I recently started getting my feet wet investing in the stock market and so far so good (up 3% for the month, not bad for a newbie). Just wondering if any other CAG's invest and maybe we could share stock tips and advice. My tip for whatever it's worth is Pfizer. Just bounced from its all time low, yet it's the largest drug maker in the world, has a ton of cash on hand and has a dividend payout over 6%, better than any money market account nowadays.
Any CAG stock market traders out there?
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Capn Stabby
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You can still change the title by editting, clicking on advanced and then changing the title.
[quote name='mtxbass1']I dabble in the market daily.
Where did you open your account?[/QUOTE]
I use Zecco since it gives you 10 free trades/month then $4.50 after that which works out well for me since I'm just starting out. Seems to otherwise no frills but I don't mind that since I use other resources for research.
Thanks for the heads up about the title edit, stabby.
Where did you open your account?[/QUOTE]
I use Zecco since it gives you 10 free trades/month then $4.50 after that which works out well for me since I'm just starting out. Seems to otherwise no frills but I don't mind that since I use other resources for research.
Thanks for the heads up about the title edit, stabby.
BillyBob29
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I trade equities and S&P futures for a living. This year, so far at least, has just been fantastic.
http://www.investopedia.com/ is a good site for articles and tutorials but from your OP you sound like you already have at least a basic knowledge.
Honestly I've become more of a fan of index funds and ETFs lately but that's probably because I'm too lazy to do the research on individual stocks.
Honestly I've become more of a fan of index funds and ETFs lately but that's probably because I'm too lazy to do the research on individual stocks.
darthbudge
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I have a few hundred dollars in stocks. But I don't actively trade them or anything.
[quote name='wubb']http://www.investopedia.com/ is a good site for articles and tutorials but from your OP you sound like you already have at least a basic knowledge.
Honestly I've become more of a fan of index funds and ETFs lately but that's probably because I'm too lazy to do the research on individual stocks.[/QUOTE]
I have most of my investments in mutual funds but I'd figure I take a shot at trading individual stocks a try and see if I can outperform the market on my own. The way the market seems to overreact to every little bit of news, it doesn't seem too hard at least to pick up promising stocks on the cheap.
Honestly I've become more of a fan of index funds and ETFs lately but that's probably because I'm too lazy to do the research on individual stocks.[/QUOTE]
I have most of my investments in mutual funds but I'd figure I take a shot at trading individual stocks a try and see if I can outperform the market on my own. The way the market seems to overreact to every little bit of news, it doesn't seem too hard at least to pick up promising stocks on the cheap.
[quote name='dopa345']I use Zecco since it gives you 10 free trades/month then $4.50 after that which works out well for me since I'm just starting out. Seems to otherwise no frills but I don't mind that since I use other resources for research.
Thanks for the heads up about the title edit, stabby.[/quote]
Hmm, I'll have to look up Zecco. I'm considering opening a sharebuilder account myself. I've currently got some things with Fidelity and Schwab, but I'm thinking about consolidating it all.
Thanks for the heads up about the title edit, stabby.[/quote]
Hmm, I'll have to look up Zecco. I'm considering opening a sharebuilder account myself. I've currently got some things with Fidelity and Schwab, but I'm thinking about consolidating it all.
[quote name='mtxbass1']Hmm, I'll have to look up Zecco. I'm considering opening a sharebuilder account myself. I've currently got some things with Fidelity and Schwab, but I'm thinking about consolidating it all.[/QUOTE]
Look at buyandhold vs sharebuilder. They are similar services so take a look at the stocks each cover and the pricing schemes.
Look at buyandhold vs sharebuilder. They are similar services so take a look at the stocks each cover and the pricing schemes.
I've just recently started buying individual stocks too. I have most of my money in index funds but I think I will eventually slowly branch out into other stuff. I've been taking a real hard look at various types of bonds too but don't have enough 'play money' to invest in it. Stupid work truck died and had to be replaced plus various other stuff requiring my precious monies.
