The Year 2010

I have been interested on equities ever since I was an undergrad, but it was only until 5 months ago that I have started actual trading.   Before, I was only into speculative trading (during the time of Pan Xenia's Stock Wars and up to my daily stock-trading simulations at work while I was in Japan).  Now that I have invested real money, I try to study technical analysis and monitor the market, gathering tips/rumors from other fellow traders online to help manage my trades. 

Below is the 1 year chart for the PSE index: (credit: ATR Kim Eng)

As can be seen on the graph, 2010 in general has been on the uptrend.  The steepest rise was on September to the beginning of November.  My first trade was only on July 20.  I had been in the Philippines since February, but I had just procrastinated opening an account with Citiseconline.  In fact, I had been procrastinating for more than a year now, even while I was having my short Xmas vacations in the Philippines.  The subprime crash of 2008 had already ended, and it could have been a good time to invest on equities at the start of 2009.

Anyway, going back to the PSEi, the index performed a year-to-date gain of 37.62%.  The index is composed mostly by blue chip companies and other sectoral representatives that could best describe total market performance in the Philippines. 

Since I have only started 5 months ago, I should compare my performance to at least the 6 month gain of the PSEi which is at 24.56%.  The goal of an equity trader is to beat the market, meaning to have higher gains compared that to the index or to any other Mutual fund available.  ATR Kim Eng's Equity fund, which I also have since Dec 2007, reports a YTD (2010) gain of 51.75% (wow!) or a 6 month performance of 26.55%, still higher than the index.

Given the above figures, my performance then shows a dismal rate at only 13.24%.  Actual profit gains (cash outs) are at 12.28%.  Despite the relative low performance, I should bear in mind that my investment cost wasn't all the same from the start.  In fact, I had more than doubled the investment at the 3rd month, which was already too late for the bull run; thus, in effect only diluted the figures.  My computation for my equity performance is basically just dividing the current equity value (or cash outs) divided by the total cost of investment, regardless of the time of additional entry.

Anyway, I would still like to stick with the current figures as my YTD performance, to encourage me more to surpass these levels next year.  These first few months in trading serves as a test-run for my trading system, considering that I am also now doing full time in graduate studies.  At least now, I am able to understand and feel the market; hopefully, leading me on to wiser trades on the following months.

As part of my year-end analysis, I shall list down what I had experienced below:
1.) I started as a short term trader, being able to monitor the market daily, as a bum (not working, but waiting until classes start).  As soon as classes have started, and going on from midterms to finals, I was no longer able to religiously monitor the market.  Thus, I have decided to shift from being a short term trader to a mid-term/long term.  Doing short-term trading while not being able to monitor the market daily would only lead me to losses and/or missing out on swings.

2.) I still have problems in cutting my losses, always hoping that stocks would rebound in a while.  Quite easy on a bull run, but bulls aren't always there.  I have experienced this during the market correction last Nov-Dec, losing around 17% from URC and 9% from DGTL.  If only I was able to define my stops (i.e. -8% in 1 month), then I would have managed to reduce my losses.

3.) I am still practicing with Fundamental and Technical Analyses.  Before I enter a stock, I should at least have studied it well.  "Trade with a Plan".

...
Others to follow.

Coward

Today's the last trading day for the year 2010, and I have been looking at PCOR and MER prior to the open.  I regret not looking at PCOR during its early rise since it is not only being sold on the news, but it has solid fundamentals too.

Right now, I am narrowing down my stock options to those who had higher Q3 gains compared that of last year's end.  PCOR's Q3 EPS is currently at 0.57 versus last year's 0.45.  However, at today's prices, its PER is now at 32x relative to current earnings.  Looking at the charts, uptrend may still continue but momentum has weakened.  RSI also shows the stock being traded at the overbought region. This is one of the reasons I have hesitated on buying at the open, despite its rise of around +1.1 (6%).

Personal Recommendation: Buy the dips.

 

As for MER, I have missed yesterday's price action and I've realized I still should have bought at the close.   MER gained a huge green crossing over its upper Bollinger band.  On cases like these, further uptrend is due.  Today, the stock reached a high of 230 which is around 4.5% gain.

The above 2 stocks featured had the same characteristic today.  They started up early.  I'm still not used to trading at the open, for fears that this may just be knee jerk reactions of the market.  PCOR slip may be forgiven, but with MER, I really should have stuck to my trading principles.

Still for MER, Buy the dips.

So I guess I should start pointing out my trading problems so far:
1.) Stop-loss (7-8%?)
2.) Trading at the open (what should be my policy here?)
...

New Year's Trading Resolution for 2011:  No Fear!

A Look on AGI

CLSA (323) bought up at the open and was followed by the other foreign brokers.  Both MACD and DMI generated BUY signals with some support on the volume.  ParabolicSAR shows that the stock is just starting on its uptrend, as confirmed by the change of trend in the DMI chart. 

