End of Year Strategies...

    

     This is the time of year when We can start taking a breather on trading.  Our current Strategy is to go into a Holding Pattern until January of 2011.

     After Our recent Positioning in HTS (Heavy, Heavy) it's time for us to settle in.  Sure there's going to be the Infrequent Trade, but the Major Plays (excluding HTS) of going Back IN Long to MGM, LVS, MRO, PIKE, WFC and XOMA (mostly using Dollar-Cost Averaging) have been made.  today was a good day to achieve this. 

     And I've coined a new phrase: "Redown"- buying shares on the downswing in cos one has Long Position on.  We've always used this Strategy, but it took kudos from a broker I respect for me to realize what a Very Good Strategy this is.  

We'll be using Divs Only to achieve trades for Nov-Dec.
We've Lost so much money on XOMA, that our DCA has been "improved" by 64%...
(The strategy on XOMA is Pure Spec; not intended for the timid.
And We are IN Heavy.)

Today...

Made a "Ford Trade"/Reup on WFC (27.44).

We like this stock. 
     One of the first trades The Clique made was with WFC.  And it's a Tall Ship in our Port.
     We first Bought (19.58) and Sold (26.03) on a two week flip.  We've gone Back In, Taken Profit, Reupped and done today's "Ford Trade".  It's so easy to make money with this stock if your Empirical Intuition is Active!!!
     Once it goes back up to the $33 range, it'll get tricky.  Hope not, but I think that's going to be the Prime Resistance Level.
     Now, lite me tell you why I think, @ $27+change, we're "picink it up off the floor".  The Spook of Congesses Financial Reform is over.

We are, after all; Cowboy Traders at Heart...

March 2010 - A Year After Our Investment Group Was Formed: Still Great Optimism and 52-Week Highs...

This time last year, I was being assured that former Market Activity had been managed well.  That my per annum losses were "minimal" and that I had avoided a personal financial doomsday.  Advisors, Riley and Richlin, told me to become more involved in investing.  And, boy, did I ever get involved. 

     One night at the local Pub, an off-hand remark positively> changed the course of my future finances.  A couple buddies and I decided to pool finanacial and intellectual resorces to form an Investment Group.  The next day, we'd grown to 6 partners and formed an entity known as The DaTra Group.  Hence, we'd be known as an "Investment Clique". 
     Little did I know what an all-consuming passion Trading would become for the next year.  Rolling stocks for massive short-term profits was a better Rush than any drug I had done in the 80's!  There's something about the first time you do a Cowboy Trade, making  20%  on a 2 day flip, that would have to be experienced to be understood.  Only to be able to do that, REPEATEDLY!  To be able to get  de rigueur 20% gains on 2 week-1 month flips spoiled us almost beyond redemption.

And our pub gatherings became bacchanals (if only we had invest that money).

     A year, hence, and the bloom may be off the rose; but the fragrance remains wonderful as ever.  Having postions in 67 (+/-, 5) stocks, keeping track of 120 - 150 and watching for the next 20% (which takes a bit longer than 24 hours, now) has had a sobering effect.

     A year, hench, and we had such "luck" that the inevitable CORRECTION has occured.  But, really; these corrections of late are hardly a speed bump in our journey to Portfolio Value.  Our due diligence has served us, well.  When a wave of corrections means your Ports are up ONLY 6% a MONTH, it's a necessary evil one can live with.

     There have been some 52-week highs achieved of late.  The Bravado of last year may be gone (?), but I still have the same advice for how to make money in The Market --- "Get In".  Regradless of the folly in Wahington, over the next couple years, Wall Street is the place to be.  It's a good place where any "rookie" [read. not "dummy"] to find financial Gain.   One can begin or continue Trading for a hell of alot less than it takes for, say, a real estate purchase (my second pick for a hobby, nowadays). 
     But, be warned: playing "THE GAME" will become addictive! 

No Joke...

A joke making the rounds on The Street is a rehash of one from the 80's...

Question:  How did you make
money in The Market
during 2009?

Answer:  I got out of bed...

We're spoiled!!!
(In 2010, we're back in Kansas...),

Today...

F is at $10.17

CENX is at $16.58

CLWR paid for Lunch

Life isn't too bad...

(We'll be Selling Non- and Under- Performers @ the New Year and get to Work.)

TWO BRIGHT SPOTS, TODAY!

     Sold SMRT @ 11.40 on Nov. 05 Buy @ 9.48 in Working.  May be able to do better, but I just don't need the Retail Holiday Watch HEADACHE (or maybe I just wanted to Play).  Still, for a 2 week gain...

    

(Might have ignored this on a "normal" day, but it was the only thing in green on "DT 02" watchlist screen at Scottrader!)

  &&&

Teekay PAID at 4.23A!!!  You'll be happily surprised.

(Dinner tonight, on who?)

DOUGLAS45 RECEIVES "HONOR"...

The Fool is publishing my trading on SIXF as one of their...

(drumroll please)

Worst Trades of the Year

Hey, that was back in my Rookie Days!  I'll match my 187% Port Increase with any Fool.  Still, I'll take the bow.

Calm Down...

Teekay's Late,
 but not TOO...on it!!!

PG on time.

PAY UP...

Sometwo owe me dinner...

Positions Today...

1. GSB @ 1.6702 [W]  1.63 Thur.
2. BAK @ 14.17 [H]  13.48 Thur.
3. TGIC @ .6811 (cut buy 50%, check statement) [C]  .66 Thur.
4. NEU @ 100.59 (missed one slot of Syndcation, but went IN) [H]  99.37 Tue.

I was waiting for the afternoon prices, which brought to mind the old question:  "Had you rather be smart or lucky?"

Don't worry, be happy...

"Cramer Effect" To Sell Today. Results Forthcoming, This Entry.

Tuesday October 06

Purchased two stocks spotlighted last night: CRM, salesforce.com, inc.  & STD, Banco Santander, SA.

CRM @ 57.67 / STD @ 16.02

(got the jump on "Stop Trading" segment earlier in day on Mon.)

 87 shares of CRM and 312 shares of STD.  Roughly $5K per (I picked up change).   .

 Today, at 11:10A we devested:  CRM @ 61.97 / STD @ 16.43.

Profits after "tree" were $48.31 per 1000 dollar slot.  Although the Syndication didn't run as smoothly as I would have preferred, it was an intersting experiment and we'll do it again (??, we may have been lucky). The Syndicate had decided to run Project longer than originally planned due to Market Conditions last week

Could do better, but this is why I matter...

The purchase of 803 shares of TLB on July 09

@ 3.74

Taking profit on Sept 11

@ 8.56

(Pigs starve.)