What to Do When Your Market Winners Turn into Losers 8-21-25

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast
Host: Scott Becker
Episode: What to Do When Your Market Winners Turn into Losers
Date: August 21, 2025

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Overview

In this brief solo episode, host Scott Becker candidly discusses the unsettling experience of watching previously successful investments turn into underperformers as market conditions shift. Using his recent experiences with stocks like Palantir and Astera Labs—once "winners," now "losers"—Scott explores key decision points investors face in market downturns: stay the course, double down, or sell. He shares personal anecdotes, lessons learned, and his current thinking, all from a place of practiced humility and realism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge: When Winners Become Losers

• Context:

  • The market has been on a strong upward trend but recently reversed course for some of Scott’s top holdings.
  • Specific examples:
    • Palantir experienced a significant drop over several days.
    • Astera Labs, another important holding, also saw a major decline.
  • These stocks were once top performers in his portfolio.

• Quote:

  • "The market's been on an upward tier trajectory for some time right now. More recently, the last few days, some of the stocks that were invested in have become losers." (Scott Becker, 00:15)

2. Options When Facing Losses

• Three Choices Identified:

  • Stay the Course: Hold existing positions and ride out the volatility.
  • Double Down: Buy more (buy the dip) if one has conviction.
  • Sell: Cut losses and exit the position.

• Personal Stance:

  • Scott shares his own uncertainty, feeling no “clear conviction” to either sell or double down.
  • Decision: Stay the course and observe outcomes, avoiding a panic sell.

• Quote:

  • "My current thinking is... it will simply just stay the course, hold through the dips, and hope that it moves back in the right direction." (Scott Becker, 00:42)

3. Lessons from Past Experiences

• Emotional Traps:

  • Scott admits past regret selling during temporary “dips,” which sometimes led to missing rebounds (e.g., Bitcoin ETF rebounded after he sold).
  • In other cases, selling (e.g., Cannabis ETF) did not result in regret due to no strong rebound.

• Key Learning:

  • "You want to be in stocks for the long run, at least a good deal of them. You also don't want to panic sell." (Scott Becker, 01:38)
  • The importance of “clear convictions about what you’re holding and why you’re holding it.”

4. Personal Reflections & Investment Mindset

• Honest Assessment:

  • On current holdings: He admits to “happening into” Astera Labs and buying Palantir with more intention.
  • Maintains a reflective, non-dogmatic tone.

• Quote:

  • "Probably as important as anything, you want to have clear convictions about what you're holding and why you're holding it. I'm not sure I'm quite there." (Scott Becker, 01:45)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Market Volatility:

  • "It's fascinating to watch, what's going on with the markets and the constant changes and movements." (Scott Becker, 02:06)

• On Avoiding Rash Decisions:

  • "I know throughout history I've gotten killed when I've gotten anxious and so sold into this. So we're going to try not to sell into it." (Scott Becker, 00:50)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:15 — Introduction of the episode theme and recent market shifts
• 00:42 — Lays out the three options: hold, double down, or sell
• 01:10 — Personal account of previous mistakes (selling during dips)
• 01:38 — Lessons on long-term investing and conviction
• 01:45 — Honest thoughts on current conviction levels
• 02:06 — Closing remarks and thoughts on the evolving market

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Takeaway

This episode offers an authentic, first-person reflection on the psychological and practical challenges of investing in volatile markets. Scott Becker’s willingness to share uncertainty, past mistakes, and his current measured response—“stay the course,” unless and until a strong conviction surfaces—offers valuable perspective for private equity professionals and individual investors alike.

Transcript

[A]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business Podcast and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Today's discussion is what do you do when your winners become losers? Now, here's the deal. The market's been on an upward tier trajectory for some time right now. More recently, the last few days, some of the stocks that were invested in have become losers. They're doing poorly. Palantir has dropped significantly the last several days. We've also seen Astera Labs, one of our best holdings, drop as well. These are two of our biggest winners. So what do you do when your winners become losers? And you really got three choices. You stay the course, you double down, or you sell the stocks. And so my current thinking is, and partly this is because of a lack of clear conviction around any of these things, is it will simply just stay the course, hold through the dips, and hope that it moves back in the right direction. Reward for that. I don't know if that will be the case. I know throughout history I've gotten killed when I've gotten anxious and so sold into this. So we're going to try not to sell into it. But also, I don't have that clear a conviction on where either of these companies are going to sort of double down and buy the dip either. So. So from my perspective today, it's I won't sell the dip, I won't buy the dip, I'll stay the course, and we'll see how that goes in other places. I've sold the dip. I sold it when I held an Internet bitcoin, Bitcoin etf. It ended up rebounding dramatically, in which I didn't sell that dip. I also sold the dip and tax losses or, you know, the tax losses on cannabis etf, and that's never rebounded that much. I don't feel that bad about it. The real lesson here is, you know, you want to be in stocks for the long run, at least a good deal of them. You also don't want to panic sell. Probably as important as anything, you want to have clear convictions about what you're holding and why you're holding it. I'm not sure I'm quite there. I happened into their lab stock. I did buy Palantir with a true commitment to it. So we'll see how it goes. But thanks. Thank you for listening to the Becker Business Podcast and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. We sure find this fascinating to watch, what's going on with the markets and the constant changes and movements. And thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. And the Becker Business podcast. Thank you very, very.