Bought ORCL at $20.00 on Tuesday. Unfortunately it was 1 day too soon, for "bottom" picking, but who's trying to do that anyway. :) The decision was based on the fact that the Fast Money guys had recommended it a few times, and with their earning projected to "knock the cover off the ball" as Guy Adami says, it should set up to be a great short-term trade. They will release earnings on Wednesday the 26th at 5PM. This time I will NOT not not NOT NOT NOT let this turn into a losing trade (once profitable). That has been my biggist flaw in the past, watching all the green money be swept away. My break-even price is $20.67, and once the price passes that mark, I will set a stop there, and then let it ride. If the price jumps up, I will move the stop an approperate amount for the normal daily swings, and if it continues to move, I'll just let it ride and keep moving the stop higher until it gets hit (it's nice to dream of huge profits).

After hours on Thursday the stock is up nicely to $20.36 after closing at $20.08. News about a great earnings report drove the price higher.

Re ORCL:- purchased 200 shs 3-19-99 @ 28.5 splir 2 for 1 1-18-00 and again 10-14-00.  Bought 200 6-15-01 @ 17.5 and 200 6-23-04 @ 13.  I have netted 2826 writting options and sold 300 3-18-00 @ 28.5

The long and short of it is besides the early short term gain, I am up 112% in less than 9 years.  That annualizes at 12.45% per annum.

Fuzzy,

the above is copied from a post to someone else.  Notice the holding period.  You will spend your life kicking yourself in the pants, trying to eek out small gains based on the recommendations of talking heads.  You will never develope the discipline to cut your losses when they are small, and you will rue selling to early when they eventually  turn around.  Buy a stock because you believe in it, not because someone points you to it.  Do you think that any talking head hasn't already established their position before they got on TV?

BTW I still own ORCL and sold some calls this week, so if they disappoint I'll buy them back for pennies on the dollar.  If not, I still locked in a gain, and I can always sell a put when some taalking head pans them in the future.