Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat: Why do you not offer, if not a target price, then at least a target range on your buy recommendations? I’m pleased to be a Member.

Article Excerpt

A: We don’t publish targets for several reasons. One is that they draw too much attention to the least reliable part of the investment decision-making process—price. They also spur investors to quit buying or even sell our best picks way too early. By definition, after all, your best picks are those that did way better than you ever expected. Targets tend to push up your trading activity and commission expense, because they give you a rationale for selling whenever a stock you own hits its target. This helps explain the popularity of targets in brokerage research. research…