“How long should I hang onto stocks in my portfolio that have dropped in price?” It’s a question we hear from time to time—usually near the end of the year when investors’ thoughts turn to tax-loss selling.


As a strategy, tax-loss selling lets investors lower their capital gains tax. The aim is to sell a security at a loss to offset capital gains on other stocks. Typically, the losses are deducted against taxable gains for the current tax year. Still, they can be carried back for up to three years or carried forward indefinitely to offset your future capital gains.



A recent Inner Circle question references this strategy, although it’s more focused on asking whether we advise selling one of our longtime recommendations, CN Rail. You can see our answer below, but (spoiler alert) we continue to see the stock as a buy.



More broadly, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of when, or if, to sell a stock that’s fallen. Stock prices are volatile, no less so in today’s market, impacted by shifting supply chains for many companies and lingering inflation fears.

This month, we are updating our WSSF Portfolio for Income-Seeking Investors.


This portfolio is a good starting point for investors who need income. It’s also a starting point for conservative investors, since regular dividends are an indicator of investment quality.



Check our Ratings

ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. $69 (www.alliantenergy.com) is a buy. The company sells power and natural gas to 1.425 million clients in Wisconsin and Iowa. Due to higher power rates and demand from industrial customers, Alliant’s revenue in the third quarter of 2025 rose 11.9%, to $1.21 billion from $1.08 billion a year earlier. However, earnings fell 2.6%, to $1.12 from $1.15, on higher maintenance and interest costs. The company expects its earnings will rebound in the next few years, thanks to new deals to supply power to datacentres. Alliant Energy is a buy.

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO. $61 is a hold. The company (New York symbol ADM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 480.6 million; Market cap: $29.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.adm.com) processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed and other crops into a variety of food ingredients.


In the quarter ended September 30, 2025, the company’s revenue rose 2.2%, to $20.37 billion from $19.94 billion a year earlier. That improvement is mainly due to higher selling prices for soybeans.

Quaker sells its lubricants to customers in cyclical businesses such as automakers and mining firms. That makes it vulnerable to swings in the overall economy, as well as the impact of tariffs on its customers. However, the company is taking advantage of the recent weakness to buy smaller firms that will set it up for higher profits as the economy rebounds.


QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP. $139 is a buy. The company (New York symbol KWR; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 17.3 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.quakerhoughton.com) started up in 1918 and currently operates 36 plants in 25 countries. Those facilities make lubricants and chemicals that keep mechanical parts from rusting. Quaker’s products help its clients cut their costs and improve efficiency.