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March, 2010: 3 6 26
Disclaimer - IMPORTANT - Read this first!
| Investor's Journal is a diary focused strictly on investments and personal finance issues, primarily from a contrarian and retiree point of view. Follow along with an average guy's failures and successes as he learns, by trial and error, the fine art of value investing. |
3/3/10-Since the last entry, another Classic Value (CV) pick, MEI, purchased on 3/2/09, has been held a year or more. It will be sold at the market price early this afternoon, 3/3/10. It will then be removed from the CV open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 3/2/09 to 3/3/10 per share performance. Through shortly after noon today (central USA time), after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), MEI has been up 311.07% in the past 12(+) months.
My current top-five low price to book value stocks are: ASI; CBR; CSS; MIG; and MIGP.
My favorite among them is American Safety Insurance Holdings, Ltd. (ASI) (recent price $14.16). It meets Benjamin Graham's bargain stock safety and value criteria.
American Safety Insurance Holdings, Ltd. will be added to our nest egg at its market price early this afternoon, 3/3/10.
3/6/10-Following the recent surges in the stock market averages, I took a look at our nest egg today and discovered to my own amazement that, just since the end of 2009, it has gone up about $95,000. It now stands 3% higher than at the end of 2007. If someone had told me at the end of 2008 or in early March of last year that, in only about a year, this could be possible, I would have thought it just a crazy notion. Now, though, I am feeling particularly risk-averse. How long can the markets keep rising when there are so many unstable factors built into the rapid rise in equities? I shall not sell all our securities, but I am going to assure a nice cushion of reserves, in case more bargains will appear in the months ahead. Seldom has Warren Buffett's maxim seemed more apt, to sell when others are buying and, in our own good time, to then later buy when others are selling.
3/26/10-Since the last entry, another Classic Value (CV) pick, DAKT, purchased on 3/12/09, has been held a year or more. It will be sold at the market price early Monday, 3/29/10. It will then be removed from the CV open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 3/12/09 to 3/29/10 per share performance. Through the close of trading today, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), DAKT has been up 26.49% in the past 12(+) months.
Also since the last entry, a 5-Star Stock pick, CRDN, purchased on 7/29/09, met its sell criteria since at least briefly it fell from its previous 5-star status. It was sold on 3/9/10 for a net gain of 30.20%. It has been removed from the 5-Star Stock open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 7/29/09 to 3/9/10 per share performance.
Since the last entry as well, yet another 5-Star Stock pick, NSTC, purchased on 8/31/09, met its sell criteria since at least briefly it fell from its previous 5-star status. It was sold on 3/12/10 for a net gain of 9.39%. It has been removed from the 5-Star Stock open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 8/31/09 to 3/12/10 per share performance.
Finally, since the last entry, a third 5-Star Stock pick, GIFI, purchased on 7/10/09, met its sell criteria too, since at least briefly it fell from its previous 5-star status. It was sold on 3/16/10 for a net gain of 49.75%. It has been removed from the 5-Star Stock open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 7/10/09 to 3/16/10 per share performance.
My current top-five low price to earnings stocks are: ESV; HS; ITI, NE; and SATS.
My favorite among them is HealthSpring, Inc. (HS) (recent price $17.67). It meets Benjamin Graham's bargain stock safety and value criteria.
HealthSpring, Inc. will be added to our nest egg at its market price early Monday, 3/29/10.
Disclaimer and Disclosure Statement
Neither I nor Investor's Journal will be responsible for losses by anyone who obtained ideas from this site.
This diary is intended for personal interest and general information only. You are advised to do your own research (as well as to consult highly compensated professionals) before spending money on anything.
I know of no reason anyone should take my financial musings seriously. At best I am a dedicated amateur providing a bit of investment-related insight and entertainment, at worst an amusing diversion.
My wife, Fran, and I may at times own shares of some of the assets mentioned here. But neither of us receive any benefit from reference to them, unless you count the mutual misery when we get it wrong, or the opportunity to gloat when we get it right.