Well, I must admit I got frightened and sold about 20% of my holdings in the October melee at 34 1/2 (in retrospect, of course, I should have held on, but you know how it goes -- you learn a lot about yourself during an event like that). My average basis in the shares I sold was about 36 or 37. I've now got back about a third of what I sold, with the newly bought shares costing around 36-37 (all ignoring transaction costs, which I know is cheating slightly). Some of the shares I have bought back since October turned some of the October sales into wash sales, so my tax basis in the new shares is actually a bit higher, and I may have to pay some taxes.
I'm still sitting on thousands of shares with an average basis in the low 20's, so I can hardly complain, and even all of the shares I've bought back recently (including those I bought this morning) are in the black at the close today, ignoring taxes and transaction costs.
Have I bought high and sold low? Well, the shares I bought in the high 40's and sold in October were unfortunate. But as a rule I'm doing o.k. -- thanks for asking, I appreciate your concern <g>.
If I managed to get through a global panic at a cost (albeit in retrospect an unnecessary cost) of a point or two, while keeping my base holding intact, I consider myself lucky. I've never believed I could capture the optimum. Of course it would have been nice to sell in the 50's and to have bought back in the low 30's, but I don't know anyone who did. As they say, "that which does not kill me can only make me stronger!"
Now that I've laid out my transactions for you, how about reciprocating? How have your SUNW shorts been doing? Are you ahead?
As for your chart, it looks to me like SUNW has been holding its own, both on a long term and recent basis. If not for the sharp drop in October, it would be doing far better than the "typical American stock" as reflected by the S&P 500.
BTW, I've been investing in the stock market since the 1970's, and the only year I can remember showing a loss on my income tax return was the year IBM cratered. Luckily I had the presence of mind back then to sell IBM in the (split-adjusted) $20's, wait 30 days, and buy it all back. I expect this little episode with SUNW to work out similarly in the long term.
JMHO. Not intended as investment advice. |
