The Lemon Fool

Hello fellow Lemons,

I've only recently started investing, back in Aug 2021. 2022 was bloody, not a good year for my portfolio. So, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. Posting my Portfolio Performance below and my thoughts throughout 2022:

Portfolio 2022
Symbol | Name | Holding | % Change

TSLA | Tesla | 23.33% | -40.14%
SONY | Sony | 15.44% | -14.42%
MSFT | Microsoft | 14.56% | -8.74%
SEE | Sealed Air Corp. | 5.75% | -7.09%
GLTR | Physical Precious Metals | 40.91% | -2.7%

- - -

Thoughts:

TSLA - I spent a lot of 2022 trying to hedge against my TLSA holdings. I want to hold TSLA for about 5+ years. So, I do not see myself selling anytime soon. SONY - I want to sell all of my holdings here. Besides TSLA, I just feel like its performed the worst and I think my money can be more useful elsewhere. However, I am wondering if I should wait to "recover" a bit more? Hoping SONY will come back up and then sell. Or should I just take my losses and sell. MSFT - I am not thinking of selling anytime soon. I get good dividends in return here. SEE - This was a curious choice I made last year to see how it would perform. GLTR - I like having some gold around too.

Any feedback would be appreciated, I'm still building up my portfolio, I know it needs work. But I mostly want Long Term ( 10+ yrs ) Investments. January 2023 has been pretty fruitful so far; I am up 14.22% overall. But I know I can do better.

Ballman, I thought I would reply as you have posted your portfolio and I suspect many will find it difficult to comment. I class myself as continuing to learn and a beginner, so others may wish to refute/disagree with the following reflections.

Your holdings are an interesting mix. 40% physical precious metals, which I presume is for capital preservation first and foremost. Then four US stocks which perhaps beyond Microsoft that feel at odds with that capital preservation aspect. I have a few ‘portfolios’: HYP, investment trusts (again primarily income), tracker and trading (this last one is for fun, and like any hobby it costs me money!). It may help to consider such themes as they will have different objectives and methodologies.

Given a small number of holdings, one obvious perspective is diversification, which you could achieve quickly through an IT such as Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) or such like (if you wish to focus on growth/technology).

Finally, you solely invest in US shares, so unless in a SIPP, I presume US dividend withholding tax might be an issue, at least in regards holdings such as Microsoft. I assume this is not the case for an ETF/IT, but now typing this I am less certain. For example, I hold NAIT and VUSA.

Hope these reflections are of interest.

Jam (tomorrow)

Sony is a Japanese stock. Although it looks like what has been purchased here is the ADR.

I am not familiar with Sealed Air but the other three names look like valid choices to me. Microsoft in particular is a quality name in my opinion. I hold and am happy to hold for the long term.

Good luck with it.
Pendrainllwyn

Is it a case of buying things that had a good run then Mr Market turned. Growth stocks fell and the older dividend stocks found more favor.

You have to be careful you don't fall into the buy what did well last year trap and then sell low, only to watch it improve again as Mr Market changes tack a different way.

I've held some shares that have done really well and then ended up under water or vice versa.

Reits suffered during the financial crash, did well as interest rates dropped and now some have struggled again as rates have risen. Some look cheap on many metrics but the Outlook isn't rosy. Unfortunately when it becomes rosy the prices will have risen again.

So whatever you buy think about the longer term. If they are good companies things will eventually turn. If you are convinced about the company it might offer you a chance to buy more cheaper.

Note there is a difference between a low share price relative to your buy and the company. A fair price for a good company is better than a low price for a bad one.

To me the holdings look pretty specialised (and thus maybe speculative) for someone who is a Noobie.

I would have been looking at broader based investments like Investment Trusts, but then I know nothing of the OP's circumstances, objectives, or risk appetite.