At what point do you sell a losing stock?

Asked by: Emelia Spinka DVM  |  Last update: August 16, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (71 votes)

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. Having a rule in place ahead of time can help prevent an emotional decision to hang on too long. It should be: Sell now, ask questions later.

When should you sell a stock for a loss?

Here are four situations in which it might make sense to sell your losers—and what to consider if you plan to reinvest the proceeds.
  1. You want to realize some gains. ...
  2. You want to reduce your taxable income. ...
  3. You need the cash. ...
  4. The investment no longer fits your strategy.

At what percentage drop should you sell a stock?

A common rule of thumb is to cut losses at around 10% below your purchase price. This way, if a stock turns out to be a poor performer, you're limiting the damage it can do to your portfolio.

What is the 3 5 7 rule in stocks?

What is the 3 5 7 Rule? The 3 5 7 rule works on a simple principle: never risk more than 3% of your trading capital on any single trade; limit your overall exposure to 5% of your capital on all open trades combined; and ensure your winning trades are at least 7% more profitable than your losing trades.

At what gain should I sell a stock?

Once you own a stock, you need to decide whether to hold or sell it. The 20%-25% profit-taking rule provides investors with a new approach to deciding the selling point.

When Is It Okay To Sell A Losing Stock

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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 7 percent sell rule?

You should sell a stock when you are down 7% or 8% from your purchase price. For example, let's say you bought Company A's stock at $100 per share. According to the 7%-8% sell rule, you should sell the shares if the price drops to $93 or $92. There are several advantages to using this approach.

What is the 11am rule in stocks?

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 stocks?

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.

What is the 90% rule in stocks?

The Rule of 90 is a grim statistic that serves as a sobering reminder of the difficulty of trading. According to this rule, 90% of novice traders will experience significant losses within their first 90 days of trading, ultimately wiping out 90% of their initial capital.

Should I sell my stock if it keeps going down?

Selling a losing position helps preserve your fund and prevent further losses, especially in volatile or declining markets. Holding onto a losing position comes with an opportunity cost that ties up money that could be used for more profitable investments.

How much stock loss can you write off?

Your maximum net capital loss in any tax year is $3,000. The IRS limits your net loss to $3,000 (for individuals and married filing jointly) or $1,500 (for married filing separately). You can reduce any amount of taxable capital gains as long as you have gross losses to offset them.

When should I cut my losses on a stock?

By following a 3-to-1 ratio of gainers to losers, if you have a 25% gain, you can allow up to an 8% loss, and no more. If in an unfavorable market and your winners are only up 10% to 15%, you need to cut losses sooner.

When should you cash out stocks?

Investors might sell their stocks to adjust their portfolios or free up money. Investors might also sell a stock when it hits a price target or the company's fundamentals have deteriorated. Still, investors might sell a stock for tax purposes or because they need the money in retirement for income.

How to recover from a big loss in the stock market?

How to recover from stock market loss?
  1. Acknowledge the loss and keep your calm. The first step to recovery is to accept it. ...
  2. Analyse what went wrong. Once your mind calms down, analyse what went wrong. ...
  3. Revisit your plan. ...
  4. Learn from your mistakes. ...
  5. Start with small trades. ...
  6. Stay informed. ...
  7. Have a positive mindset.

What is the 30 day rule for stock loss?

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.

What is the 4% rule all stocks?

One frequently used rule of thumb for retirement spending is known as the 4% rule. It's relatively simple: You add up all of your investments, and withdraw 4% of that total during your first year of retirement. In subsequent years, you adjust the dollar amount you withdraw to account for inflation.

Which is better, 50/30/20 or 70/20/10?

It can work well if your essential expenses are within 50% of your income and you want a balanced approach to spending and saving. 70/20/10 Rule: May be better if you aim to save more aggressively or have higher essential expenses that exceed 50% of your income.

What is the 50% rule in trading?

The fifty percent principle states that when a stock or other asset begins to fall after a period of rapid gains, it will lose at least 50% of its most recent gains before the price begins advancing again.

Is it better to sell stock in the morning or afternoon?

The best time of day to buy and sell shares is usually thought to be the first couple of hours of the market opening. The reason for this is that all significant market news for the day is factored into the stock price first thing in the morning.

What is the 2 day rule for stocks?

Under the current T+2 rule, investors have two business days after executing a trade to settle the transaction.

What is the best timeframe for trading?

One to two hours of the stock market being open is the best time frame for intraday trading. However, most stock market trading channels open from 9:15 am in India. So, why not start at 9:15? If you are a seasoned trader, trading within the first 15 minutes might not be as much of a risk.

What is the golden rule of selling?

The golden rule of sales is: pitch to people who buy what you sell. After all, why would you try to sell someone something they have no interest in, or any use for?

Should I sell a losing stock?

“If a good part of your portfolio is up in value, while a smaller part is down,” Curtin says, “selling some of those 'down' investments at a loss — known as tax-loss harvesting — could help offset the tax you owe from the gains earned on your sale of better-performing stocks.” What's more, if your capital losses are ...

Is it legal to buy and sell the same stock repeatedly?

There are no restrictions on placing multiple buy orders to buy the same stock more than once in a day, and you can place multiple sell orders to sell the same stock in a single day. The FINRA restrictions only apply to buying and selling the same stock within the designated five-trading-day period.