Happy New Year everyone! And what better way is there to celebrate than to analyze all the stocks I've owned throughout the year?
(None. There is no better way.)
Let's begin with a look at all the stocks I've sold, from best to worst - based solely on 2007's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Aluminum Corp. of China (ACH)
Bought: May @ $33.59
Sold: Nov @ $60.03 (79%)
Year-closing price: $50.64 (51%)
I heart China, I heart commodities. Easily my best exiting trade of the year.
PetroChina (PTR)
Year-opening price: $140.78
Sold: Dec @ $175.93 (25%)
Year-closing price: $175.47 (25%)
More Sino-commodity goodness.
St. Jude Medical (STJ)
Year-opening price: $36.56
Sold: Jul @ $42.97 (18%)
Year-closing price: $40.64 (11%)
Missed the highs ($48 in August), but still pretty good here.
Qwest (Q)
Year-opening price: $8.37
Sold: Jul @ $8.66 (4%)
Year-closing price: $7.01 (-16%)
The turnaround never happened. Or I was late.
General Motors (GM)
Year-opening price: $30.72
Sold: May @ $31.51 (3%)
Year-closing price: $24.89 (-19%)
Yes, profits can be made by investing in an American auto maker. Although I missed the top by a wide margin ($43 in October).
Under Armour (UA)
Bought: Mar @ $46.52
Sold: Nov @ $48.00 (3%)
Year-closing price: $43.67 (-6%)
UA, as it turns out, is not the next Nike. Yet.
Fuel-Tech (FTEK)
Year-opening price: $24.64
Sold: Sep @ $22.92 (-7%)
Year-closing price: $22.65 (-8%)
A very volatile stock; missed the before and after highs by quite a bit ($38 in June, $34 in October).
Genentech (DNA)
Bought: Jan @ $81.60
Sold: May @ $77.58 (-5%)
Year-closing price: $67.07 (-18%)
Was I early? Analysts seem to think DNA is cheap. I think it's still too big ($71B market cap).
K-Swiss (KSWS)
Year-opening price: $30.74
Sold: Feb @ $28.81 (-6%)
Year-closing price: $18.10 (-41%)
Should have sold earlier (or never bought in the first place).
Sears Holdings (SHLD)
Year-opening price: $167.93
Sold: Jul @ $152.58 (-9%)
Year-closing price: $102.05 (-39%)
A horrible retailer, with housing exposure to boot. Yuck. Did well to get out where I did.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Year-opening price: $66.02
Sold: Mar @ $62.30 (-6%)
Year-closing price: $66.70 (1%)
Pretty much the dead-money I figured it for.
AmeriCredit (ACF)
Year-opening price: $25.17
Sold: Mar @ $20.89 (-17%)
Year-closing price: $12.79 (-49%)
Subprime auto financing? No thanks! A semi-smart call here.
Infosys (INFY)
Year-opening price: $54.56
Sold: Sep @ $46.92 (-14%)
Year-closing price: $45.36 (-17%)
Should have gotten out earlier, and hasn't done much since I sold it either.
lululemon athletica (LULU)
Bought: Oct @ $46.00
Sold: Nov @ $40.00 (-13%)
Year-closing price: $47.37 (3%)
Was scared out after a bubble-ish rise and fall from $60 in one months time. May be revisited.
First Marblehead (FMD)
Year-opening price: $54.65
Sold: Apr @ $35.30 (-35%)
Year-closing price: $15.30 (-72%)
Dodged a bullet here - thanks, one-third rule! Goldman Sachs sees value here, seems to be in a good business long-term (student loans)...but I'm scared of it.
Rite Aid (RAD)
Year-opening price: $5.44
Sold: Oct @ $4.04 (-26%)
Year-closing price: $2.79 (-49%)
Hit its high of $6.73 in June. Held on too long, but glad to get out when I did.
NYSE Euronext (NYX)
Bought: Feb, Mar @ $92.33 (DCA'd)
Sold: Sep @ $71.59 (-22%)
Year-closing price: $87.77 (-5%)
An absolutely lousy call, selling right before exchanges were bid up in anticipation of global consolidation.
RMK Advantage Income Fund (RMA)
Bought: Sep, Oct @ $7.95 (DCA'd)
Sold: Nov @ $5.13 (-35%)
Year-closing price: $4.51 (-43%)
A losing bet on a recovery from subprime.
Constellation Brands (STZ)
Year-opening price: $29.02
Sold: Mar @ $19.16 (-34%)
Year-closing price: $23.64 (-19%)
Should have sold on Jan. 1 - and ended up selling near the year's lows. Oops.
Terra Nitrogen (TNH)
Bought: Sep @ $112.50
Sold: Nov @ $88.25 (-22%)
Year-closing price: $149.53 (33%)
I've made a huge mistake.
Delphi (DPHIQ.PK)
Year-opening price: $3.82
Sold: Oct @ $0.395 (-90%)
Year-closing price: $0.15 (-96%)
No further comment.
