A tradition unlike any other...
2021 was a transitional year - my first full calendar year as a blended stocks-and-income portfolio. I lagged the S&P 500 by -11.8% (15.1% vs. 26.9%), and trailed the NASDAQ by -6.3% (15.1% vs. 21.4%). My net worth ended the year near all-time highs, and my portfolio's annualized returns outperformance is a solid +2.6% vs. the S&P 500 (8.3% vs. 5.7%) and +1.4% vs. the NASDAQ (8.3% vs. 6.9%) since I started in the year 2000.
Comparatively, 2022 will kick off with a bang (i.e. some of these stocks will soon join the departed).
And now, let's look at all the stocks I've held going into this year, from worst to best - based solely on 2021's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Credit Suisse X-Links Silver Shares Covered Call ETN (SLVO)
Bought: Jun @ $6.05
Bought more: Jul, Aug, Dec, Dec
Year-closing price: $5.08 (-16%)
Income, part one.
ProShares UltraPro Russell 2000 (URTY)
Bought: May @ $110.83
Bought more: Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $101.12 (-9%)
If some Russell 2000 is good, three times the Russell 2000 must be better (though mostly it is not, and it is not).
Visa (V)
Year-opening price: $218.73
Year-closing price: $216.71 (-1%)
Increased competition vs. rivals PayPal and Square.
Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD)
Bought: Mar @ $22.32
Bought more: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, Dec
Year-closing price: $22.19 (-1%)
Income, part two.
Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYLB)
Year-opening price: $40.07
Bought more: Jan, Jan, Mar, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $39.84 (-1%)
Income, part three.
iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY)
Year-opening price: $41.26
Bought more: Jan, Jan, Mar, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $41.19 (-0%)
Income, part four.
Global X U.S. Preferred ETF (PFFD)
Year-opening price: $25.80
Bought more: Jan, Jan, Mar, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $25.76 (-0%)
Income, part five.
Credit Suisse X-Links Gold Shares Covered Call ETN (GLDI)
Bought: Dec @ $8.29
Bought more: Dec
Year-closing price: $8.46 (+2%)
Income, part six.
Amazon (AMZN)
Year-opening price: $3256.93
Year-closing price: $3334.34 (+2%)
Ignored in 2021; should roar back in 2022. Inexplicably, has remaining upside of 45% and 74% vs. market caps of peers MSFT and AAPL.
Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD)
Bought: Mar @ $23.78
Bought more: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, Dec
Year-closing price: $24.41 (+3%)
Income, part seven.
Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF (XYLD)
Bought: Mar @ $47.84
Bought more: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, Dec
Year-closing price: $50.51 (+6%)
Income, part eight.
Invesco NASDAQ Next Gen 100 ETF (QQQJ)
Year-opening price: $30.87
Year-closing price: $33.57 (+9%)
It's what one might wish the Russell 2000 to be, instead of the perpetual underperformer that it is.
Credit Suisse X-Links Crude Oil Shares Covered Call ETNs (USOI)
Bought: Dec @ $4.71
Bought more: Dec
Year-closing price: $5.19 (+10%)
Income, part nine.
Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM)
Year-opening price: $128.97
Bought more: Jan, Jan, Mar, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $163.55 (+27%)
Just like QQQ, but with a lower expense ratio.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
Year-opening price: $272.70
Year-closing price: $359.30 (+32%)
A company without peers.
ProShares UltraPro S&P 500 (UPRO)
Bought: May @ $106.75
Bought more: Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $152.56 (+43%)
If some S&P 500 is good, three times the S&P 500 must be better.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Year-opening price: $350.68
Year-closing price: $502.14 (+43%)
Monster revenues, cash flows, dividend. Expanded Medicare a (fading) concern.
Costco Wholesale (COST)
Year-opening price: $376.78
Year-closing price: $567.70 (+51%)
The finest brick-and-mortar retailer in the world.
Microsoft (MSFT)
Year-opening price: $222.42
Bought more: Jan
Year-closing price: $336.32 (+51%)
The Satya Nadella winning streak continues. The best proxy for dual trends of work-from-home and software eating the world.
ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ)
Bought: May @ $103.24
Bought more: Jun, Jul, Aug
Year-closing price: $166.33 (+61%)
If some NASDAQ 100 is good, three times the NASDAQ 100 must be better.
Alphabet (GOOGL)
Year-opening price: $1752.64
Year-closing price: $2897.04 (+65%)
Finally, its year to lead big tech.
