2023 Portfolio Review

What goes up must come down.

And my portfolio ended 2023 in the red.

But not for the reasons you might think.

In a world where everybody picks winning investments all the time, I wanted to share a realistic look at why I underperformed. And why long-term investing isn’t always a straightforward journey.

What Dragged The Portfolio Down?

Every month, I publicly discuss three stocks I’m buying.

I explain my purchases, what makes the stock appealing, and long-term dividend growth potential.

With the exception of McCormick & Company and Flowers Foods (a position purchased entirely with credit card rewards points), every investment ended the year green.

One stock (Advanced Drainage Systems) almost doubled in value.

And the single largest stock position I purchased this year, American Express, is up over 23% from my buy-in price point.

I’m not bringing this up to make excuses or cope with underperforming the market, but to highlight an important concept that 99.99% of investment material never covers…

Your total returns are dictated by everything you own.