Stock Market

[Caustic Burno]

What I am in hasn't took a hit so I am staying the saddle.

 

[HDRider]

It's been a couple of months since this thread was active. Markets made some new highs last week but end of week worried me. I'm wondering if anyone has changed their thinking or expectations?

I think when this thread was initially started the market was looking for a spot to lay down and rest but found some decent money to harvest over the next couple of months so it slogged back and made those new highs. End of last week some of the best growth stocks were murdered and I think some money arrived late to the party and just found a new owner.

I think we're going to see that 10% correction now. I don't believe it will be deep or long lasting. Still plan to let it ride.

I am less sure than I was.

Do you follow the VIX?

From the WSJ -
After a making a brief appearance, fear has left the building.

The CBOE Volatility Index, known as the market's fear gauge, fell to 2 1/2-month lows on Friday, readings that strategists say that could coincide with a continued steady grind higher in stocks.

The so-called VIX, which measures prices traders are willing to pay for options portfolio insurance, earlier dropping as much as 5.8% to 12.60, breaking under 13 for the first time since late January. The VIX was recently down 0.8% at 13.27.

The VIX -— well below its long-term average near 20 — perked up in in late January and held stubbornly above 14 in March, even as tensions between Russia and the West subsided.
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/04/ ... e-january/

See the VIX
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EVIX

 

[TexasBred]

There is still a big drop coming. Get ready !!! Gov't is still keeping it artificially high....I just watched William Devane doing a Rosland Capital commercial. He's still saying buy gold. :cowboy: I'm bustin' my piggy bank as we speak.

 

[HDRider]

There is still a big drop coming. Get ready !!! Gov't is still keeping it artificially high....I just watched William Devane doing a Rosland Capital commercial. He's still saying buy gold. :cowboy: I'm bustin' my piggy bank as we speak.

I am always suspicious when they say fear has left the market. Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

[Dega Moo]

How about this high frequency trading 'scandal'? Anyone got their their coveralls pulled up their crack on that one? Do you think it's insider trading? Will it put a damper on market activity or no impact?

 

[TexasBred]

How about this high frequency trading 'scandal'? Anyone got their their coveralls pulled up their crack on that one? Do you think it's insider trading? Will it put a damper on market activity or no impact?

Moves to fast for me. I understand the concept....figure a penny or a half penny on millions,if not billions of shares over a period of time it would add up in a hurry. I've about decided people in the higher levels of finance are capable of about anything and probably are already working on the next scheme to have ready when needed.

 

[Caustic Burno]

How about this high frequency trading 'scandal'? Anyone got their their coveralls pulled up their crack on that one? Do you think it's insider trading? Will it put a damper on market activity or no impact?

Moves to fast for me. I understand the concept....figure a penny or a half penny on millions,if not billions of shares over a period of time it would add up in a hurry. I've about decided people in the higher levels of finance are capable of about anything and probably are already working on the next scheme to have ready when needed.

I understand the principle but someone still has to input the data so the computer to computer system can make the trade.
Must be one heII of an algorithm to make it work.

 

[Dega Moo]

Yet again been a few months since this thread was active and dang if this market doesn't have the buoyancy of a styrofoam boat. Just got my 401K results for 2nd qtr and it looks good seeing positive numbers! Still I remain puckered up especially given the crazies in Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Gaza. That stuff appears to have stirred the 'VIX' at least a bit.

Anyone changed their own thinking since last go round?

BTW Caustic: That high frequency trading was entirely driven by computers on high speed networks watching slower speed systems where much or most of the typical trading was carried. The fast systems, knowing a purchase was about to be made, bought the targeted stock at a slightly lower price and then provided it to the trade that was on its way. The whole topic seems to have died down but sure seems a rigged game to me.

 

[John SD]

I just got 2nd quarter 2014 statements for a Roth IRA and a regular account in mutual fund I have. Here are the 2014 results in values per share:

December 31, 2013 = $17.07
March 31, 2014 = $17.52
June 30, 2014 = $18.24

Not kicking about those numbers. I've put another $1K into the regular account so far in 2014. $100 is the minium contribution which is what I usually do.

Here's some number crunching from the mutual fund web site. http://mp63fund.com/companies/company.html

 

[WalnutCrest]

How about this high frequency trading 'scandal'? Anyone got their their coveralls pulled up their crack on that one? Do you think it's insider trading? Will it put a damper on market activity or no impact?

Moves to fast for me. I understand the concept....figure a penny or a half penny on millions,if not billions of shares over a period of time it would add up in a hurry. I've about decided people in the higher levels of finance are capable of about anything and probably are already working on the next scheme to have ready when needed.

I understand the principle but someone still has to input the data so the computer to computer system can make the trade.
Must be one heII of an algorithm to make it work.

Multiple algorithms. Some firms try to reverse engineer other firms models so they can do things to try to trick the other models into making bad trades. It's sorta those guys version of walking past your buddy on the way to math class, whisper in his ear his girlfriend is fat only to then walk up to the prettiest girl and kiss her. Nobody knows what happened (really) ... just you and him, and he's pissed but can't do much about it.

Those guys find ways to apply the physics of fluid dynamics and rocket propulsion, the mathematics of flocking birds, and mass psychology to politically-motivated economic reports to make money. They aren't like you or me.

