Share your stock loss stories

**rennigade** · 09-09-2020, 05:55 AM

Bought $10k worth of penny stock and lost around $700ish. This was when I first started investing 10+ years ago. It was a good lesson. Since that time I only ever bought two individual stocks. Sprint, because I worked there and received a 10% discount...and more recently, American Airlines, which im holding. Other than that, index funds for me.

**Singuy** · 09-09-2020, 05:58 AM

Bought JD and BABA after Trump's first shot at the trade wars. Thought I got a deal but that was just the beginning. Also bought some shake shack and they all tanked. Eventually took a 40k loss on everything to wash out my gains and put that money into what I know, which has x3 since then. If I held those stocks till now i will also be in the green but decided to loss tax harvest instead that year.

Also I decided to limit the amount of stocks I have and stop manipulating them.

**riverwed070707** · 09-09-2020, 06:07 AM

I bought in on the canabis stock hype at the peak. Still hanging on to my 75 shares in hopes of nationwide legalization at least recovering some of my losses at some point eventually in the future. Down close to $900, with a value today of just under $400. I know those aren't huge numbers for some here, and it was just play money for me, but really drove home the 'only invest what you can afford to lose' mentality with trying to pick individual stocks. Really no compelling reason to sell at this point unless I need some losses to offset gains for my taxes at the end of the year but its still painful to look at.

**Fishindude77** · 09-09-2020, 06:43 AM

Owned 20% of the stock in a painting company that didn't work out and lost pretty much the entire investment, probably +/- $25k personally.

**Jluke** · 09-09-2020, 06:49 AM

This year I took an intentional $100 loss on BRKB to go along with a 2k gain on BRKB

many years ago I had a $1500 investment in UTSI that I lost pretty much the whole thing.

otherwise I hold long enough not to see a loss. And some luck

**cypher1** · 09-09-2020, 08:12 AM

Haven't sold any stocks, but the most recent loss was selling chunks of VSIAX out of taxable in mid April. Lost about 1200 or 1/3 of the original price. I was already selling chunks of that fund since Jan to move to other investments, but for about the same price as original. So 1200 as a long- term capital loss, but being up another 3400 in other stocks during that March Madness opportunity was a good compromise.

**bjl584** · 09-09-2020, 10:36 AM

Took a bath on SeaDrill, SDRL years ago when they went bankrupt.
Pretty much lost all that I had in it.
Thankfully it was a small piece of my portfolio, and I was only out a few thousand.

**kork13** · 09-09-2020, 12:58 PM

When I was in college & just starting to invest (~2007?), I lost ~$600 (~20%) on some precious metals that I panic-bailed on, and subsequently kicked myself for when the 2008 crisis hit & sent them to the moon. I've also had a few random holdings that basically went sideways for multiple years before I dumped them, so more a lost opportunity cost than direct losses there.

Gratefully, besides some VTIAX shares that are still in the red from a couple years ago, most of my others have been positive. But the early loss from the precious metals stung alot, and taught me to be much more deliberate with my investing. Now I only hold a handful of broad MFs/ETFs, plus 3 individual stocks.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 09-09-2020, 03:18 PM

Lost $100k on oil commodities in our IRA. My DH was playing the oil commodities market before it plunged in 2013. Lost a ton of money.

**Thrif-t** · 09-10-2020, 05:48 AM

When I first started investing(mid to late 90's?) I bought some GE stock. I remember my old boss/mentor told me to either buy GE or PG. Damn why didn't I buy PG. We all know what happened to GE. It was in a Roth and of course I sold it for a loss maybe a year ago? Can't remember the exact figures and I didn't really have much to constitute an enormous loss, but just the same, I'm not investing in any individual stocks, I'll stick with ETF's.

**disneysteve** · 09-10-2020, 05:48 AM

I never got a chance yesterday to post anything here.

In November 2019, based on a thread and offline conversations with someone here, and my own research, I bought ARLP. 300 shares at $14 ($4,200). It's now worth $3.06 ($918). It's such a small amount I've just hung onto it just in case it goes up at some point. But that's $3,300 gone.

I have to dig further back to find some others.

**JBinKC** · 09-10-2020, 07:06 AM

Its a very tough task to invest in sectors/stocks whose businesses are perceived as a permanent melting ice cube. Relative valuations can be crazy low too and it doesn't matter.

**Jluke** · 09-10-2020, 07:52 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I never got a chance yesterday to post anything here.

In November 2019, based on a thread and offline conversations with someone here, and my own research, I bought ARLP. 300 shares at $14 ($4,200). It's now worth $3.06 ($918). It's such a small amount I've just hung onto it just in case it goes up at some point. But that's $3,300 gone.

I have to dig further back to find some others.

I see your point.

id ask your accountant if it would be a good idea to tax loss harvest this one.

assuming it is in a taxable account.

small in comparison to your overall investments and net worth.

**disneysteve** · 09-10-2020, 07:56 AM

Originally posted by Jluke View Post

id ask your accountant if it would be a good idea to tax loss harvest this one.

assuming it is in a taxable account.

Actually, I probably will sell it before the end of the year for just that reason. Being able to offset $3,000 of capital gains would be nice. We get hammered by them every year.

Share your stock loss stories