Comments on: Avoiding Doomed Sectors http://alephblog.com/2008/09/09/avoiding-doomed-sectors/ Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:05:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Merkelhttp://alephblog.com/2008/09/09/avoiding-doomed-sectors/comment-page-1/#comment-18736 David Merkel Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:57:59 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=901#comment-18736 I double-checked. I try to be conservative when I make statements about performance. I'm up a little less than 1% YTD, and my cash position has averaged 10% over 2008. I've had eight really good years with this strategy, since I started with it 8/31/2000. At some point, I'll do something like put out an Excel file of all of my trades, and if someone is bored enough, they can kick through it. We're planning on taking my value investing and turning into a product for pension plans and high net worth individuals. My methods are meant to be adaptive, and they seem to work that way. I'm intellectually honest enough to know that a great eight year streak could just be happenstance. But, on the bright side, my picks seem to work for the reasons that I would have expected, and 3 out of 4 of my picks over the last eight years have made money. So, yeah, I'm having another good year. I just try to keep doing what I do best -- picking stocks, not overtrading, and focusing on areas that the market is neglecting. My stock portfolio is available at Stockpickr, but not all of the trades. I have mentioned all of my main portfolio moves here at this blog, but I am afraid not in any organized way. I double-checked. I try to be conservative when I make statements about performance. I’m up a little less than 1% YTD, and my cash position has averaged 10% over 2008.

I’ve had eight really good years with this strategy, since I started with it 8/31/2000. At some point, I’ll do something like put out an Excel file of all of my trades, and if someone is bored enough, they can kick through it.

We’re planning on taking my value investing and turning into a product for pension plans and high net worth individuals.

My methods are meant to be adaptive, and they seem to work that way. I’m intellectually honest enough to know that a great eight year streak could just be happenstance. But, on the bright side, my picks seem to work for the reasons that I would have expected, and 3 out of 4 of my picks over the last eight years have made money.

So, yeah, I’m having another good year. I just try to keep doing what I do best — picking stocks, not overtrading, and focusing on areas that the market is neglecting.

My stock portfolio is available at Stockpickr, but not all of the trades. I have mentioned all of my main portfolio moves here at this blog, but I am afraid not in any organized way.

]]> By: guruhttp://alephblog.com/2008/09/09/avoiding-doomed-sectors/comment-page-1/#comment-18730 guru Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:16:42 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=901#comment-18730 Give me a break. "Off a percent or two year-to-date" and a "cash position has risen to around 6%"? It's nearly impossible. Only 13% of stocks have a 10% or greater increase and a mere one out four to do better than break even. You have had to have picked only winners and good ones at that. If so, you're also better than 90% of hedge and mutual funds. Give me a break. “Off a percent or two year-to-date” and a “cash position has risen to around 6%”? It’s nearly impossible. Only 13% of stocks have a 10% or greater increase and a mere one out four to do better than break even. You have had to have picked only winners and good ones at that.

If so, you’re also better than 90% of hedge and mutual funds.

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