won't be able to take a loss for that security on your current-year tax return.

When should you let go of losing stock? ›

Here are some good reasons you might want to sell a stock at a loss:
  1. Changes in company fundamentals.
  2. Changes in earnings.
  3. Changes in revenue.
  4. Debt levels.
  5. Changes in dividends.
Feb 23, 2024

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