RE: The right time to invest21 Aug 2025 08:28
Its impossible to know the future so given its seems easier to buy a stock than to sell it , it would make sense to understand why we do what we do.
Buying a stock is exciting, with the expectation of making money (greed), so its easy to want to get on board asap and start making the wonga. As a result many don't give as much attention to the downside as to the potential upside. Thats also why all LSE BB's (not just this one), get very agitated when there are posts that don't agree with a stock appreciating.
I cannot over emphasize the emotional reaction that fear and greed play on us all. With the recent ease of all gambling outlets now including stocks, it is mainstream and it is addictive, very addictive.
It never (genuinely), ceases to amaze me, that when many buy a stock they don't have a price where they think they will sell should it go up, nor a price they will sell if it falls so as to protect their capital. They have no time limit either. So there is no (realistic) idea of what might be achieved against what might be lost. At best its vague and more wishful thinking than any sort of rational exercise.
AVCT as an example is dealing in new, never seen before technology. How can any of us really understand what they are doing in enough detail to know if they are succeeding or having problems? How can we know what time it will take to get to market. How do we even know it will be successful, given the general high failure rate of companies in this sector. What about the competition?
Its loss making and therefore constantly needs funding until THE breakthrough comes. Do any of us here understand how that actually works from a practical level? What funders want from the likes of the AVCT's of this world? what their T&C's are? We learn some of this after the event. but its not altruistic, thats for sure.
All small companies are very careful to keep most shareholders in the dark about what is actually happening.
In other words the odds really are stacked against Pi's but we don't help ourselves, either. And we are played by the the bigger players who understand the fear and greed that the large majority of PI's are so easily manipulated by.
The first step to objectivity is never, ever bet more than you can comfortably afford to lose. (That in all likely hood is less than £500 for many people. Sure you can afford the loss, but what amount makes you regretful, wish you hadn't put quite so much in it? that's the amount I am talking about.
Trouble is when it goes up 10 fold it won't be life changing either, so what's the point. That's when you start to realise that you are simply gambling in the addictive sense of the word.
Spend more time looking at the downside is my best advice prior to buying. The upside takes care of itself.