Don't Sit On Losses: How This Simple Rule Spared Investors From Meta's 77% Crash (2024)

Sitting on losses is never a good strategy because those losses can pile very quickly. Even strong stocks can dive and give up all gains from a buy point in a single session. That is why watching for sell signals and knowing how to sell stocks is vital to investing.

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There are different ways of finding topping signs. Chart analysis offers a clear clue through IBD's 7% sell rule. The sell rule is a simple and effective way of cutting your losses in a disciplined manner.

When a stock breaks out of a base, watch out if it falls below the base's buy point. This in itself is not a sign of a failed break out. However, if the stock falls 7% or more below the entry, it triggers the 7% sell rule. It is time to exit the position before it does further damage.

That way, investors can still be in the game for future opportunities by preserving capital. The deeper a stock falls, the harder it is to get back to break-even. A drop of 7% takes a 7.5% gain to fully recover. A drop of 20% takes a 25% rebound. A 30% decline takes a 42.9% bounce.

The 7% stop loss applies to any stock purchase at any level. If you bought a stock at 45 and the buy point was at 43, you want to calculate the 7% sell rule from your purchase price.

Selling Stocks: Advantage For Small Investors

The 7% sell rule is one of the tools nimble investors have that larger funds that hold massive positions among a wide range of stocks may not.IBD founder William O'Neil would point out that it is "a terrific advantage" that the nimble and decisive individual investor has over the institutions.

Don't Sit On Losses: How This Simple Rule Spared Investors From Meta's 77% Crash (1)Shares of Meta Platforms (META) broke out of a flat base with a buy point of 377.55 on Aug. 30, 2021 (1). Volume was lower than average, which could have alerted a watchful investor. Shares rose to 384.33 but quickly started to fall.

The stock fell below its 50-day moving average on Sept. 20 (2) — the first sign of trouble.

That same day, Meta's dropped as low as 349.80. That was a 7% decline (to 351.12) from the buy point.

Two days later, the stock gapped down and the 7% loss was quite clear by now. Shares plummeted to 88.08 by November 2022. That's a loss of 77% from the August 2021 entry.

Meta didn't get back to its August 2021 levels until January 2024. Investors holding on to its shares from the sell signal would have waited more than two years to get back to break-even. But those who sold in September 2021 would have the capital to get back into the stock for its 2023 rally.

How To Sell Stocks: Market Conditions Matter

The 7% sell rule holds true in bull markets. But in a bear market, it may be wise to exit earlier if the stock falls 3% to 4% from a buy point after a breakout.

The 7% sell rule is one of the simplest rules investors can follow. IBD had been calling it the 7%-8% sell rule, but as a practical matter, it is treated as a 7% loss trigger.

This article was originally published July 14, 2023, and has been updated. Please follow VRamakrishnanon Twitter for more news on the stock market today.

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Don't Sit On Losses: How This Simple Rule Spared Investors From Meta's 77% Crash (2024)

FAQs

What is the 7% stop loss rule? ›

However, if the stock falls 7% or more below the entry, it triggers the 7% sell rule. It is time to exit the position before it does further damage. That way, investors can still be in the game for future opportunities by preserving capital. The deeper a stock falls, the harder it is to get back to break-even.

Do you lose all your money if the stock market crashes? ›

Do you lose all the money if the stock market crashes? No, a stock market crash only indicates a fall in prices where a majority of investors face losses but do not completely lose all the money. The money is lost only when the positions are sold during or after the crash.

What is the rule number 1 in investing? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule.

Should I sell my stocks before a crash? ›

While selling stocks during a market downturn might make you feel better temporarily, doing so reactively because stocks are tumbling isn't a good long-term investment strategy.

What is the 357 rule in trading? ›

What is the 3 5 7 rule in trading? A risk management principle known as the “3-5-7” rule in trading advises diversifying one's financial holdings to reduce risk. The 3% rule states that you should never risk more than 3% of your whole trading capital on a single deal.

Who buys stocks when everyone is selling? ›

But there's one group of investors who charge in to buy when stocks are selling off: the corporate insiders. How do they do it? They have 2 key advantages over you and me that provide them the edge during uncertain times. If you follow their lead, you can have that edge too.

What is the 80% rule investing? ›

In investing, the 80-20 rule generally holds that 20% of the holdings in a portfolio are responsible for 80% of the portfolio's growth. On the flip side, 20% of a portfolio's holdings could be responsible for 80% of its losses.

What is the rule of 69 in investing? ›

The Rule of 69 states that the investment would double in 3.8 years. However, if values drop initially, the investment needs to catch up before the compounding can start to increase the value, which will lengthen the timeline.

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.

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 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 8 loss rule? ›

The 8% sell rule is a strategy used by some investors to minimize losses and help preserve their capital. The rule is typically applied when a stock drops 8% under your purchase price—regardless of the situation. Keep in mind that this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.

What is the best stop loss rule? ›

What stop-loss percentage should I use? According to research, the most effective stop-loss levels for maximizing returns while limiting losses are between 15% and 20%. These levels strike a balance between allowing some market fluctuation and protecting against significant downturns.

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