as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
question about protecting yourself from company not beating earning eastimate
user
the best thing to do to avoid this is not to sell as you've described. what purpose does it solve? if you're speculating, set a price at which you want to cash out and put a limit order. if you're a long term investor, then unless something fundamental has changed - why would you sell?
assistant