Don't panic! Investors urged to stay calm, avoid booking losses (2024)

The UK's momentous vote to quit the EU has sparked warnings from investing experts to sit tight and avoid booking losses during the immediate market panic after the shock result.

The pound crashed nearly 10 per cent overnight and the FTSE 100 opened 8 per cent or 488 points down at 5,849.9 down after the close 52-48 per cent vote in the EU referendum. A stock recovery saw London's top market finish down 3 per cent, but the pound was still down 9 per cent on the dollar at $1.36 at the end of the day.

'Markets dislike uncertainty and they now face this in spades. However, this is a moment for investors to take a deep breath and focus on their long-term investment goals,' said Tom Stevenson, investment director for personal investing at Fidelity International.

Stay calm and carry on: Investor urged not to panic sell and to focus on long-term goals after vote to quit EU

'As hard as it may be right now for investors to remain calm, it is important to remember that market volatility is a normal part of long-term investing and with the benefit of hindsight some of the most turbulent times in stock market history are barely visible on a chart of the market’s ups and downs.

'Over time the risk of holding equities is usually rewarded and markets invariably overshoot in both directions.'

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Michelle McGrade, chief investment officer at TD Direct Investing, said: 'I urge investors not to panic by the initial shock and focus on the longer term because it’s never been right to sell at bottom of markets.

'The world isn’t ending, it's changing with new challenges and opportunities – let’s today not forget the opportunities. Markets are forward looking, the dust will settle and investor confidence will return.'

Adrian Lowco*ck, head of investing at AXA Wealth, said: 'Times of uncertainty will knock investor confidence as they see falling share prices and panicked experts predict doom and gloom. This leads to making quick and often irrational decisions, such as selling after the market has fallen.

'Companies will adjust and the British economy will adapt. Investors need to look through all the noise and remain focused on their personal goals. Any sell-off will produce opportunities for prudent investors looking at the big picture and focused on the longer term.

'A weaker sterling will help the UK become more competitive and could boost the earnings of many of UK’s large companies where the bulk of profits are made overseas.'

He offer three basic tips for investors: do nothing, review your goals and look for opportunities.

Richard Stone, chief executive of The Share Centre, said: 'At a personal level a majority of investors may welcome the result as it meets with the wishes a majority indicated to us in our recent customer surveys. However, it is likely in the short term to result in increased market volatility amid uncertainty over what a vote to leave will mean for the UK.

'That negative short-term outlook may soon be reversed for those companies which will benefit from their exports being more competitive or their overseas earnings being more valuable in sterling terms.

'Investors will need to be sure-footed in identifying those companies which may benefit from the outcome of the vote and look for opportunities where whole sectors have been written down without any meaningful differentiation between companies to reflect the variation in impact the vote will have. The market will return to valuations based on fundamentals in due course.'

Shock result: Prime Minister David Cameron announced he would resign following the Brexit vote

Jason Hollands, managing director of wealth management group Tilney Bestinvest, said: 'Investors will be looking for words of reassurance and coordinated action from central bankers to demonstrate they have prepared for this eventuality and that they will provide the necessary liquidity to shore up the financial system in the immediate aftermath.

'It's also imperative that politicians, in particular the Chancellor, George Osborne, rapidly reign back from some of the recent alarmist campaign rhetoric, to one that is more measured in tone and does not stoke further panic.

'Investors are going to need to hold their nerve through the coming days. Although the scale and rapidity of the slide in sterling is enormous, the UK has previously endured sharp devaluations in sterling before, notably following the ejection of the pound from the European Exchange Rate mechanism and in the aftermath of the banking crisis. While painful at the time, both were followed by periods of economic expansion.'

Brexit vote: Leave campaigner Nigel Farage welcomes the historic split with the EU

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Don't panic! Investors urged to stay calm, avoid booking losses (2024)

FAQs

Why might investors avoid panic selling stocks? ›

Panic-selling is a natural reaction to turbulent, uncertain market conditions. Yet, with few exceptions, it is counterintuitive: History shows that markets do eventually rebound after downturns, meaning investors who sell during these periods are unlikely to benefit from doing so.

