The Investment Thread (stocks, bonds, real estate, retirement, just not gold)

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CVS hit an all time high today...110. How does CVS squeeze so much out of its workers?
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BMBiology said:
CVS hit an all time high today...110. How does CVS squeeze so much out of its workers?
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CVS is growing rapidly through acquisitions and has made it clear that they plan on branching out and becoming much larger than a retail pharmacy chain. This has driven their stock price (and profits). Combine this with their effective publicity stunt of giving up tobacco and you have seen the beginning of a new breed of "healthcare" company. Where this will lead us I do not know, and whether or not it is good for their employees in the long term is debatable, but as a for profit company CVS hasn't made any mistakes when it comes to large business moves.

I can only hope that they are squeezing their employees to afford acquisitions and that this suffocating grip will fade as CVS becomes the giant that it is looking to become.
 
Well, sh1t... I still have 25k excess money to invest >_>; Stocks back up again... Hope for another mini crash!
 
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Called it. Got it right on gold. This was posted 2 years ago:

BMBiology said:
Pharmacy saturation is easy to predict. Just look at the number of graduates.

Stock market is much harder to predict. The debt is a concern but it is not as high this year as predicted since the government is getting more revenue.

I am not a gold bug. I think anybody who put all their wealth in gold is going to regret it.

Btw just because you got the pharmacy saturation right doesn't make you any more credible on predicting future events.
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WVUPharm2007 said:
You and everyone else except for the crazy guy that was obsessed with it and Unchained.
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You got a crystal ball too? Just read the thread I quoted from. Plenty of people like this shinny thing called gold.

BTW, Chipotle is up again! Remember to stop by chipotle and get a delicious burrito for lunch!
 
Well, that certainly didn't happen:

lisinopril said:
Correction, my friends. It is coming...Though I can't time the market 100% accurately. I can almost guarantee a market crash will likely happen next year or so. A mini-correction will happen by the end of this year.

I sold most of my stocks (except for two) and locked my gains. The ride was fun while it lasts. I shifted all my porfolio in hard assests (you know what I am talking about ?). Also, I bought lots of Gold and Silver coins back in July. Oh and bought some paddalium too.

Btw, housing will also have a correction too. Way too overvalued in some areas.....

It's getting close, guys....
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pezdispenser said:
Yup. $350k house, paid off. $50k in student loans were paid off in 2011. My monthly expenses are now almost nothing, so there's going to be a few thousand dollars in disposable income every month![/QUOTE

How did you do this? Husband and I will have student loans paid off in 2-3 years. House we just bought so we will tackle that after student loans. Did you do a lot of overtime? Do you have kids too?
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crossurfingers said:
How did you do this? Husband and I will have student loans paid off in 2-3 years. House we just bought so we will tackle that after student loans. Did you do a lot of overtime? Do you have kids too?
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I'll just copy what I replied in a similar thread and add a bit. I only do about $10k-$25k worth of OT per year. I'm single with no kids.

Keep your expenses low each month (that's also why my student loans were low to begin with), and throw the rest at your debts. For me, that was usually $2k-5k/mo and it took me 7 years altogether. But I also invested along the way in my ESPP, stock options and index funds. They turned out to be very profitable, so I sold them as they became eligible for long-term capital gains tax, and used the capital and profits as well as any sign-on bonuses and OT to pay lump sums off my debt.

You need to have very disciplined spending habits, especially for a family, so make a budget, plan out as many spending categories as you can, and stick to it. While you're at it, try to reduce each spending amount if you can.
 
pezdispenser said:
I'll just copy what I replied in a similar thread and add a bit. I only do about $10k-$25k worth of OT per year. I'm single with no kids.

Keep your expenses low each month (that's also why my student loans were low to begin with), and throw the rest at your debts. For me, that was usually $2k-5k/mo and it took me 7 years altogether. But I also invested along the way in my ESPP, stock options and index funds. They turned out to be very profitable, so I sold them as they became eligible for long-term capital gains tax, and used the capital and profits as well as any sign-on bonuses and OT to pay lump sums off my debt.

You need to have very disciplined spending habits, especially for a family, so make a budget, plan out as many spending categories as you can, and stick to it. While you're at it, try to reduce each spending amount if you can.
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Eww why selling a 7%+ expected return investment and lock to one with high expense illiquid 2-3% yearly gain? I'd never do such thing. Keep my mortgage til I die lol.
 
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Momus said:
Eww why selling a 7%+ expected return investment and lock to one with high expense illiquid 2-3% yearly gain? I'd never do such thing. Keep my mortgage til I die lol.
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He'd eventually pay it off anyways, now he just has more cash to throw at that 7%. Yes... mathematically it would be better to keep the mortgage but I really don't think it's that significant. Plus, you could look at the actual house itself as an investment as opposed to just the 2-3% saved on interest.
 