MEG, one of AGI's subsidiaries had been pointed out to be among those involved in year-end window dressing, so caveat on the rise in prices of related stocks.  Also, AGI has been treading on unchartered territory this year, as it has been consistently gaining new highs.

But so far for me, buy signals with support from foreign investors is good for me.

PD:  I have AGI at a cost of 11.58 and has been holding this stock for less than 2 months already.

MER

I've been used to waking up early just in time to trade (before 9am), even if I have no classes (vacation!) thanks to the daily grind I had on my first trimester in grad school.  Ironically, when I planned to trade on a speculative stock like LND this morning, I wasn't able to wake up on time, missing the dramatic rise from its already high price of 1.16 to its current at 1.33. ( 14.6% rise).  I could have posted an ATO order, however, I would prefer seeing first if the stock would rise at the open.

I have also planned to blog about my readings on LND, however, slow internet prevailed once again (no thanks to SMART Bro 3g).  So this time around, as I have not updated much on this blog, I shall post my "analysis" on MER (Meralco).

I currently have about 30% cash in my portfolio, and I would like to maintain up to 3 core stocks on every trade next year.  So far, my top 3 picks for next year would be: DGTL, AP, and EDC.  These are based on their Price-to-Earnings ratio and also for the long term hold.  DGTL has been the apple of the eye of most fundamentalists, however, market sentiment hasn't catched upon just yet.  EDC is also still undervalued, however its rise is still slow for the common tsupitero.  As for AP, it has been one of the top gainers for 2010, and is posed to gain more though we shouldn't expect it to gain as big as it had before.

So going back to one of my picks for this week, MER is posed to breakout from its 206 immediate resistance, and hopefully beyond 220.

GTC Orders Are Back!

Got this announcement from COL (Citiseconline):

COL ANNOUNCEMENT: CitisecOnline GTC Order Reactivation.
- Please be informed that we will be reactivating the COL GTC Order Entry function by December 13, 2010. GTC orders are limit orders which are valid for seven (7) calendar days. This service will now be fully available for all COL customers again by Monday, thank y...ou very much for all the patience!

This is welcome news for busy traders like me, who no longer have the time to monitor the stock market religiously.  Ever since the start of midterms, I was not able to trade as much as I used to, due to the very tight schedule of exams and case studies.  Thankfully, with this GTC (Good-till-Canceled) option, at least I can post my trades with respect to my target entry and exit points any time during the week. :)

End of November --> Finals Week

The long-awaited market correction has finally come, and I have not been spared. On the beginning weeks of November, I was able to cash in profits coming from AP and ORE after a month's hold, with 33% and 20% gains respectively.

During the first dip of the market correction, AP and ORE have been among the few that didn't get affected.  I thought of selling my ORE to lock-in profits, then shift towards stocks that gained new lows; thus, shifting to DMC.  Turns out, the correction has not yet reached bottom, so for a few weeks, my portfolio went down to as far as -7%.

Though I didn't intend to, I was holding a diversified portfolio of 7 stocks; thus, was able to lessen the risks on the volatility of the market.  My hardest-hit stock is URC, which currently sports a -13% paper loss (even reaching -17%).  I can imagine now that if I would need to maintain lesser stocks in my portfolio, I also need to be critical of my cut loss points.

As of the end of November, my realized cash gains were 7.08% while the standing of my portfolio is at -5.41%.  As of this writing, on the first weekend of December, the market has bounced up, and I hope this would not be what they call a "Dead Cat Bounce".  I am looking for ways on how to reposition myself. 

So far:  (PD)

AGI - hold.  May now as well continue trending up.  Signals have just crossed on the MACD line.  This might be a good Xmas stock, as lots of people will surely flock the casinos in Pasay = good revenues. :D

URC - trading above EMA levels and nearing a MACD cross.  A hold for now, but ready to shift once a good choice would be decided upon.

DGTL - For the nth time, seems like the market is still not interested with the DGTL story.  The telco industry in general shows lackluster performance in the market.  This stock got hit by the correction, now at around 7% loss in my portfolio.  I need to reposition again from this stuck.

ORE - Supposed shipping for December has been reported to be delayed up to next year, thus stock price showed some weakness during these past days.  Although my hold for this stock are actually just residuals from a partial sale before, I really should find a window in taking profits from this.

EDC - Still at 4% paper loss.  MACD shows a resting phase, in which we may see a rise in the future if only there would be favorable news enough to push the stock price back to top.

--

Seems like I will just be holding my stocks up to year end.  My first trimester in grad school is about to end, and I have been busy again.  I hope I would have more fruitful trades next year.

Consolidation

The 2nd week of November proved to be a bloody one as the long awaited correction has finally come.  I held on mostly to my stocks since I was still busy with the midterm exams.  By the weekend, my total portfolio went down to about 5% from last month's equity.  Not bad, I guess since I now have a diversified portfolio, albeit a bit shamefully with 6 stocks hehe.  Most of which was due to some "stuck" situations leading to a hold.  I do hope I could get out quickly, to organize my portfolio to a hold of up to 3 core stocks only.

