House of pain...

[Rich]

Share your Pain with us, it would be nice to know others possitons on stocks have been that just arn't doing well or moving up. Share how your dealing with it, staying long or unloading. . Whats your plans and why?

I Bought these when I was first starting into stocks and took the advice of Jim Cramer. They started out good but typical Cramer always tells when to buy but seldom when to get out until its too late.... so, as a newbie I've been hurt somewhat on these stocks. All the wiser now, AND its because many on here that helped me become a little wiser.

Ticker * Bought * Current
NYX * 89.44 * 83.16
VMC * 122.70 * 114.17
SHLD * 190 * 179.11
GOOG What a mess, after it hit 513 it stays around 460 or less. I got out ok but probably wont get back in soon.
Tm 122.27 121.73 Seems to just stay there

Anyway, I"m holding on these but my biggest concerns are VMC and the stock of the year by Cramer, NYX I have to wonder how long it will take for these to start to move .

Rich

[onlinesuccess]

SKNN Bought at 2.00 currently at .89

Painful, but okay as I dumped most at 2.10 for a .10 gain. The balance is there for the long haul either up or down.

[Rich]

When did you get in and out?

[onlinesuccess]

Do you want dates?

[AJLightning]

BRLC...in at $8.45...now $6.91....as low as $6.25...hanging on to it for next quarter earnings which should be much better than last. Im just hoping it gets close to $8 so I can dump it with a small loss

[who8me2k7]

bought KNOT at 18.60...rose up to $32+ I believe...now back down to $19. Of course I shouldve sold...they took a $6 hit in one day when it was at $32. =/

[BuyOnDips]

My House of Pain story goes... I bought 300 shares of PECS (PEC Solutions) at $20 a share. It was supposed to be a quick day trade after the stock tanked from $28 after missing earnings. The stock bounced very little in the morning, then dove some more. It stayed at $19 the rest of the day. I should have sold it for a $300 dollar loss, but decided to keep it with hopes of it coming back up to at least $20. The stock slowly went downwards. Then a few weeks later the stock got hammered and it fell like 32% in a day. I still didn't sell. Then government contracts got delayed and the stock fell another 34%. So the stock was around $9.50. Lots of pain. I was down more than 3 grand on a stock I only wanted to do a quick day trade on. I was down 55% Ooops.

I still beleived in the stock. The more I read about it, the more I liked it even though it tanked. I should have doubled down when it was around $10 a share. I could have then broke even if it got to $15. I decided not to do that. The stock eventually rose all the way back to $22.99. I was greedy though and wanted to sell it above $23.

The stock never got over $23. It started to fall again. Then it had some downgrades and a missed Qtr again and the stock was back below $10. I should have sold when it hit $20. I had plenty of chances. Ooops. I was in the house of pain all over again.

The stock rallied to about $13 a share and the next day the stock jumped to $15.30. I then read the terrible news that the stock was being bought out by Nortel for $15.50. So I knew I was going to have a big loser with PECS. I guess losing $1350.00 is better than $3500.00. But if I wasn't greedy, I should have made $899.99 on the trade. At worse, I should have broke even. A lot of times you don't get a chance to get out of a bad trade with a profit.

The worse part about the trade was it tied up my money for a long, long time. Plus I didn't feel like trading much. I should have sold it the first day for a $300 loss and moved on. I think I learned more about trading from that experience than anything else. It was a costly lesson. Don't be greedy. Have an exit plan if a trade goes the wrong way and stick to it. Learn as much about a stock as possible before investing in it. Being a stuckholder sucks. :)

[Rich]

Great Posts,

BuyOnDips, sorry to say this, but your post encourages me. Here I am starting out and I find that experienced traders as yourself have the same mindsets and troubles as anyone else. So, I read your post and I realize its not a personal thing I'm doing wrong but many things I need to correct.

Exit plan, that is the biggest part of my problem.. I can usually pick winners, I just don't know exactly when to get rid of them before their loosers. Thats why I try to buy good long term stuff, they are somewhat easier to see when problems are on the horizon.

Bahoor shared with me a site once about daytrading. I learned that its a common rule among DT to neverleave their money in over night, even if it means a loss..... I found that interesting and also somewhat a great idea.

Rich

[Rich]

Goog

Bought some at $404 and $470. Just starting out in November Cramer was my all wise council at that time. Then it peaked in December at $515. Then (I think this is correct) Cramer said it’s going to $550 or $600. The stock went down, was told by OTHERS HERE on THIS SITE about profit takers at the end of the year because of tax laws and one should be careful at years end if you decide to keep a stock going into a new year because many go down. Cramer and Face to Face NEVER told me that, but this forum did. I believe it was Luc or Bahoor that told me I should have gotten out in December, Cramer said to buy. GUESS WHO WAS CORRECT!!! So I kept it and watched it go down, down down. End of February came and Cramer is silent about the stock that he suggested and pumped for a year and was dropping faster than free fall. Adomi on Face to Face said the Technical Analysis (TA) of the chart looked good with Goog and it was going to be ok. Guess what, it went down below my purchase price of $440! The sky was falling, I got out for some gain but not much, A $1500 gain turned into pennies. Then Adomi apologized on TV for hurting people, Cramer didn’t whip him self on this one, I was going to write him and ask if I could do it for him! I know it’s not his fault but he should have talked about it since he was pumping it for a year!

