Offshore,
You just did exactly what I've done before and regreted it every time. You did what the average sane investor would do when he doesn't understand what's going on, you coughed up a bellwhether stock that you and everyone else knows is headed higher as soon as this nonsense blows over. The MM's know market psychology and how to use it to make $$$. They say "BOO!" and drop the market for no reason, everybody panics and sells, then they come out and say "just kidding, everything's OK, you can have your stocks back now for a few more $$ per share than when you sold them to me". We all think "whew that could of been nasty, glad I did the smart thing and got out." Wrong! I've learned you can make a lot more $$ doing exactly the opposite of what the average sane investor would do. In other words, when everyone's panicing like they are now, step back and think "that's exactly what they want me to do, so I'm going to come with guns blazing on co's that are kicking butt (MSFT,AOL,EMC,DELL,CSCO etc.) and wait for the coming snap back rally that will be led by these winners.
My only problem is being fully invested and NOT selling some at the first sign of a downturn to free up cash for the sale. I'm just not that nimble, so I get clocked during the downturn but just ride it out and watch my bellwhethers go on to new highs. The only time this hasn't worked was last OCT8 when I was over margined and got a call when DELL dropped 20 pts. that day and had to sell some a couple of days later when DELL et al. were beginning the recovery rally (boy I hated that!).
I don't blame you for selling MSFT at 158, I've done the same thing. If I'm right you probably sold within a point or so of the low. If I'm wrong we all better go to treasuries because if the bellwhethers continue going down there is no safe place to hide in the stock market.
Regards,Lee |
