The Stock Of The Month is back for 2009! Unlike the last couple months of 2008, when most everything was as appealing as toxic waste, it's relatively easy to find interesting stocks these days. Indeed, I have an entire watch list of stocks that I can't wait to buy (if I only had, you know, the money to buy them).
Atlas Energy Resources (ATN) is a 17% dividend yielder, backed by oil and natural gas assets throughout the eastern U.S. Even though it has a payout ratio of 115% (generally not a good thing), Atlas, in its short history as a publicly-traded company, has steadily increased its dividend payments quarter after quarter. Even if they do have to slash their dividend, it will still be sufficiently large.
Here's my current portfolio. As always, I believe in all of these stocks - until I sell them.
Dominion Resources Black Warrior Trust (DOM) 14.46%
Terra Nitrogen (TNH) 13.30%
Tesoro (TSO) 11.56%
Southern Copper (PCU) 9.80%
Frontline (FRO) 9.61%
Ace Limited (ACE) 9.20%
Google (GOOG) 9.02%
Apple (AAPL) 7.79%
Tidewater (TDW) 4.64%
Atlas Energy Resources (ATN) 4.14%
Apache (APA) 3.84%
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Stock Recap 2008: The Ongoing Concerns
So far, so good for the stock market in 2009 - FIRED UP! READY TO GO! YES WE CAN!!
(Let's hope the exuberance isn't irrational.)
I now present to you the stocks that are the least worst of the awful lot otherwise known as "my 2008 portfolio". The stocks I was too lazy to sell. The stocks that I just couldn't sell, because I have to own something, right?
And now, let's look at all the stocks I've held going into this year, from worst to best - based solely on 2008's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Apple (AAPL)
Year-opening price: $198.08
Bought more: Mar @ $121.98, Oct @ $111.98
Year-closing price: $85.35 (-57%)
The great long-term growth story hope, part 1. Steve Jobs' short-term health concerns might finally be resolved, though.
Google (GOOG)
Year-opening price: $691.48
Bought more: Feb @ $519.54, Oct @ $411.15
Year-closing price: $307.65 (-56%)
The great long-term growth story hope, part 2. Android, save this stock please!
Southern Copper (PCU)
Year-opening price: $32.43
Bought more: Jan @ $37.95, Aug @ $23.96
Year-closing price: $16.06 (-51%)
If I sold in April and bought back now, would be much better off. But this is a dividend stock.
Apache (APA)
Year-opening price: $106.80
Year-closing price: $74.53 (-30%)
Showing signs of life recently.
Frontline (FRO)
Year-opening price: $41.05
Bought more: Aug @ $57.92, Nov @ $36.95
Year-closing price: $29.61 (-28%)
Two poorly-timed purchases there.
Tidewater (TDW)
Year-opening price: $53.89
Year-closing price: $40.27 (-25%)
Yawn.
Terra Nitrogen (TNH)
Bought: Jan @ $150.00, Mar @ $119.21, Aug @ $101.99
Year-closing price: $94.25 (-19%)
A falling knife situation, but I like this stock a lot going forward (duh).
Tesoro (TSO)
Bought: Apr @ $26.29, Jul @ $16.59, Nov @ $10.05
Year-closing price: $13.17 (-18%)
I hear gasoline prices are making a comeback!
ACE Limited (ACE)
Year-opening price: $60.82
Bought more: Jul @ $53.74
Year-closing price: $52.92 (-13%)
The most pleasantly boring stock I own.
Dominion Resources Black Warrior Trust (DOM)
Year-opening price: $15.72
Bought more: Jan @ $17.00
Year-closing price: $16.60 (6%)
Yes, I have an incumbent winner stock this year.
(Let's hope the exuberance isn't irrational.)
I now present to you the stocks that are the least worst of the awful lot otherwise known as "my 2008 portfolio". The stocks I was too lazy to sell. The stocks that I just couldn't sell, because I have to own something, right?
And now, let's look at all the stocks I've held going into this year, from worst to best - based solely on 2008's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Apple (AAPL)
Year-opening price: $198.08
Bought more: Mar @ $121.98, Oct @ $111.98
Year-closing price: $85.35 (-57%)
The great long-term growth story hope, part 1. Steve Jobs' short-term health concerns might finally be resolved, though.
