📖Jesse Livermore

Position Sizing Discipline

🌿 Intermediate★★★★★

Size positions based on conviction and risk.

💬

The size of your position should reflect your conviction and the risk involved. Never bet so large that a single mistake can wipe out your portfolio.

— Reminiscences of a Stock Operator,1923

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Portfolio construction is like building a team. You need complementary roles, not eleven strikers chasing the same ball.

📖 Core Interpretation

Jesse Livermore views portfolio construction as risk architecture. Allocation, position sizing, and rebalancing rules determine whether you can stay disciplined across market regimes.
💎 Key Insight:Proper position sizing prevents catastrophic losses.

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❓ Why It Matters

Without portfolio rules, decisions become reactive and concentrated. Sustainable returns come from controllable risk exposure, not one-off bets.

🎯 How to Practice

Set target allocation by risk tolerance, rebalance by rules rather than headlines, and prevent hidden concentration from dominating portfolio behavior.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

Diversifying superficially without true risk balance
Skipping rebalancing rules and drifting style
Judging portfolio health by short-term returns only

📚 Case Studies

1
Panic of 1907 Short Trade (1907)
Livermore read the tape and saw relentless selling pressure in leading stocks, confirming a major liquidation wave despite optimistic headlines.
✨ Outcome:Built large short positions, profited massively as the market collapsed, then covered near the lows to lock in gains.
2
1929 Market Top Warning (1929)
Tape action showed abnormal volatility, heavy distribution, and failing rallies in key leaders, contradicting public enthusiasm.
✨ Outcome:Moved heavily short into the crash, earning millions as prices cascaded lower while others were ruined by the downturn.

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