What I Am Buying Today.

[rayray]

Haven't been buying anything, just trims to build up cash position. Due to being busy at work, it takes time.

[EricL]

Sold out of my positions in AAPL, BMY, and CVS.

Added to my positions in AWK, HRL, NXST, and WM.

Started new positions in DRI and FDX.

[ken-do-nim]

I'm holding onto my AAPL and MSFT, though I haven't added to either in a while.

The Technology Select Sector Index, XLK, has a lot of Apple and Microsoft, and neither have done super great in the past year. Here's something interesting:

Past year performance
AAPL: 20.53%
MSFT: -2.57%
XLK: 12.02%
ROM (x2 XLK): 12.69%
TECL (x3 XLK): 7.33%

So interestingly, though the index was up 12% over the past year, the double leveraged version was only slightly higher, and the triple leveraged version was actually significantly lower. So much for my vaunted triple leverage strategy. I'm now incorporating more double leverage in my etfs.

[vbin]

Trimmed cvs, intc, acmr, added google, bought back oxy

[Dividend Watcher]

Once again I am amazed/amused by the power of compounding. I bought DE in 2013 and a little more in 2014. In 2021, I trimmed a little more than my initial investment leaving me with just my returns from dividends and growth. I trimmed a little more today for total sales of 185% of my initial investment and still sitting on a balance over double that of my original investment amount.

[ken-do-nim]

DE went OUT OF ITS MIND from April 2020 to April 2021. I don't know what happened then, but mazel tov for holding through that period.

[ken-do-nim]

For my own portfolio ... I'm starting to gobble MSTY up. I can't help it. I've always been a moth to the flame for high dividend payers, and this is the biggest, largest div payer of all time, and so far it's without price depreciation. My first dividend from it arrives tomorrow.

I started the year at around $7.8k in dividends annually. I'm currently at $14k. I project I will end the year around $25k in annual dividends.

I have to see how MSTY handles itself through a tough market before I really start buying lots & lots of it.

[vbin]

Added google, noc, cpb

[Kerim]

I haven't made a lot of moves lately, but just due to the share price appreciation, my META position was getting to be an uncomfortably large percentage of my portfolio, so I trimmed a bit and put the proceeds into BTI. I know tobacco remains fraught for lots of reasons, and BTI does have some issues, but the dividend is high and seems well covered, and I wanted to keep that income increasing.

[ken-do-nim]

Wednesday is Liberation Day. Nobody knows exactly what Trump will announce, and how it will affect the markets. My best guess is that Wednesday or Thursday, depending upon the timing of the announcement, will witness a level 1 circuit breaker event (7% drop, markets close for 15 minutes). However, I have not gone so far as to short the market. I'm currently 100% invested in gold and will probably remain that way for the remainder of the year and possibly until the 2026 midterms.

[ken-do-nim]

Tariff announcements at 4 pm, so market impact is for tomorrow. Soooo tempted to get into SHORT positions today.

[ken-do-nim]

I didn't end up shorting the market for today. But I will watch Rome burn, I guess. The only stock that I have left are options for my company. The earliest expire next in 2029, which I fear may be too soon given that:

1929-1932 crash: 25 year recovery
1973-1975 crash: 20 year recovery
2000-2003 Nasdaq crash: 15 year recovery
2007-2009 crash: 5 year recovery

Sadly, today's situation seems most comparable to 1930, given the direct comparisons between the tariffs of today and the tariffs of the 1930s. I hope everyone remaining on this forum manages to ride out the rough years ahead.