Trading Tools

I've recently added a new tool to my trading toolkit that has made my trading life a lot easier and has also made buying opportunities a lot easier to track. I've started using Google Docs spreadsheets along with the Google Finance Function. This allows me to track real time prices and other stock attributes without having to manually transfer to an excel spreadsheet. This is awesome! Also, it makes it much easier to track my holdings across multiple PCs at home and office. But it's not all positive, there are a lot of stock attributes that I must still manually research and place in the spreadsheet, but I'm hopeful that this functionality will expand over time.

Here's a summary of the tools that I use now

• Google Docs / Google Finance - Online tracking spreadsheet with live price, eps and p/e updates.
• Yahoo Finance - Tracking other stock attributes like dividends amounts, ex-div dates, target prices, analyst recommendations. Also general financial news.
• Batstrading - Real time info about outstanding orders and real time trades.
• Nasdaq - For monitoring pre and post marking trades.
• Yahoo Stock Screener - Identifying new stocks for monitoring.
• MSN Stock Screener - Identifying new stocks for monitoring.
• Firstrade - Brokerage services.
• Blogger - This financial blog.

August 2009 Trading

Well, unfortunately, August was my slowest month of trading to date. I realized my least gain to date and was invested less than any past month. But on the positive side, my margins were great. earning 13.2% on the investments that I was able to make.

I sold the following holdings:

• Boeing
• Corus Entertainment (Class B) - Held for 64 days, my longest holding to date.

At the end of the month, I held the following and am less than 15% invested. Gotta get a bigger stake to increase my gains, but not comfortable at the current price levels:

• Lockheed Martin Corp - Even
• Eli Lily and Company - Up 2.9%
• Abbott Labs - Up 3.8%

I received dividends on the following:

• Corus Entertainment (Class B)

Cruel Fate

Last Tuesday, August 18th, the market began the first of eight consecutive days of gains in the Dow. Unfortunately, I was severely underinvested at that time, so I haven't been able to participate much. Also on August 8th, I began a 14 day course of antibiotics, so during this same period I've not been able to participate in some significant revelry with my friends.

I've watched Telecom Systems surge past $9 a share, while I sold it for the last three months in the low $7's. And I've seen a blues band, watching my friends enjoy a few beers while I had water. I saw Boeing surge 8% in one day, peaking (so far) at $10 more than I sold it at earlier this month and I hosted a party, serving everyone but myself Belgium beer, bloody mary's and bourbon. I've also passed up several after work happy hours and watched most of my target stocks top their 2009 highs while I didn't own them.

Wow, talk about missing the boat! The good news is that my antibiotics end next Tuesday, so I look forward to great buying opportunities starting then. We'll see.

Slooooow Month

Well, it looks like August is going to be the first month where I've failed to achieve my income goals. With only 6 training days left, I've only made one sale (although for a nice 14% yield) and my holdings are less than 20% of my available funds.

Given the state of the market, it looks possible that I might be able to sell out of my current holdings and perhaps meet my income mark, but buying opportunities are very rare, so I'm not very well positioned for September either. I'll be very surprised if there is good news to report at the end of the month. :-(

But the good news is that I've exceeded my expected yields in past months, so I'm far ahead of my previous buy and hold strategy. Also, I've been working since late June, so this income is not needed to replace lost salary income.

July 2009 Trading

As mentioned in a previous post, July set a new standard for realized gain! Here are the results!
I sold the following stocks in June. I've been holding stocks longer, but realizing more gain. In all cases, return was greater than 7%, and three sales were over 10%:

• Hillenbrand Inc.
• VF Corp - Second time around for this stock
• Emerson Electric Co
• Waste Management - Also second time holding this
• Home Depot
• Teleflex Inc
• Telecommunications Systems - A third month in a row that I bought and sold TSYS. This time with a 15.3% gain! The best gain yet for any sale.
• ADP - Second time
• Sysco Corp
• Chevron Corp

At the end of July, I'm holding the following:

• Corus Entertainment (Class B) - up 7.5%. First time I've carried a stock over for two months. But the setback related to this is documented in an earlier posting.
• Boeing - Up 9%

I collected July dividends on the following:

• Corus Entertainment (Class B)