What is the number one rule of investing don't lose money? ›

"The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are." This quote from legendary billionaire investor Warren Buffett has become one of his most well-known aphorisms.

What is the 7% stop loss rule? ›

To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you already have. That brings us to the cardinal rule of selling. Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. This basic principle helps you always cap your potential downside.

What is the best stop loss strategy? ›

Summary and conclusion - Stop-loss strategies work

The best trailing stop-loss percentage to use is either 15% or 20% If you use a pure momentum strategy a stop loss strategy can help you to completely avoid market crashes, and even earn you a small profit while the market loses 50%

How does panic affect the stock market? ›

Generally, panic buying occurs from increased demand which causes an increase in price. Adversely, panic selling has the opposite effect resulting in increased supply and a lower price. Conceptually panic buying and selling on a large scale can have dramatic effects leading to market shifts in various scenarios.

What is the 70% rule investing? ›

Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home. The ARV of a property is the amount a home could sell for after flippers renovate it.

What is the 80% rule investing? ›

An example of the 80-20 rule is 80% of a company's revenues coming from 20% of its customers or 20% of a portfolio's most risky assets generating 80% of its returns.

What is the safest investment to not lose money? ›

Here are the best low-risk investments in April 2024:
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Money market funds.
  • Short-term certificates of deposit.
  • Series I savings bonds.
  • Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.
  • Corporate bonds.
  • Dividend-paying stocks.
  • Preferred stocks.
Apr 1, 2024

Should I sell my stocks now in a recession? ›

While selling stocks during a market downturn might make you feel better temporarily, doing so reactively because stocks are tumbling isn't a good long-term investment strategy. Volatility is a normal part of investing in the stock market, so occasional market selloffs should be expected.

What is the best day to sell stocks? ›

If Monday may be the best day of the week to buy stocks, then Thursday or early Friday may be the best day to sell stock—before prices dip.

What is the 3000 loss rule? ›

A capital gain or loss is generated from the difference between an asset's adjusted basis and the amount realized from the sale. The IRS allows investors to deduct up to $3,000 in capital losses per year. The $3,000 loss limit is the amount that can be offset against ordinary income.

What is the 1 stop-loss rule? ›

What is 1 % stop loss rule? - Quora. Your Stop Loss should not exceed 1% of your total capital. It helps you building discipline and also ensures protection to your capital. Say suppose, your capital is 10k, by rule, your SL should not exceed 1% of 10k = Rs100.

What is the rule of thumb for stop-loss? ›

One popular method is the 2% Rule, which means you never put more than 2% of your account equity at risk (Table 1). For example, if you are trading a $50,000 account, and you choose a risk management stop loss of 2%, you could risk up to $1,000 on any given trade.

Where is the best place to put a stop-loss? ›

The historical movement of the asset and its financial market is also a good indication of where to set your stop-loss. If you're intending to go long, the stop-loss should be placed below the market price, or it should be placed above the market price if going short.

Should I panic sell my stocks? ›

They panic-sell.

The urge to staunch the bleeding can be overwhelming – to salvage what you can and wait for the dust to settle. Ironically, this can be the single most damaging thing an investor can do. Selling into a falling market ensures that you lock in your losses.

Why do people avoid the stock market? ›

Fear that you will lose money when you invest. Fear that your lack of knowledge will be exposed. Fear of simply taking action and stepping out of your comfort zone. For young people, the data suggest that most of them think that the right time to invest just hasn't arrived yet.

What caused investors to engage in panic selling in 1929? ›

News about public utility regulation and rising interest rates in the United States and abroad led to panic selling on Black Thursday (October 24) and Black Tuesday (October 29) of 1929. Nervous investors liquidated their holdings and the markets plummeted. The Dow Jones index fell to 248.5 units by the end of 1929.

What is panic selling during a stock market crash? ›

The panic is typically the "fear that the market for a particular industry, or in general, will decline, causing additional losses." Panic selling causes the market to be flooded with securities, properties or commodities that are being sold at lower prices, which further stumbles prices and induces even more selling.

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