When I picked up shares of $VOW (-1,36 %) 12X and $STLAM (-1,34 %) 118X , it wasn’t because the market looked rosy—in fact, the whole European car scene felt like it was limping through a cold spell. That slump made the prices look oddly inviting, like overlooked machines waiting for someone to believe they’d run again. I figured that if I was ever going to take a risk like this, it made sense to do it while I still have the time and energy to bounce back. So I clicked “buy,” half-nervous, half-excited, knowing the gamble was mine to grow into.
