Sold AIB For $2.61
By admin on May 4, 2009 in sells
I had my account set to sell AIB if it hit $2.61 (a 5% gain from where I bought it at $2.49) and so my Ameritrade account sold the stock for me while I was out today.
In one way I’m pleased about another successful trade. But it does look like I sold out too early. It’s currently at $2.93 so obviously I could have done significantly better than a 5% gain (I’d be up 18% if I was still in.)
I’m looking at my screener for another candidate to get into before the markets close and there are a lot to choose from. I may or may not make a play.
I won’t apologize for being late on posting this because anyone who is following me would have done far better holding onto it longer anyway.
I’m trying to buy into C now but I’m trying to get a bit of a deal so I may not get it.
admin | May 4, 2009 | Reply
AIB is now at $3.20 — Time and time again my picks break through with big gains, I just seem to get out of them too quickly. I get nervous and take the quick 5% gain. I think I may do better to stick it out a bit longer. But of course that has it’s negatives too. Finding the proper exit point gets much more difficult the longer I hold… and then of course I’m opening myself up to possibilities of big drops (gap downs in particular scare the hell out of me.)
Still $3.20 represents a 28.5% gain on my entry point. That would be very nice, indeed.
admin | May 6, 2009 | Reply
Closed at $3.38 — I would have been up 36% if I had stuck with it.
I know… why do I look at these “what if?” scenarios? Well basically I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. I’m trying to figure out whether it makes more sense to hold onto these stocks a bit longer waiting for further pops or if it’s better to get in and out really fast.
I think I’ve definitely been selling too quickly. But on the flip side, selling quickly does cut down risk significantly and it frees up my money to make another play.
admin | May 6, 2009 | Reply
BTW C has gone up 21% since I said I was trying to get into it (check out the end of this post) but that I was trying to get a “deal” - this is another big mistake I’ve been making. Haggling over a penny here or there and then missing the ride up. I’ve had this experience multiple times over the last couple of weeks. I need to stop worrying about the 0.3% one way or another and just get in!
admin | May 6, 2009 | Reply