Challenge I have encountered so far

I love challenges.

But this time the setting is a bit different.

Remember when I bought my first stock: FIRST PHILIPPINE HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FPH) last February 18, 2014? (see it here: Love at First Stock)

My original plan was to earn half of the maximum potential gain if not at least 30% to 40% of  the potential gain which may amount to ₱9529.84 or so.

But.

1,987,200 seconds later.

or

33,120 minutes later


or

552 hours later

or

3 weeks and 2 days later

Yes.

23 days later I suddenly had a change of heart.

I sold FPH with a modest 4.47% actual gain.

Very far from the impressive 67% potential gain.

I made a buying and selling preview on Microsoft Excel which I use to tinker on stocks, like experimenting and speculating.

Let me state my reason why I sold FPH.

It was like any normal day like the initial 22 days of my Philippine Stock Exchange newbie life.

About 10:AM, logged in to my COL Financial account.

Got excited when I saw that TEL (PHIL. LONG DISTANCE TEL. CO.) was down 4.017% or about ₱112 cheaper from its previous price.

For me it was like a ₱560 off for 5 shares.

I thought TEL was on sale at the price of ₱2,676 that is why I bought it.

In short, I gave up 200 shares of FPH to acquire 5 more shares of TEL in addition to the 5 which I bought at ₱2,696 back on February 18,2014.

After I sold FPH, I felt right because I earned ₱614.44.

Also, I felt guilty that I disobeyed my game plan of buy, hold, buy, hold some more, then sell at a higher % gain.

Part of me says this isn't what we agreed on.

I begin to question myself, am I a trader or an investor?

Back when I am still reading and studying about stocks I told myself you are a 100% investor and you are not a trader.

At this point I can't really say exactly where I am at.

I guess I am not the only newbie facing this dilemma.

This isn't the first time I sold a stock. 

The first ever stock I sold was BLOOM.

It only stayed on my portfolio for about four days!

I intently bought BLOOM to trade it as soon as possible. (See it here: Sold a stock for the fist time)

I promised myself, however, that I will get my hands on those FPH again.

Whether to trade or to invest on it I haven't exactly figured it out yet.

But one thing is for sure, I don't want FPH to be the stock that got away.