When Is The Best Time To Buy & Sell?
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The two most important decisions an investor will make are when to buy and when to sell. The best time to buy is when others are pessimistic. The best time to sell is when others are actively optimistic. When buying, remember that the prospect of a high return is greater if you buy after its price has fallen rather than after it has risen. But caution should be exercised. For example, after the stock of fictitious Company X declined by 30%, 40% or more, the first question to ask is why. Why did the stock fall as it did? Did other stocks in the same industry experience a decline? If so, was it as severe? Did the entire stock market fall? If the broader market or other stocks in the same industry/sector performed relatively well, there may be a problem specific to Company X. It’s best to adopt a buy/sell discipline and adhere to it. Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, once said, “The buyer of common stocks must assure himself that he is not making his purchase at a time when the general market level is a definitely high one, as judged by established standards of common-stock values.” His reference was to what we discussed as fair value under the section Stock Valuation above.