I learned a big lesson, no one individual knows the market and can predict it correctly. Goog is now about $40 higher since I got out, and to be honest, I won’t buy the stock because it makes no sense to me, the profits were going up but the stock dunked. It gives me a bad taste in the mouth to even think of buying it. Then they buy companies that I think can hurt them with lawsuits etc. I should have sold when my guts told me that YouTube is going to bring the stock down, and it did.

THE OTHER LESSON I LEARNED, there are some on this board that are extremely more helpful and have more common sense and possible more skills than the ‘experts’ on TV.

Rich

[Seamus]

Rich,
If it makes you feel better I too am in the house of pain on NYX, I think it is a short term deal as they expand into Europe. I liked the changes they were making to reduce cost and could see a good revenue stream coming in. My first position was in the low 90’s and I have been able to pick up another half in the low 80’s reducing the pain a little bit, so Cramer’s advice on “don’t buy all at once” is worth listening to.

I also agree with him on buying “best of breed”, or great companies, they will fluctuate and eventually make you money, so “buy on dips” and keep up with the company news to avoid buying into the next Enron!

Google owns the internet, with incompetence at YHOO, they will keep producing earnings that people will eventually believe in they are for real.
Sears is a little difficult, I don’t like the stores and the business model seems out of date. The inside track is Eddie Lambert and his ability to make money, hard to put a $ on this except every earning report he makes it happen, investors just want to see him do something with the stores.
Toyota motors, I don’t know why I got out from the 90’s in the 1teens. I am back in and would buy more if it dips below 120. It is just a great company building great cars. When we start paying $4 a gallon, who is going to sell more cars? TOYOTA.

So hang in there, patience will pay off for these companies.

[Rich]

Semus

Your post is timely, this AM I looked and said, 'I'm getting really sick and tired of SHLD, maybe I'll dump it today! Well, I guess I'll hold on. I do refrigeration work, when a cooler is down it has to be fixed NOW or massive losses will be experienced. Sadly, I seem to bring this into the trading/investing area. I always want to clean house and throw the bum's out!

BTW, it doesn't make me happy your behind in NYX, but it does make me less lonely. When you read all the great investors it makes you wonder why you even try sometimes :-)
I am up for the year, more than my mutual funds, but I WANT MORE! Money is now becoming a challenge too me and red is now my most unfavorite color :-)

These are really great posts, people. Notice that Aiki doesn't have any past or current problems <G>

(Just kidding Aiki)

Rich

[aiki14]

I just don't deviate too far from my plan, I sell on a 10% loss most times or double down if I am moving in by stages, and it's been a good year. I am down as of open today on GMO 22 cents on 40,000 shares (10 @ 6.30, 10 @ 6.00, and 20 @ 5.85) I could take a tax loss with a fifo trade, but it's early in the year for that. When it went below 5 I was looking at a 40k hit, but I am in this as an investment and am looking to hold through the next 2 years. I will take some off the table when (if?) it moves back through 6.

[Seamus]

Rich,
Cramer got me "into the game" after falling out of the game and giving into the mutual fund when I didn't have time, I was military well before the internet and being overseas for several years there was no way you could play things like now.
I thought the funds were doing allright (Kemper should say it all), I would need to claim the dividens at the end of the year, a good yeild. The only problem was the load going in and the end value kept dropping. So cut my losses and start managing my money myself.

1) I am in aviation, buy a company you know, I know very well Boeing and Lockheed Martin (worked for both of them) Decided to stick with Boeing. In your business you should have some inside track to refridgeration, Not so much Dupont, I don't like Reem, Yorkx?
2) Good companies will come back, don't panic no one never made any mony from panicking. I have owned HAL and have been throug the house of pain, now in pleasure. It has been a long year of the house of pain.
3) Just some other thoughts to help, my first year I have made several mistakes. Other houses I could have made more mony off of: VLO, sold a little soon on a high in the 60's, TM sold at 114, RTP sold at 212, JNJ got scared out of it from Cramer sold at 63, COP sold at 64.
4) Even though Cramer once backed FCX in the 50's it fell and I bought in at 48, it was not talked up that much since with Cramer floating AUY, King ross. Then two weeks ago he announced that he was buying for the charitable trust. (just something that you need to watch with him if he is buying, he can't talk about it)

Some other good news, both stocks you own:
http://www.thestreet.com/_tsccom/newsanalysis/stockpickr/10357593.html

[bobbyusc]

