The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

[FlagDUDE08]

What are people liking to have these days for stocks? Any good ideas for opportunity? Decent speculations?

[JF_Gophers]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Sort of related to the topic. My BIL's company just went public yesterday on NASDAQ. Watched the bell ringing live. Was pretty cool to see.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Sort of related to the topic. My BIL's company just went public yesterday on NASDAQ. Watched the bell ringing live. Was pretty cool to see.

Very cool. Was he up on the balcony with the guy pressing the button to ring the bell, or down on the floor?

Also, what's the ticker symbol? Probably not a good time to buy as you'll see a good sized dip in the price because investors who received options before the IPO will take their profits, but I've been looking for another tech play (although old faithful Microsoft hasn't done too badly for me as I typically buy/sell on the cycle).

[LynahFan]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Just heard a piece on NPR yesterday where they were discussing investing, and only about 50% of people between 18-30 thought that investing in the market was a good idea. More popular answers? Real estate and savings accounts. Crazy kids.

[Kepler]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Just heard a piece on NPR yesterday where they were discussing investing, and only about 50% of people between 18-30 thought that investing in the market was a good idea. More popular answers? Real estate and savings accounts. Crazy kids.

Real estate I can see. Savings accounts when interest rates are this low?

Maybe that comes from kids who have had an entire life with near-zero inflation.

BTW, didn't the righties promise we'd be at 10% inflation by now if Obama was elected?

[FreshFish]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Just heard a piece on NPR yesterday where they were discussing investing, and only about 50% of people between 18-30 thought that investing in the market was a good idea. More popular answers? Real estate and savings accounts. Crazy kids.

Crazy like a fox! I worked as an "insider" in some markets for a few years, and you can take it from me, the markets are definitely rigged in favor of the insiders, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever. That's not to say that others also can't make money as well (I had a nice ride in gold a few years back!) but the insiders always make their money first.

Real estate, with hands' on management, has worked pretty well for us, though I'm out of the rental side these days.

When asked to speak at high schools and such, I always list my "best investments" as follows:

1) personal integrity. (a good credit score and a reliable reputation among family and friends). In an emergency you'll be able to borrow when others can't, and whenever you do borrow, you'll get better terms. This is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
2) self-discipline. learn to live within a budget, make sure you set aside some money every month. this is hard work for young adults these days.
3) knowledge, skills, and ability (best rate of return, also most portable and most liquid)
4) really good tools (multiple returns: enjoyment, tax-free income, tax-deferred capital improvements to real estate, cars, etc.)
5) anywhere you have specialized expertise and knowledge (e.g., if you are a pharmaceutical sales rep, you know which drug companies have expiring patents, which ones have promising new products, etc.; if you are an IT geek, which companies have high returns and defective products, which companies are responsive and innovative, etc.)

Statistics indicate that the most reliable ways to make big bucks money are (1) your own business, (2) minority investor in someone else's business (you don't just contribute dollars, you contribute expertise and guidance), (3) real estate, (4) inheritance. Of course this is hard work.

the one thing you know for sure, is that if you turn your money over to someone else to manage, they will be paid first, and if you are lucky, then you will make some money as well.

Now, once you have made enough above a certain threshold (or once you are starting to "slow down", sigh...), then it does make sense to use some money managers to preserve and grow what you already have. Most people want to shortcut through the accumulation phase and turn it over to someone else right away. then it becomes luck.

[5mn_Major]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

I started a thread on this back during the crisis...the topic was a lead balloon.

Anyways, real estate! Buy it, pay cash and make over 10% on your money on a secure asset.

Beyond that, I'm:

Long Amazon - will win American retail...to say nothing of its global opportunity
Long GE - diversification in one stock, good earning today i heard
Short the Euro - hedges both the fact the markets up pretty high and the fact that Europes in trouble

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Just heard a piece on NPR yesterday where they were discussing investing, and only about 50% of people between 18-30 thought that investing in the market was a good idea. More popular answers? Real estate and savings accounts. Crazy kids.

