The List http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:33:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Round 2 Starting with a bit of a deficit here. At the end of the last round there might have been a day or two when I lost focus, but nothing more than I've done in my own portfolio, so I figure I stick with my numbers and see exactly how I ride out this market that started going wonky back in October. I feel pretty good about my portfolio at the moment. Trimmed some exposure on old time favorites Apple and Google as I just don't feel the need to wait for them to rebound. At least not as a heavy bet. I've still got my eye on them for a small percentage. Apart from that I am heavily weighted on commodities/agric at the moment. Also Latin America which plays into the same kind of trade. In current market conditions I'd almost prefer to have a little more cash at the moment. We're at the top of a tightening range and until we really break out and move above it I don't feel comfortable that there's not still a leg down waiting around the corner.

]]> http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2008/02/round_2.php http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2008/02/round_2.php Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:33:00 -0500 Holiday Fixings While it's not showing much in the way of continued momentum today, the trend looks to be up for the moment. At least until we make it to Tuesday and the market digests what the Fed. does. With a 50 basis pt cut, we'd likely spike hard, at which point I will pull some money from the table across a few of the positions that have worked for the last few weeks and wait to see which way we move as the holiday clamor ratchets up. With only a 25 pt cut, I think the market may pull back in the mid-term with increased volatility. Essentially it's all a waiting game until mid-2008. Pundits and players are going to try to pick bottoms all along the way as usual and it will eventually come down to who blinks first as to whether the bulls or bears control it until we get some hard data on when the larger economy will emerge from the crap that is housing. I'm encouraged that the indexes held where they did over the last two weeks. We certainly tested it and any more speed or volume to the downside and we could've given up a lot more. I'm glad to see Nasdaq back testing its 2700 levels. All in all, more what and see. Hope this price action is a great learning experience for all the baby fund managers that have been incredibly impressed with their gains since 2003. I'll be interested to see who pulls performance out of 2007 and 2008. Cycles come and go and within each we can generally find someone from which to learn a little.

As to my portfolio, today I dumped a few non-movers (MSFT, NOK and SSRX). I added MA, AMZN and MON. The first two are holiday momentum plays. I've been impressed with MA of late, though it is a little top heavy. The ag plays have been rocking. I owned MON a few months back, didn't like it's price action and sold before the most recent moves. Isn't the usually the way of it. In any event, I'm back in now (at least with this portfolio). I'm likely locked in until Tuesday. As I mentioned, there's a chance I pull some $ off the table next week, though momentum is going to determine a good deal. After all, time is growing short and my returns are well below those at the top of the leader board. Cash isn't going to close the gap unless the market implodes and frankly I don't see that happening.

]]> http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/12/holiday_fixings.php http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/12/holiday_fixings.php AMZN MA MON MSFT NOK SSRX Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:21:14 -0500 time to reshuffle the deck Up until this point, my Strategy Lab portfolio has closely mirrored my personal portfolio. The gains have been good, but certainly nothing of the caliber that can wedge me into the Top 25 performers. The market has been a little wishy-washy in recent weeks and my portfolio (or at least 50% of it) has effectively stalled. I continue to believe we're going to see some near term instability due to skewed perceptions and headlines (and perhaps a little reality), but on the whole I'm quite bullish for 4Q. Over the next few days, I plan to reshuffle my portfolio - keeping my hands firmly on my leaders (as they're still working), but pulling in a few stocks that will warrant closer attention on a day-to-day basis. This will likely include some small/mid cap names, as well as some specific emerging market stocks (as opposed to ETFs). What better way to take advantage of days like today when the market slips on BoA earnings than to step in and cherry pick through the carnage.

]]> http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/10/time_to_reshuffle_the_deck.php http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/10/time_to_reshuffle_the_deck.php Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:05:13 -0500 Let's get this party started Alright, so I've been distracted elsewhere. Two weeks ago would've been an optimal time to dip into the market, but at this point we'll just let bygones by bygones and move forward with some picks that give me a bit of diversity, while testing the water in a few sectors. A little international flavor, some energy and tech. Essentially names that are in everyone else's portfolios at the moment, but that will keep me running in tandem with the market until I decide how I want to hone it for maximum performance.

]]> http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/08/lets_get_this_party_started.php http://www.investorplaceblogs.com/users/mcastle/2007/08/lets_get_this_party_started.php Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:17:03 -0500