Stocks and Trading Thread - Channeling your inner Mono

[Admiral Yi]

He carried in paper shares? 

What for? 

[Grey Fox]

He says his pitch was basically. "I don't need to work here, do you need me to work here? If so, this is xxxx how much it's going to cost you."

AFAIK he still works at Ubisoft, so they paid up.

[Monoriu]

I just got my first ever notice to vote as a shareholder. 

The richest man in HK wants to restructure his two major companies.  According to the rules, he, as majority shareholder, cannot vote on the matter.  The bar is quite high - like 75% of minority shareholders need to vote yes.  That's probably the reason why my bank bother to invite us to vote, because such an important person needs it

I really wanted the restructure to go ahead, because since the announcement, share prices went up by 25%, and I want it to stay that way.  I struggled with the question "should I tick yes, sign it, and hand it back to the bank when I walk pass it" for a few minutes.

Then I read that the bank would charge me US$6 to vote for me at the Shareholders' conference.  I immediately put the entire package to the shredder without hesitation. 

[Caliga]

As a rule, I always vote to fire the CEO of any company I hold stock in.  I like to think of myself as the slave sitting next to them at their daily Triumph, whispering 'memento mori'.

[Monoriu]

As a rule, I always vote to fire the CEO of any company I hold stock in.  I like to think of myself as the slave sitting next to them at their daily Triumph, whispering 'memento mori'.

So you would vote to fire Steve Jobs when he was alive, if you held Apple stocks? 

[Valmy]

So you would vote to fire Steve Jobs when he was alive, if you held Apple stocks? 

Cal actually led the charge:



I bet you didn't know Cal had a large stock portfolio in 1985.

[Caliga]

As a rule, I always vote to fire the CEO of any company I hold stock in.  I like to think of myself as the slave sitting next to them at their daily Triumph, whispering 'memento mori'.

So you would vote to fire Steve Jobs when he was alive, if you held Apple stocks? 

Absolutely.  I would be even more inclined to do it if I help Apple stock, because I thought he was an enormous douche.  However, he was obviously good for the price of that stock.

[Admiral Yi]

I was thinking about dumping the last of my McGraw Hill profits into IMAX, but then saw it's trading at 52 times trailing earnings.  On the other hand Thompson Reuters and SmartConcensus give it a buy rating.

Thoughts?

[Admiral Yi]

Hey Mono, are you able to automatically reinvest your dividends, and if so, are you doing it?

[Monoriu]

Hey Mono, are you able to automatically reinvest your dividends, and if so, are you doing it?

Yes, and no.  HSBC is a big believer in reinvesting dividends, and they do offer that option.  I don't take that up because there is the issue of lot size in Hong Kong.  In HK, we trade shares in standard lots.  HSBC for example has decided that its standard lot size is 400.  Most people have to trade HSBC's shares in multiples of 400.  Odd lots, i.e. chunks of shares in anything other than multiples of 400, are traded at a large discount, like 10-15% lower than their market value.  If I reinvest my dividends, I get odd lot shares. 

[Jacob]

Hey Mono, are you able to automatically reinvest your dividends, and if so, are you doing it?

Yes, and no.  HSBC is a big believer in reinvesting dividends, and they do offer that option.  I don't take that up because there is the issue of lot size in Hong Kong.  In HK, we trade shares in standard lots.  HSBC for example has decided that its standard lot size is 400.  Most people have to trade HSBC's shares in multiples of 400.  Odd lots, i.e. chunks of shares in anything other than multiples of 400, are traded at a large discount, like 10-15% lower than their market value.  If I reinvest my dividends, I get odd lot shares.

I assume they don't let you buy odd lot shares (at the discount) and then sell them in the standard 400 size (at full prize) when you reach that number?

[Monoriu]

Hey Mono, are you able to automatically reinvest your dividends, and if so, are you doing it?

Yes, and no.  HSBC is a big believer in reinvesting dividends, and they do offer that option.  I don't take that up because there is the issue of lot size in Hong Kong.  In HK, we trade shares in standard lots.  HSBC for example has decided that its standard lot size is 400.  Most people have to trade HSBC's shares in multiples of 400.  Odd lots, i.e. chunks of shares in anything other than multiples of 400, are traded at a large discount, like 10-15% lower than their market value.  If I reinvest my dividends, I get odd lot shares.

I assume they don't let you buy odd lot shares (at the discount) and then sell them in the standard 400 size (at full prize) when you reach that number?

If you buy odd lot shares in the stock market, you pay a premium of 10-15%.  Of course, if you buy the odd lot shares from HSBC by reinvesting the dividends, they sell at market rate, so it is possible to accumulate the odd lots and sell 400 shares eventually.  But I also like to get dividend in cash.

[Monoriu]

Considering buying shares in a Chinese state-owned coal mining and electricity company.  A bit concerned that coal-fired power plants may not have a very bright future if the mainland is determined to fight air pollution.  But then again the dividend rate and price look good, and coal-fired power plants won't go out of business in the next few years. 

[MadImmortalMan]

They'll get converted to burn Russian gas.

[Monoriu]

Going to try to buy these tonight: HCP (HCP), Philip Morris (PM), General Electric (GE), Vanguard S&P500 ETF (VOO), Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI).  Also will add a little to AT&T (T).   

One problem with buying US stocks is the time difference.  I need to stay alert and awake at 11pm.  I have an early flight tomorrow to boot