Ok,
I decided to put a proper effort in swing trading/swing investing early this year. I had to make a proper adjustment of getting rid of the daytrader mentality and making a promise to play small for a year to establish a proper system & record that could be analyzed and evaluated. I've had an OptionsXpress account for 3 years which was active at some times, inactive in others, with random trades from speculative OTM option picks to long term "investments" aka dead positions that went nowhere.
It's a small account, on purpose. Only 2:1 leverage for stocks above $5. No leverage on options. Up close to 50% YTD but I have no illussions, it's much easier with less capital.
Some of my basic rules & criteria, still under improvisation
1) no capital infusions or withdrawals, until Feb 1 2007
2) no more than 10% loss
3) aim for at least 15% net profit, really for 20-50%
4) look for stocks cheap in valuation
5) stock in hot sectors that may be overlooked
6) some technical support like consolidation in an uptrend, strong support level or reversal signal
7) fundamentals, I look for real fundamentals since I noticed that fundamentals always move the stock better than any technicals. I try to exit based on fundamentals unless the stock goes overbought/oversold. This may have caused me to get out of RMKR way too soon but I just feel better if I see smth REAL in the stock. I love dividends also.
So I sold SGG today at $8.80 from $6.00 for a very nice gain. I was fully loaded before this so I now am considering one or a combiation of the following:
1. DRL long, courtesy of Option Trader
2. Buying more TGB which I bought into at 3.25, wait for a minor pullback
3. Waiting for NXG pullback after that slight Cramer pump. This would require longer as I would expect for it to retrace to $4, so I would need to sit on the cash. Was long this from $2.18, half position sold at $3.88. Their latest earnings makes me think this company is going double digits.
4. Buy more PWI, courtesy of $CostAverageMan$. Have a little bit from $29.90. Love that dividend.
5. Buy some API. Not too interested in the semis but looks cheap and has aerospace/defense exposure
Besides these, Im watching HRB and TBSI. Also maybe GOOG leap puts if it comes close to 450 area.
My other positions are AIRT, JVA, PCC. Neither is moving too much in my favor or against but I think AIRT is finally gonna do smth. If not, Im still deciding how to deal with positions that wont move.
Let's hear some ideas.
I decided to put a proper effort in swing trading/swing investing early this year. I had to make a proper adjustment of getting rid of the daytrader mentality and making a promise to play small for a year to establish a proper system & record that could be analyzed and evaluated. I've had an OptionsXpress account for 3 years which was active at some times, inactive in others, with random trades from speculative OTM option picks to long term "investments" aka dead positions that went nowhere.
It's a small account, on purpose. Only 2:1 leverage for stocks above $5. No leverage on options. Up close to 50% YTD but I have no illussions, it's much easier with less capital.
Some of my basic rules & criteria, still under improvisation
1) no capital infusions or withdrawals, until Feb 1 2007
2) no more than 10% loss
3) aim for at least 15% net profit, really for 20-50%
4) look for stocks cheap in valuation
5) stock in hot sectors that may be overlooked
6) some technical support like consolidation in an uptrend, strong support level or reversal signal
7) fundamentals, I look for real fundamentals since I noticed that fundamentals always move the stock better than any technicals. I try to exit based on fundamentals unless the stock goes overbought/oversold. This may have caused me to get out of RMKR way too soon but I just feel better if I see smth REAL in the stock. I love dividends also.
So I sold SGG today at $8.80 from $6.00 for a very nice gain. I was fully loaded before this so I now am considering one or a combiation of the following:
1. DRL long, courtesy of Option Trader
2. Buying more TGB which I bought into at 3.25, wait for a minor pullback
3. Waiting for NXG pullback after that slight Cramer pump. This would require longer as I would expect for it to retrace to $4, so I would need to sit on the cash. Was long this from $2.18, half position sold at $3.88. Their latest earnings makes me think this company is going double digits.
4. Buy more PWI, courtesy of $CostAverageMan$. Have a little bit from $29.90. Love that dividend.
5. Buy some API. Not too interested in the semis but looks cheap and has aerospace/defense exposure
Besides these, Im watching HRB and TBSI. Also maybe GOOG leap puts if it comes close to 450 area.
My other positions are AIRT, JVA, PCC. Neither is moving too much in my favor or against but I think AIRT is finally gonna do smth. If not, Im still deciding how to deal with positions that wont move.
Let's hear some ideas.