Google (GOOG)
Year-opening price: $691.48
Bought more: Feb @ $519.54, Oct @ $411.15
Year-closing price: $307.65 (-56%)
The great long-term growth story hope, part 2. Android, save this stock please!
Southern Copper (PCU)
Year-opening price: $32.43
Bought more: Jan @ $37.95, Aug @ $23.96
Year-closing price: $16.06 (-51%)
If I sold in April and bought back now, would be much better off. But this is a dividend stock.
Apache (APA)
Year-opening price: $106.80
Year-closing price: $74.53 (-30%)
Showing signs of life recently.
Frontline (FRO)
Year-opening price: $41.05
Bought more: Aug @ $57.92, Nov @ $36.95
Year-closing price: $29.61 (-28%)
Two poorly-timed purchases there.
Tidewater (TDW)
Year-opening price: $53.89
Year-closing price: $40.27 (-25%)
Yawn.
Terra Nitrogen (TNH)
Bought: Jan @ $150.00, Mar @ $119.21, Aug @ $101.99
Year-closing price: $94.25 (-19%)
A falling knife situation, but I like this stock a lot going forward (duh).
Tesoro (TSO)
Bought: Apr @ $26.29, Jul @ $16.59, Nov @ $10.05
Year-closing price: $13.17 (-18%)
I hear gasoline prices are making a comeback!
ACE Limited (ACE)
Year-opening price: $60.82
Bought more: Jul @ $53.74
Year-closing price: $52.92 (-13%)
The most pleasantly boring stock I own.
Dominion Resources Black Warrior Trust (DOM)
Year-opening price: $15.72
Bought more: Jan @ $17.00
Year-closing price: $16.60 (6%)
Yes, I have an incumbent winner stock this year.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2008 Stock Recap: The Departed
Is anybody out there feeling irrationally and unequivocally optimistic about 2009 right now? Hey, me too. But first, we have to give 2008 it's proper due.
In 2008, it wasn't whether you lost money or not, it was how much money you lost. So I'm here today to bury last year; through the painstaking detailing of said losses of money, accompanied with snarky remarks for each wretched ticker symbol. (I'm not bitter.)
Here's a look at all the stocks I've sold in the past year, from best to worst - based solely on 2008's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Fording Coal (FDG)
Year-opening price: $37.51
Sold: Jul @ $88.53 (136%)
Stock-closing price: $93.71 (150%)
In what seems like eons ago but was actually last summer, commodity stocks had a huge bull run. Teck Cominco (TCK) decided to take out Fording near the top, and I decided to get out. Thank you, Teck Cominco - you gave me my only big winner of the year.
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP)
Year-opening price: $34.02
Sold: Apr @ $37.00 (9%)
Year-closing price: $26.88 (-21%)
Another, yet minor, coal stock victory. Why coal? I don't know.
Annaly Capital Management (NLY)
Year-opening price: $15.91
Sold: Mar @ $15.91 (0%)
Year-closing price: $15.87 (0%)
Hey, I didn't lose money here. Good job. For what it's worth, I still think Annaly is the best real estate stock out there (for those of you that really want to be in real estate).
Geron (GERN)
Year-opening price: $5.68
Sold: Jan @ $5.46 (-4%)
Year-closing price: $4.67 (-18%)
Lasted exactly 3 days into 2008. Can't say I regret selling it.
Nokia (NOK)
Year-opening price: $37.38
Sold: Apr @ $32.29 (-14%)
Year-closing price: $15.60 (-58%)
Should have been another one of my many January trades. Still not bad work done here.
Capstone Turbine (CPST)
Year-opening price: $1.63
Sold: Jan @ $1.20 (-26%)
Bought: Apr @ $2.65
Sold: Aug @ $2.35 (-11%)
Year-closing price: $0.84 (-48%)
It's kind of hard to follow the above, but I'll sum it up as: I bought when I should have been selling, and sold when I should have been buying. Except in August, when I did the right thing and gave up altogether.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
Year-opening price: $323.00
Sold: Jan @ $237.41 (-27%)
Year-closing price: $126.99 (-61%)
Surgical robot stocks 1, me 0.
