When would you sell your stock?

Thanks, doom, for putting my "I know nothing about stocks" option in!!!

I would never buy stock :P

i would like to try 'short selling' but i'm scared...

(Blanket statement time, IMHO, and all caveats apply but)Unless you are a person who sleeps really, really well at night no matter what, there is no sense in getting caught up in all of this day trading madness. Let a trained (and trustworthy) professional worry about this stuff for you. Unless you happen to find the process fun, I bet you that it will bring nothing but an ulcer. If you are the kind of individual that just *has* to be involved in the process, please please I beg of you to think long term.

magbast: nnnoooooooooooo! you will have no hair by 30.

is it that nerve racking pomeranian?

magbast: have you every gone to a dog track, or a race track? In many ways, I can't see how individuals who day-trade with their own money are really any different than race-track betters. Now, don't get me wrong, when I say "day trading is gambling" I don't mean to implicitly put down day traders (or track betters for that matter).
But, if you find race-tracks nerve racking, I suspect that day trading will be even less fun. Personally, I think individuals who want to get the most out of their money from the markets really should focus on long term goals, and mutual funds are the sane way to go. If you treat the day-trading stuff as a game, and play only your "fun money" your wins will be that much more sweet and your losses less painful.

I don't own any stocks/bonds (yet)...

My stock gets sold when the investment firm that handles my portfolio says to. They do very well by me, much better than I would do on my own.

Minimum investment time in the stock market should be three to five years.

No option for people who are licensed brokers? You have one for people who know nothing about stocks.

Sell when I get worried. Sell when it goes back up after being down.

I recommend the stock trading game at finance.yahoo.com to anyone who wants a taste of buying and selling stock without the risk.

Bill: I certainly second that. And if you pay absolutely no attention to the ratings you will have a lot of fun.

jjg - actually, it totally stressed me out! ...but, I thought it was a nice way to get a taste of it.

Capital gains tax is a dog. Stick with your stocks for at least a year.

When I feel like it.

I sell when:

• The stock is overvalued
• I need the money, or
• The stock no longer fits my investment strategy

watch my head spin!

HIGH. When it costs substantially more than it is worth. The only trick is figuring out the latter number

LOL jen. As for short selling, it's a reasonable strategy in certain cases, but it does carry quite a bit of risk for limited reward.

romkey, I have seen your head spin. It isn't pretty.. and the mess afterwards. sheese!