Clique's Losing a Member...

     Carlos has quit the Group to his own investing. 

Back in Play...

MOT -   Still a player in the Cell Game.  Every Pager I have ever bought was made by Motorola (they have proved nearly indestructible).  Nevermind that motivation, mine's always the same - $$$; I think the stocks due for an upward move.  No Div.

   BP -  Okay kids, this is not going to be an easy road, but I think NOW is the time to "forgive" them.  True, I did post <$43> as a possible IN, but this is going to be the Last Call.  We've Parked Cash in MRO which is coming out and being reinvested in BP (we jumped ship 2 days after disaster).  Oh yeah, the Financial Times has a terrific function for a time-line of the Deepwater Horizon Event [LINK].  A rule of thumb strategy you may follow on this stock would be: Buy the day after leak is plugged.  No Div (just thought I'd remind you).

Tougher to Stay on "Mantra" (?)...

     My Mantra for 2010 is, "Portfolios must be 'cannibalized' for Buys" (have Self-Sustaining Growth). 

     This is a good strategy for Diverified (and Larger) Ports.  The best way to accomplish this is Taking Profits.  In 2010, Our Ports are finding that a hard chore. 

      So let's go to "Plan B", Selling Statics; Stock which is NON-Performing.  Hell, this is (unfortunately) a much easier course in 2010.  That's one reason we're cutting positions.

     

It's a different take on Riding The Range.

Changing Strategy...

     We're making changes in our Group Portfolios this Month.  It's a tough time for me, because I like to Play the Market and the percentages just aren't there in 2010.  Our Buying and Selling Strategies are being revised.  We're just getting spread too thin. 
     Within the next month, we are cutting 62 Group Positions Held down to a manageable 30.  The basis for the selloff will be Performance; an easy task in 2010. 
     We buy Positions (individual stock) in "Blocks" to save on Commissions (primary reason for a clique).  A finite number of Slots in the block are available @, say $1000.  Most of our positions are in Blocks of $5000+.  Our Clique has 6 Members. 

     Our Watchlists always consists of a Core 122 Cos, currently we have 143 cos based on new stocks added.  The List will be cut to a Core of 60 and no more than 10 at a time.  Currently, each Group Member is charged with watching a minimum of 18 Held and Watchlist Stocks EVERY DAY.  I am carrying an unmanageable 48, and as GP have an overview of all 62 Positions Held.  And all this while going to our jobs every day and working other Projects (two of us have family obligations): Think we're missing a few Buy/Sell Opportunities?

     It's going to take a couple Saturday meetings

to Trim The Fat.

Cautionary Tale.  We had considered Cashing Out the Group, altoghether and doing our "own thing".  This was Close, Close, Close to happening.  We started with $100 BuyIns but started putting REAL Money into the Group and have become Arrogant Pigs at the Trough of Successful Trading.  It's far easier to say, "gimme a c-note" than it is to "have a Contract, Vote and fork over a Grand".  Plus, who cares about Accountant or Attorney for a $10,000 Kitty; try to be be nonchalant @ $300K.  It's almost like, "Thank God the Market's Down or we'd be taking 'contracts' out on eachother".    

On the Bright Side; We're Saving on Commissions...

     We've done 5 Trades this month!  Big Woop.. 

That's the Tell for how the Market is doing. 

This week and Riding the Range...

This is going to be another "fickle" week

on The Street. 

For the next 6 months or so, The Market will be quite unpredictable.
We cannot ignore the fundamentals  (How I hate to watch fundies!...) telling us there will be a major correction in The Market somtime this year. 

So...

     Strategies we're using include leaving profs in Port. Accs. for Buyback shares on a correction.  Also, we've been Dumping Stagnant Stock with Divs Below 6%. 

     As for new Buys, we're not doing much "Holding".  For the first time, we're selling up to half a stake in a stock to take profits of 20%.  We may buy 200 shares and sell 100 when taking profit in the 20% range instead of 40.  Doing the math, this means the Cashback is 80% Break Even.  But it keeps a decent Cash Flow going to add to our Deposits as well as preserving  a position in the company.  Accounting and Disbursement is trickier!  No KISS, here.  Also, one of the Partners is doing a bit of Dividend Capture for us.

And oh yes...

     Speaking of Deposits:  Even with the Trials and Tribulations us Investors are going through, in 5 years we'll be looking back in wonder that we got the shares so cheap.  Does anyone remember putting money into CDs?

If you're bored, go with PIKE and LTHU.

This Past Week...

The Market was fickle this week...

LJPC :  This thing, again.  Last year I made a couple Cowboy Trades with La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, both lost.  Then, a couple months ago, an ex-partner of mine in San Diego said it might be in play.  I think it was @.23 when I put it on a Watchlist.  Last week, another call as a reminder to look at it.  The wanted to merge with a company, but at the time they only had a 9% reply from thier investor base and could not meet a Quorum.  Things were at a standstill. 

     Friday, I put together a couple other Cowboys for a  Short Block.  The stock was @[.11] when we put in an order to buy @.13.  Our investment strategy behind this move was that if the company was still alive, after Monday, the stock would go up.  On Monday our Ameritrade Account purchased the shares @.105.  On Tuesday, the shares went up to .185.  So we caught a Break Even Cash Out @183 (we almost missed the bid in the time it took to register the trade) and started "playing with the House's money".  All-in-all we were satisfied with the Play.  The remainder of the week, after being delisted from NASDAQ, LJPC ended @.07!  We may ONLY break even, but there's always the cash dispersment if the co. goes "belly up".  Oh well...

After that "long winded" entry, I hesitate to add more, but...

CCC :  I took a bit of Calgon Carbon this week as the stock was falling (Thursday).  It was part of a Group Buy and it's in a Holding Account, but I'm getting Out @20%. 

They provide services, products, and solutions for purifying water, air, food, beverage, and industrial process streams in the United States and internationally.

LTHU :  I'm hot on this stock!  I did a Holding Buy on it this week and am very happy.  It's cheap, so anyone can Get In.  I would tell you about it, but Reserch is so much fun.  Check it out!

Our Playlist for 2010...

These are going to be our Playpicks in 2010. 

How you play them is up to you, but The Group will be taking positions (or have, already) on the following: 

ABAT - ATAX - BGP- BKCC

BKPG.OB - BQR - EDD - FLO

FMIOX - IGD - IID - IWA - FSP

MRO - MSY - PDLI - PIKE - TGIC - TIE

TMRFX

Quicklink to GSIG...

Lost again?, you owe me Lunch.

Link to: GSIG

In Febuary...

I'm scouting Dividend Stocks. 

Our BUY/REUP List for the month will include:

ATAX - BKCC - KSP

IID and EDD

Our WATCHLIST (your Homework):

IGD - IWA - MLC - MRO
TIE - TMRFX