I don't feel so bad about investing decisions I've made that turned bad. If the big guys can get it so wrong, with all the expert advice & resources they have, then the little guy can be excused.
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Woolworths SA flags writedown of David Jones investment

South Africa's Woolworths Holdings plunged the most in almost two years after South Africa's largest food and clothing retailer said profit will be hurt by a revaluation of its David Jones business in Australia.

Earnings per share are expected to be more than 20 per cent lower, in part because of the Australian review, the Cape Town-based company said in a statement on Monday.

. . . . .David Jones assets were valued at 24.2 billion rand ($2.5 billion) as of June 25, Woolworths said in August. The South African company bought the Australian department store chain for about $2.1 billion in 2014.

David Jones rival Myer released a second quarter trading update in December which revealed a horrow start to the all-important Christmas trading period.

Myer said sales in the first two weeks of December were down 5 per cent on the same fortnight the previous year.

(Put this against . .) New figures on Monday showed consumer confidence had risen to a more-than-four-year high thanks to surprisingly strong building approvals and retail spending figures.

The latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index rose 1.2 per cent to 123.5 points in the week to January 14 - its highest level since October 2013.