Investing Strategies. What is your move?

[wpod]

I've now chosen to split my investments. 75% in safety, 25% in funds with varied aggressiveness. Inflation is clearly outpacing my gains. Now with the current fluctuations, I'm even farther back. While the "index" is trending back up, my stocks are still heading the other way. In my life, it could not be any other way.

Despite an entire career of full payments into an IRA, I have something like $35K in my IRA. Every "correction" did a great job wiping me out. Every bull market left me flat. Disgusting and infuriating. I've tried 4 firms, all with instructions to choose wisely and diversify, all 4 provide the same results. Fast losses, slow gains. I recently became quite annoyed and visited my advisors at UBS in Jacksonville. Incredibly fancy office on a top floor, I also noticed the expensive clothes and a stunning number of expensive cars in the parking lot under the building. I know exactly who paid for all that.

I don't have any other way to say it, gambling carries risk.

I will also say this: Where did a Venezuelan invest to protect their assets and outpace inflation? Answer, nowhere in Venezuela.

If those firms were so good at making a profit they wouldn't need your money.

 

[Wolf359]

Yeah, I know, and I know for someone just buying bonds it’s that simple - I’m trying to understand the secondary market and WHY yield curves do what they do. It’s not always as simple as interest rates go up and bond prices fall. As I said this maybe the simple way of looking at it but I’ve read several times the rate (how quickly) of increase or decrease in interest rates is more important than just interest rates went up or down in determining bond pricing.

I gave up on bonds years ago. If you look at the rates of returns for even some of the top rated bond funds, they've always underperformed stocks and their advantage was supposed to be that they're a hedge in case stocks go down. They still go down but not as much and they don't have as much upside as stocks so over the long term, stock mutual funds are much better than any bond fund.

 

[PimTac]

Yeah, I know, and I know for someone just buying bonds it’s that simple - I’m trying to understand the secondary market and WHY yield curves do what they do. It’s not always as simple as interest rates go up and bond prices fall. As I said this maybe the simple way of looking at it but I’ve read several times the rate (how quickly) of increase or decrease in interest rates is more important than just interest rates went up or down in determining bond pricing.

This is why I buy bond funds and ETFs. Let the experts deal with all that.

 

[PimTac]

Markets start the week down

 

[Dave Hess]

Palantir getting killed today.

I sold all my Palantir a few months ago for a small gain. I really liked the company and it’s technology, but they have way too many government contracts and that revenue could very easy dry up in the future.

 

[KneeGrinder]

KneeGrinder,

Yes, oil is very important, if they kill the Keystone XL pipeline then drain oil from the strategic reserves and send it overseas is completely bonkers. Tons of anti crude oil policies will definitely hurt us in the long run.

I also had some very nice days with all the bad news and market swings. Friday I set a new personal 1 day record.

Which energy stock are you buying / trading ?

Hi Dave, I have EPD, which I don't really trade much, it's for dividends. But, do sell sometimes because I might have 3 years worth of dividends, like I have now. But EPD probably not going to go down much since its a Metered chemical Pipeline stock. "EPD" is a core holding in my portfolios.

Next, Devon Energy, high dividend stock, "Just paid a Special" $1.00 dividend, very stable compared to some Petro stocks.

XOP, actively traded most of the time, but I'm not selling at this price. XOP "ETF" does actively trade options Calls/Puts and is managed by professional Traders. This stock is the most prone to be directly related to Real time Oil prices.

FANG, "Diamondback" Very volatile!

I used to play with Chevron, and ExxonMobil, both were dividend stocks for me owning them from 2010 with no trades till early 2020. Some trading on both stocks from 2006 to 2010. Chevron is the best run best managed Major! I traded it a lot during the beginning of the recovery, but I sold too early.

Big Oil has gone on sale! It should not stay suppressed for very long, the driving season has yet to begin, if it does not force many to actually drive less. The U.S. has just placed an extremely large open bid for millions or Billions of barrels of Oil. The U.S. uses approximately 20 Million barrels per day.

There are many good companies in the Oil sector I did not mention. They are all on sale today!

Europe is going to open soon, it's 12:24 am PST

Last | 3:14 AM EDT, 102.83 quote price arrow down-0.26 (-0.2522%)

12:39am PST, Last | 3:29 AM EDT, 103.22 quote price arrow up+0.13 (+0.1261%)

1:30am PST, Last | 4:19 AM EDT, 103.69 quote price arrow up+0.60 (+0.582%)

 

[KneeGrinder]

Palantir getting killed today.

I sold all my Palantir a few months ago for a small gain. I really liked the company and it’s technology, but they have way too many government contracts and that revenue could very easy dry up in the future.

I bought Palantir right after the Government contract, lost 10%, cut my loss and moved on, and now everyday I'm happy I moved on. Almost everything is bleeding today! Today is probably my worst dollar amount loss of my life!

 

[Cujet]

Today is probably my worst dollar amount loss of my life!

I got annoyed with the markets and my continual lack of gains, but rapid losses, so I placed my retirement funds in money markets.

I'm now thinking of pulling my money out of savings and spending it, before it's worthless.

