Stocks and Trading Thread - Channeling your inner Mono

[Tamas]

An interesting little article about oil prices:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10682218/1/oil-carry-trade-all-about-contango.html

(for the record, obviously the oil futures are beyond my financial means so I am not looking at them).

In the meantime, half of my stockmarket money is in an India ETF now, but I am on the sidelines with the other half, I am planning to perhaps try some short- and midterm trading via CFDs in the meantime.

[The Minsky Moment]

What is the general take on India's economy?

India's economy and the assets that happen to be traded on the Bombay exchange are two different things.  The India ETFs are highly concentrated in a relatively small number of companies that happen to be publically traded, and even more concentrated in industry sector.  So for example, if the Indian economy grows strongly over the next 10-20 years, but the main beneficiaries are privately held SMEs (like an Indian mittelstand), you will not necessarily benefit by owning an India ETF.

[Tamas]

What is the general take on India's economy?

India's economy and the assets that happen to be traded on the Bombay exchange are two different things.  The India ETFs are highly concentrated in a relatively small number of companies that happen to be publically traded, and even more concentrated in industry sector.  So for example, if the Indian economy grows strongly over the next 10-20 years, but the main beneficiaries are privately held SMEs (like an Indian mittelstand), you will not necessarily benefit by owning an India ETF.

Yeah well this Wisdom Tree fund seem to be much more "on the spot" than the other one (cant remember its name) which is indeed just Indian companies already present in American stock markets.

[Tamas]

My modest bid on Adobe (via CFD) seems to net a more than expected profit, thanks to some analyst upgrade they received

[Admiral Yi]

Does anyone know how long before a dividend issue date you have to buy to get that quarter's dividend?

[MadImmortalMan]

Does anyone know how long before a dividend issue date you have to buy to get that quarter's dividend?

Usually like ten days. It's not always the same. You have to check each company's announcements.

[Admiral Yi]

Usually like ten days. It's not always the same. You have to check each company's announcements.

Then it looks like I got Tamased.

[Admiral Yi]

I shot Etrade a question and they answered right back.  Woo hoo.  Whoever is holding on the ex-dividend date gets the dividend.  Based on a sample size of two ex-dividend looks like it comes roughly three weeks before the issue date.

[Tamas]

Usually like ten days. It's not always the same. You have to check each company's announcements.

Then it looks like I got Tamased.

[Admiral Yi]

It's a riff on the Tamas = gypsy joke.

[Tamas]

It's a riff on the Tamas = gypsy joke.

Ah

[MadImmortalMan]

Almost all my fun account's funds are in cash, but with the tanking this morning on the consumer confidence news, I wanted to play a little bit. So I took on two small positions. Fifty shares each of SLB and WM. I bought them near today's bottom with the Dow down about 88-89. So far the results:



      SLB    

   50    <----#of shares

   60.9687    <----value (current)

   3,050.00    <----position value

   3,022.50    <----cost

   27.50    <----profit

   0.86    <----%gain/loss

   
   

      WM    

   50    

   32.6384    

   1,632.00

   1,639.97    

   -7.97         <----loss   

   -0.49    



It doesn't really want to push up past about -80. I'm not sure if I want to hold these, but hey, if I don't I'll make fifteen bucks. 

I do think Schlumberger is a good buy after the merger pushed it down a bit.



Edit: And now the dow is down 95 with an hour left. 

My gains are holding though.

[Tamas]

I have discovered that the firm I have my account with offers future CFDs as well on quite good terms. So have been making some plays with small amounts of gold and oil. Certainly had a lucky first week, even managed to catch today's slip (hehe) of oil

[Monoriu]

Can you guys buy futures online?

I can't.  My bank doesn't offer futures trading.  And brokerages require me to place orders through a human broker, which I hate. 

[Tamas]

Can you guys buy futures online?

I can't.  My bank doesn't offer futures trading.  And brokerages require me to place orders through a human broker, which I hate.

the previous brokerage I used a couple of years ago did let people buy them. But the terms (minimum amount and such) were so that they werent in my leauge, really.

In this case, there are no real futures, but rather future CFDs. So basically I am just making a bet on the given future's price. The minimum amounts for example are 5 ounces of gold, and 25 barrels of oil.