| There is plenty of action in this group - and no small amount of turnover. Yes, we've had a couple rockets that failed to launch along the way, too. But I've reminded subscribers before that in addition to our many realized gains, I believe the remaining stocks in our portfolio are poised to rise further - and most are in the money. This didn't sit well with one subscriber. "I don't like hearing you say our positions are profitable," he wrote. "Your positions are profitable, not mine." He explained that the recommendations in the portfolio at that time were up only because we had recommended readers held on... while he had not. "You never get hurt taking a profit," he wrote. And so he clipped them just as quickly as he could, happy to settle for regular short-term gains of a few thousand dollars. So while other subscribers - or at least the ones who followed my research - benefited from the recommendations shooting higher for weeks or months, he was generally out in a matter of days. However, he was perfectly willing to be patient if a stock went against him. He refused to sell one that went down. This also ran counter to my philosophy. You never want to let a small loss turn into an unacceptable loss. Yet the reader didn't see it that way. "Why should I realize a loss when all I have is a paper loss if I don't sell? I'd rather wait for the stock to recover." Turns out he had not acted on any of my sell recommendations. Now he regretted it. True, he didn't have any realized losses. But his paper losses were growing. Still, he insisted what he was doing made more sense, even though he was clearly spinning his wheels while other subscribers were making serious money. You can make all the rationalizations and justifications you want, but never in the history of the world has there been a successful trader who made a habit of cutting his winners and letting his losers run. Sure, you may take a small loss and later see the stock rebound. Or you might take a small profit just before a company sells off. But a smart trader doesn't play the possibilities. He plays the probabilities. If a company's business is firing on all cylinders, the stock is likely to remain in an uptrend as long as the firm keeps posting positive surprises. And a company that starts to struggle will continue to struggle, until there is a genuine catalyst for change. And that catalyst may not arrive. (Just ask former shareholders of Montgomery Ward, Bear Stearns, Circuit City, RadioShack or Borders, to name just a few.) It may be trite to say, "Cut your losses and let your winners run." But if you're planning to succeed by doing the opposite, let me save you a boatload of trouble and money. Cutting your winners and letting your losers ride will not work, regardless of how you feel in the short term. How to Claim a Free Year of The Momentum Alert Speaking of letting your winners run… The Momentum Alert experienced 3-to-1 outperformance of the relative S&P 500 this past year... And I'm delighted to see it outperforming at an even higher rate through the first quarter of 2024. The figures are in and our internal audit found... Momentum Alert crushed the relative S&P by 329%. We're looking at 24.5% average gains (over 50-day avg. hold times) to the relative S&P 500's 5.7%. That's simply extraordinary. It's so exceptional, that my publisher decided to re-open the deal of ONE FREE YEAR of Momentum Alert for new Members. Go here to learn how to claim a free year now. Good investing, Alex | 
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