Momus said:
Eww why selling a 7%+ expected return investment and lock to one with high expense illiquid 2-3% yearly gain? I'd never do such thing. Keep my mortgage til I die lol.
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This has been discussed many times already: https://www.google.com/search?sitesearch=bogleheads.org&q=pay+off+mortgage

Let's just say it's a very personal decision and you do what fits your own situation best.

My reasons:
- I don't pay state income tax so my deductions including mortgage interest do not exceed the standard deduction.
- After adjusting for risk, the spread between a 7% investment and my 4% interest rate was not worth it for me.
- I want to live a simple life and take care of my basic needs first like having a house to live in. I'm just not into using leverage, especially from my own home, to maximize investments. Having more money invested in stock, etc doesn't do anything for my basic needs.
- I want the security of a paid off home, in case I get laid off, or we go into another recession/depression, or the stock market crashes. Actually, have you noticed that all of these seem to happen at the same time? How would you handle that?
- If I do change my mind and want my money back, I can get a cash-out refinance or home equity loan. But I don't think I will :)
 
The predictions of the death of the dollar are pretty comical right now, though. The loonie is at $1.30 again after a brief stint of actually being worth more than the dollar. Toronto trip will be cheap this year. Euro is steady at 1.08. Oil is at $50 and dropping with this Iranian deal. Gold going under $1100. Yeah...inflation is killing us. lmfao.
 
Does anyone here think that the materials and energy sector is due for a bounceback. Gold is at 5 year lows, same with coal and iron?

Also what the general consensus about the trading app Robin Hood, i jut requested beta access via android, but I'm still abit suspect.

Market correction coming soon, record # of IPOs priced above similar sized companies, #1 sign of the end of a bull market
 
Besides your company stocks, anybody else bought individual stock? I purchased 10 this year. Mostly strong companies that are going thru a hard time. Planning to sell them at the end of the year or maybe I should hold on to them and collect the dividend.
 
yungnaira said:
Does anyone here think that the materials and energy sector is due for a bounceback. Gold is at 5 year lows, same with coal and iron?

Also what the general consensus about the trading app Robin Hood, i jut requested beta access via android, but I'm still abit suspect.

Market correction coming soon, record # of IPOs priced above similar sized companies, #1 sign of the end of a bull market
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Robin Hood is legit, but I question its long term viability. I think our accounts will end up subsumed in a bigger company in a few years.

And you're calling the end of the bull market? Everyone said the same thing last year. Just keep saying it and one day you'll be right.
 
BMBiology said:
Besides your company stocks, anybody else bought individual stock? I purchased 10 this year. Mostly strong companies that are going thru a hard time. Planning to sell them at the end of the year or maybe I should hold on to them and collect the dividend.
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I hope you hold for at least a year, though.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
The predictions of the death of the dollar are pretty comical right now, though. The loonie is at $1.30 again after a brief stint of actually being worth more than the dollar. Toronto trip will be cheap this year. Euro is steady at 1.08. Oil is at $50 and dropping with this Iranian deal. Gold going under $1100. Yeah...inflation is killing us. lmfao.
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Yes, there is no inflation except for housing, food, automobiles, education, clothing....etc. Think about wage stagnation often?
 
Tesla got downgraded from neutral to sell :( At least I bought in at $140.
 
As far as individual stock I am mainly focused on large capital "growth" stocks. I'v been absolutely killed on my more aggressive crude oil holdings... gonna just hold it longer and cut my losses after any sort of rebound
 
Unchained said:
Yes, there is no inflation except for housing, food, automobiles, education, clothing....etc. Think about wage stagnation often?
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No, no, no, yes, no...

Sure things like milk have gone up, but there is a reason for that. Increased exports to China. IF you look at the numbers released by the government, inflation is very low. Which is actually a bad thing, it should be higher than it is. We are almost deflationary.
 
this bogle head 3-fund portfolio is so boring....had it 4 months and it's been down 1.7%...so with something like that, I take it the benefit is in the long run, year after year?
 
Muse600 said:
this bogle head 3-fund portfolio is so boring....had it 4 months and it's been down 1.7%...so with something like that, I take it the benefit is in the long run, year after year?
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I take it you're pretty young? Yes it's long run. Your time horizon should be 20-30 years. It's boring but it works. 4 months is too short a time frame to draw conclusions. If you look at the charts of the markets in the past 30 years and indexed, did you make or lose?