[quote name='kube00']So with the market being all crummy what are some good stocks to look into getting now? Anyone use Etrade?[/QUOTE]
Just my opinion as a (relatively) novice investor so take it for what it's worth. I also look at stocks generally for the long-term (3+ years).
I like the major pharmaceutical companies, especially Pfizer, Bristol-Myers-Squibb and Merck. They've been really beaten down as a whole because of fears that many drugs are going off patient in the next 3-5 years and also the fear that a Democrat in the White House means lower profits for them (if that were the case why does Obama absolutely bury McCain in terms of big pharma donations?). However, as a whole, they have spotless balance sheets and hordes of cash so their 5-7% dividends are all safe and the market fails to fully appreciate their drug pipelines, particularly BMS's in my opinion.
On the more aggressive side, I've been nibbling a bit in financial sector in the big names like Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Someone has to come out on top after the subprime mortgage mess is over so I'll bet on the largest bank in the country in BoA and Buffett thinks Wells Fargo is the best managed bank in the nation which is good enough for me.
Just my opinion as a (relatively) novice investor so take it for what it's worth. I also look at stocks generally for the long-term (3+ years).
I like the major pharmaceutical companies, especially Pfizer, Bristol-Myers-Squibb and Merck. They've been really beaten down as a whole because of fears that many drugs are going off patient in the next 3-5 years and also the fear that a Democrat in the White House means lower profits for them (if that were the case why does Obama absolutely bury McCain in terms of big pharma donations?). However, as a whole, they have spotless balance sheets and hordes of cash so their 5-7% dividends are all safe and the market fails to fully appreciate their drug pipelines, particularly BMS's in my opinion.
On the more aggressive side, I've been nibbling a bit in financial sector in the big names like Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Someone has to come out on top after the subprime mortgage mess is over so I'll bet on the largest bank in the country in BoA and Buffett thinks Wells Fargo is the best managed bank in the nation which is good enough for me.
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[quote name='kube00']So with the market being all crummy what are some good stocks to look into getting now? Anyone use Etrade?[/quote]
Personally I'm in oil services and natural gas. If you think oil is expensive, wait until winter when natural gas skyrockets as well.
Beware Etrades quarterly fees. That was the major turnoff for me with them.
Since financials are absolutely TOXIC right now, I've been playing SKF. Great hedge against everything else.
Personally I'm in oil services and natural gas. If you think oil is expensive, wait until winter when natural gas skyrockets as well.
Beware Etrades quarterly fees. That was the major turnoff for me with them.
Since financials are absolutely TOXIC right now, I've been playing SKF. Great hedge against everything else.
For people interested in seeing how they would do I recommend checking out www.marketocracy.com. I haven't used it in a while, but I was moderately active back when it was fairly new and made a good amount of money (probably over a thousand dollars). I still get small payments every once in a while (they pay for five years, which I think is almost up for me). Now, you probably won't get any money because you'll be competing against people who have 5+ year track records, but it's a risk free way to practice and experiment.
edit: for the long term I was always a fan of big tobacco companies, yes it's supporting evil, but they are generally undervalued and they pay big dividends, Altria also owns all of kraft food, so it's pretty safe (I haven't looked at the numbers, but if they have been hit by the downturn and rising food manufacturing costs you may be able to get a deal).
edit: for the long term I was always a fan of big tobacco companies, yes it's supporting evil, but they are generally undervalued and they pay big dividends, Altria also owns all of kraft food, so it's pretty safe (I haven't looked at the numbers, but if they have been hit by the downturn and rising food manufacturing costs you may be able to get a deal).
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BillyBob29
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While I'm more of a day/swing trader than a position investor, I've been in Phillip Morris, now Altria and Phillip Morris International for nearly 20 years. Solid growth and a nice dividend and most importantly a business model that works in pretty much every economic environment. These 2 companies represent my largest long term holdings and are what I consider my "safe money." You can't beat cancer.
I'm also a fan of the energy plays, natural gas, oil, solar but make no mistake a lot of these plays are WAY ahead of themselves so just be careful jumping in now. Make sure you have an exit plan in place if the energy bubble pops. Most of these companies are already up tremendously and a lot of them look tired from a technical standpoint. Same goes for the agriculture plays, which I also love to trade.
