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Online Share Trading

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Beginner having Trouble

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Not applicable
I've just started to use the Stock Market and I'm losing money very fast. I've invested R200 000 and stand to loose R40 000 already. Do I sell now and loose the 40 k or should I wait for the markets to improve????
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68 REPLIES 68
Electrox
Super Contributor
RKL it depends where you are invested in. commodities, industrials? But the timimg surley isnt good at the moment in the markket.
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Market_News
New Contributor
Hi I have been in the game for about 6 months and what I have found out is that you don't throw money at the market. A lot of the current market is based on "market Hype" especially around certain shares like oil. You need to make sure that you have a "stop Loss" - this is a protection level that you put in place once you have bought shares - and if the shares do drop to that level - you take the loss. This would be similar to saying that if the shares does drop I can handle the loss. However many of the shares will only start recovering I believe (with my limited knowledge) after 6-12 months again depending on the market and the shares you have bought. Although there is talk that gold will go over 1000 I think currently sitting at 922. Food for thought?
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Mr_Money
Regular Contributor
You have indeed choose the wrong time. Buy Sasol or gold to recover
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venice
Super Contributor
Don't feel bad, I know this sounds patronizing and I don't mean to be but many pro's also get hammered from time to time make no error. Its times like this that build character I don't know what shares you are in but get educated on tech analysis and atleast you will have a platform to trade off not just emotion.
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Not applicable
STOP now is the time to paper trade i can tell you some basics but the only teacher in the shares is experience so leave your money in cash then see what moves what share until we get some direction these markets are for those with ba**s whove had them choped off 0- welcome to the most fascinating game on earth
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Not applicable
Trade with R50 000 and you will learn the same lessons as you are with R 200 000. And then you will still have R150 000 left to learn more lessons
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Electrox
Super Contributor
RKL on what shares are you loosing money on? If they are good companies that are just corecting and you have a long term view, you can still ride them out and realise a profit in 4 - 8 years time.
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Not applicable
Cut your loses NOW!
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Not applicable
Cash up and take the money and go on a gambling spree. All forumites and brokers are like croupiers, they think they know what gonna happen next.
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Not applicable
RKL, there is one basic money-management rule you should be applying if you want your 200k to last you longer than a few weeks. That is the risk size rule. You never want to risk more than about 2% or 3% of your entire portfolio on any one trade. That's RISK size, not TRADE size. So if your trade was, say 25k-worth of exposure to AGL, then your risk would consist of the amount lost before the stop-loss triggered.
On a 200k portfolio, if you're happy with a 2% risk, then you would automatically exit the trade once you've lost 2% x 200k = 4k. This would apply to ANY trade in your portfolio irrespective of exposure. In other words, it doesn't matter if you're trading shares, installments, waves, warrants or SSFs - once that 4k has been breached, then get out.
This technique is very simple, very neat, and will allow you the latitude to make about 25 losing trades in a row before you wipe out your account. The way you're doing it currently could you wipe out in about 4 trades.
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Not applicable
Blue chips will always recover. Id stay in with them (if thats what youre punting) instead of losing 40k.OMO
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Not applicable
Hey RKL. I've been there, but take a long term view. Short term trading is unpredictable and risky. Remember that behind every shares there is an actual company. Buy any book on Warren Buffet (richest man in the world). Busy reading Buffetology, I would recommend anyone starting off to read it first......
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Not applicable
Hey RKL. I've been there, but take a long term view. Short term trading is unpredictable and risky. Remember that behind every share there is an actual company. Buy any book on Warren Buffet (richest man in the world). Busy reading Buffetology, I would recommend anyone starting off to read it first......
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Shaun_Siddall
Super Contributor
Take R75k of MTN SSF's and R75k SOL SSF's keep the R50 so you dont get priced out.
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SimonPB
Valued Contributor
RKL, top tip. Ignore most of the advice suggested here. There is some value and it is fairly easy to spot.
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bilow
Contributor
I had Kumba shares some years ago and lost 19k, had I held the share it now trades in the R300's per share.
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Rossi
Contributor
Shaun. I see you are also routing for MTN, I've also gone a large amount in MTN SSF.I'm a firm believer in the company......
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CHATTYCHAT
Super Contributor
The trick is to find and sustain yourself amongst the cumulative effect of the turmoil of the market place. Just looking at the responses makes you want to burst into tears. My 1c advice: decide on your strategy as either a trader (VERY risky) with well formulated attitude and participation as explained by AvN; or an investor, which requests you to take note of the noise and daily hype, but if you have time on your side (are you young, retired?) rest assured if you entered on the current top 40, you'll recover the current depletion of capital and even see a rewarding pattern after that.
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CHATTYCHAT
Super Contributor
sorry: ".... AvS...."
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