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Buy, Sell, Ponder? - July 2023

I thought I would update the current thread on this topic that's now 20 pages long. Excellent information in that thread, but 20 pages is kinda long ... :)

I'm not giving any recommendations and am simply interested in what others have to say. Whenever I recommend something my recommendation seems to be the kiss of death, dooming the fund/equity to dismal returns for all of eternity.
At the very least my recommendations cause a breathtaking and explosive collapse similar to the I-84 Twin Bridges photo that David posted in this month's commentary ...

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!

Comments

  • btw, threads I've started haven't suffered the same fate as my recommendations and have generally been positive ...:)
  • edited July 2023
    :)

    Dumped the two ETFs I owned. I don't like the way they behave: ETFs. Tiny loss. Put the proceeds into my chosen Regional Bank, BHB. Already in the black with that money, now. A down day today, but we are due. Sometimes just before 4:00, there's a big change in that stock. In May, they started a stock-buyback program, too.

    Sticking with my other picks. Not looking to branch out any further now. Watching PRNEX. Treading water for me. The promise of goodly dividends at year's end keeps me hanging on. It's Natural Resources.

    Stinky day. Tropical Storm is 200-300 miles south, but we are getting the rain. Only the Big Island is getting the worst of it.
    *****
    "You Keep Me Hanging On." Vanilla Fudge.





  • I have given up on TAN, ICLN, and VPU. I thought I’d enjoy watching these 3 with minimal investments, and found myself irritated with the volatility - mostly to the down side. Plus, I’ve found that if I don’t see myself adding to funds I hold, why bother holding them at all.
  • "...Plus, I’ve found that if I don’t see myself adding to funds I hold, why bother holding them at all."
    Yes, gotcha. In my case, it seems well worth the time to let divs. and cap. gains accumulate, even if I'm not adding--- because that fund, whichever it is--- has reached sufficient size in the portfolio. PRWCX.
  • edited July 2023
    Here’s a lesson in how not to invest. I’d played around with DraftKings stock (DKNG) for a couple years. “In and out” / “In and out” as it fell from $45 down to under $11. Fortunately, I managed to break even. Not without a lot of effort. Than in January I bought a pretty big slug of it for $11 which was near its all time low. I vowed to hang on. But when it got up to around $14 by month’s end the “chicken” in me took hold and I cashed out for the $3 per share gain. Today, the stock sits near $31. So I’d have nearly tripled my $$ by hanging on 6 more months. If you want to make $$, buy something you believe in that’s badly beaten up and hang on for the long term.

    PS - I don’t any longer post specific holdings or buys / sells. Thought the lesson worth sharing.
  • +1, @hank. Markets can be fickle. Holding on for the long-term can help to counteract our own self-defeating impulses.

    My "experiment" with ENIC, the Chilean electric utility, was a disaster. Lost a bunch of money on that dog. And wouldn't you know? I've just seen it RECOMMENDED, and the share price is back up to where I first put my foot in "it." ...On the other hand, I have hung onto BHB and have noticed three days in particular in just the last couple of weeks: on each of those 3 days, the stock rose an amazing 4-plus percent. That's 12%+ all by themselves. And now I'm making money with that holding, rather than losing.

    Do your homework. It's essential. Even then, we are bound to screw up sometimes. We are human, after all.
  • edited July 2023
    Thanks @Crash. It’s hard to resist toying with specific stocks. So far, so good. Sold last 2 last week. I haven’t lost any money on them (recently). Just nerve-wracking way to go. Got a bunch of funds I really like. Sit back, relax and let ‘em ride. What could possibly go wrong?:)
  • Taking the new thread for a spin . . .

    My foray into T-Bills came due today in the IRA. Used the proceeds to top off PRWCX and open a position in FBALX. I already have VWINX and VWELX covering the longer side of duration. These positions are now roughly equal in size.

    FBALX is the new ornament on the retirement tree. I said I would be trimming, and I will. I am looking forward to just a little bit more cooperation from GISYX at 1.04% of the portfolio. Proceeds will likely be split between IYK and PSCC.
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