Someone mentioned SKF a few posts back and that is a great way to play the financial short, it is very volitile but if you want to be short the financial sector as a whole that is a good way to go. Personally, the short financials play feels tired to me. I was short LEH, FNM and C for quite a while and at the point the risk of a very painful short covering rally outweighs the reward of more downside, IMO. There are better places to be that offer better risk/reward. I still trade the financials both long and short for intraday moves but being short the sector for a position trade is a little scary at this point.
I also don't care for Etrade. The do charge fees to those that aren't active traders but throwing that aside, I just didn't care for their platform.
I'm also a fan of the energy plays, natural gas, oil, solar but make no mistake a lot of these plays are WAY ahead of themselves so just be careful jumping in now. Make sure you have an exit plan in place if the energy bubble pops. Most of these companies are already up tremendously and a lot of them look tired from a technical standpoint. Same goes for the agriculture plays, which I also love to trade.
Someone mentioned SKF a few posts back and that is a great way to play the financial short, it is very volitile but if you want to be short the financial sector as a whole that is a good way to go. Personally, the short financials play feels tired to me. I was short LEH, FNM and C for quite a while and at the point the risk of a very painful short covering rally outweighs the reward of more downside, IMO. There are better places to be that offer better risk/reward. I still trade the financials both long and short for intraday moves but being short the sector for a position trade is a little scary at this point.
I also don't care for Etrade. The do charge fees to those that aren't active traders but throwing that aside, I just didn't care for their platform.
JolietJake
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I've been reading a few comments on invetopedia, many people seem to believe that Microsoft is a smart buy right now, given that they're stock is near a 52 week low. I have no idea personally, i'm fairly new to stock trading, i have a basic knowledge.
Blood Covenent
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buy some stock in AMR, its at an all time low, and will only go up.
BillyBob29
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[quote name='JolietJake']I've been reading a few comments on invetopedia, many people seem to believe that Microsoft is a smart buy right now, given that they're stock is near a 52 week low. I have no idea personally, i'm fairly new to stock trading, i have a basic knowledge.[/QUOTE]
Everyone views MSFT as a "safe bet" simply because they are a huge company with reliable earnings. However, their growth is lagging and they are attempting to fight off strong competition in pretty much every one of their core operations.
Look at a 5 year chart of MSFT, it has basically gone nowhere over the past 5 years despite record bottom line profits and there is a reason for that......slow growth. MSFT really needs to open up some new avenues for growth before the stock is really going to outperform.
If you want to play of the old 90's big tech plays that has fallen from grace, you may want to look at Cisco Systems (CSCO). There are actually a variety of positive catalysts coming in the next business cycle. Personally, I like to buy strength instead of trying to pick a bottom and right now there is no strength in CSCO shares so I'm waiting until we get clear signs that their order backlog is picking up again.
Everyone views MSFT as a "safe bet" simply because they are a huge company with reliable earnings. However, their growth is lagging and they are attempting to fight off strong competition in pretty much every one of their core operations.
Look at a 5 year chart of MSFT, it has basically gone nowhere over the past 5 years despite record bottom line profits and there is a reason for that......slow growth. MSFT really needs to open up some new avenues for growth before the stock is really going to outperform.
If you want to play of the old 90's big tech plays that has fallen from grace, you may want to look at Cisco Systems (CSCO). There are actually a variety of positive catalysts coming in the next business cycle. Personally, I like to buy strength instead of trying to pick a bottom and right now there is no strength in CSCO shares so I'm waiting until we get clear signs that their order backlog is picking up again.
EnderA6
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[quote name='BillyBob29']Everyone views MSFT as a "safe bet" simply because they are a huge company with reliable earnings. However, their growth is lagging and they are attempting to fight off strong competition in pretty much every one of their core operations.
Look at a 5 year chart of MSFT, it has basically gone nowhere over the past 5 years despite record bottom line profits and there is a reason for that......slow growth. MSFT really needs to open up some new avenues for growth before the stock is really going to outperform.
