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Buying stocks amid the "financial crisis"
Published 10-08-2008 3:36 PM | Mark
I bought some Corning (GLW) options today with an expiration date in April, to supplement my holdings of the still freefalling NVDA. I desperately wanted to buy NVDA options, but after my recent capital depreciation, I will no longer leverage myself in...
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Understanding the financial crisis
Published 09-23-2008 10:39 PM | Mark
Journalism has become an intellectually lazy profession, and nowhere is this more evident than in economic reporting. One would think a journalist who covers the economy would go out and get a degree in economics, or at least spend some time to gain a...
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A painful lesson learned
Published 07-03-2008 5:58 PM | Mark
NVDA dropped 30% today on some bad news. This has reduced the value of my portfolio by over 80%. I've had to sell shares to make the margin call. I still own some, however, as well as a huge pile of now nearly worthless options. So, the first thing...
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Stock misery
Published 07-01-2008 4:37 PM | Mark
NVDA is down significantly since my last post - I bought in at 21.50, and the stock is now below 19 dollars. Does this mean I am panicking? Well, I won't deny that the desire is there, but now is the time for fortitude. I recommended it at 21.50 and...
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Buy NVDA now
Published 06-12-2008 10:51 PM | Mark
NVDA rose to nearly 25 since my last post, but in the past week has declined rapidly to 21.50, bringing it down to below my intial cost. I have margined myself out. If ever there were a time to buy a stock, it is now. And for speculations sake, I am very...
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an interesting We are not in a recession post, accompanied by obligatory boring stock talk
Published 05-02-2008 12:29 AM | Mark
It's official - last quarter's GDP growth was .6%, and the quarter before was also minimal growth. Not good numbers, but the definition of a recession is 2 successive quarters with negative growth; a sustained contraction, if you will. And obviously...
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Diversification is for pussies! Buy NVDA!
Published 04-02-2008 11:20 AM | Mark
Regardless of the subject, I do like a wee bit of diversification. But I rarely hold more than 4 stocks at a time. However, given the recent market trend upward, some of my favorites are looking a little less appealing next to NVDA. So I have divested...
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More stock market madness
Published 02-28-2008 10:42 PM | Mark
I bought shares of NVDA today, my old stalwart, and the company that has made me the most money in the past. It's come down nearly 50% from its 12 month high and it is looking pretty cheap at 22 dollars. Near term volatility may bring it down even...
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Other bargains in the stock market turmoil
Published 02-06-2008 1:09 AM | Mark
BB&T, a regional but rapidly growing bank based in the DC area, is run by John Allison, an admirer of Ayn Rand who explicitly relies on Rand's philosophy to guide the companies progress. That alone recommends it, but a 5.4% dividend yield is another...
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Attempt to capitalize on stock market turmoil
Published 02-05-2008 4:28 PM | Mark
My earlier post about buying Intel turned out to be a great short term money-maker. I sold off some options last week for significant profit, retaining only 10 July 22.50 calls. This week, Intel and the market are dropping again and INTC is now back to...
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And yet another stock update
Published 01-19-2008 6:58 PM | Mark
The stock market is in turmoil right now, and this presents some of the best buying opportunities I have ever seen. Intel has lost more than 15% of its market capitalization after reporting earnings slightly lower than analyst expecations. Their earnings...
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Another stock update
Published 12-20-2007 6:57 PM | Mark
I will return to attempting to discern and dissect the views of the Republican presidential nominees shortly, I promise. In the meantime, I have been active in the market and I would like to share my thoughts. First of all, I still hold that Corning ...
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Black Monday
Published 10-21-2007 1:11 AM | Mark
Last friday was the anniversary of Black Monday, that date in 1987 when the stock market fell 22% in a day. Don Luskin has the untold story behind the crash. It's a fascinating read. The market has done very poorly this week, particularly on Friday...
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hot stock tip
Published 09-20-2007 3:24 PM | Mark
If you are looking to buy one stock right now, make it Corning (GLW). This is a great company trading at an amazingly low price. I actually drool when I see how cheap this stock is. You'll be sorry when I post about my amazing profits, a year from now...
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Stock update
Published 07-02-2007 7:49 PM | Mark
My stocks are up: Intel 11% and Corning 9%. The market as a whole is up so this is not necessarily due to my expertise. I also lost 200 dollars on some Intel options that expired worthless, as I was gambling on a quick and sharp uptick which never materialized...
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