6 ms·

If you like Alibaba then just keep holding. After the sale it is basically a tracking stock for BABA. If you don't like BABA then you should probably sell? Fr

If you like Alibaba then just keep holding. After the sale it is basically a tracking stock for BABA. If you don't like BABA then you should probably sell? Frankly, if you are asking strangers what to do with some stocks you bought, you might consider simply buying a broad market ETF like the SPY, VTI, or VT with the proceeds.

erikpukinskis 10y ago
Asking "strangers", i.e. experts in internet forums related to a stock, is a key step in learning enough about a market to trade intelligently in it. Your comment reads a little like "investors asking baby questions should trade baby securities". But just asking people's opinions on a stock doesn't mean you are a low skill investor. Quite the opposite really. People who si questions tend to get smart.
- oculusthrift 10y ago
  this is a tech forum. any response you get should not be assumed to be from an expert.
  - awfgylbcxhrey 10y ago
    I've come across more doctors and bankers on HN than on any other social bookmarking site I've ever read. It's not limited to a "tech forum".
- PhoenixWright 10y ago
  He flippantly asked what to do with his 4 shares. Doubt he'd get a dcf analysis.
  - xenihn 10y ago
    I'm actually being completely serious with my question -- it was the first investment I ever made, and I figure someone here might have some insight on whether I should just sell them or not. $200 is still $200, right? Plus maybe someone else is in a similar boat, albeit with more shares.
    - ryandrake 10y ago
      Only basic thing that comes to mind is: Don't buy $200 worth of stock. If you pay a broker $10 commission, you're already down 10% as soon as you decide to do it ($10 to buy and $10 to sell). Hell, even if you're buying $2000 worth of stock, you've lost 1% right off the bat. The stock market is a casino for rich people, not us.
      - harryh 10y ago
        Anyone making an engineering level salary in the US should be saving a portion of their money and investing in the stock market. There are a wide variety of options that involve no commissions and allow you to own a broad cross section of the market. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is a good place to start. As are Vanguard's age based funds and automatically reallocate to more conservative positions as you get older. Writing off the stock market as a "casino for rich people" is a good way to make yourself poorer.
        yeukhon 10y ago
        I wish there was a crash course on this when I was in college. I've been meaning to understand stock market, how to get involved. The most I got was 401k but I don't even look at my Fidelity. I know certain industries are projecting or doing well currently... but ugh.
        harryh 10y ago
        Most of the information you need to know can fit on an index card: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/01/07/index-67f786d0f1fbbf302d422c5bf30dd1624f991dac-s900-c85.jpg http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/01/07/index-67f786d0f1f...
        hamandcheese 10y ago
        I think the parent meant don't waste trivial amounts of money buying individual stocks rather than don't invest at all.
      - 10y ago

erikpukinskis 10y ago

Asking "strangers", i.e. experts in internet forums related to a stock, is a key step in learning enough about a market to trade intelligently in it. Your comment reads a little like "investors asking baby questions should trade baby securities". But just asking people's opinions on a stock doesn't mean you are a low skill investor. Quite the opposite really. People who si questions tend to get smart.

oculusthrift 10y ago
this is a tech forum. any response you get should not be assumed to be from an expert.
- awfgylbcxhrey 10y ago
  I've come across more doctors and bankers on HN than on any other social bookmarking site I've ever read. It's not limited to a "tech forum".
PhoenixWright 10y ago
He flippantly asked what to do with his 4 shares. Doubt he'd get a dcf analysis.
- xenihn 10y ago
  I'm actually being completely serious with my question -- it was the first investment I ever made, and I figure someone here might have some insight on whether I should just sell them or not. $200 is still $200, right? Plus maybe someone else is in a similar boat, albeit with more shares.
  - ryandrake 10y ago
    Only basic thing that comes to mind is: Don't buy $200 worth of stock. If you pay a broker $10 commission, you're already down 10% as soon as you decide to do it ($10 to buy and $10 to sell). Hell, even if you're buying $2000 worth of stock, you've lost 1% right off the bat. The stock market is a casino for rich people, not us.
    - harryh 10y ago
      Anyone making an engineering level salary in the US should be saving a portion of their money and investing in the stock market. There are a wide variety of options that involve no commissions and allow you to own a broad cross section of the market. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is a good place to start. As are Vanguard's age based funds and automatically reallocate to more conservative positions as you get older. Writing off the stock market as a "casino for rich people" is a good way to make yourself poorer.
      - yeukhon 10y ago
        I wish there was a crash course on this when I was in college. I've been meaning to understand stock market, how to get involved. The most I got was 401k but I don't even look at my Fidelity. I know certain industries are projecting or doing well currently... but ugh.
        harryh 10y ago
        Most of the information you need to know can fit on an index card: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/01/07/index-67f786d0f1fbbf302d422c5bf30dd1624f991dac-s900-c85.jpg http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/01/07/index-67f786d0f1f...
      - hamandcheese 10y ago
        I think the parent meant don't waste trivial amounts of money buying individual stocks rather than don't invest at all.
    - 10y ago