When to sell stocks Peter Lynch?

Asked by: Ferne Quitzon  |  Last update: February 5, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (3 votes)

As legendary investor Peter Lynch once said, "Selling your winners and holding your losers is like cutting the flowers and watering the weeds."1 The only way to get the weeds out is to pull them from the root before they threaten the whole garden—which means selling off nonperforming assets before their losses overtake ...

When to sell Peter Lynch?

The key to knowing when to sell, he says, is knowing "why you bought it in the first place." Lynch says investors should sell if: The story has played out as expected and this is reflected in the price; for instance, the price of a stalwart has gone up as much as could be expected.

At what point should I sell my stock?

When To Sell And Take A Loss. 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.

What is Lynch's rule of 20?

One simplistic measure of this is Peter Lynch's Rule of 20. This suggests that stocks are attractively priced when the sum of inflation and market P/E ratios fall below 20.

What was Peter Lynch's famous quote?

The person that turns over the most rocks wins the game.

Peter Lynch and Warren Buffett: When to Sell a Stock

29 related questions found

What is Peter Lynch's investment strategy?

Lynch's most popular investment philosophy is "invest in what you know," which was a major theme of his best-selling book One Up on Wall Street. Lynch believes that contrary to popular opinion, smaller investors have an advantage over Wall Street professionals.

What is the most famous line of all time?

A jury consisting of 1,500 film artists, critics, and historians selected "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", spoken by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in the 1939 American Civil War epic Gone with the Wind, as the most memorable American movie quotation of all time.

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

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.

What is the 25% stock 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.

How to pick stocks like Peter Lynch?

Lynch advises evaluating stocks based on various factors. Check the price-to-earnings (P-E) ratio compared to the company's history and the industry. Look for lower institutional ownership, insider buying, and share buybacks. Assess earnings history, but that's less vital for asset plays.

Should I sell stocks at 20% profit?

According to William O'Neil, a noted investor and stockbroker, you may consider selling the stock when its price has gone up by 20%-25% from the ideal buy point.

When should I cash out my 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.

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 point should you be ready to sell a stock?

1 Rule For When To Sell Stocks. To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you already have. That brings us to the cardinal rule of selling. Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it.

What is Peter Lynch's fair value formula?

The Peter Lynch fair value calculation assumes that when a stock is fairly valued, the trailing P/E ratio of the stock (Price/EPS) will equal its long-term EPS growth rate: Fair Value = EPS * EPS Growth Rate.

What is Warren Buffett's investment strategy?

Warren Buffett's investment strategy has remained relatively consistent over the decades, centered around the principle of value investing. This approach involves finding undervalued companies with strong potential for growth and investing in them for the long term.

What is the 7% rule in stocks?

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.

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.

At what gain should I sell a stock?

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.

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 golden rule of stock?

2.1 First Golden Rule: 'Buy what's worth owning forever'

This rule tells you that when you are selecting which stock to buy, you should think as if you will co-own the company forever.

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 wisest quote ever?

Top 10 Best Wisdom Quotes:

"We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn." "Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure." "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path." "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."

What was Cary Grant's famous quote?

Cary Grant Quotes

My formula for life is very simple: in the morning, wake up; at night, go to sleep. In between I try and occupy myself as best I can. I began by acting like the person I wanted to be, and eventually I became that person. I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person.

What was the famous line from Ferris Bueller?

Ferris : Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.