#MyStocksQuestion

One thing I’ve been struggling with as a retail investor is deciding which U.S. stocks deserve a long-term place in my portfolio and which ones are better suited for short-term trading.

In the past, I often bought stocks simply because they were making headlines or trending in the news. Sometimes it worked, but other times I ended up buying near the top and holding through losses. This made me realize that following news alone may not be the best strategy.

How do you decide whether a U.S. stock should be a long-term investment or a short-term trade? Do you focus on fundamentals such as earnings growth, revenue, and competitive advantages, or do you rely more on technical analysis and market sentiment? And how do ETFs fit into your strategy compared with individual stocks?

I’m curious to learn how more experienced investors separate long-term opportunities from short-term market noise.