MSB and stops ..

(MarketWatch) — I believe in stop loss orders to protect stock positions or to lock in gains. When the stop loss is triggered, your stock is automatically sold at the market at the best available price.
The best available price? Unfortunately, that can be a misnomer.
In a normal market (if there is such a thing), the stop loss can work as intended. You buy a stock at $50, and enter a stop loss order to sell at $47.50, which limits your loss to 5%.


In reality, in a fast market when the stock gaps down (during flash crashes, breaking news, or fake tweets), your stop loss is triggered. The bad news is that it will be triggered at the next available market price, which could be many points lower.
In other words, your stock could be automatically sold at the lowest price, and instead of locking in a 5% loss, you could lose much more.
Another problem with a stop loss order is that when you enter it into the computer, the order is transparent. A game that some market-makers played (these days, it will be computer algorithms) is “run the stops,” when the stock is forced low enough to trigger a large cluster of stop loss orders (usually at round numbers or well-known support and resistance levels). After the stock is sold at a popular stop loss price, the stock reverses direction and rallies.
The biggest problem with stop losses is that you have given up control of your sell order to the computer. During volatile markets, that can cost you money. But there is an alternative.
Price alerts
I still believe in stop losses, but not the automatic kind. Rather than using automatic stop losses, I set up price alerts for the securities I bought (and for those I plan to buy). For example, if I buy XYZ stock at $20 per share, I might set a price alert at $19 (5% loss), and also at $25 (25% gain).
If the $19 alert is triggered, I am notified by email and text message. Next, I’ll turn to my mobile device and decide what action to take. More than likely, I’ll sell depending on market conditions. And if the $25 price alert is triggered, I might sell for a profit or set new price alerts.
The main point is that I am in control of my sell orders. Technology has made price alerts more practicable than in the old days. First, because of mobile devices, you are notified instantly if the target price is triggered. Second, you can take immediate action. Before the Internet, you had to run to a phone and call your brokerage firm. (During the 1987 market crash, phone lines jammed because of the huge influx of orders. By the time brokers entered their clients’ sell orders, stock prices were already at rock bottom.) .................. each to thier own do some research to see if stops suit you ....But beware of Algo stop runners . We know who controls MSB atm ..Over the last 3 days 3mill plus has been churned and the sp has only changed by one cent ! ..... V