Stocks and Trading Thread - Channeling your inner Mono

[Alcibiades]

Yeah, I use USAA to track my accounts like I used to use Mint for....that's about all I use their website for now.

[Monoriu]

Back in the day I owned stock in a company called Digital Angel.  They made tracking chips you could implant in dogs, kids, etc. in case they were lost or stolen.

One day they were profiled on the Today Show.  The stock skyrocketed so much that if I had sold at market close that day, I would have made $30,000 profit.  Unfortunately, I was very busy at work that day and had no time to check my portfolio, and didn't have any sort of price alerts set up on my account.

A few days later I realized what had happened and checked the stock.  It had dropped so much since then that I was only able to sell it at like 250% profit, which I guess was still good... but if only I hadn't been distracted at work!!! 

Needless to say I now have price alerts on my positions.

Generally speaking, I find that the volatility of individual US stocks is much greater than HK stocks.  In HK, a 10% swing is gigantic.  8% is skyrocketed.  A theory I have read is that HK stocks generally have stable majority shareholders, be it rich families or the communist party.  Here, majority share-owning really does mean 50.1%.  Only a small portion of the shares are in the hands of hedge fund managers and retail investors, so volatility is much smaller.

[Admiral Yi]

The conventional wisdom is that the smaller the float, the higher the volatility.

[Tonitrus]

Yeah, I use USAA to track my accounts like I used to use Mint for....that's about all I use their website for now.

Their commissions are pretty good though.  Who do you use for trading?

[Monoriu]

I'm slowly shifting from bonds to stocks.  The split used to be 5:5.  Now it is more like 6:4 in favour of stocks.  Planning to go 7:3.  The problem with bonds is that they are difficult to sell without significant transactions costs.  So generally I can only wait until they mature. 

[Admiral Yi]

How much ChiCom stock do you own Mono?  Read in The Economist that the Shanghai index doubled in the last 12 months.

At some point Beijing will need to figure out a way for its citizens to have reasonable investment options.

[Monoriu]

How much ChiCom stock do you own Mono?  Read in The Economist that the Shanghai index doubled in the last 12 months.

At some point Beijing will need to figure out a way for its citizens to have reasonable investment options.

I am inherently suspicious of state-owned Chinese companies, so I don't own enough of them.  A rough estimate is around 15% of total portfolio.  But a lot of HK based companies have lots of business ties in China.  So.

What do you mean about reasonable investment options?  Everybody can trade stocks on the mainland.  It is also not that difficult for mainlanders to open accounts in HK and buy international stuff.

[Admiral Yi]

What do you mean about reasonable investment options?  Everybody can trade stocks on the mainland.  It is also not that difficult for mainlanders to open accounts in HK and buy international stuff.

Well, they have a ridiculous real estate bubble, dodgy public bonds, and a stock market filled with crooks.

I didn't know they could move their money overseas that easily.  It's a wonder everyone doesn't do that.

[Tonitrus]

It's been in the local news for hometown that quite a number of Chinese are coming in and buying high-end homes (note, these are $800,000 and up kinda homes) for cash.  My parents could probably make out like bandits if they were of the mind to downsize and move.

And my old elementary school's student body is majority Asian these days (66% to 23% white).

[Monoriu]

What do you mean about reasonable investment options?  Everybody can trade stocks on the mainland.  It is also not that difficult for mainlanders to open accounts in HK and buy international stuff.

Well, they have a ridiculous real estate bubble, dodgy public bonds, and a stock market filled with crooks.

I didn't know they could move their money overseas that easily.  It's a wonder everyone doesn't do that.

China has a fast growing economy.  That's where opportunities are, so that's where people and money go (and stay).  You are right about the dodgy stuff, so that's why most people have one foot elsewhere as insurance.  There is a reason why foreign passports are so coverted.  If you want low risk, low return, stability etc, you put money elsewhere.  For high risk, high return, you invest in China. 

[Monoriu]

It's been in the local news for hometown that quite a number of Chinese are coming in and buying high-end homes (note, these are $800,000 and up kinda homes) for cash.  My parents could probably make out like bandits if they were of the mind to downsize and move.

And my old elementary school's student body is majority Asian these days (66% to 23% white).

The thing with China is that you can't be a successful businessman without having lots of ties with officials.  That means there is a considerable chance that when these officials fall, the businessmen fall too.  Falling here doesn't just mean losing their fortunes.  It means death, or life imprisonment.  For their entire families.  So they all want backdoors and safe havens for family.  The kids, wives and concubines stay in safe places; the men make money in China. 

That, and the fact that the west offers a nice life for those who don't need to find work.  There is blue sky, clean air, reliable hospitals, and the kids aren't subject to 20+ years of suffering in the education system. 

[Tonitrus]

For some reason, my stock-based mutual funds always seem to go in the opposite directions of the major stock indices.

Edit:  Nevermind...it's just that on the USAA website, it says one fund was up 1.26% on the day, even though Google says it was down.  But the closing share price's both match.   

[Admiral Yi]

So AT&T is going to buy DirecTV for $49 billion.

[MadImmortalMan]

  @ Jim Cramer wearing his Apple watch alongside his really very nice Breitling.

Sorry, but Apple isn't Breitling. If you're on a date with a girl, she's gonna remember the watch you had on. Breitling is a guaranteed winner. Omega, Tag Hauer, or Baume & Mercier, also gonna impress. (Also your shoes. Don't forget the shoes.)

Apple? It says something, but what...

I'm a douche?

Trendy foody soft footed poodle walker?

I don't know.

Apple is gonna score once again on a bad product though because shitty people are attracted to the smell of shit.

[Monoriu]

@ Jim Cramer wearing his Apple watch alongside his really very nice Breitling.

Sorry, but Apple isn't Breitling. If you're on a date with a girl, she's gonna remember the watch you had on. Breitling is a guaranteed winner. Omega, Tag Hauer, or Baume & Mercier, also gonna impress. (Also your shoes. Don't forget the shoes.)

Apple? It says something, but what...

I'm a douche?

Trendy foody soft footed poodle walker?

I don't know.

Apple is gonna score once again on a bad product though because shitty people are attracted to the smell of shit.

I don't have a watch