You may want to consider buying a call option to set a sale price, however, if unused it's cost will reduce your profit. The 90's were the decade of the investment club, it can be a great way to have a larger overall portfolio and learn from others' successes and failures. It seems like stocks often drop excessively on just a little bit of bad news. The prevailing logic is that a small bit of bad news can be the precursor to more bad news. This can mean an excellent buying opportunity if investors have pulled out of a stock on an unsound basis.
Some stocks follow seasonal patterns.
Mining stocks, for example tend to be active during the exploration season and quiet in winter. Know if your stock or sector follows a cycle and it could help you time the market to maximize profits. I saw good news in the paper today. By the time it hits the newspaper the odds are that the stock price already reflects that news. However, these stories can lead you to profitable firms.