peace, welcome to our modest abode. May I suggest that you divide your folio into four or five parts. Accumulate stocks that are not "too expensive" but have good long term track record in the last three years despite the bear market. These are stocks that we often refer to here as the "core". Another part you may want to include, are some "orphan value stocks" (there are not many available right now, but they may become available in the next two months again). These are stocks that are selling at discount to book, or cash or both, and you can see future circumstances where the market will rediscover these. Another segment could be stocks which could be used as "swing traders", namely you buy them for a sing profit of from few days to few weeks, hopefully timing the entries near local bottoms and exit near local tops. And another segment you use for volatile stocks (like the Q, and few others mentioned on this thread) which you enter and exit (most of the times) the same day, or day traders. From your post it is clear that you understand the art of using stops, but you may have not learned the art of taking profits when offered. Maybe, if you are planning to day trade, try and put few wins under the belt. To trade well, you need to be in a "winning" mental state, and nothing than few wins is better to achieve such a state. Last, one of my mottos is plan the play and play the plan, and even if the plan is faulty, stick to it (a buying point and two selling points, a stop loss and a profit grab).
I am sure that as you stick around here, many threadsters will add to that primer.
