Saturday 19 September 2009

The Ultimate Hold-versus-Sell Test

Here is the overriding primary test, followed by observations on why it is so critically important: 

Knowing all that you now know and expect about the company and its stock (not what you originally believed or hoped at time of purchase), and assuming that you had available capital, and assuming that it would not cause a portfolio imbalance to do so, would you buy this stock today, at today's price? 

No equivocation.  Yes or no? 

Answers such as maybe or probably are not acceptable since they are ways of dodging the issue.  No investor probably  buys a stock; they either place an order or do not. 

Here is the implication of your answer to that critical test:  if you did not answer with a clear affirmative, you should sell; only if you said a strong yes, are you justified to hold.

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