January 2011 Results

2011 is off to a pretty good start.  As mentioned earlier, this is the 5th straight month where I've improved on my previous year's results.  And this month represented the 6th best month to date for realized gain.  And even though I had a CD mature during the month, I managed to increase my percent invested.  As a result of this aggressive push to invest, I'm in the red for my unrealized positions.

Sales this month:

• ConAgra Foods, Inc - 9% gain for 2 month holding
• EnCana Corporation (USA) - 12% for 4 month holding
• Lockheed Martin Corporation - 10% for 4 month holding

Current holdings and unrealized gains/losses are as follows. Note that I've made significant investments in new stocks this month with 6 new holdings.  As noted above, most of these are temporary losers.  However, five of six of the new holdings were bought at a premium and it's reasonable to expect that there might be follow-up opportunities to double down on these holdings and increase eventual gains. 

• Exelon Corporation - Down 2.5% (-4.5% in Dec, -9.7% in Nov, -9.3% in Oct, -5.4% in Sept, -9.6% in Aug, -7.1 in July and -15.7 in June).
• FirstEnergy Corp. - Up 6.0% (+0.3% in Dec, -4.8% in Nov, -2.7% in Oct, +1.8% in Sept, -3.5% in Aug, -0.4 in July and -6.9 in June).
• TeleCommunications Systems, Inc. - Down 8.0% (+5.0% in Dec, +4.1% in Nov, +21.9% in Oct, -12.1% in Sept, -30.7% in Aug, -26.4 in July and -31.5 in June). 
• National Grid plc (ADR) - Up 3.3% (-0.5% in Dec, -1.4% in Nov, +6.4% in Oct, -4.2% in Sept, -5.5% in Aug, -9.0 in July and -17.4 in June).
• Kellogg Company - Up 2.1% (+3.7% in Dec, Even in Nov, +2.0% in Oct).
• Universal Corporation - Down 2.3%
• Colgate Palmolive Company - Down 1.9%
• Life Partners Holding, Inc - Down 9.9% - Bought on bad news.  Stock continued to drop. 
• Lorillard, Inc - Up 2.3%
• General Mills, Inc - Down 2.6%
• Abbott Laboratories - Down 1.6%

The following dividends were collected:

• National Grid plc (ADR)  - Annual dividend