There's no shortage of advice on when to buy stocks, but there's precious little on when to sell. A new Web site, SmartStops.net, wants you to consider your exit strategy.
Each trading day, the site calculates suggested selling prices for more than 4,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds -- one price for investors looking ahead six months or less and another for longer-term holders. The formula adjusts for volatility; SmartStops is supposed to capture the start of a significant downward trend.
Ten years of back-tested data shows you'd have saved money bailing out of stocks when SmartStops said to. But, of course, only a track record in the real world can prove whether the timing will be spot-on.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Still, you can key in up to five stocks a day for free. If you register, you can track three stocks and get e-mail alerts if they hit the sell mark (the fee jumps to $9.95 a month and up for larger portfolios). TD Ameritrade customers get the service free and can order their holdings sold automatically if they reach the SmartStop. Partnerships with other online brokers are on the way, says SmartStops.
-
5 Low-Cost Ways to Protect Against Identity TheftSPONSORED Stay ahead of identity thieves and maintain your peace of mind with these simple, affordable steps.
-
Upgrades to the CBP Entry Process Ahead of Peak Summer Travel Could Streamline U.S. Border Entry for TravelersEnhanced processing could make international travel into the U.S. smoother and easier this summer.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Lose Steam After CPI, US-China Trade DealWall Street initially cheered soft inflation data and hopeful tariff news, but momentum stalled in late-day trading.
-
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Is Standing ByThe waiting is the hardest part with trade war truce talks underway and inflation data on the way.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Stable as Inflation, Tariff Fears EbbConstructive trade war talks and improving consumer expectations are a healthy combination for financial markets.
-
Stock Market Today: Good Feelings and Solid Data Lift StocksResilience and de-escalation defined another generally positive day for financial markets.
-
Stock Market Today: Tesla Drags on Stocks Amid Musk-Trump FeudSentiment has soured between President Trump and his once-loyal ally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Brush Off Weak Jobs DataThe yields on the 2-year and 10-year Treasury notes fell sharply after a pair of weak economic reports.
-
Stock Market Today: Rally Extends on Good-Enough ExpectationsFiscal policy still has markets' attention, but taxes rather than tariffs and deficits rather than inflation are participants' primary focus.
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Move With Fresh Trade War WindsThe new uncertainty is the same as the old uncertainty, which is fine with investors, traders and speculators.