If you want to play of the old 90's big tech plays that has fallen from grace, you may want to look at Cisco Systems (CSCO). There are actually a variety of positive catalysts coming in the next business cycle. Personally, I like to buy strength instead of trying to pick a bottom and right now there is no strength in CSCO shares so I'm waiting until we get clear signs that their order backlog is picking up again.[/quote]
I think msft has lost their vision and they will lose their edge.
Look at a 5 year chart of MSFT, it has basically gone nowhere over the past 5 years despite record bottom line profits and there is a reason for that......slow growth. MSFT really needs to open up some new avenues for growth before the stock is really going to outperform.
If you want to play of the old 90's big tech plays that has fallen from grace, you may want to look at Cisco Systems (CSCO). There are actually a variety of positive catalysts coming in the next business cycle. Personally, I like to buy strength instead of trying to pick a bottom and right now there is no strength in CSCO shares so I'm waiting until we get clear signs that their order backlog is picking up again.[/quote]
I think msft has lost their vision and they will lose their edge.
Capitalizt
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By these instead of stocks.
Paper money is going down the toilet.
Paper money is going down the toilet.
I agree about MSFT not a being big growth stock, pretty much trading sideways between 25-35 range. However it won't kill you, is one of the few tech stocks that pays a reliable dividend and should get back into the 30 range if they the whole Yahoo thing gets put to rest. I have a small position that I'm just waiting to do just that before I sell.
fatherofcaitlyn
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Here's a free tip about buying individual stocks in your spare time: Don't.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.
EnderA6
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[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Here's a free tip about buying individual stocks in your spare time: Don't.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/quote]
for me its kinda about the adventure and learning of investing. and for a lot of people its a hobby. I do agree that day trading is dangerous and as your getting older you should put your money into less volitale assests like bonds. but when you are appying to work with a mutual fund they want to see that you have invested your own money and have managed it well with high gains. a college education doesnt always mean you can do it well or like it.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/quote]
for me its kinda about the adventure and learning of investing. and for a lot of people its a hobby. I do agree that day trading is dangerous and as your getting older you should put your money into less volitale assests like bonds. but when you are appying to work with a mutual fund they want to see that you have invested your own money and have managed it well with high gains. a college education doesnt always mean you can do it well or like it.
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[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Here's a free tip about buying individual stocks in your spare time: Don't.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/QUOTE]
I generally agree. I've put most of my investment money (and all of my 403b) in mutual funds. The individual investor however does have the advantage in investing in small cap stocks which often fall under the radar.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/QUOTE]
I generally agree. I've put most of my investment money (and all of my 403b) in mutual funds. The individual investor however does have the advantage in investing in small cap stocks which often fall under the radar.
BillyBob29
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[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Here's a free tip about buying individual stocks in your spare time: Don't.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/QUOTE]
Completely depends on your own personal experience in the market and how much time you are willing to put into it.
I will agree that you shouldn't just jump into trying to pick stocks without a sizeable knowledge base and market experience but if you know what you are doing the benefits of investing/trading on your own can be tremendous.
Also, nearly 80% of funds don't outperform their benchmarket index which is just horrible.
Buy mutual funds and expect people with a lot more knowledge about the market to outperform the index.
If you think you can pick individual stocks, go to college and wherever else to pick up the necessary skills so that you can manage a mutual fund on some level.
Then, you can pick individual stocks with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY and make an obscene amount of money whether you succeed or fail.[/QUOTE]
Completely depends on your own personal experience in the market and how much time you are willing to put into it.
I will agree that you shouldn't just jump into trying to pick stocks without a sizeable knowledge base and market experience but if you know what you are doing the benefits of investing/trading on your own can be tremendous.
Also, nearly 80% of funds don't outperform their benchmarket index which is just horrible.
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People like to bet on randomness, it's human nature. I've pretty much learned to accept this over the last few years. I won't say I've given up telling people to put their money into low cost index funds but I definitely don't say it as often as before or for every type of stock related thread.