Indexing with Bogle maximizes tax efficiency, avoids trading individual stocks which have a lot more risk, trading fees, taxes, or actively managed funds with their high fees which after 30 years has a huge cut off your retirement.

Everyone on average is half or a little above or below, not surprising. You're not the only one. In the short term, trading can sometimes outperform but long enough, you can't pick right for 30 years. Would you have the energy even? I think most people have time to monitor only 12-15 stocks, it's a lot of legwork and proven to fall short. To make money by day to day trading, apparently you have to pick the right stocks. And that's the problem, picking the right ones, technically right, but you don't know, you're guessing on the price. I know some people here bet on oil and well....haven't heard a chirp yet from them. And if oil goes up, yours goes up too! Inevitably you pick wrong ones, even Cramer admits it. Add taxes, fees, and stress, it aint worth it, plus it underperforms. Picking index funds, you only need to do one thing, buy and hold till you die. Picking stocks you need to buy at the right price at the right time, and sell at the right price at the right time, 2 actions to execute correctly and not easy to do. When to buy? When to sell? Why didn't I sell? Oh man I want it to go back up and make money. I won't sell at a loss, I will make money off this stock while missing out the gains from all the others...yada yada. And would you want to go through the emotional swings of stock price changes?
With indexing at least, you never lose more than anyone and you'll 95-99% of the time beat everyone else over 30 years.

Some here are millionaires for a reason...

tldr, stick to indexing, so much safer.
 
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^^ Exactly.
Muse600 said:
this bogle head 3-fund portfolio is so boring....had it 4 months and it's been down 1.7%...so with something like that, I take it the benefit is in the long run, year after year?
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Just set it and forget it. Keep on regularly putting money in through boom or bust. Go off and ride your motorbikes or whatever. Come back in 20 years and you'll have millions of dollars in there.
 
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done and done

I'm on it!



(metaphor) just gonna stay aggressive on the gas and hang on for the ride!!
 
Muse600 said:
this bogle head 3-fund portfolio is so boring....had it 4 months and it's been down 1.7%...so with something like that, I take it the benefit is in the long run, year after year?
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Indexing is boring and you have to be in it for the long term.

I have been buying individual stock and so far I am up 12%. It is more fun but it is much more risky as well. I would only recommend it if you have extra money.
 
BMBiology said:
China devalues its currency.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-fall-after-yuan-move-1439278957

Winners: China exporters. U.S domestic companies like Amazon went up slightly

Losers: U.S companies that do business in China. Apple dropped 5%
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Manipulate currency, profit in the global market, then lend our money back to us charging interest. The Average American ignores the fact that cash is flowing out of America and blames the economy on wealth inequality, pushing for higher taxes on big business and a raised minimum wage. This pushes even more American manufacturing, jobs, and money out of the country. It really is an embarrassment.
 
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I have started to sell my stocks. Planning to sell most of them by the end of the year. Of course, I am not touching my 401 k, roth 401 k.
 
Anybody thinking about buying oil stocks?
 
BMBiology said:
Anybody thinking about buying oil stocks?
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I bought a chunk of OIH back at its previous 52 week low in mid-January...it went up and now I'm back to even, so I'm holding. Might be a good buy if you missed the January window. I was planning to hold 3-5 years anyway.
 
confettiflyer said:
I bought a chunk of OIH back at its previous 52 week low in mid-January...it went up and now I'm back to even, so I'm holding. Might be a good buy if you missed the January window. I was planning to hold 3-5 years anyway.
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There has been a dramatic drop in commodities. I think we are at the 2008 price. Unbelievable. Europe is still struggling while China is on the decline. Canada will probably go into a recession this year. Our economy is still barely moving. If we go back into a recession, what tools do we have left? Interest rate is almost at zero.

I have started to sell U.S companies that do a lot business oversea. I don't see where is the demand going to come from. Will probably sell the rest at the end of this year except Amazon. It is better to take some profit than no profit.
 
Unbelievable. Yesterday the Shanghai stock market dropped 6%. Now it is down another 3%
 
:biglove:
Screenshot%202015-08-20%2012.59.38.png


Weeeeeee... :love:
 
Hope it drops to 16,000 dow, so I can drop the remaining $32k I have left :-D
 
I think it is still too early to jump in. I sold some. I still have some strong domestic stocks. Right now half of my asset is in cash.
 
Damn, even my beloved Chipotle is hitting a big hit. Apple is down almost 6%
 
Momus said:
That's good. Waiting until it goes 15,800 the next resistance. Hopeful.
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So you're hopeful that the market goes down further and you lose money so that you have a CHANCE of making money? brilliant
 
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