 

[TexasBred]

Will it happen??

In 2014, we face the imminent danger of a cyber-economic market crash that could wipe out $8 trillion or more of American wealth with a keystroke. It will make 1987's Black Monday look like a picnic.

 

[Ryder]

There is still a big drop coming. Get ready !!! Gov't is still keeping it artificially high....I just watched William Devane doing a Rosland Capital commercial. He's still saying buy gold. :cowboy: I'm bustin' my piggy bank as we speak.

+1

 

[Caustic Burno]

There is still a big drop coming. Get ready !!! Gov't is still keeping it artificially high....I just watched William Devane doing a Rosland Capital commercial. He's still saying buy gold. :cowboy: I'm bustin' my piggy bank as we speak.

+1

You do know gold gains no value.
If gold cost a 100 dollars an ounce twenty years ago and a 1000 today.
The value of the 100 dollars and the 1000 have the same buying power over time.
It is a hedge against inflation that is all.

 

[hurleyjd]

I started investing in LLPs and REITs about five years ago did not do very well for a while but stayed with it. My thoughts were there was a lot of money coming out of CDs with pretty good rates. On renewal the banks were paying hardly anything. I thought eventually folks will discover the place I was investing for the dividend rates. Well to make a long story short I bought a REIT for 2.00 that had a .20 dividend. That is a ten percent return. Stuck with it and the LPPs and REITs kept gaining in share price and the dividends were growing. The 2.00 REIT today is trading at $17.00. and the dividend is 1.00 not a great return percent wise I now have 35,000 shares. Both of the REITS and LLPs pay out 90% of the profit in exchange for not having to pay any income tax. Also there was some good stocks that were selling at a good price 5 years ago and really have created some great value if you had invested. It is really tempting to sell the cows and equipment and the land and invest for dividend returns.

 

[Ryder]

If everything else loses real value and if paper money becomes worth less and less and if gold retains its value then gold is a pretty doggone good deal. Gold is real money.

The price of gold cycles up and down. So does every thing else. But everything doesn't cycle up or down and the same time and not at the same rate. Call up a long term chart of gold and you will see what I am talking about. When gold is on an up cycle it can outpace everything else (within reason).
Therefore it's relative value certainly does increase.

One of the problems we have today (and in the future) is, as someone pointed out, paper money today is counterfeit money because it is not backed by anything of value. It has been this way ever since we went off the gold standard and the powers that be discovered what they could do with some paper and the printing press.

Gold is real money.
And that is my say on the matter.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If everything else loses real value and if paper money becomes worth less and less and if gold retains its value then gold is a pretty doggone good deal. Gold is real money.

The price of gold cycles up and down. So does every thing else. But everything doesn't cycle up or down and the same time and not at the same rate. Call up a long term chart of gold and you will see what I am talking about. When gold is on an up cycle it can outpace everything else (within reason).
Therefore it's relative value certainly does increase.

One of the problems we have today (and in the future) is, as someone pointed out, paper money today is counterfeit money because it is not backed by anything of value. It has been this way ever since we went off the gold standard and the powers that be discovered what they could do with some paper and the printing press.

Gold is real money.
And that is my say on the matter.

Actually it is not as, if paper becomes "worthless" gold becomes nothing more than a barter tool no
different a box of 22lr or a settin of eggs. The value becomes even less in economic collapse.
The only value gold has today is no more than any other stock. It is not even a commodity easily exchanged.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I'm not a financial wiz by any stretch, but in my simple mind, land would be as good as gold as a means to hedge inflation and yet more useful. I understand there is an up and down cycle as well. And right now, cattle don't seem like a bad place to be- especially if you bought a little while back. I see calves as dividends which gold doesn't have. But again, I'm fairly simple minded in the land of fiat money so feel free to point out where I missed the bus.

 

[dieselbeef]

the thing is with tangible stuff is its only worth what someone will pay and ya need to part with it to make any money..profit or loss...

new worth is good but ya cant eat it

some of the stk mrkt you get paid more or less for just owning it

 

[hurleyjd]

Any thing you own gold land or whatever has to be converted to dollars to be able to recoup the value of your investment. Ever hear the saying "he is land poor" This applies to any and everything. There was a man in our area that raised chickens during the depression and did very well. I was told by him that he could sell a hen for $2 when a cow was going for $5. The problem back then was the fact about all a cow was good for was milk. There was no electricity and refrigeration was not as readily available as it is now. Any thing you owned has to be easily converted to cash or you may be saddled with it for a while. I know that the stock market has ups and downs but I can get on line and sell what I need to sell. I do not have to hook up a trailer and haul it the sale. Pretty easy everyone should strive to create mail box money. I use Vanguard for all of my investments. I can transfer money from bank to Vanguard and from Vanguard to the bank in a very short time frame by using the computer.

 

[TexasBred]

I'm not a financial wiz by any stretch, but in my simple mind, land would be as good as gold as a means to hedge inflation and yet more useful. I understand there is an up and down cycle as well. And right now, cattle don't seem like a bad place to be- especially if you bought a little while back. I see calves as dividends which gold doesn't have. But again, I'm fairly simple minded in the land of fiat money so feel free to point out where I missed the bus.

Land rich......dirt poor.