Nowadays I try to remind people to start small and not take on to much risk all at once. When you are first starting out you're going to make mistakes so it's better to make small mistakes and learn from them. If you find you lose more after a year then the market maybe you will be wise enough to go back to investing in index funds. If you did better then average then that's great, it's time to start leveraging yourself a bit more and taking on more risks.
Personally, I've been moving away from indexing and sort of dipping my toes into stock options right now. I like the fact I can profit from volatility and sideways movement as well as up or down movement. So far I've earned more then in my index funds but we'll see how I do by this time next year. Until then I still have my AA set up and as the majority of my portfolio.
Nowadays I try to remind people to start small and not take on to much risk all at once. When you are first starting out you're going to make mistakes so it's better to make small mistakes and learn from them. If you find you lose more after a year then the market maybe you will be wise enough to go back to investing in index funds. If you did better then average then that's great, it's time to start leveraging yourself a bit more and taking on more risks.
Personally, I've been moving away from indexing and sort of dipping my toes into stock options right now. I like the fact I can profit from volatility and sideways movement as well as up or down movement. So far I've earned more then in my index funds but we'll see how I do by this time next year. Until then I still have my AA set up and as the majority of my portfolio.
fatherofcaitlyn
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[quote name='BillyBob29']Completely depends on your own personal experience in the market and how much time you are willing to put into it.
I will agree that you shouldn't just jump into trying to pick stocks without a sizeable knowledge base and market experience but if you know what you are doing the benefits of investing/trading on your own can be tremendous.[/quote]
The only way to determine if you know what you are doing is to put your money or, preferably, somebody else's money on the chopping block.
Even the "experts" on business shows can fail to perform as well as the index from time to time.
I will agree that you shouldn't just jump into trying to pick stocks without a sizeable knowledge base and market experience but if you know what you are doing the benefits of investing/trading on your own can be tremendous.[/quote]
The only way to determine if you know what you are doing is to put your money or, preferably, somebody else's money on the chopping block.
Even the "experts" on business shows can fail to perform as well as the index from time to time.
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']The only way to determine if you know what you are doing is to put your money or, preferably, somebody else's money on the chopping block.
Even the "experts" on business shows can fail to perform as well as the index from time to time.[/quote]
That's why I suggested marketocracy, when they were paying me I was literally investing other people's money (I got much more conservative then).
I wouldn't go for microsoft, vista still doesn't seem to be turning around, and Macs appear to be getting much more popular. The Zune (while I love the one I only payed $100 for) is mostly a failure. Google seems very interested and capable of challenging office (not to mention openoffice) with a free alternative (firefox is more popular than IE as well). MS has tons of money, but I think the big revenue sources (windows and office) are past their peak. And honestly any company looking to dump cash into yahoo is not one I would trust.
Even the "experts" on business shows can fail to perform as well as the index from time to time.[/quote]
That's why I suggested marketocracy, when they were paying me I was literally investing other people's money (I got much more conservative then).
I wouldn't go for microsoft, vista still doesn't seem to be turning around, and Macs appear to be getting much more popular. The Zune (while I love the one I only payed $100 for) is mostly a failure. Google seems very interested and capable of challenging office (not to mention openoffice) with a free alternative (firefox is more popular than IE as well). MS has tons of money, but I think the big revenue sources (windows and office) are past their peak. And honestly any company looking to dump cash into yahoo is not one I would trust.
BillyBob29
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[quote name='dopa345']Just shameless plug, I started a CAG stock market social group about a week ago if anyone is interested in having a dedicated place to discuss the market.[/QUOTE]
I'm always up for discussing trade ideas. Can you post a link for me, I'm not sure where the social group is located.
I'm always up for discussing trade ideas. Can you post a link for me, I'm not sure where the social group is located.
[quote name='BillyBob29']I'm always up for discussing trade ideas. Can you post a link for me, I'm not sure where the social group is located.[/QUOTE]
Here's the link.
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/group.php?groupid=72
Here's the link.
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/group.php?groupid=72
bread's done