Monday, February 26, 2007

Good Until Cancelled (GTC) Orders Psychological Price Points

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It is important to set your AIM transaction GTC buy and sell points at psychological price points, whenever possible.

I use AIM (Automatic Investment Management) to "force" me to buy low and sell high. Someone "forced" me this afternoon to sell him some PAAS at $31.84, my GTC sell price. I had that order in for some time. The price was just touched this afternoon, then backed off substantially. But my order was filled.

If I had set the GTC at 31.85, a "nice round number", my order would not have been filled today. It might have not been filled until tomorrow, next week, next month, maybe never... Who knows?

For SELLS, I suggest setting the price a cent or two below nickle and dime prices. For BUYS, a cent or two ABOVE nickle and dime prices.

Frequently, the "even" nickle or dime price may be approached but not hit. The price you set a penny or two away may well be hit. Even on 100 shares, the penny you may "lose" by taking a price that is likely to be hit rather than waiting for the even nickel or dime or even a penny or two on the other side, amounts to only a buck or two.

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