Liquidate entire portfolio until virus is over?

LobsterMemory

Actually, I think it's better than gambling in that it's likely to succeed assuming the long term rise in stock markets holds
However, I think it will be sub-optimal in that it will be a series of little ups whereas I believe keeping in will produce one great big up

cisamcgu

Interesting thread. 
When it all went a bit wonky last week, I realised my appetite for risk had decreased as I (slowly) near retirement. So I sold some VLS 60 and bought some BlackRock 35 - I know I was going to lose a little bit of money, but that is preferable to losing sleep.

I think I am currently about 0.8% down on the position I would have been in if I had done nothing, but I feel much less anxious - and that is worth it to me - as always, YMMV.

Thanks

MK62

LobsterMemory said:

Actually, I think it's better than gambling in that it's likely to succeed assuming the long term rise in stock markets holds
However, I think it will be sub-optimal in that it will be a series of little ups whereas I believe keeping in will produce one great big up

So, in other words, you think it would fail, given that you think it will make less money than "keeping in"?.......

LobsterMemory

No, 'cos I'm counting success as making money

Malthusian

The bottom is reached when an individual share price is oversold, i.e. offers value.

Shares still offer value at the top of the market providing the returns will eventually beat the risk-free rate. An individual share is oversold at any price below that point.

The bottom is reached when all the panicking sheep have sold out of the market and there are no more cheap shares being sold for buttons for the grownups to snap up for cheap returns.

quirkydeptless

We're in the roaring twenties!
What's the worst thing that can happen to the stock market in such a decade

MK62

LobsterMemory said:

No, 'cos I'm counting success as making money

Fair enough......I suppose that is one way you could look at it.

The_Rainmaker

I'm buying slowly a mixture of high yield cash cow equities and undervalued growth equities.

OP instead of selling at a loss why not offset your portfolio with with some options?

EdGasketTheSecond

I had one gain but as you can see the market continues to head downwards, not helped by the administration of Flybe with knock-on effect on airports.

Ciprico

I sold out before the worst of the crash - but only 50% of pension, 
So now I look at the market drops with despair (did not sell enough)
..and the market rises with despair (sold too much)
I could re-buy the half I sold at about parity - but am not inclined to do so...
Ultimately I would prefer to crystallize a relatively small loss than risk losing the farm...
For me it's not the Coronavirus specifically, it's more the underlying problems in the
US economy that may be exposed. 
..and yes, I fully accept my risk level was set wrong, if there was a safe option to park SIPP
money that matched inflation.....