Also remember that this is the feel-good 90's kids who were given a "be safe" societal message. My ex-girlfriend didn't want to invest in the stock market, or even a 401k or IRA (and let's just say I received quite a few tongue lashings about it, I'm glad we broke up) because she was taught that it equated to gambling, similar to throwing a couple hundred down on the craps table in the casino. Obviously there's some risk involved, but if you pay attention, and there are a lot more "tells" in this game, you can turn the game in your favor (similar to counting cards at the blackjack table, only the investment boss won't ask you to leave). Throw in what happened in 2008, and you could easily understand why they'd feel they want more liquid capital.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

I started a thread on this back during the crisis...the topic was a lead balloon.

Anyways, real estate! Buy it, pay cash and make over 10% on your money on a secure asset.

Beyond that, I'm:

Long Amazon - will win American retail...to say nothing of its global opportunity
Long GE - diversification in one stock, good earning today i heard
Short the Euro - hedges both the fact the markets up pretty high and the fact that Europes in trouble

Obviously there are a few of us in the Café that hadn't yet joined the site, not to mentioned discovered each nook and cranny, so that's probably why it tanked. Not to mention, that wasn't the time to invest. I know I didn't start until March 2009.

Seems to me like you may want a little more diversification, grab a few more things. Obviously not TOO much, but 3 stocks (especially shorting a currency, and be careful because there is a commission you'll be charged each month for that short) seems a little meh. This is a good time to get back in oil, as many of the companies are coming off a low; just be careful you don't get one that's too much into natural gas. Although Cramer keeps yelling it like it's a godsend company, SLB was actually the first stock I ever bought.

Health care's also looking good.

[5mn_Major]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Obviously there are a few of us in the Café that hadn't yet joined the site, not to mentioned discovered each nook and cranny, so that's probably why it tanked. Not to mention, that wasn't the time to invest. I know I didn't start until March 2009.

Seems to me like you may want a little more diversification, grab a few more things. Obviously not TOO much, but 3 stocks (especially shorting a currency, and be careful because there is a commission you'll be charged each month for that short) seems a little meh. This is a good time to get back in oil, as many of the companies are coming off a low; just be careful you don't get one that's too much into natural gas. Although Cramer keeps yelling it like it's a godsend company, SLB was actually the first stock I ever bought.

Health care's also looking good.

I messed a bit with ETF's and found out about commissions early. I have been told that DRR (Euro short) is used for hedging currrencies and doesn't have the commissions burden.

Ultimately, I don't have much in the market these days (most in real estate)...and the Euro short is large part hedge on european property. If I had money, I'd probably look at banks.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

I messed a bit with ETF's and found out about commissions early. I have been told that DRR (Euro short) is used for hedging currrencies and doesn't have the commissions burden.

Ultimately, I don't have much in the market these days (most in real estate)...and the Euro short is large part hedge on european property. If I had money, I'd probably look at banks.

Banks definitely can't get any lower. Thanks for letting me know about currency trading; I had been using FXE and noticed the commission.

[Twitch Boy]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Once again the sandwich heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor!

[MinnFan]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Also remember that this is the feel-good 90's kids who were given a "be safe" societal message. My ex-girlfriend didn't want to invest in the stock market, or even a 401k or IRA (and let's just say I received quite a few tongue lashings about it, I'm glad we broke up) because she was taught that it equated to gambling, similar to throwing a couple hundred down on the craps table in the casino. Obviously there's some risk involved, but if you pay attention, and there are a lot more "tells" in this game, you can turn the game in your favor (similar to counting cards at the blackjack table, only the investment boss won't ask you to leave). Throw in what happened in 2008, and you could easily understand why they'd feel they want more liquid capital.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street should be mandatory reading in high school.

[5mn_Major]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

Once again the sandwich heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor!

I have to figure someone on this thread is Romney. My guess is its you.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The Stock Market thread: BUY! BUY! BUY! Sell, sell, sell...

I have to figure someone on this thread is Romney. My guess is its you.

I don't understand either of those posts.