Most investors check their portfolio by looking at one number: total profit or loss. That tells you almost nothing about whether to hold, sell or add. A proper review asks five different questions about every position. This guide gives you a repeatable five-point checklist for an Indian stock portfolio, with a worked example and the common mistakes that cost people money. It is education, not advice about any particular stock.
Your buy price is history. The market does not know it and does not care. Two investors holding the same stock at different buy prices face the same future, yet one feels "I must wait to get back to even" and the other feels "I should book profit". That is the sunk-cost effect, and it is behind most bad hold-and-hope decisions. A good review separates what the position is doing now from what you paid.
Work out each holding as a percentage of your total portfolio value. If a single stock or a single sector dominates, a bad quarter for it can dominate your results. There is no universal limit, but writing your own maximum (for example, "no single stock above one fifth of the portfolio") turns a vague worry into a rule. Concentration risk is the first thing the Portfolio Health Score in Samjho Bhai penalises.
Write one sentence for each holding: I own this because ____, and I expect to hold it for ____. A long-term investment thesis should not be abandoned because of a one-week dip; a short-term trade with no plan should not quietly become a "long-term investment" after it goes wrong. If you cannot complete the sentence, that position needs a decision, not more time.
Look at the chart on the timeframe that matches your horizon. Is the price making higher highs and higher lows, or lower ones? Then define an exit level in advance. An ATR-based stop-loss sits further from price for volatile stocks and closer for calm ones, so the same percentage stop does not suit every holding. Samjho Bhai reads the trend through its Smart Trail line, adds RSI and your profit or loss, and returns a Buy, Hold or Sell verdict with a Stop-Loss and Take-Profit for your chosen goal. Use it as a prompt, not a command.
Selling can trigger capital-gains tax, and the rate depends on how long you held and on rules that have changed over time, so check the current position with the income-tax department or a chartered accountant. Brokerage, taxes and charges also reduce what you keep, which matters most for frequent trading. Do not let tax alone decide: holding a weak position to avoid tax can cost more than the tax.
Winners grow into big weights, and losers shrink. Rebalancing means moving back toward your intended mix, for example trimming a holding that has grown too large. Adding to a loser (averaging down) is only sensible if your thesis is intact and the position would still be within your size limit after adding; otherwise you are increasing risk on a position that is already hurting.
Enter your NSE or BSE holdings, buy prices and goal, and get a Buy, Hold or Sell read with Stop-Loss and Take-Profit levels for each, plus a 0–100 Portfolio Health Score. Free, no sign-up. Every past call is scored on the public track record.
REVIEW MY PORTFOLIO →Suppose a portfolio of 5 lakh rupees holds four stocks. One bank stock has grown to 2.2 lakh, which is 44% of the portfolio. Its thesis (steady lender, hold for five years) is intact and the trend is healthy, but the position is now far above the owner's own 25% limit. The checklist says: hold the thesis, trim the size. A second stock, bought on a tip, has no written thesis, has made lower lows for three months and sits 30% below the buy price. The checklist says: decide. Either write a real thesis and an exit level, or accept the loss and redeploy the money. Neither decision depends on whether the portfolio is "up" overall.
The same checklist works for other markets: for crypto, see crypto position size, stop-loss and rebalancing; for currencies, the 1% rule; and for the US, what the US indices measure. If you want guided practice reading structure and managing risk, the Equity mentorship track covers it live, and the free Indian stocks learning path starts from the basics.
Many investors review quarterly, or when something material changes such as a large price move, a change in their goals or a company announcement. Choosing a schedule in advance reduces emotional, crash-driven decisions.
A fall in price alone is not a reason to sell or to hold. Compare the original thesis, the current trend, your exit level and the position size with your plan. Do not anchor on your buy price.
There is no universal number. Many investors set their own cap, such as a fifth or a tenth of the portfolio, based on their risk tolerance. The important part is to write the rule down and follow it.
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