Where do I stand?

Question

I started out 1 year ago with $3k and invested 3k every month. and I started out with 1 stock and bought a diffferent stock each month. and I ended up 8.8% ahead. Is this good or should I have a professional hold my hand?
I bought two losers ( JBLU and FIG ) And even though every one told me to sell these dogs to "cut" my losses I refuse stating I am a "long haul invester"
But, I will cut a stock that won't move either up or down. am I a moron? or just stubburn? What do you think?
Or should I "stay the course".
One more thing. I want to remove my profits off the table but since I am a small time invester I cannot determine (or weigh) the ideal time-my initial goal is to remove profits after a 40-60% gain but even that seems so small and I hate paying the $7 trading fee-lol
Please advise and remember, my risk adversion is quite high.( NO FEAR ! )

Answer 1

Wow! I think you should have done better than 8.8% !
Maybe you are being just too stubborn with the " dogs"...do you still think they have a chance? I occasionally buy more of a loser to bring my per share cost down, BUT, only if I'm very, very confident that its temporary. ( I would not buy more of EITHER of the ones you've got... an airline? with the cost of oil rising, rising? FIG ? deal in goods and services not notes and promises)
Instead of a " professional" holding your hand...ease out of your losers and buy into a couple of " international" mutual funds or ETF's...you get the professional manager at a real reasonable rate...in FEMKX I've made 27%.( gladly pay 1.2%) same wth others... try it for six months...with just a portion of your money...it might help.
I've had some great winners last year PCU..ANST..AMX..and the VMW IPO !! ...but I also have some laggards with STJ...NM...
Other funds that could help..EUROX... ICENX..FLATX..
and the ETF of Australia EWA..( just feeding off the great growth of China...without the risk)
Good luck.

Answer 2

Not that great. The market was up about 20 percent in the last 12 months. You would have done better with an index fund.

Answer 3

8.8% is much better than a CD .

If your risk adversion is high ,
You will not like the other options .
As long as you're doing better than a CD ,
Why change ?
(until you become Less risk adverse ,
then we'll talk ) .

And looking at Jet Blue suggests you might not be checking your key stats

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=JBLU

Although I totally LOVE Jet Blue , before buying a stock , I look at the stats .
In particular their growth YOY ( they are good there )
And their debt to revenue ( OUCH , their debt exceeds their revenue ! -
What does it mean in your house when your debt is more than your income ?)

Just stuff to look over Before you buy . . . .

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Answer 4

stocks can go to $0. So don't hold things stubbornly.