I'm a nerd and love numbers. Here's something to "digest", I'm spending exactly double at Publix than I was 3 years ago. I'm also spending double at the pump. I have no mortgage, no loans, etc. Oh, and my electric rates are going way, way up through higher fuel charges. As are the restaurant costs when I travel (which is ALL THE TIME) The bottom line is that my overall daily expenses have doubled.

Like it or not, we are currently in a situation where people who can't afford to wait 30 years, are rapidly bleeding a lifetime's worth of wealth.

 

[2dogs]

Bought an Ibond and shares of mutual fund version of Vanguard Total World ETF. At a loss of what else to do.

 

[PimTac]

The Dow and S&P were stronger today but are fading as we near the close. The Dow went red just a few minutes ago.

 

[alarmguy]

Palantir getting killed today.

I sold all my Palantir a few months ago for a small gain. I really liked the company and it’s technology, but they have way too many government contracts and that revenue could very easy dry up in the future.

Am I crazy? Don’t answer that.
I never heard of this company so I did a quick search and read only one article, I know absolutely nothing about them but from this one article the CEO sounds kind of wacky.
They reveal a disappointing earnings report, Disastrous stock performance the CEO throws in how everybody is underestimating the threat of nuclear war?.
Almost sounds like a distraction.
I mean who cares what this CEO thinks about a nuclear war?

Just my impression whenever I see a stock mentioned I do a quick search.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonath...significantly-underestimated/?sh=54abe4725c99

 

[Cujet]

I mean who cares what this CEO thinks about a nuclear war?

I am tied to PLTR. It's good to know that Palantir's CEO is fully "in the know" with these things, as knowledge is his company's job. Period, end of story. Remember, these guys found Bin Laden, and they did so by inference, using AI's. They really do know what is going on. It is no "opinion".

 

[Dave Hess]

I am tied to PLTR. It's good to know that Palantir's CEO is fully "in the know" with these things, as knowledge is his company's job. Period, end of story. Remember, these guys found Bin Laden, and they did so by inference, using AI's. They really do know what is going on. It is no "opinion".

Lots of their data analytics and AI is very secret. I find their technology very interesting.

 

[Dave Hess]

Affirm, the buy now pay later funding company is down big YTD.

Like I said many times before, people in all income brackets are curbing their spending habits. This is proof bad times ahead for many industries. Will people travel out of town for vacation this summer if they are tight on money ?

Consumers can only buy so much merchandise at Amazon before they realize they really don’t need all that crap.

Affirm is the online ‘Rent A Center’ that has crazy interest rates.

 

[Dave Hess]

I got annoyed with the markets and my continual lack of gains, but rapid losses, so I placed my retirement funds in money markets.

I'm now thinking of pulling my money out of savings and spending it, before it's worthless.

I'm a nerd and love numbers. Here's something to "digest", I'm spending exactly double at Publix than I was 3 years ago. I'm also spending double at the pump. I have no mortgage, no loans, etc. Oh, and my electric rates are going way, way up through higher fuel charges. As are the restaurant costs when I travel (which is ALL THE TIME) The bottom line is that my overall daily expenses have doubled.

Like it or not, we are currently in a situation where people who can't afford to wait 30 years, are rapidly bleeding a lifetime's worth of wealth.

Publix does have BOGO deals weekly that I stock up on.

Yes, I’ve noticed everything at Publix more expensive.

 

[alarmguy]

I am tied to PLTR. It's good to know that Palantir's CEO is fully "in the know" with these things, as knowledge is his company's job. Period, end of story. Remember, these guys found Bin Laden, and they did so by inference, using AI's. They really do know what is going on. It is no "opinion".

But his company performance is in the toilet as a shareholder isn’t it?
As an investment it’s a train wreck.

 

[PimTac]

This is not the way with interest rates rising.


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/11/adj...-try-to-afford-this-pricey-spring-market.html

 

[Pablo]

This is not the way with interest rates rising.


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/11/adj...-try-to-afford-this-pricey-spring-market.html

In the old days there was a 5-7 years period before the steps started in. It was great. Ask me how I know.

 

[alarmguy]

In the old days there was a 5-7 years period before the steps started in. It was great. Ask me how I know.

Yes, My brother bought a home on the water no less, when rates were above 15%.
It was a 5 year adjustable and worked well for him. Todays rates are still a bargain right up to 8% maybe more.

Back to the market, going to be interesting. I have no idea which way we will end up by summer but Im still holding everything for the long term because I believe in what I own.

 

[Pablo]

Yes, My brother bought a home on the water no less, when rates were above 15%.
It was a 5 year adjustable and worked well for him. Todays rates are still a bargain right up to 8% maybe more.

Back to the market, going to be interesting. I have no idea which way we will end up by summer but Im still holding everything for the long term because I believe in what I own.

Even if you have to refi, which we did once it was great for us - we got another ARM, very low cost. This is back in the day of course. I can't remember the exact rates, but they were substantially lower than prevailing fixed. Allowed my wife to stay home, me to work and live in decent hood for the kids (many here have picked up oil from me). We had a tiny remaining mortgage when we sold, with the clock ticking down. I think within the year or so.