Hello Friends!  Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my blog, Stock Picks Bob's Advice!  As always, please remember that I am an amateur investor, so please remember to consult with your professional investment advisers prior to making any investment decisions based on information on this website.

Last week, after holding my Visa (V) shares for two weeks, I experienced a slightly greater than (8)% loss which triggered a sale.  I wrote about this on this blog and also over on Seeking Alpha, where my entry was entitled:  Visa:  Why I Sold All of My Shares.  I received considerable criticism, in fact getting 93 comments, mostly about my lack of intellect for dumping Visa shares so quickly.

But my sale of a stock is not merely about my belief in the long-term outlook on any particular companies.  There are many forces that act upon a stock including in particular the actual movement of the overall market.

I listen to my stocks.  And I respond to their sales either on the upside with a 'permission slip' to be adding a new position.  Or on the downside by 'sitting on my hands' unless I am at my minimum of 5 positions (as I am presently.)

Those that are unable to perceive market influences while focused solely on individual stocks that they passionately hang on to might be said to be having problems "seeing the forest for the trees".

While my blog is about "stock picks" it is also my attempt to share with all of you my own effort at listening to my own holdings and either moving more heavily into equities (on the sale of stocks that are appreciating) or swinging more into cash (by sitting on my hands when I sell stocks like my Visa (V) at a loss). 

I try to find the very best stocks to own in the universe of stocks.

Visa was one of these.  I do believe the outlook may be terrific for this stock.

But I am also greatly aware of the dangers and opportunities of investing.

I am not smart enough to know when to move to cash or into stocks.  But I am capable if disciplined to respond to the signals of my own holdings.

Currently I am at 5 positions.  My minimum.  And the market sucks.  The system is working.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them on the blog or email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com.

Yours in investing.

Bob