Weekend Weigh In (5/20/2012)

So, this week sucked.  The markets just kept dropping.  It’s hard seeing everything falling and not doing something.  Perhaps I should be doing something?  I have thought about dumping some but haven’t.  And there were moments this week, when I thought about dumping them all but just turned off the computer instead.  For the most part I like what I have and believe that all will recover in time.  Here’s what I have right now.

Alcoa (AA):  Underwater and still waiting.  Next earning date is beginning of July.  I flip back and forth between selling when it recovers enough for a small profit and sticking with it longer term.  If I stick with it longer term it may recover toward that $15+ level.  I just don’t know if I want to have money tied up in it for that long or even how long that might be.  Let’s see how long it takes just to get back to good.

Aflac (AFL):  Underwater and pissed.  Here’s a perfect example of what not to do.  I bought this just before earnings, it jumped up and I was slow to sell.  Since then I have watched it go from profit to loss this week.  Stupid!!  Need to be better if I am to transition to full time trading someday.

Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ):  Underwater.  There’s talk this week that Meg is going to cut about 25,000 employees.  Looking back I should have passed on this one.  The company just has too much stuff going on.  And it seems that investors are just tired of hearing it all.  I am going to have to wait a couple of quarters for this one to get back to good, I feel.  I bought in that $25 range so it has some swimming to do.

Walgreen Co. (WAG): Underwater.  Walgreen dropped out of what I would call the channel of $32 - $35 range.  Have played this range before a few times and I may have pushed it one too many times.  I am really interested to see how it acts this week.

International Game Technology (IGT): Underwater.  This too I was looking for it to bounce back into that $17 range and it hasn’t done it yet.  So another one that goes on the wait list.

EXCO Resources Inc. (XCO): Underwater.  Still waiting for nat gas prices to go up.  They have been climbing some but I need them to keep climbing.  Still thinking about hanging on to this one and seeing if it might turn into a homerun down the road.

That’s it for this weekend.  I find it is always good to review where I’m at and the good and bad decisions that I have made.

Here’s to a better week than the last one and to keeping an eye on your Everyday Money.

Weekend Weigh In (5/5/12)

Here’s where I am sitting for this weekend.

Aflac (AFL):  Average cost $41.76.  Right now this is a tiny bit to the good.  I got this right before earnings and it ran the next day.  Looking back I should have let it go and took a quick profit.  If it returns this week to above $45 then I will think about let it go.

Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ):  Average cost $25.57.  This one went under water shortly after I got it.  Still think that it will work out down the road, but it is taking longer than I would have wanted.  Was a little early jumping in.  Will sit on it for now.

International Game Technology (IGT):  Average cost $15.49.  I got this just a little while ago (5/1/12) and it went positive right after.  I should have pulled the trigger and took my money but I didn’t.  So now this position is slightly underwater.  I will wait on it and expect to be able to get out of it with an alright profit in a few weeks or less.

EXCO Resources Inc. (XCO):  Average cost $ 9.09.  This is just an ugly position and a perfect example of how not to trade.  I took flyer on natural gas and it slapped me in the face.  I made the mistake of adding to a loser and didn’t have strong mental stops.  This may get back to good someday?  I will hang in there awhile long and see if gas prices can come back some.

Here’s to a moment of reflection and to keeping your eye on your Everyday Money.