As volatile as it gets..?

Rates? Valuations? London? Israel? Commodities? Your neighbor's cat?

How about "Money Managers and Performance Measurement"?
<=== A.K.A. "Trading places" effect ( for movie buffs like myself :) - remember Eddie's rationale as "Why we should NOT buy before Christmas"?

Think about dim witted portfolio manager (I don't want to insult all portfolio managers, but I happened to know some really moronic ones) for mutual fund who will get paid based on quarterly/half year performance of his assets under management. June 29th is the last chance to cut under performers, take some profits on "winners" and chaotic attempts to position portfolio for the next quoter.
It might not make a lot of sense to retail traders who only think "year end tax selling", but it makes hell of a sense for "professionals".

We ( small fishes - retail traders ) will stay in the game, will not let negative emotions caused by meaningless market volatility to affect our best judgments and hopefully next week will bring low volume short lived rally we will be able to capitalize on. Just don't forget to sell on holiday's week - week after Big Guys are going to be back from vacation and will take us ( me and you - small timers) to the cleaners.
Happy 4th of July and ... Good luck.

June results are in!

Below is a snapshot of ALL ideas posted on public site in JUNE 2007 ( these ideas have been taken from lists created for PREMIUM SERVICES subscribers and represent small portion of fee based lists ). All trades are LONG ( market was "bad"??? what a nonsense!)
Returns are as of JUNE 29th market close.

* Above stocks picks ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST BOUGHT OR SOLD!!! *
* I POST DETAILED STRATEGY FOR EACH OF THE ABOVE ON THE MEMBERS PRIVATE SITE *

Answering emails

Just received email with legitimate question: "Why would you waste your time offering fee based so called PREMIUM SERVICES if results of your trading IS profitable and if NOT ( not profitable ) - why would anyone will be willing to pay for nothing?"

Hmm.. that is just the type of question I always had in regards to "buy on our recommendations - get rich fast" services.

Here is my answer
1. I am not "wasting" ANY time - I just reveal my homework in preparation for MY next week's trading for reasonable fee to other traders.
2. I don't HAVE to sell this service, as it is seen on periodically posted snapshots of lists - I do make money on most of my ideas.
Results of recent ideas "PREMIUM SERVICES"
Then "Why sell?" - extra dollars never hurt anybody - honest enough?

Watchlist for June 21st

STXS, RICK, LWAY, CVLT ( all long )


* Above stocks picks ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST BOUGHT OR SOLD!!! *
* I POST DETAILED STRATEGY FOR EACH OF THE ABOVE ON THE MEMBERS PRIVATE SITE *

What makes a successful trader?

"Being a successful trader takes courage: the courage to try, the courage to fail, the courage to succeed, and the courage to keep on going when the going gets tough"
Michael Marcus

TDAmeritrade DOWN - AGAIN!!!

And not the stock I would not care less, but trading site.
Account info and trading is not available for more than an hour now, hold time on the phone unknown - since none has picked up - even for APEX clients.

Very nice surprise, especially for day traders on quadruple witching day - I wonder if Ameritrade will replenish money for resulting day trading calls...

Lawsuit anyone?

Runners up for tomorrow

Insane markets...I love volatility :-)

Some long ideas for tomorrow morning
(RSC)
(DRA)
(CVLT)
(ABTL)


* Above stocks picks ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST BOUGHT OR SOLD!!! *
* I POST DETAILED STRATEGY FOR EACH OF THE ABOVE ON THE MEMBERS PRIVATE SITE *

Market thoughts

Positive market action on Friday was not too convincing due to lower volume than on prior down days, I believe that we are not just "Not out of the bushes yet", but that we are just "getting there".
Still, I see more attractive long setups than shorts ( at least short term with vigorous risk control ), therefore here are some long ideas:

(BWTR)
(WSII)
(CALM)
(REFR)
(DRA)
(IRBT) - this one is risky, shall be kept on a very short leash
(GSOL)

As for sectors - looks like semis are getting out of dog house ( at least some of semis), utilities ( especially - water utilities ) look very bullish to me.

Lenders had nice recovery run, but I don't think it will hold.

and - INDIA - for the longer term in off shore plays forget China, viva INDIA.

Just for fun

Two long ( I am crazy - may be :) ideas for tomorrow

(WSII) and (IPGP)

The tide has turned

The question, I think, is been answered - equities market entered correction.
Yesterday's selloff was broad based, but volume was lacking, it was not low - just was not impressive, but still - it has got me worried.
Plus, unusually high for one day number of my longer term positions hit trailing sell orders ( in the range in between 5 and 10% - depending on corresponding stock's "true" daily range/volatility.)
Today's selloff added volume, big volume, no panic yet, a lot of methodical selling.
Then I looked at how bond market is acting - and started to sell remaining long positions at a market. By 3PM I was 80% cash and I will liquidate remaining holdings tomorrow morning into the pop.
I am not short yet, mostly due to not seen really nice sustainable short setups, but for next few days/weeks I will mostly be only day trading or just staying away from the market somewhere on exotic island ( or just my own backyard :)

Good luck and ... save your chips for the next big game