6 reasons to sell an investment — and 2 to hold on

Knowing when to sell is as important as knowing what to buy, but the choice can be an emotional one. These tips can help you time your decision.
More than any other investing decision, finding the right time to let go of an investment can be driven by emotion. If an individual stock, mutual fund or exchange-traded fund has performed well, it can be hard to sell even a portion of your allocation because it feels like you may be giving up potential future gains. FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a big reason many investors hang on longer than perhaps they should.
Struggling with FOMO? Ask yourself:
  • What potential new investment opportunities could you take advantage of with the proceeds from the sale?
  • What are the tax consequences of the sale?
  • Given your risk tolerance, would you rest easier if you sold this investment?
On the other hand, if an investment has lost ground, you may be reluctant to sell because you won't be able to recover the value you lost. Selling at a loss feels like defeat, causing you to question why you bought the investment in the first place.
Neither of these impulses is hard to understand, according to Marci McGregor, head of Portfolio Strategy, Chief Investment Office, Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank. "People become attached to what has earned them wealth," she says. "And behaviorally, it's easy to tell yourself, 'I'll sell that investment when it gets back to where it was trading before.'"
Yet it's just as important to have a plan for when to sell an investment as for when to buy one, McGregor adds. "Selling, like buying, is part of the investment process, and it isn't just about performance."

Consider these six reasons to sell an investment — more than one may apply

  1. It's time to rebalance. "It's really important to rebalance your portfolio regularly, whether you do so on a schedule or related to a larger change in the markets," McGregor says. For example, if stocks have surged while bonds stayed flat, that could shift your target asset allocation — which should be designed to align with your investing goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. If changes in market levels mean that stocks now make up 70% of your portfolio instead of the 60% you targeted, you'll need to sell some of your stocks or stock funds to restore the balance.
  2. Something has changed. "Significant revisions in the outlook for an individual stock or a fund could lead to a decision to sell," McGregor says. That might include a shift in fundamentals — for example, guidance about a company's future earnings is disappointing. For funds, there could be a change in direction so that a fund is no longer aligned with the role it was playing in your portfolio. There could have been a change in management, or perhaps the manager's performance has dipped relative to that of others directing similar funds.
    "Selling, like buying, is part of the investment process, and it isn't just about performance."
    — Marci McGregor, head of Portfolio Strategy,
    Chief Investment Office, Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank
  3. The economy has shifted. "The state of the economy can be really important in assessing an investment and perhaps deciding to sell," McGregor says. If a possible recession is on the horizon, for example, so-called consumer discretionary companies, including luxury goods, automobiles, furniture and appliances, may underperform the market and could be candidates for a sale. Interest rates, too, can make a difference. When rates are high and financing is expensive, small-cap stocks and asset-heavy companies that depend on large capital expenditures could face challenges.
  4. You want to avoid excessive concentration. This can affect investors who have received shares in a company as part of their compensation or who own stock that has outperformed the market for long periods and has grown to dominate a portfolio. "Overly concentrated positions bring outsized risk and may need to be trimmed," McGregor says. "And being too familiar with an investment may give you a bias that's not justified." You could be swayed by your experience rather than the company's current earnings or projections, which may have changed.
  5. You have a need for cash. Trimming positions for any of the reasons already mentioned could help you generate cash, either for a large expense, such as a mortgage down payment, or to make sure you have adequate income as you prepare for retirement. Selling assets strategically in anticipation of a need for income can help you avoid having to make a sale when markets may be down.
  6. You need a tax loss to offset capital gains. Selling an investment at a loss may be easier to accept when you know the loss can be used to offset capital gains and may reduce your tax bill. "But don't sell an investment solely for tax reasons," McGregor says. Even if the investment has hit a rough patch, consider its prospects and the role it plays in your portfolio. It may be a good idea to talk with both a tax professional and a financial advisor before selling.
Regretting the sale? Understand the wash-
sale rule:
  • If you sell an investment at a loss, and then buy it or a similar investment within 30 days of the sale, you won't be able to claim the loss as a tax deduction.
  • There are no similar restrictions to buying a stock you've just sold at a profit, though you will owe capital gains taxes on the sale.

Now for the other side: There can also be many reasons not to sell, but these two can be particularly important

  1. Your high-performing stocks may still have room to grow. The share price of a stock shouldn't be viewed in isolation when considering whether to sell, says McGregor. For instance, "many technology companies now seem very expensive relative to historic values," she says. "That might make you think it's time to sell these stocks and take a profit. But when you consider the big-picture trend of artificial intelligence and other innovations and their potential impact on all industries, you may come to a different conclusion about a stock's potential and decide to hang on for a while longer."
  2. It's important to stay invested. During extreme volatility, the urge to sell may be hard to resist. "But there has never been a good time to be out of the market," says McGregor. "If you look at every 15- or 20-year holding period for stocks going back to 1979, stocks outperformed cash every single time."Footnote 1
In all these situations, McGregor says, when you're tempted to sell an investment, it's critical to keep the larger picture in mind, stick with your investing plan and focus on staying on track toward your goals. If you're going back and forth on whether to sell, an advisor can be a good resource to turn to.

Next steps

Footnote 1 Bloomberg. Data as of June 28, 2024. The market is represented by the S&P 500 Index. Cash is represented by the ICE BofA U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index.

Important Disclosures

Opinions are as of July 19, 2024, and are subject to change.

Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.
This information should not be construed as investment advice and is subject to change. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be either a specific offer by Bank of America, Merrill or any affiliate to sell or provide, or a specific invitation for a consumer to apply for, any particular retail financial product or service that may be available.

The Chief Investment Office (CIO) provides thought leadership on wealth management, investment strategy and global markets; portfolio management solutions; due diligence; and solutions oversight and data analytics. CIO viewpoints are developed for Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., ("Bank of America") and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("MLPF&S" or "Merrill"), a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp.").
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