Up 28% beating the S&P with "dumb" macro swings, but my Value picks are getting crushed. Is stock picking worth the stress?

Hi everyone, Long-time lurker here. I wanted to get a sanity check on "Return on Time" regarding stock picking vs. just playing the macro. Context: I run a margin account and I’m currently up about 28% over the last year, beating the S&P. But when I look at where the money actually comes from, it’s frustrating. The Winner: Simple Macro Plays (Leveraged ETFs) My gains come almost exclusively from swinging the Nasdaq (using 2x leverage). I don't overcomplicate this: I stay Long, but I watch the big picture (Rates, Earnings, PE ratios). When things get heated or the macro turns ugly—like right now—I flip to Short. I’ve been Short Nasdaq since October. It was boring for a while, but it’s paying off big time this week. Minimal effort, huge results. The Loser: My "Value" Stock Picks I’ve been trying to learn from this sub and diversify into individual stocks. I spend time reading posts here, checking basic fundamentals and looking for "fair value," but let's be honest: I’m not digging into 10-Ks for 40 hours a week. I don't have deep institutional insight. I tried to pick quality at a discount, and I'm getting carried out on a stretcher: • PYPL (PayPal): Seemed cheap. Got cheaper. • NVO (Novo Nordisk): Bought the dip, it keeps dipping. • ADBE (Adobe): The AI fear narrative is killing me. • MOH (Molina Healthcare): Just bleeding out. (Only win was CELH early 2025, but that felt like pure luck). The Question: I spend hours stressing over these individual tickers for negative returns. Meanwhile, checking general news and swinging an index ETF takes 10 minutes and generates all my profit. For those of you who aren't full-time analysts: Is stock picking actually worth the effort for you? Or should I just accept that I’m better at reading the room (Macro) than reading a balance sheet (Micro)? Ps : used AI for trad