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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (25138)	6/30/1999 1:04:00 AM
From: codawg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

I don't think there is any single right answer as to when to sell. If my position is in the black before a big event like earnings release, I'll usually sell enough to recover my original investment. If I like the upside potential I'll let the rest run. I agree with what Teflon said about setting your exit parameters at the time of purchase and sticking with them. If events cause you to change these parameters, NEVER let a profit turn into a loss.

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (25138)	6/30/1999 5:52:00 AM
From: Teflon	Respond to of 74651

No problem at all with your perspective, Dwight, Options are a funny game. From my experience, however, I have endured many a periods when I stayed in Calls too long and got slammed. Simply a matter of getting greedy and not taking profits when I should. It's all in your risk tolerance. Teflon

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (25138)	6/30/1999 7:48:00 AM
From: t2	Respond to of 74651

Dwight, The problem one faces with October calls is that for some reason, the market is expecting a big time selloff. For the last couple of years, we had them. Last year from August to October were months of declines. My fear would be that people will want to be out (ie fund managers raising cash). Past events should not forecast the future but if enough people believe it, there is a strong possibility. If one really wants to hold on, it may be a good idea to unload the October calls and pick up Leaps 2001 or even Januarys. I have just stuck with July and Leaps simply because i am not expecting big gains in the fall. September to December should provide great opportunities for january/february call buying. It really depends upon on your market outlook. In addition, big upcoming events might result in MSFT going positive even if the market goes down. Maybe a big splash with Windows2k release might push up the stock in October (and even September). It is just a matte of risk/reward. I am not willing take the risk and find better opportunities going a little further out in expiration. It is just a great guessing game.