JTH's Account Talk

2011 Personal Performance Report

YTD Stats: Updated 6 May, 41 days Invested, 46 days sidelined. Of days invested 70% positive, 30% negative. Average daily gain .1464%

MTD Stats:
Jan .15% -- Feb 4.71% -- Mar 3.49% -- Apr 3.40%

6 May: I don't mind being a scalper...My first double-tap back to back IFT since the old days of unlimited moves. Something I want folks to understand is when my YTD gains are at these levels, I see no reason to take additonal risk (exposure) in the markets. I was not fully committed to making an exit, but when I saw how weak the good news pop was, I wasn't impressed. I was looking for a 2% intraday peak, when we didn't get it, I felt I should attempt to exit with a 1% gain. The plan in my head was executed exactly as I saw it should go, but I will admit that a .42% gain did not meet my expectations.

5 May: Currently #8 on the tracker with 12.27% YTD. The last time I was number 8 on the tracker was 28 March at 8.51%. Today's market action looked favorable going into the 12pm IFT deadline. The latter half of the day put us back in the red, but the good news is the transports managed to hold onto most of it's gains. For most of the indexes this has been a 4 day decline off a 52 week high. Thus far the pullback has been measured, but gaining momentum, either ways we'll have to see how this plays out. For myself, I have high potential of making a hasty exit if I believe I can lock in gains of over 1%

28 Apr: Entered G-Fund, with a 100% allocation. 12 days in the market, with 9 in the green. I'd call 75% up days a great bull trend to ride. My entry was timed 1 day too early, the very next day after my IFT I lost -1.48% it was a tough pill to swallow, but I stuck it out and it turned out for the better, ending the month over 3%. Oh by the way, that partial 25% S-Fund allocation taken on the prior IFT was a complete and utter waste of time.

15 Apr: Entered S-Fund, this time with a 100% allocation. My previous 25% IFT 4-day entry netted me a whopping .07% so I basically took the same entry level with a higher allocation. I did not get the sub 686 target I wanted (key word wanted.) I was not completely happy with this setup, but sometimes happiness and timing don't go hand in hand together. I took on some additional risk on this last trade, we'll see how it plays out.

11 Apr: Entered S-Fund, this time with a 25% allocation. I've spent some time thinking about how I wanted to play this month out. I'd like to finish the month fully invested, but don't want to be fully invested for the remainder of this month just yet. This was the best compromise given the circumstances I have to work with. There are 3 things, of which any 1 of those can get me fully invested. With 25% in, I can afford to absorb some pain, or partially enjoy a bounce. From there, a good entry with the remaining 75% can play well, if well played.

31 Mar: Ending the month with a 3.49% gain ending the month in the G-Fund. We have a double-top breakout on the leaders, the Transports & the W4500. My entry into stocks was 2 days too early, my exit was (and still is) too early. All in all it was still a very good month and all my goals were met, patience was well rewarded. My expectations for next month are uncertain.

25 Mar: Entered G-Fund. Ended up staying in S-Fund position a bit too long, but adding a little patience worked out. 2.82% over 9 trading days. Needed a mental break, watching the markets as intensely as I do, takes it's toll.

15 Mar: Entered S-Fund. Earth Quake devastates Japan, but watching the news over the weekend I'm optimistic the people of Japan (more so than other peoples) can overcome these tragedies. The ability of the markets to hold ground under these strained Middle Eastern & Japan conditions is nothing short of amazing. As I write this, Futures are down hard, so be it, I can't be right on everything all the time, but I can avoid being wrong for too long. Off the last major wave shown in the chart, if we retrace more than 50% (1258.85) for more than 3 days, I will be forced to consider an exit.

3 March: Entered G-Fund. The night before I had decided to make an exit, only if I thought I could escape with more than 1.37% This would (at a minimum) afford me the opportunity to outperform the G-Fund for the month should I decide to stay out of stocks for the remainder of March. It was a calculated risk that paid off and I'm happy with the outcome, having made .67% more than my lowest expectation. A 5 day investment in the S-Fund yielded a 3.04% gain.

28 Feb: Ended the month with a 4.71% gain, remaining 100% S-Fund. Bonds are tracking with stocks (who will blink first), I'll be looking to make a minimum level before making an exit. My personal belief is the downtrend has already began, only a double-top breakout will change my mind.

24 Feb: Entered S-Fund. I had sat on the sidelines for 13 days, prices pulled back over 3% so I felt like I was jumping in at a slightly discounted price. Just managed to get in a lower price than my last exit.

4 Feb: Entered G-Fund. Started the month out invested 100% S-Fund. After making a 4-day 2.13% gain I headed to the sidelines to rest out the oil-based news and wait for another buying opportunity.

31 Jan EOM: I managed to end the month with a slight profit at .15% not even enough to outpace the G-Fund or inflation :rolleyes: Today's bounce gives me concerns going into February, the bounce was very weak on the transports and weak across the S&P 500 & Wilshire 4500. The good news (if you can call it that) is I managed to meet my goal of starting the month invested...

26 Jan: Entered S-Fund. I didn't really want to enter the markets at this level, but I felt the pullback had already occurred and since the trend is up I felt perhaps we were ready for another breakout. This time I was 2 days early, as the Egypt crisis began to emerge. My first day in the S-fund I gained .41% and on the second day I lost -2.15% :cool:

11 Jan: Entered G with 1.01% At the time I made this decision both C & S had been down 4 of 5 days, and the dollar have been down 5 of 6. I felt the I fund had taken a downturn and I didn't want to get dragged down into the red. Turns out my decision was 1 day too early, although I escaped with a .43% gain that day, I missed out on a 1.15% gain the next day. I ended up sitting in the G-Fund for the next 10 trading days.

