SubscribeStrategy Lab: Up 13% since August 1st…
November 21, 2008
From my recent journal entry for MSN Strategy Lab (November 21, 2008)
In my office, my lead trader Kevin Hoffmann and I have been watching with horror the events of the past few days. Last week we saw the writing on the wall and correctly decided to pull all of our positions from this portfolio as there were many conflicting data points that were very worrisome. Fortunately, we kept a short position in our actively traded client portfolios as well. (See TDI Managed Growth Strategy.)
The real topper was the latest auto industry fiasco that threatened to rip apart the market, and that at the least provided enough angst that we are witnessing a capitulation that was long overdue.
Even as distasteful as it may be, Congress will surely crumble under the pressure of nations stunned and panicked by the knowledge that we are no longer safe. The hope is that it will be done with a plan of consequence.
The last six months has torn at the fabric of the financial system in such a way it will take years to recover. The real question now is how will that happen. It seems to be only logical that we need to get people back to work and that we need consumers who can afford to consume. That will take a massive governmental initiative.
Read the rest of the journal and what I am buying now HERE
Strategy Lab: Exiting with massive profits
November 4, 2008
My portfolio is up over 7% (since August 1st) and the latest parabolic rise for the markets has me worried. It appears that there is a growing disregard for the coming economic report that may show us how bad things are getting.
From my latest journal on MSN Strategy Lab:
Recently, it seems investors have forgotten about our credit situation and our socialist economic initiatives. Last I checked, socialism does not bode well for corporations as the government will take control over the flow of money. It is very likely we could see a democratic congress after this election which Read more
TDI Episode 81: Profiting with the Strategy Lab II
November 2, 2008
Guests: Strategy Lab Panel discusses with Andrew how they are setting up their portfolio to profit and to 
protect during this difficult market condition. Out of the 6 players in the 6-month long game, 5 are all substantially ahead of the market. In this episode we will ask each player to explain their strategy and their outlook.
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW | LISTEN @ ZUNE - @ iTUNES
Ron Prichard is investing editor at MSN Money and runs Strategy Lab, a ten-year-old stock-picking game 
in which a rotating cast of top investors try to beat each other and the market while documenting their every move. Mr. Prichard is a long-time journalist and has written and edited for the Eastside Journal in Bellevue, Washington, as well as several Gannett newspapers including the Westchester (NY) Journal News and USA Today. He is a graduate of California State University in Long Beach.
Howard Gold is the executive editor of MoneyShow.com, overseeing the content on the leading Web site for investor education. Previously, he served as the editor of Barron’s Online from its inception in 1996, through its successful spin-off as a separate subscription site in 2006. As a staff writer at Barron’s, Mr. Gold started the magazine’s popular “Electronic Investor” column and the “Best Online Brokers” feature. A former writer at Forbes, he was an associate editor for American Lawyer Media in Miami where he won a Gerald Loeb award for distinguished business and financial journalism.
Ken Kam is the CEO of Marketocracy.com. Ken believes that Wall Street analysts really don’t know a lot about the companies they cover. Warren Buffett likes to say that in the short term, the market is a voting machine. If the people who have the most votes (because their opinions drive billions of dollars of capital) are not the most knowledgeable about the company, how can a stock’s price end up being priced exactly right all the time? Ken also asks, “Our financial future depends on the investing skills of the people you choose to help you manage your money…Do you have the right people?
Vad Yazvinski likes buying stocks that offer growth at a reasonable price. He does not tolerate losing positions for too long. He is a permanent student of economics and of the investing world who is not only unafraid of challenges but who spends his free time looking for them. And I intend to stay that way, because, as the quote I cited above says, I know that while I might not be able to change my past, it is certainly within my powers to make a brand new ending.
John Reese is founder and CEO of Validea.com (www.validea.com) and Validea Capital Management, LLC (www.valideacapital.com). He is also portfolio manager for the Omega American and International Consensus funds offer in Canada. He holds two patents in the area of automated stock analysis. John is a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School.
Jim Van Meerten earned a BS in Accounting and Business Administration from Berry College; a Juris Doctorate from the Woodrow Wilson School of Law; and post-baccalaureate and graduate courses in Business Administration, Quantitative Math, and Education at Florida Atlantic University, Georgia State University and University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In the past he has been an accountant, attorney, adjunct professor in Business Law and Internal Auditing, financial advisor, supervisory principal, and compliance officer. He would enjoy hearing your comments at VanmeertenFund@aol.com.
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Stocks mentioned in this Episode: Elan (ELN), Goldman Sachs (GS) Kemet (KMT), Proshares Ulta Materials (UYM), Yahoo! (YHOO), Microsoft (MSFT) , Mastercard (MA), Apple (AAPL) and many more…
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IMPORTANT: Andrew is teaching a FREE investing class on Portfolio Mastery this week - CLICK HERE
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This episode is sponsored by GoToMeeting - Try it FREE for 30 days
Strategy Lab: Spooking up a 15% weekly gain
October 31, 2008
I look back at this scary week and feel very satisfied to be in positive territory after a terrifying fight with the market. Through the use of technical analysis I have been able to spook up almost 15% total portfolio returns since last week to actually move into positive territory. That is quite a treat in this market.
Sometimes, it is much better to be lucky than good, but I feel that I really positioned myself well for a ricochet in the markets. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke came into Halloween week primed to exorcise this possessed market. I am far from safe, though, as there are many skeletons still lurking in the closet that will surely show up in some form of economic data over the coming weeks.
Gross Domestic Product came out horrifyingly low at -0.3% and inflation is on the foggy horizon. It is possible that we will see some equally terrifying data coming out today in the form of the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index and the Commerce Department’s personal income and spending numbers.
Read what we are investing in now HERE
Strategy Lab: Are we Economically Socialist?
October 24, 2008
From my latest MSN Strategy Lab journal:
Are we now economically socialist? Communists?
As the global economy struggles for a positive change during this financial crisis, it is apparent that the United States is having an identity crisis. Capitalism has long been the reason for the United States’ economic power. It has allowed our country to expand under creative ideals and allowed the free market system to determine who sinks or swims. Shouldn’t we still be employing these ideals? Read more
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