Sold Wal-Mart & Home Depot

[Birchtree]

My first purchase of MOS was in 10/01/03 for $6.39. The next purchase was in 3/19/04 at $12.85 and the rest go like this - nah that would be boring. Suffice it to say that I bought more in '04, '05, '06, '07 right up to $34.69. Today I believe it closed out at $82.00. Now I'm waiting on a declaration of a stock split. After this puppy splits I may double down and add to my position. The majority of my buys were in the teens so I have a very nice capital gain that has yet to eat a hole in my pocket. If I get a continuation of upward momentum post split I may peel some off for cash because there are many other wall flowers wanting my attention. Be right and sit tight.

 

[Boxholder]

Boxholder,
That's a pretty good stake you had in WAG. How long did it take you to accumulate those shares?

I don't understand how LOW and HD work. Even when the housing boom was happening, the shares were stagnant. Now that housing is in the gutter, both stocks have collapsed. As a long term investor, I'm considering diving in to either LOW or HD if they ever enter $20-21 land. Personally, I prefer to shop at Lowe's.

Bullit...I first bought WAG in 1991. It split 3 times in the first 5 years or so. Over the years I've added a little and sold a little. My total investment in what I sold today was about $9300, or a profit of about $21000. The stock never did much of anything as long as I had it - made most of the money on the splits. Kept thinking it might eventually do better and split again. Should have sold it about 3 or 4 months ago when it was $45, but you never know when to hold them and when to fold them. Made a lot of money on HD a few months ago. It split 5 times while I had it Bought it in 1991 for about $46, sold for about $32, but I sure had a lot more share than when I started. I think HD split 12 or 13 times since offering, but I believe the last time was in 1999 or so. I'm like you - prefer to shop Lowe's, but this housing mess scared me off of holding HD, and a few others.

 

[Boxholder]

I own a nice block of HD and as long as they keep increasing their dividends I'll continue to hold and may increase my exposure after the first of the year when I can raise soime cash. Anyone own any Mosaic - they should be declaring a split pretty soon.

Birch...don't mention Mosiac to me. I bought about 300 shares last summer at $18.55, kept it about a year til it hit $40 and took a little dip. I sold it like a used car salesman getting rid of a lemon. Figured I was the smartest trader around. Now, a few months later, it's over $80 and you're talking split. I almost bought some more today, but then got to thinking, sell at $40 and buy at $80 - how smart could that be? I will probably regret not buying today. It's not tied to housing, credit, and should keep on ticking in a recession, just sucking in that low dollar. I still lose sleep over that one.

 

[Birchtree]

Boxholder,

I'm glad we are getting to know each other.

Dennis - permabull #1

 

[whitemingo]

Birch,

Can you throw out some of the wallflowers you are considering at this time. Maybe like three or four of your favorites. I have some money in an IRA with Scott that I have not put into stocks.

Thx