What have been your worst investments in the stock market? Did you learn anything?

Thanks Rawaz for sharing your experience.

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Originally Posted by Rawz

Mine is HMY.

The company had a good foothold in the NZ market and then made the typical kiwi company decision to expand over the ditch into the much bigger and harder Aus market.

Management sold us shareholders the dream that the Aussie book would grow quickly and be bigger than the NZ book in no time. They promised to generate cash positive earnings.

Anyways did they do what they said they would do?? Well all you have to do is look at the SP. They say the SP will reflect the company fundamentals. Well the SP is a complete disaster!

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Originally Posted by kiwikeith

Yes I much preferred Charlie Schwab to Ineteractive brokers. Much easier platform to navigate. If they allow NZ based accounts again I will go back to Schwab.

My worst investment - in this part of the world would be Ariadne. With Landmark not too far behind. In the US I owned a chinese ADR which was the biggest egg distributer in China - until the biggest egg distributer in China (with the same name) came out and said they had nothing to with the NY listed ADR.

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Classic lol
On similar lines, PET on ASX. Lots of contracts that looked juicy and watering. Had a strong bull phase and became a bagger. Then CEO starts cashing out and it turns out the deals were sour.. all based in China by the way.
Never again. Still have a small amount stuck in there as it was in a trading halt for years then unhalted for one year and now back in a trading halt. First time ever being down 99% on a stock. I keep it in my portfolio as a reminder of what can happen (and because I don't want to cash out an amount less than trading fees)

Thank you Cadalac123 for sharing your experince. People don't realize not only traders but also investors make great mistakes( make lossess ).By investing in the following company I have lost my total captial. If I am correct they have delisted now. People including investors talk only about thier great winners but they don't like to talk about losers.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...alf%20a%20cent.

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Originally Posted by Cadalac123

Classic lol
On similar lines, PET on ASX. Lots of contracts that looked juicy and watering. Had a strong bull phase and became a bagger. Then CEO starts cashing out and it turns out the deals were sour.. all based in China by the way.
Never again. Still have a small amount stuck in there as it was in a trading halt for years then unhalted for one year and now back in a trading halt. First time ever being down 99% on a stock. I keep it in my portfolio as a reminder of what can happen (and because I don't want to cash out an amount less than trading fees)

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Mine is a gold mine in an ex-Soviet "stan" country, where the 50/50 venture turned into a total loss for shareholders within one of the 50s, as the mafia hoodlums posing as a government one day decided to turn their 50 into 100 by appropriating all assets (as well as kidnapping a few people to make sure there were no issues with the outcome). This is the only time I've lost an entire investment, and in fact it's the only bad investment I've ever made; the rest have all either been out-and-out winners, or I've sold at a reasonably break-even point where I see no future and can use the capital elsewhere. It's hard to learn from this failed venture, however, as at around the same time I made a bundle on a listed copper mine within another dodgy "stan". I guess you could say only do mining investments in politically stable countries with cultures that value words written in contract - but where would be the fun in that?

Thanks Azz for sharing you experience. Now I like to pick companies with rising cash flow. For me free cash flow yield is a useful indicator for selecting stocks. Not only I will get above average dividends (Dividend champions) but also above average capital gain. In strong balance sheets we find rising cash flow.

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/cash-flow-really-is-king-1200759

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Originally Posted by Azz

Mine is a gold mine in an ex-Soviet "stan" country, where the 50/50 venture turned into a total loss for shareholders within one of the 50s, as the mafia hoodlums posing as a government one day decided to turn their 50 into 100 by appropriating all assets (as well as kidnapping a few people to make sure there were no issues with the outcome). This is the only time I've lost an entire investment, and in fact it's the only bad investment I've ever made; the rest have all either been out-and-out winners, or I've sold at a reasonably break-even point where I see no future and can use the capital elsewhere. It's hard to learn from this failed venture, however, as at around the same time I made a bundle on a listed copper mine within another dodgy "stan". I guess you could say only do mining investments in politically stable countries with cultures that value words written in contract - but where would be the fun in that?

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My worst investment was Pike River Coal. No need to repeat the sad story and loss of lives here, but 100% of capital was lost

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Originally Posted by Azz

Mine is a gold mine in an ex-Soviet "stan" country, where the 50/50 venture turned into a total loss for shareholders within one of the 50s, as the mafia hoodlums posing as a government one day decided to turn their 50 into 100 by appropriating all assets (as well as kidnapping a few people to make sure there were no issues with the outcome). This is the only time I've lost an entire investment, and in fact it's the only bad investment I've ever made; the rest have all either been out-and-out winners, or I've sold at a reasonably break-even point where I see no future and can use the capital elsewhere. It's hard to learn from this failed venture, however, as at around the same time I made a bundle on a listed copper mine within another dodgy "stan". I guess you could say only do mining investments in politically stable countries with cultures that value words written in contract - but where would be the fun in that?

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Mine have been in a dodgy “land” country. I bought PEB and OCA for over a dollar and they have been struggling ever since. I have lost thousands.

A family member lost thousands from the same “land” during the 80’s - she invested in Equiticorp and another company. It turned out to be in a Poorly regulated investment environment in a frontier country. I guess I should have learned from their experience?

Thanks Iceman. Current financial system is not risk free. Even long term investment is not risk free. One thing is sure. People who invest in companies who produce basic needs which have demand for those products in good and bad times can't go out of business unless they mismanage badly.

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Originally Posted by iceman

My worst investment was Pike River Coal. No need to repeat the sad story and loss of lives here, but 100% of capital was lost

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Originally Posted by Bjauck

Mine have been in a dodgy “land” country. I bought PEB and OCA for over a dollar and they have been struggling ever since. I have lost thousands.

A family member lost thousands from the same “land” during the 80’s - she invested in Equiticorp and another company. It turned out to be in a Poorly regulated investment environment in a frontier country. I guess I should have learned from their experience?

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Dodgy "land" countries - they're the worst! :-)