That's a masterpiece of ferreting Iam.Suppose, for the sake of...

That's a masterpiece of ferreting Iam.

Suppose, for the sake of argument, you didn't own any IDG right now. Would IDG be the best thing you could find to buy to recoup your IDG losses? Note, I'm not just asking if IDG could turn around. I'm asking if IDG is the best fully-risked prospect that you could find to invest in right now.

For most investors, given the information you've gleaned, I doubt that it would rank in the top 60%, much less be at the top of the tree. There seem to me to be too many corporate gyrations and evasions, and too much opacity and mediocrity.

What I'm suggesting is that what we investors need to ask ourselves is, "do you feel lucky, punk?" No wait, that isn't it. We need to regularly ask ourselves, not if a given stock in our portfolio might be a viable investment, but whether it is the best thing in sight for that slot in our portfolio (short-term, long term, industry sector, market capitalisation range, etc.) If it's not the best prospect in sight, it ought at least to be on the podium. If not, why hold it? Are tax issues and brokerage worth watching money set sail for the S-bend? Stocks are available as a yummy smorgasbord. Loyalty is a laudable quality, but maybe it is inappropriate in cases like this.

Besides, many pundits are tipping that the markets have got a bit ahead of themselves, and that a pause is overdue. It might be a chance to buy a dip in something else.

But if you genuinely think that this stock is a great turnaround prospect, and aren't just trying to stare the headlights down, then ignore everything I've said. I, for one, usually do. I wouldn't trust me as far as I could spit a rat.