24-Year-Old's $37.6K Trading Swing: Lessons from Losses in Volatile Stocks and Novelty Bets

A 24-year-old Reddit user shared a $37.6K portfolio swing in 2025, from +$17K to -$20.6K, citing losses in Nebius, MongoDB (MDB), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Ulta Beauty (ULTA), Bath & Body Works (BBWI), and a Joey Chestnut hot-dog bet Reddit Post. Despite losses, they maintained a W2 job, drove Uber, bought an apartment, paid off a car, and contributed to a 403b (8% to VUG). They plan to avoid options and work extra hours. Reddit comments advised ETFs, HYSAs, profit-taking, and large-cap focus.

2025 stock performance:

• NBIS
  : +200% YTD with recent volatility Morningstar
• MDB
  : +44% YTD Forbes
• KDP
  : +13.3% YTD (outperforms S&P 500) Yahoo Finance
• ULTA
  : 7.1% weekly decline Yahoo Finance
• BBWI
  : -62% from 52-week high SeekingAlpha

Joey Chestnut bet: -2500 favorite, won 17th title Primetimer; novelty bets included vomiting props AOL

Losses align with research: BBWI’s steep decline and Nebius’s volatility drove stock losses; the Chestnut bet (long odds) was speculative. Reddit advice matches the user’s shift to low-risk strategies.

• Risks
  : Speculative trading (options, novelty bets) and BBWI’s ongoing decline
• Opportunities
  : Stable income/savings for recovery and shift to ETFs/HYSAs