Foster Wheeler (FWLT)
Bought: Jan @ $69.76, Mar @ $59.15
Sold: Aug @ $50.71 (-27%)
Year-closing price: $23.38 (-66%)
Probably a year early on the infrastructure play - and probably the wrong company too.
Baidu (BIDU)
Year-opening price: $389.90
Sold: Jan @ $282.37 (-28%)
Year-closing price: $130.57 (-67%)
The Chinese Google had an even worse year than the American Google.
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID)
Bought: Apr @ $38.42
Sold: Sep @ $23.78 (-38%)
Year-closing price: $12.81 (-67%)
Too late on the steel trade.
MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR)
Year-opening price: $88.49
Sold: Jul @ $55.07 (-38%)
Year-closing price: $14.28 (-84%)
No sunshine here.
Nintendo (NTDOY.PK)
Bought: Aug @ $59.32
Sold: Oct @ $35.01 (-41%)
Year-closing price: $47.74 (-20%)
Two really, really bad trades on my part. Wii + DS = profits.
Goldman Sachs (GS)
Year-opening price: $213.21
Bought more: Mar @ $144.61
Sold: Sep @ $118.89 (-44%)
Year-closing price: $84.39 (-60%)
Ladies and gentlemen: the world's finest investment bank, Goldman Sachs!
American Capital, Ltd. (ACAS)
Bought: Jan @ $32.99
Sold: Jul @ $17.00 (-48%)
Year-closing price: $3.24 (-90%)
Taught me the lesson of knowing the underlying assets that pay the dividend. (Hint: ACAS doesn't have good underlying assets.)
Hansen Medical (HNSN)
Bought: Aug @ $13.18
Sold: Oct @ $6.70 (-49%)
Year-closing price: $7.22 (-45%)
Surgical robot stocks 2, me 0.
Diana Shipping (DSX)
Bought: Jun @ $34.55, Aug @ $29.66, Nov @ $17.10
Sold: Nov @ $10.91 (-59%)
Year-closing price: $12.76 (-52%)
Don't really care about the capital losses as much as that they suspended their dividend on me. How dare they.
NVIDIA (NVDA)
Year-opening price: $34.02
Bought more: Feb @ $22.59
Sold: Jul @ $12.06 (-65%)
Year-closing price: $8.07 (-76%)
Does anybody really need whiz-bang graphics cards? No. No, they don't.
Vesta Wind Systems (VWSYF.PK)
Bought: Jul @ $129.00
Sold: Oct @ $36.45 (-72%)
Year-closing price: $59.00 (-54%)
Again, two really, really bad trades on my part. Wind power is probably a solid bet going forward.
MF Global (MF)
Year-opening price: $31.47
Bought more: Mar @ $19.94
Sold: Mar @ $8.25 (-74%)
Year-closing price: $2.04 (-94%)
Did well to lose only 74%. Yep, 2008 was a great year.
In 2008, it wasn't whether you lost money or not, it was how much money you lost. So I'm here today to bury last year; through the painstaking detailing of said losses of money, accompanied with snarky remarks for each wretched ticker symbol. (I'm not bitter.)
Here's a look at all the stocks I've sold in the past year, from best to worst - based solely on 2008's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Fording Coal (FDG)
Year-opening price: $37.51
Sold: Jul @ $88.53 (136%)
Stock-closing price: $93.71 (150%)
In what seems like eons ago but was actually last summer, commodity stocks had a huge bull run. Teck Cominco (TCK) decided to take out Fording near the top, and I decided to get out. Thank you, Teck Cominco - you gave me my only big winner of the year.
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP)
Year-opening price: $34.02
Sold: Apr @ $37.00 (9%)
Year-closing price: $26.88 (-21%)
Another, yet minor, coal stock victory. Why coal? I don't know.
