The 8% Sell Rule Keeps Losses Small, Shields Capital (2024)

An investor who buys a stock without having a clear sell strategy is courting danger.

There's no guarantee that any stock will keep rising after it breaks out of a proper base, no matter how strong its fundamentals or how solid its chart pattern.

That's why the 8% sell rule helps keep losses small and preserve capital. The rule is applied when a stock falls 8% below your purchase price, no matter what.

But if the action immediately after the breakout is clearly negative, it's even better to sell early.

"The whole secret to winning big in the stock market is not to be right all the time, but to lose the least amount possible when you're wrong," wrote IBD's founder William O'Neil in "How to Make Money in Stocks."

Remember, the bigger the loss, the harder it is to recover. An 8% drop requires only an 8.7% gain to get back to break-even. But a 25% loss requires a 33% profit the next time. And a stock that plunges 50% must double to get back to break-even.

"You must sell without hesitation — no waiting a few days to see what might happen; no hoping that the stock will rally back; no need to wait for the day's market close," O'Neil wrote.

If you still like the stock, wait for it to form a new base with a new buy point. In the meantime, it's best to search for other leading stocks breaking out of bases.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) began forming a flat base in late July with a 110.06 buy point. The base was late-stage, making it risky, even if Alexion's fundamentals were strong and its industry group top-notch.

It cleared the entry on Sept. 7 1 (weekly chart is shown), but volume didn't pick up until Sept. 21. 2 Still, the drugmaker went on to hit a record high of 119.54 on Oct. 5, a gain of 9%. 3

But then the stock began pulling back, breaching its 10-week line and falling 8% below its buy point on Oct. 22 in volume that was 170% above normal. 4 That triggered the sell rule. Those who still failed to sell are now sitting on an 18% loss.

Note that IBD research shows that leading stocks rarely fall 8% below their proper buy points. So stocks that are showing weakness should be sold quickly, even before losses hit 8%.

In Alexion's case, a truly savvy investor may have decided to sell when volume failed to pick up in the days following the breakout. Volume should be at least 40% above average on the big move up.

The market correction that began Oct. 10 was another shot across the bow. Proactive selling could have gotten you out with a small gain or a minimal loss.

Of course, investors who had bought at an earlier buy point are still sitting on a big profit and have more leeway to see if Alexion can bounce back. But a gain should never become a loss.

The 8% Sell Rule Keeps Losses Small, Shields Capital (2024)

FAQs

The 8% Sell Rule Keeps Losses Small, Shields Capital? ›

An investor who buys a stock without having a clear sell strategy is courting danger. There's no guarantee that any stock will keep rising after it breaks out of a proper base, no matter how strong its fundamentals or how solid its chart pattern. That's why the 8% sell rule helps keep losses small and preserve capital.

What is the 8 percent rule in stocks? ›

The 8% sell rule is a strategy used by some investors to minimize losses and help preserve their capital. The rule is typically applied when a stock drops 8% under your purchase price—regardless of the situation. Keep in mind that this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.

What is the rule of 8 in investing? ›

The 8% Rule was built to have higher returns and more shallow pullbacks than stocks in general. With this combination, your money compounds MUCH faster. Over the long-term, The 8% Rule beats the market 4-to-1, allowing for a safe withdrawal rate of 8%.

What is the 7 percent sell rule? ›

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. This basic principle helps you always cap your potential downside.

What is the 8 week hold rule? ›

The 8-week hold rule, developed by Investor's Business Daily (IBD), states that if a stock gains upwards of 20% within 1-3 weeks of a proper breakout, it should be held for eight weeks, as such stocks often become the market's biggest winners.

What is the rule 8 trading? ›

Rule 8: Always Use a Stop Loss

A stop loss is a predetermined amount of risk that a trader is willing to accept with each trade.

What is the rule of 72 8%? ›

For example, if an investment scheme promises an 8% annual compounded rate of return, it will take approximately nine years (72 / 8 = 9) to double the invested money.

What is Warren Buffett's golden rule? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are.”

Which stock will double in 3 years? ›

Stock Doubling every 3 years
S.No.NameCMP Rs.
1.HB Stockholdings91.90
2.Systematix Corp.937.05
3.Refex Industries150.90
4.Guj. Themis Bio.409.90
18 more rows

How to double $2000 dollars in 24 hours? ›

The Best Ways To Double Money In 24 Hours
  1. Flip Stuff For Profit. ...
  2. Start A Retail Arbitrage Business. ...
  3. Invest In Real Estate. ...
  4. Play Games For Money. ...
  5. Invest In Dividend Stocks & ETFs. ...
  6. Use Crypto Interest Accounts. ...
  7. Start A Side Hustle. ...
  8. Invest In Your 401(k)
4 days ago

What is a safe rate of return for retirement? ›

Generating sufficient retirement income means planning ahead of time but being able to adapt to evolving circ*mstances. As a result, keeping a realistic rate of return in mind can help you aim for a defined target. Many consider a conservative rate of return in retirement 10% or less because of historical returns.

What is the quick sell rule? ›

Quick Sell Rule - You cannot sell a security within a certain time period to reflect the fact that we are working with delayed data. The default value is 15 minutes. This is our way of ensuring that users don't "cheat" by trading in and out of a stock using real-time data.

What is the 7% rule money? ›

The seven percent savings rule provides a simple yet powerful guideline—save seven percent of your gross income before any taxes or other deductions come out of your paycheck. Saving at this level can help you make continuous progress towards your financial goals through the inevitable ups and downs of life.

What is best time to sell stock? ›

Always keep in mind the best time to sell the capital during the day at 10 am. Because of that time market open, and in the morning, many investors buy stock. 10 am is opening bell for the investor in the stock market. The best day for selling your stock is Friday because Saturday and Sunday market is closed.

At what profit should I sell a stock? ›

When a stock is going the right direction, your decision making is not as easy. How long should you hold? Here's a specific rule to help boost your prospects for long-term stock investing success: Once your stock has broken out, take most of your profits when they reach 20% to 25%.

How do you lock in stock gains without selling? ›

Protecting Profits with Puts

Buying put options give you the right to sell a stock at a set price until the contract expires. As a result, you can purchase put options covering the number of shares you own to lock in profits. If the stock declines, you can still sell the stock at the put option's strike price.

What is the 15 15 15 rule in stocks? ›

Meaning of the 15-15-15 rule in Mutual Funds

The 15-15-15 rule for mutual fund investing has three parts to it: The Investment: You should invest Rs 15,000 per month. The Tenure: The total of your investment should be 15 years. It means that you will invest Rs 15,000 every month for the next 15 years.

What is the 3 5 7 rule in stocks? ›

The 3–5–7 rule in trading is a risk management principle that suggests allocating a certain percentage of your trading capital to different trades based on their risk levels. Here's how it typically works: 3% Rule: This suggests risking no more than 3% of your trading capital on any single trade.

What is the 10 percent rule in stocks? ›

So, when you're ready to invest, you want to implement something I call the 10% Risk Rule. And this basically is just limiting your risky investments to no more than 10% of the total money you have invested.

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.

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