1 Jan:
Started out from 2010 with a 1G, 26C, 52S, 21I allocation. I had reservations about this allocation because I felt it was a mistake to split my resources across multiple funds. The reason behind my thinking? How certain can you be about a position if you're so inclined to spread your risk? If you take a position you should have proof this is the best position you can take, and by spreading your risk you're showing you have doubt about the position you're taking.
 
Not happy with todays price action, anyone eles feeling the same vibe?

Yea, it's twitchin'.
Did you see CME jacked the oil futures margin deposit rates?
Still developing I guess, but I would bet that will have some impact tomorrow.
So much cash, so little time to inflate a bubble and run. The bubble boyz are on patrol.

Could it mean that the BirchTrees will take a stand, and long term investing will make a comeback?

I'm fully expecting a major pullback, I hope it comes soon. I just upped my TSP contributions,
and want to buy buy buy on the way down down down.

The end of this year and most of next (before the Mayan calendar expires, and your money is worthless, that is) is going to rock and roll.

Out here in the Northwest it is like somebody turned on the construction spigot. Building everywhere!

Houses that sat and sat are not only selling, all of a sudden they are SOLD, like overnight.

The banks are sniffin for home loans again.
Even if home values just get to net zero by the middle of next year, it will be a boom.

Bam! Let's kick it up a notch!
 
Dunno where your information came from, crws:

But there isn't much in terms of construction starts anywhere, and the hoper for zero change in home values is a bit of a laugher; maybe hope for less than 10% drop this year. But why would one hope for that?

Cheap real estate is good!

That means cheaper living (for those who buy low), and more left to spend on everything else.

Now - - - for those suckers who bought 2000-2007; they'll just have to suck it up some more for the next 15-30 years - or do the short sale/foreclosure thing; popular around here in California.
 
Ok, JTH, if the market retests the S&P 1335 to 1332 area tomorrow and holds, I may make my move because this will complete the pattern and touch the bottom of the bull channel. I will be out of pocket at IFT time and may have to enter the next day. What you think? Strength with weakness.
 
Dunno where your information came from, crws:

But there isn't much in terms of construction starts anywhere, and the hoper for zero change in home values is a bit of a laugher; maybe hope for less than 10% drop this year. But why would one hope for that?

Cheap real estate is good!

That means cheaper living (for those who buy low), and more left to spend on everything else.

Now - - - for those suckers who bought 2000-2007; they'll just have to suck it up some more for the next 15-30 years - or do the short sale/foreclosure thing; popular around here in California.

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=41449

Commercial Y/Y March 2010/2011
2010:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=51898&a=294403

2011:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=53991&a=344241

143 vs. 216

J-M 2010
436
J-M 2011
525

Residential Y/Y March 2010/2011
2010:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=51898&a=294410

2011:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=53991&a=344246

335 vs. 357

J-M 2010
918
J-M 2011
897

http://www.city-data.com/housing/houses-Portland-Oregon.html

Housing prices flattened in Dec.
Look around.... it's gonna pop.
Keep in mind it has been the 3rd wettest April on record in this area.

http://www.kgw.com/news/April-on-track-for-Portlands-3rd-wettest-120825389.html

March 2011 had also earned the distinction of being the fifth-rainiest on record, with 6.49 inches recorded at PDX Airport.

It took until the last day of March for Portland finally reach 60 degrees --
the latest date in recorded weather history for the city to top the 60-degree mark.
 
jp,

You are in a good position to make gains - there are plenty of heavy S funders up ahead that I believe will faulter to the wayside with underperformance allowing those with light S fund allocations to move on up like the Jeffersons. Now is the time to exercise patience and allow the market to make it right. You'll see....

Nevermind that the S fund is still the ytd leader, Nirvana awaits those that follow the Birch, JP. :D

Oh,, did I just pass you up? See ya. :cheesy:
 
Thanks everyone for dropping in, yes I missed out on some gains today, but hey, I've never professed to be perfect. Someone asked why didn't I like the action today? Easy, it was an inside day across most indexes. This means essentially a stalemate with higher lows, but unable to make higher highs. Please note I'm referring to 1 days price action.

Check out this 15 minute 2-day chart. Although we did make a higher high & close, we failed to confirm it with a second candlestick. Maybe it's not a big deal, maybe it is. I still believe the levels identified in my last blog are the most important.
View attachment 11044
 
For those who don't think projections work, I offer you this. In my blog 2011 Projections I identified what I believe to be key levels. I based this on a formula I created to predict price, based on previous price.

Here's the chart, you can see 1330 is identified as resistance:
View attachment 11045


Now here's the current chart and we can see we've put in 3 tops in the 1330 area. Notice the low for this year is 1249, another level on chart above.
View attachment 11046

Is it a fluke, well I will tell you my 2010 projections were almost spot on, December 2010 did bust my high projection, but the two highs prior to December's high were 1227 & 1219. My projections for that year were 1020-1230. The 2010 price range was 1010.91-1262.60. Had I followed my own advice, I would made over 25% Coulda, shoulda, woulda :rolleyes:
 
For those who don't think projections work, I offer you this. ...........

Had I followed my own advice, I would made over 25% Coulda, shoulda, woulda :rolleyes:
Uh oh, is this the beginning of another Premium Service??????
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