Investment BS Thread - Stocks/Futures/Mutual Funds/Bonds/Commodities/Options/ETFs/401ks/Etc

Always expect to lose money initially when buying stocks. It’s cause the Ask price ( price you buy at) is always higher than the Bid price ( price you’d sell at).

 

dammit. Good for my high interest rate savings account though.. I guess

 

Yeah, but problem is, there’s such a long delay of when they raise rates to when it actually gets to us little people for our savings accounts . So we get hit in the nuts right with our 401k right away when they announce it, and then we have to wait for better interest rates in our savings accounts months later. Takes about 2-3 months for it to be effective.

The crappy thing is when they lower interests rates, it goes into effect right away in at your bank. WTF is that crap.

 

Yeah, GS Bank is usually pretty good about it though. Usually announce an increase within a week or two.

Most of the banks are super greedy and instantly change your credit card rates, but savings interest lags behind

 

Fed rate hike to be announced today. Hopefully the market has already reacted accordingly, it seems like a rate hike is more of a when, not if.

 

I've been treading the line for the last month or so. The gun stocks gave me a good return. Now crude oil is moving up, so my natural gas stocks are benefiting.

 

Nathans and Bank of America people. Hotdogs and Money. Its how you diversify correctly.

 

Netflix has had a 70% gain in the last three months.

 

Two of the worst stocks I wish I would have sold years ago. GE and Avadel Pharma.

 

I would imagine the rate hike will drive the market down some, but I believe the market has already anticipated it. Maybe it won't be too bad when the Fed meeting happens. It should only be 0.25% increase. I think the other question will be whether they plan to do three or four hikes this year. I don't think the markets will be happy if there are four hikes, from what I've read.

A lot the conventional wisdom is that it's impossible to time a buy in/sell out. Trying to time the markets in general is impossible. You might get lucky a couple times but eventually you're going to average out, unless you have intimate knowledge with what you are trading and also are up on the general market shifts.

 

Question for you gents. My portfolio is divied up between mostly mutual funds, next stocks, and one ETF. How do you guys set up your portfolios?

 

Pharma companies scare me.

 

Pfizer has been really good for me since I got in years ago.

 

I've got most of my money going to my 403b, since it's pre-tax money.. I just raised my contribution and for $200 less in my paycheck I'm putting nearly $500 more in, not sure why I didn't do it sooner.

As for actively managed after-tax stuff, it depends on what I think I'll benefit from or can easily follow. Oil is a good one because OPEC and their strategies usually dictate the prices. It's also a good hedge if the economy goes into the shitter and gas prices fly through the roof again. And then I just dabble in random stocks when the mood strikes me and I'm seeing a general downtrend that isn't fatal. Right now Roku is my next bet, they've gone down 30% over the last month or so. And of course the gun stocks were/are a good play considering the political climate, they will likely report a good quarter. I would like to buy into netflix considering they've been flying but I don't know if they'll have a correction soon, I really try to stick with the "buy low, sell high" philosophy

 

Last year I bought positions in CHK. First lot was @ $7; then it dropped to $5 so bought more. Now it's at @3.25ish. I'll hold and wait for a rebound if any. This was my "play" money so it's expendable but gains are obviously welcomed.

 

my cost basis is right around 3.04, I was going to sell at/near $4. CHK has the habit of swinging up and down, but it seems as though they are trending downward. I just buy the dips and sell the bounces.

They don't seem to be doing well as a company, they have been selling assets to pay off debt. To me that means the company is shrinking, it's a long road to recovery for them.

 

Looking at the charts, I think $3.50 is probably all I will get out of CHK if they have a good run, unless there's some unforeseen changes in their business activities or crude oil shoots up. Then I'll buy in again on the dip.

 

I'll likely do the same if it gets above my CB.

In 2011 I was looking at LNG @ $11. Didn't buy, but looked nice. Years later it went up to $80; now it's at $55. That would have been nice to jump on.

 

Yeah, I remember in college I did some research on it. Man, wish I had purchased some back then. Too bad I was broke.

 

I'm honestly not sure. Last time I traded banking stock, I lost like 80% of bank of america. That was for a virtual stock market project in accounting in high school. lol