Got Out

[capricho]

After last Thursday's bruising I basically sold all my positions, including all of the 3SOF picks that I had accumulated. I felt from the beginning of this year that 2006 would see a major market correction, the form of which may be unpredictable and perhaps not altogether sudden. While I enjoyed a near 20% gain YTD I decided to bail out while still relatively ahead of the game. I do not like the looks of the market at all from a basic fundamental perspective. The volatility is alarming and I believe that forces beyond our mere swing trader's control (U.S. account deficit, inflation, political unrest, etc) are going to start to play a larger and larger role in the direction we face ahead. I wish all the 3SOF comrads best of luck, it's bye bye for me as I wait out the tempest until calmer waters are in sight...Hope I'm wrong, but I am getting too risk adverse and really don't have the stomach to feel the pain of a topsy turvy roller coaster anymore. I commend David, Frederick, EliteG, and all the other 3SOF moderators for a fantastic job in raising my awareness of stellar picks and in forming a community of eager and highly intelligent stock pickers.
Capricho

[nullzero]

cya  sorry to see you go. Can always try to make money shorting 

[Terliso]

BULLS make money, BEARS make money.... don't leave!!
Pretty soon 3SOF will pick stocks to short 

[AussieTrader]

Good for you Capricho,

Going to cash when you are uncomfortable with the market situation is a great trading strategy. Shouldn't feel like you have to make trades long or short all the time to be a trader, sitting on the sidelines preserves capital and allows you to re-enter calmly at your convienience.

Good Luck

[capricho]

Thanks for the comments everyone--I really don't mind sitting out for a while. I had been obsessing too much on every little down tick the stocks were doing and it wasn't really a healthy way to live my life. I also can't short my positions since I'm trading with a self-directed 401(k) account which prohibits margin calls. I am extremely pleased that when I first started using recommendations from 3SOF my gains have been fantastic. Risky? yes, but then again, I diversified, and usually kept losses to a minimum by bailing at 6-8% loss (a bit more for the pennies).

I have found that the old adage should not be forgotten--"don't fall in love with a stock." For a while, I thought the comments and enthusiasm behind such picks as BRVO and EYII were sure signs that these picks were golden only to see them crash and burn out with a sad whimper. The learning lesson for me was to play it safe always...and especially with pennies.

Anyway, enough ramblings...good luck with everyone here. I can't say enough about how fortunate this community is with the shared knowledge of everyone participating on this site.

[Stocky2000]

i sold 8 of my 10 holdings early this morning to bring in the 10% profit of my portfolio since one week ago....as a trader i have  to take this 10% in one week.....as market gets nervous and nasdaq could fall more...and i dont like the dow below 11000 points...and oil high and the interest might rise at end of june....

still holding HISC.PK and IEAM.OB

Hisc trades at 0.030 since a couple of days...i think it under accumaltion because of this:

Homeland Integrated Security Systems shareholders of record as of June 29, 2006, will receive 1 new share of the NASDAQ Bulletin Board Company for every 50 shares of HISC they own as of the record date. Homeland Integrated Security Systems shareholders will maintain their stock ownership of HISC and will receive a dividend in the NASDAQ Bulletin Board Company.