Light a Candle And Hold It for the Vigil, If That's What It Takes; But Be Vigilant!...

     In my (long ago) Market Basics Posting on HubPages, I informed readers of the Three Different Types of Accounts We have and what the role of each was.  Lately, Our "Cowboys" has been VERY active with IN & OUT Trades (TIGC, CTIC, et al).  If those accounts hadn't the Vigil on them, we'd have losses; as we wouldn't have Caught the UPs or the Downs. 
     Unfortunately, one of my readers, has just "taken a bath" in her Playing.  It only took a day, but what a difference a day makes!  M-a-y-b-e your Holding and Working Accounts can afford a bit of neglect (with Sell or Loss Orders in place) --- but Cowboy Trades will not be a good investment vehicle if they are neglected.
     The Caution I'm  Posting, here, is to set up the OPEN/NOON/9PM Check-in on your Positions (DUH!) if you're into The Play.  And I'll reiterate my fav comment; "Pigs Starve".  10% Gains on a 2-Day Play should have Stop Losses applied!

(And we all bath, occassionally...)

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.

We're "All IN", but there are Limits...

There isn't even Spare Change left uncommited in any of our Individual or Group Ports.

Some Limit Buys have been triggered, but we've had to Trail Down all day to beat them!  The Real Fool will not be up for the European Markets, tomorrow.  Friday may be the day we see the "clearing showers".

We'll be Notching UP Limit Orders between 4P and 9P, today.

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! 

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!

Add these to your watchlist for 2010.

Positions Currently Held (+ "Cowboys")...

CAGTF  CLWR   DUK  DUSA  F  FDX  PG  RDS.A  SIRI  T  TOO

ACLS  BAK  CENX  CQB CRAY  DAR  DRE  DUSA  FWLT  GSB  HIT  IROG  NGD  NOK  TGIC  TOO  X   XOMA

BAK  BBBY  BP  CZWI  DKS  FRTP GSB  JVA  LJPC  MRT  NEU  PUK  RUTH  SCI  STD  STX  TLB  WFC

AA  ALTI  BXG  CAKE  CAT  CBL  CSCO  CSX  DAR  DDS  DRYS  FRPT  KF  LUV  LVS  MOT  OCNF ODP  SMRT WY 

Permissions by DaTra Group.

Our's...

Strategy:

1) Buy, 2) Take Profits (or SELL),

3) Diversify, 4) HOLD

Keep It Simple, Stupid...

(And don't leave me "comments" lambasting me for

calling you "Stupid".  Some stupid guy has already done that! 

If you're thinking about doing it, first look up "lambasting", then don't. 

Hey guys, I got to have a bit-o-fun, and from

the gains on Our Ports, I can afford some.)

Quicklink to GSIG...

Lost again?, you owe me Lunch.

Link to: GSIG

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.)

NEW SYDICATION...

I'm going to do another
"Cramer Effect", next week.

Last time we netted 4.8%
in 10 days [].

I will take 3 slots.

DaTra Group