Another year, another yearly stock review post!
I sold 12 stocks in 2010 after selling just 1 in 2009, so "The Departed" makes its return this year. Having a chance to look back, it's striking not just how poor my selling was, but also that most of these stocks simply should have never been bought in the first place.
Here's a look at all the stocks I've sold in the past year, from best to worst - based solely on 2010's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Biovail (BVF)
Year-opening price: $13.96
Sold: Jun @ $16.53 (18%)
Stock-closing price: $26.35 (89%)
Taken out by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. I sold too early.
Ambac (ABKFQ.PK)
Year-opening price: $0.60
Sold: Aug @ $0.67 (11%)
Year-closing price: $0.11 (-82%)
Far and away, my best sell of the year.
Terra Nitrogen (TNH)
Year-opening price: $98.63
Sold: Feb @ $100.50 (2%)
Year-closing price: $108.11 (10%)
Once-skipped, extremely lumpy dividend sealed its fate.
Tidewater (TDW)
Year-opening price: $47.95
Sold: Sep @ $43.98 (-8%)
Year-closing price: $53.84 (12%)
Boring stock had a nice fall rally.
Tesoro (TSO)
Year-opening price: $13.55
Sold: Feb @ $11.81 (-13%)
Year-closing price: $18.54 (37%)
Suspended dividend = removed from portfolio. Sold very near year's low.
Motors Liquidation (MTLQQ.PK)
Year-opening price: $0.47
Sold: Aug @ $0.38 (-18%)
Year-closing price: $0.09 (-81%)
Held on to the ghost of GM for far too long.
PDL BioPharma (PDLI)
Year-opening price: $6.86
Sold: Sep @ $5.16 (-25%)
Year-closing price: $6.23 (-9%)
Determined to be an unstable/at-risk dividend.
Palm (PALM)
Year-opening price: $10.21
Sold/Stock-closing price: $5.70 (-44%)
Rescued by Hewlett-Packard. A low-quality "Distressed" pick.
Blockbuster (BLOAQ.PK)
Year-opening price: $0.39
Sold: Aug @ $0.17 (-56%)
Year-closing price: $0.16 (-59%)
Another low-quality "Distressed" pick. Going to zero.
Jackson Hewitt (JTX)
Year-opening price: $2.47
Sold: Sep @ $0.98 (-60%)
Year-closing price: $2.17 (-12%)
Made a furious "comeback" right after I sold it.
Fannie Mae (FNMA.OB)
Year-opening price: $1.18
Sold: Aug @ $0.37 (-69%)
Year-closing price: $0.30 (-75%)
Another low-quality "Distressed" pick. Going to zero.
YRC Worldwide (YRCW)
Year-opening price: $21.00
Sold: Oct @ $4.14 (-80%)
Year-closing price: $3.72 (-83%)
The hits just keep on coming, don't they?
