Wednesday 2 April 2014

Release the Dogs! (Portfolio Sale)

I'm sure he'll be OK out there...
Source
On an otherwise drab market morning one little ray of sunshine: one of my 'dogs' staggers to its legs and shows some sign of life.

Who am I to stop you - off you go, back to that big dog pound that is the LSE.

Buying a puppy is not just for Christmas! You're telling me. For nearly four years I've been giving this sad canine a home - but now it's time to show it the door.

The dog in question is Home Retail Group (LSE:HOME), which has been a continuing disappointment. It's one of my dog pack. I haven't written anything about HOME because it wasn't a particularly good buy in the first case.

HOME is currently experiencing something of a market come-back, after being effectively written off as irrelevant on the High Street: it's back with a new internet / drop-off strategy. However, the yield is now an unattractive (for the DIY Income Investor) 1.4%. I'm glad to get my investment chips back.

Although I'm glad to see this one go, it does have an even older sibling who still has some rehabilitation to undergo before it is released back into the wild.

Whether or not this overall approach of holding on to losers is rational is a debate I am currently holding with myself. But somehow it feels good to be able to sell this without making a capital loss. Of course, this share has hardly paid for its room and board over the last four years, as the income yield has been well below the portfolio average.

[Sale price: £2.21372 - I know, very precise!]



I am not a financial adviser and the information provided does not constitute financial advice. You should always do your own research on top of what you learn here to ensure that it's right for your specific circumstances.

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