At what gain should I sell a stock?

Asked by: Junior Schmidt IV  |  Last update: July 19, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (45 votes)

Percentage Gains: It can be prudent to sell a portion of your stocks once you've reached a substantial profit margin, say 20-25%. This allows you to secure profits while still having skin in the game if the stock continues to rise.

Should I sell stocks at 20% profit?

Generally speaking, it can be beneficial to sell stocks when they reach a 20% profit, as this indicates that the stock has performed well and could be a good time to take some profits. However, you should always consider your individual goals and investment strategy before making any decisions.

How much should a stock gain before selling?

This simple calculation shows how effective following the 20%-25% profit-taking rule can be as part of a strategy for when to sell stocks.

When should you sell stocks at a gain?

When buying a stock, estimate a percentage you plan to sell at. For example, you may sell a position when it profits 20% to 25%. Once you reach this number, sell some or all of the position, or reevaluate your goals. On the other end, a stop loss helps minimize losses in a sharp downturn.

What is the 7% rule in stocks?

The 7% rule is a straightforward guideline for cutting losses in stock trading. It suggests that investors should exit a position if the stock price falls 7% below the purchase price.

How To Sell Stocks: When To Take Profits | Learn How To Invest: IBD

43 related questions found

What is the 20% rule in stocks?

The “20% rule,” as it is commonly known, requires Nasdaq and NYSE-listed companies in certain situations to receive shareholder approval before they can issue 20% or more of their outstanding common stock or voting power in a private offering, such as a PIPE (private investment in public equity).

What is the 60 40 rule in stocks?

It says you should aim to keep 60% of your holdings in stocks, and 40% in bonds. Stocks can yield robust returns, but they are volatile. Bonds provide modest but stable income, and they serve as a buffer when stock prices fall. The 60/40 rule is one of the most familiar principles in personal finance.

What are three signs you should sell a stock?

Here's a rundown of five scenarios that can justify selling a stock:
  • Your investment thesis has changed. ...
  • The company is being acquired. ...
  • You need the money or soon will. ...
  • You need to rebalance your portfolio. ...
  • You identify opportunities to better invest your money elsewhere.

What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading?

The 3 5 7 rule is a risk management strategy in trading that emphasizes limiting risk on each individual trade to 3% of the trading capital, keeping overall exposure to 5% across all trades, and ensuring that winning trades yield at least 7% more profit than losing trades.

What is the 30 day rule for selling stocks?

Under the wash sale rule, your loss is disallowed for tax purposes if you sell stock or other securities at a loss and then buy substantially identical stock or securities within 30 days before or 30 days after the sale.

At what price should you sell stock?

According to IBD founder William O'Neil's rule in "How to Make Money in Stocks," you should sell a stock when you are down 7% or 8% from your purchase price, no exceptions.

When to exit a stock?

You should be looking to exit a stock trade when a price trend breaks down. This is supported by technical analysis and emphasises that investors should exit regardless of the value of the trade. It is recommended that you go back to the initial reasons for entering the trade.

What is a good profit margin to sell stocks?

As a rule of thumb, 5% is a low margin, 10% is a healthy margin, and 20% is a high margin.

What is the 20-25 sell rule?

To grow your portfolio substantially, take most gains in the 20%-25% range. Though contrary to human nature, the best way to sell a stock is while it's on the way up, still advancing and looking strong to everyone.

What is the 8 week hold rule?

The 8 Week Hold Rule is part of William O'Neil's CANSLIM strategy. He introduced this in his book How to Make Money in Stocks. It helps investors maximize gains from strong stocks. The rule advises holding a stock for eight weeks if it gains over 20% within three weeks of buying.

Is owning 30 stocks too much?

Those numbers weren't pulled out of a hat – there have been a few academic studies that suggest as few as 20-30 stocks achieve most of the benefit of portfolio diversification when investing in the stock market.

What is the 11am rule in stock trading?

The "11 am rule" refers to a guideline often followed by day traders, suggesting that they should avoid making significant trades during the first hour of trading, particularly until after 11 am Eastern Time.

What is the 70 20 10 rule in trading?

The 70:20:10 rule helps safeguard SIPs by allocating 70% to low-risk, 20% to medium-risk, and 10% to high-risk investments, ensuring stability, balanced growth, and high returns while managing market fluctuations.

When should you not sell a stock?

Markets rise and fall for a number of reasons in the short term, creating potential opportunities for true long-term investors. A stock that is attractively priced can always become even more attractively priced, and that's a reason to buy, not sell.

Do you pay taxes on stocks if you sell at a loss?

Selling a stock for profit locks in "realized gains," which will be taxed. However, you won't be taxed anything if you sell stock at a loss. In fact, it may even help your tax situation — this is a strategy known as tax-loss harvesting. Note, however, that if you receive dividends, you will have to pay taxes on those.

At what age should you get out of the stock market?

The reality is that stocks do have market risk, but even those of you close to retirement or retired should stay invested in stocks to some degree in order to benefit from the upside over time. If you're 65, you could have two decades or more of living ahead of you and you'll want that potential boost.

What is the 80-20 rule in stocks?

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 Cramer rule of 40?

Rule of 40 Definition: In Software as a Service (SaaS) financial models, the “Rule of 40” states that a company's Revenue Growth + EBITDA Margin should equal or exceed 40% to be considered “healthy”; companies that exceed it by a wider margin may be valued more highly.

Are bonds still a good investment in 2024?

Strong 2024 performance may be tough to replicate given tight credit spreads, but we still have a favorable view on corporate bond investments given the strong economy.