I think we are all smarting over the performance of SPO....

I think we are all smarting over the performance of SPO.
However, don't be turned off equities because of one bad experience. The truth is, no one gets it right 100% of the time. You just need to limit the impacts of any bad decisions - i.e. stop-losses, diversification, cap & collar option arrangements around key decision points/ milestones (e.g. results announcements) etc etc
Finally, I'm not sure REIT's are a good investment class moving forward. Think about where the property market is at in its cycle, where interest rates are at and where both are likely to head. I'm not sure the REIT's will provide as reliable an income stream moving forward.
I am happy to have averaged down on SPO. My average is now 90c so will stick it out. I also think there is not too much more bad news that can be priced in. I think when the brokerage houses are preaching doom and gloom on a particular stock, and the directors are buying in, it's not a bad time to start buying that stock. I can give you endless examples of this very situation.... my favourite is Metcash (MTS). I was buying around the $1 mark when the brokers were saying to run away. In less than 12 months I doubled my money.
Don't always listen to the suave salesmen in fancy suits....... they're just trying to make money like you are. Their business is transactions..... they want you to buy and sell many times over. That's how they clip their ticket!!!