Hello Friends! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my blog, Stock Picks Bob's Advice. As always, please remember that I am an amateur investor, so please consult with your professional investment advisors prior to making any investment decisions based on information on this website.
I was checking my portfolio today and realized that my Alliance Data Systems (ADS) had hit an 8% loss, and thus was sold from my portfolio. A few minutes ago, I sold my 200 shares of ADS at $35.68. I purchased these shares 6/16/05 at $39.10. Thus, I had a los of $(3.42) or (8.7)% since my purchase.
What do I do now? As per my previously stated strategy, when I sell a stock within my portfolio at a loss, I consider this "bad news" and thus do nothing, or as I like to say, I "sit on my hands". I still have a significant, if shrinking, margin balance, and I shall use the proceeds to pay this down. I am waiting for "good news", that is a sale of a portion of one of my holdings at a gain, prior to adding a position. I am now down to 20 positions in my stated goal of 25 positions in my portfolio.
How low would I go in shrinking my positions? I plan, if necessary, to drop down to a minimum level of 6 positions. Consider half a portfolio (12 positions) at neutral, 25 positions at "fully invested" and 6 positions at "minimally invested."
I hope this discussion is helpful to you! If you have any comments, or questions, please feel free to leave your comments right here on the blog or you can email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com.
Bob