buy the rumor, sell the fact

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

One should purchase an asset based on positive speculation before an expected positive event, and then sell it once the event occurs for a profit, as the price often falls after the news breaks, because the anticipation has already elevated the asset price.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Mua dựa trên suy đoán tích cực trước sự kiện, bán khi sự kiện xảy ra

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “buy the rumor, sell the fact” mean?

One should purchase an asset based on positive speculation before an expected positive event, and then sell it once the event occurs for a profit, as the price often falls after the news breaks, because the anticipation has already elevated the asset price.

Is “buy the rumor, sell the fact” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.