Annaly Capital Management (NLY)
Year-opening price: $15.91
Sold: Mar @ $15.91 (0%)
Year-closing price: $15.87 (0%)
Hey, I didn't lose money here. Good job. For what it's worth, I still think Annaly is the best real estate stock out there (for those of you that really want to be in real estate).
Geron (GERN)
Year-opening price: $5.68
Sold: Jan @ $5.46 (-4%)
Year-closing price: $4.67 (-18%)
Lasted exactly 3 days into 2008. Can't say I regret selling it.
Nokia (NOK)
Year-opening price: $37.38
Sold: Apr @ $32.29 (-14%)
Year-closing price: $15.60 (-58%)
Should have been another one of my many January trades. Still not bad work done here.
Capstone Turbine (CPST)
Year-opening price: $1.63
Sold: Jan @ $1.20 (-26%)
Bought: Apr @ $2.65
Sold: Aug @ $2.35 (-11%)
Year-closing price: $0.84 (-48%)
It's kind of hard to follow the above, but I'll sum it up as: I bought when I should have been selling, and sold when I should have been buying. Except in August, when I did the right thing and gave up altogether.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
Year-opening price: $323.00
Sold: Jan @ $237.41 (-27%)
Year-closing price: $126.99 (-61%)
Surgical robot stocks 1, me 0.
Foster Wheeler (FWLT)
Bought: Jan @ $69.76, Mar @ $59.15
Sold: Aug @ $50.71 (-27%)
Year-closing price: $23.38 (-66%)
Probably a year early on the infrastructure play - and probably the wrong company too.
Baidu (BIDU)
Year-opening price: $389.90
Sold: Jan @ $282.37 (-28%)
Year-closing price: $130.57 (-67%)
The Chinese Google had an even worse year than the American Google.
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID)
Bought: Apr @ $38.42
Sold: Sep @ $23.78 (-38%)
Year-closing price: $12.81 (-67%)
Too late on the steel trade.
MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR)
Year-opening price: $88.49
Sold: Jul @ $55.07 (-38%)
Year-closing price: $14.28 (-84%)
No sunshine here.
Nintendo (NTDOY.PK)
Bought: Aug @ $59.32
Sold: Oct @ $35.01 (-41%)
Year-closing price: $47.74 (-20%)
Two really, really bad trades on my part. Wii + DS = profits.
Goldman Sachs (GS)
Year-opening price: $213.21
Bought more: Mar @ $144.61
Sold: Sep @ $118.89 (-44%)
Year-closing price: $84.39 (-60%)
Ladies and gentlemen: the world's finest investment bank, Goldman Sachs!
American Capital, Ltd. (ACAS)
Bought: Jan @ $32.99
Sold: Jul @ $17.00 (-48%)
Year-closing price: $3.24 (-90%)
Taught me the lesson of knowing the underlying assets that pay the dividend. (Hint: ACAS doesn't have good underlying assets.)
Hansen Medical (HNSN)
Bought: Aug @ $13.18
Sold: Oct @ $6.70 (-49%)
Year-closing price: $7.22 (-45%)
Surgical robot stocks 2, me 0.
Diana Shipping (DSX)
Bought: Jun @ $34.55, Aug @ $29.66, Nov @ $17.10
Sold: Nov @ $10.91 (-59%)
Year-closing price: $12.76 (-52%)
Don't really care about the capital losses as much as that they suspended their dividend on me. How dare they.
NVIDIA (NVDA)
Year-opening price: $34.02
Bought more: Feb @ $22.59
Sold: Jul @ $12.06 (-65%)
Year-closing price: $8.07 (-76%)
Does anybody really need whiz-bang graphics cards? No. No, they don't.
Vesta Wind Systems (VWSYF.PK)
Bought: Jul @ $129.00
Sold: Oct @ $36.45 (-72%)
Year-closing price: $59.00 (-54%)
Again, two really, really bad trades on my part. Wind power is probably a solid bet going forward.
MF Global (MF)
Year-opening price: $31.47
Bought more: Mar @ $19.94
Sold: Mar @ $8.25 (-74%)
Year-closing price: $2.04 (-94%)
Did well to lose only 74%. Yep, 2008 was a great year.
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