Target price. Stop-loss. Sell down. Flushing. Pump and dump.
Familiar with any of these terms?
Warren Buffett's famous lesson on fear and greed was "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful." It makes sense, if you think about it. Thing is, when you're in the moment, and either emotion hits you like a tidal wave, it can be hard to stick to your guns. You, in a panic, call your broker and tell him to get rid of all your shares, in the hope that you won't be the last dunce clutching on to a broken dream. On the flip side, you enthusiastically take on leverage (another term for debt) and pour all that money into a particular counter, confident you've caught the damn gravy train.
These are true stories - I've seen both happen, and the temptation to do both has ......