Let's get the bad news out of the way. Telecom firm Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has stumbled on several fronts, triggering a stop-loss in my $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio, so I'll be selling my 800 share position 48 hours after you read this. More bad news: the recent market pullback has affected my $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio, so I'm now roughly break-even while the broader market is modestly in the black.
I remain hopeful that readers understand I'm building a portfolio for the long haul. As I (mostly) seek out stocks with strong downside protection, I run the risk of missing short-term market spikes when investors embrace risk.
Now for the good news: my current roster of holdings appear fairly solid in terms of risk, and in every instance, I see ample potential reward -- for patient investors.
Nokia's rotten timing
Nokia has been under an intense spotlight in recent months as it aims to make a dent in the Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL)/Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) smartphone duopoly. Reviews of the company's Lumia line of smartphones have ranged from good to very good, and all signs have been pointing to potential success. So the discovery of a software glitch in those phones, which has led the company to offer face-saving $100 user credits, is surely unfortunate.
Make no mistake: I still think Lumia has a real shot at success, especially in markets such as China. But the company now has even more to prove to investors, and I have no desire to fight broader sentiment. If there is a silver lining to the bad news, then it is that Nokia (even before Wednesday's sell-off) was the smallest holding in my real-money portfolio. The funds that will be freed up from the sale will give me additional firepower to pounce on bargains that emerge during the first-quarter earnings season.
Lastly, I will no longer be adhering to stop-loss limits that I have recently spelled out in my picks.