Goog

Bought some at $404 and $470. Just starting out in November Cramer was my all wise council at that time. Then it peaked in December at $515. Then (I think this is correct) Cramer said it’s going to $550 or $600. The stock went down, was told by OTHERS HERE on THIS SITE about profit takers at the end of the year because of tax laws and one should be careful at years end if you decide to keep a stock going into a new year because many go down. Cramer and Face to Face NEVER told me that, but this forum did. I believe it was Luc or Bahoor that told me I should have gotten out in December, Cramer said to buy. GUESS WHO WAS CORRECT!!! So I kept it and watched it go down, down down. End of February came and Cramer is silent about the stock that he suggested and pumped for a year and was dropping faster than free fall. Adomi on Face to Face said the Technical Analysis (TA) of the chart looked good with Goog and it was going to be ok. Guess what, it went down below my purchase price of $440! The sky was falling, I got out for some gain but not much, A $1500 gain turned into pennies. Then Adomi apologized on TV for hurting people, Cramer didn’t whip him self on this one, I was going to write him and ask if I could do it for him! I know it’s not his fault but he should have talked about it since he was pumping it for a year!

I learned a big lesson, no one individual knows the market and can predict it correctly. Goog is now about $40 higher since I got out, and to be honest, I won’t buy the stock because it makes no sense to me, the profits were going up but the stock dunked. It gives me a bad taste in the mouth to even think of buying it. Then they buy companies that I think can hurt them with lawsuits etc. I should have sold when my guts told me that YouTube is going to bring the stock down, and it did.

THE OTHER LESSON I LEARNED, there are some on this board that are extremely more helpful and have more common sense and possible more skills than the ‘experts’ on TV.

Rich

Too bad this is my first post but many on this forum blame Cramer for there own downfalls. If you are going to blame Cramer for not selling, than you have to give him credit for his DAILY saying of "Pigs get slaughtered" Cramer rec. GOOG with good reason, but he gave no timeline. You made a nice profit and didnt sell. Is that Cramers fault? He is the one that got you into the stock to begin with. I will admit that I do like Cramer, not as a individual stock picker but as an idea man. IMHO, GOOG will be a 550 stock by next year this time but of course there will be bumps in the road. You can either ride these bumps with long term expectations or or sell into them and strengthen positions but either way you have to make your own plan and not blame someone for blindly following them.

[AJLightning]

Too bad this is my first post but many on this forum blame Cramer for there own downfalls. If you are going to blame Cramer for not selling, than you have to give him credit for his DAILY saying of "Pigs get slaughtered" Cramer rec. GOOG with good reason, but he gave no timeline. You made a nice profit and didnt sell. Is that Cramers fault? He is the one that got you into the stock to begin with. I will admit that I do like Cramer, not as a individual stock picker but as an idea man. IMHO, GOOG will be a 550 stock by next year this time but of course there will be bumps in the road. You can either ride these bumps with long term expectations or or sell into them and strengthen positions but either way you have to make your own plan and not blame someone for blindly following them.



very well put...

theres this saying in golf..."paralysis by analysis"
you can also think TOO MUCH! I've talked myself out of buying stocks before...and the next day or two it would have made me a profit

[Rich]

BobbyUSC

Well, I don't know where to begin.

First, my post was a statement of growing in education and science of trading and how I was burned and learned from it; sorry you took it as Cramer Bashing. However, it is true that Cramer pumps a buy but seldom talks about a sell unless someone calls in and asks. But, when someone pumps a stock as Goog for a year, puts magic makers with GOOG on his knuckles, forehead, all over his face on a daily bases and says little when it drops from $515 to $435 I think they aren't being fair to the viewers, specifically new investors. If you disagree with me that’s certainly your right.

Secondly, my post was somewhat a tribute to this site and those who post here. I believe I learned more here on this board than elsewhere. Sure, Cramer and Face to Face gives us some ideas on buys, but this site gives us the fundamentals and specifics as to why things happen and what to look for.

I think if you read my other posts you would see that I personally like Cramer. Even on the Cramer Bashing board I defended Cramer I acknowledge him for great things, I've made and also lost money on his picks, but my frustration with him is he usually tells when to buy and leaves you stranded on the sell portion, for a new investor this is costly. I say if your going to go on TV and tell the new investors when too buy your job isn't complete if you let them hang there and let the stock fall and not say anything. Cramer teaches when to buy but says little about selling. Telling people not to be pigs is useless; a new investor doesn't know when one becomes a pig. I've seen some of Cramer’s stocks move 5 points and then drop and then Goog went from 210 to 515. What standard or experience is a new investor going to use to decide when one is a "pig"? It’s a cute statement with non defined boundaries, worthless except for a cautionary statement.

Well, enough of Cramer, my post wasn't about him, it was concerning my house of pain and what I believed caused me to enter it and stay in it, and the one biggest reasons was I relied too heavily on others, which it seems I tried but it seems failed to convey.

Sorry if my post(s) offend/offended you, it was not intentional.

Rich

[bobbyusc]

Nicely worded and I agree with you that this site in combination with other avenues will defineatly improve my stock trading. If nothing else, it will bounce a few new stocks into my headlights. Ill steer back on course with my House of pain this year: Bought CROX at 55 in Feb, sold it during the massive market drop for 48, and now the stock sits at 76!! I hate CROX now, (emotional trading?), and dont believe a "fad" company with 1 product can sustain growth.