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if your invested in the market...

keithvanhornkeithvanhorn 3,855 Posts
edited March 2009 in Strut Central
can you bear to look at your portfolio?

  Comments

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    not that I had a lot in the market, but I was in the high 4-digits this time last year, now I am in the mid 3 digits...lost damn near all of it...oh well, gotta start over...
  • Options
    Unknown
    Yeah, I've mixed some shorting in amid all the growing losses and popped in and out of SKF for a few nice scores. Definitely helped out, I'm still deep in the game.

    By the way, I was waiting for a Soulstrut post about how bad the market has gotten. If history is any guide, that's always been a sign to go long. I know of two other times when a thread here about a tough market, or about how low Apple stock is, has been immediately followed by a sharp turnaround for a little while.
  • indiana45sindiana45s 266 Posts
    Hate to say it. But this market makes records look like a stable investment. The economic downtown hasn't seemed to dent sales of the raers (e.g., Sounds of the City Experience). The lesson? Invest in what you know and you shouldn't be surprised. Invest in what you don't understand and you're just riding someone else's wave.
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Invest in the emperor's new clothes and when he's found to be naked, you got nothing.
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    A dude showed me a simple chart yesterday, on the hor. he had -40 returns to plus 40 returns on the year. on the vert he had all the years since 1839 until 2008 and where they fit in....

    2008 was vying for third worst year since 1839. 1931 won, but not by a whole lot.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    we can still be #1!!!!

  • coffinjoecoffinjoe 1,743 Posts


  • TheGoochTheGooch 541 Posts
    Right now I try not to even look at yahoo finance. I bought on the lows so I am looking for long term. When is the bottom, or even false bottom is unclear 6-12 months from now ....maybe. I bought into companies that I personally like. which hopefully works in my favor Sun Microsystems, vmware, dry ships, etc.
  • nzshadownzshadow 5,518 Posts
    Plaese to raed
  • kennykenny 1,024 Posts
    Right now I try not to even look at yahoo finance. I bought on the lows so I am looking for long term. When is the bottom, or even false bottom is unclear 6-12 months from now ....maybe. I bought into companies that I personally like. which hopefully works in my favor Sun Microsystems, vmware, dry ships, etc.


    HSBC...sigh...
  • BigSpliffBigSpliff 3,266 Posts
    aaaah, one of these threads again.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    I think if you buy now and can afford to hold for a year or two, you will be happy that you did.
  • CousinLarryCousinLarry 4,618 Posts
    I think if you buy now and can afford to hold for a year or two, you will be happy that you did.


  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    can someone explain "shorts" to me?
    i take it that its he short term gainers.
    so they buy when something bottoms out cause there is nowhere to go but up? why would they want something to go bankrupt and not start building up?

    to clarify...i know little about stock gmae but have to appraise a company for a course assignment. looking at helix, an energy exploration group. they bottomed out with the economy and iwas looking at the yahoo message boards.

    any other good places to look to get lowdown?
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,889 Posts
    /font1
    font class="small"1Quote:
    /font1
    h, 21
    b, 21I think if you buy now and can afford to hold for a year or two, you will be happy that you did.
    b, 21
    b, 21
    h, 21
    font class="post"1b, 21b, 21I'm using that train of thought in regards to my 401K. Hopefully the market and my 401K will bounce back. For now I can't look at the statement though.
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    A 'short' is when you sell a security without owning it.b, 21Then you make money if the price falls further, because later you are able to buy for cheaper than you sold.b, 21b, 21So you have to deliver the stock on your sale? Easy, borrow that stock. It's cheap, typically less than base rate. The downside is that you have to put up collateral to the lender, usually at 105% of the loan value. But that's ok too, you have some US treasury bills or German Bunds in your box, you use that as collateral instead of cash.b, 21b, 21OK, so now you have an incentive to see that original stock you sold bomb bigtime.b, 21Sell more. That pushes the price down. Get all your market pals to do likewise. Soon you've got a virtuous circle going, but ultimately vicious for the company, its workers, and most importantly for pension funds, i.e. most everyone.b, 21Who are these foul greedmongers who lend you the stock to enable you to sell?b, 21Oh, just the pension fund you slavishly stash your monthly retirement payment to.b, 21b, 21Shit is fucked.b, 21b, 21Price discovery my arse.b, 21b, 21Buffett has the right idea. Buy and hold, son.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    wow. so many little piranhas in this game
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    thanks for the breakdown skel
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    No problem.b, 21b, 21Even worse is the buying of a credit default swap when you have no position in the underlying... but that's a whole 'nother story!
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    My Dad knew a guy in college who wanted to be a player in the market, problem was he was too much a partier to pull it off.

    He invested in pork belly futures and, a few weeks later, gets an angry call from the yard master at the local train yard wondering when in the hell he was going to pick up his carloads of pork bellies - he had forgotten to sell them!
  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    No problem.

    Even worse is the buying of a credit default swap when you have no position in the underlying... but that's a whole 'nother story!

    saying.... CDS market is a f*cking racket.

    let me[/b] take an insurance loan out on your[/b] house....i promise i have no incentive to see that shit burn to the ground.
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    Unknown


    By the way, I was waiting for a Soulstrut post about how bad the market has gotten. If history is any guide, that's always been a sign to go long. I know of two other times when a thread here about a tough market, or about how low Apple stock is, has been immediately followed by a sharp turnaround for a little while.


    Took a week to get going, but that was a fun run since March 9th. Thanks for starting this thread, my trip to Hawaii later this year is now paid for!


  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    Holler at Mr. Ledger! You're due.
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    Unknown
    Holler at Mr. Ledger! You're due.

    Hopefully we can hook something small up, I think my days of big pieces from Mike are done due to the 12 hour commute to get there. I know a couple guys from my hood wearing full back outlines that they've had for 4-5 years since they haven't had a chance to get back out there!! Plus, I have to make Oahu the last part of the trip since once he works I can't go in the water, and Hawaii has a bit of water around it. We'll see what happens.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    sween, you are overdue for some flying cat tats bro
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