My biggest losers were EDC and URC with around 10% loss each.  EDC has been reported to be fundamentally good, despite consolidating for 2 months now.  As for URC, no news from it yet, but I think it wouldn't be able to rise back again up for my gain.  I plan to shift it towards a moving stock, perhaps like SCC; thereby, readying myself for a loss. 

Good thing I was able to sell my ORE (although not all of them), before the rundown.  This gave me a chance to buy DMC at a low (but not so low).  On the 2nd day of market decline, I thought it was already a good buy.  Only to realize days after that the correction is not yet finished.  DMC went to a low of -8% last weekend.

Today, market produced green candles, although with low volume.  I guess we're still on a consolidation phase, but at least this may signal a near reversal in the future.  This may be a reaction to Pacquiao's win over Margarito yesterday as local investors have been on a good mood. :)  Or, let's just say a lot have already been buying, thinking it's time to shop for lows.  If on Wednesday, the market would pick up again, then that would be a good signal for the rebound.

From a -5% month-to-date loss last weekend to a -1.5% loss today, I'd say my portfolio is still doing good.

A recap on my most recent trades: 
a.) AP --> AGI  :  I got out of AP thinking of a MACD cross at the top.   Only to find out that AP's reign is not over yet.  In fact, AP has been one of the few stocks still left standing despite the correction.  I think next time, it is still better to wait for the cross, then sell on strength.
b.) ORE --> DMC:  ORE still seems to be a good hold, however with the ongoing correction, I did the right thing of selling on profit and moving to a "cheaper stock".  ORE didn't have a selldown yet, while DMC went down from a near-40 to a 35.
c.) DGTL: I am comfortably positioned on this Telco, especially with a very positive 3Q earnings report.  While TEL and GLO went down, DGTL seems to pick up the pace for the industry.  Definitely a turnaround story.  Unfortunately, I just have a relatively minor hold on this stock.
d.) EDC : It's a bit hard to trade this stock for the long term.  I guess it is not yet ripe for the year.  It usually gets a parabolic rise, then consolidates roughly.  So far, fundamentalists have a good say on this stock (now that it's on its lows), so I'm still holding on for now.
e.) URC : I will just see how far it could gain on the next few days, then will surely transfer to a better moving stock.  Seems like URC has been on its high now at the 40ish range.

PD:
EDC- 23.5%  (5% paper loss)
DMC- 17.4% ( break even)
URC- 16.3% ( 9% paper loss)
AGI-  15.4%   (3% paper loss)
DGTL- 12.7% (2.2% paper gain)
AMC- 9.6%   (1% paper loss)
ORE- 3.7%  ( 19% paper gain)
cash - 2%

1 More Exam To Go...

ORE
Beware for a shooting star has been spotted.  JAP is on the buy at an average of 3.89.  I wonder if my exit should be immediate, or at least would let JAP gain some points before selling earlier than him.  Currently thinking to sell at 3.95 (today's close at 3.81) after today's high at 4.  3.95 got a volume trade of about 5%.

EDC
Waiting for a breakout… really now.

URC
Trading sideways

DGTL
Sun Cellular subscribers surpass 16M.  I knew it that this stock was going to be worth investing prior to the quarterly reports.  Now with TEL down, GLO reporting saturated growth, it's time for DGTL to shine!  Too bad, I was just scared to increase my hold on DGTL. I treated this the same way like AMC.  For the long hold.

AMC
zzzzzzzz

Midterms & October Stats

I'm currently busy with my midterm exams at Grad school.  Hopefully next week, I can be more relaxed. Come to think of it, only 1 month left before the finals!  Time does pass by so fast!  Just a few days ago, I have turned 26!

I am now trading in the mid-long term due to "busyness".  One stock that I have held for a long time (more than 1 month) is EDC.  During September, I was hoping that momentum would shift towards the energy sector, and so I had EDC, FGEN and AP.  I was able to swing trade on FGEN, and I have been very happy with my AP (30+% gain).  The only stock that I regret holding too long was with EDC.  I should've sold during its decline on the MACD.  Up to now, it is still consolidating.  I am not yet sure on when would be its next rise.

DGTL is still trending sideways.  There seems to be a wall at 1.64.  Currently on the lower downtrend of the MACD, I hope it rises soon.  I am hoping 3rd quarter earnings would be favorable; leading to its push.

URC.  Seems like this baby is now awake.  Too bad I wasn't able to increase my holdings @ around 44.  After consolidating for 3 weeks, now it seems to be on its rise.  There is a notable increase in volume. 

ORE.  After unloading my AP, ORE is now top performing stock in my portfolio.  This is a jockeyed + "buy on the news" mining stock, I am a bit anxious on how to exit, but so far still on the uptrend.  Ended today with a small hammer though.

AMC.  My long term stock.  Still waiting for its parabolic rise. Still flat for now :p
 

October Recap:
Okay, so for this month I have doubled my cash investment on stocks from last month.  My actual cash earnings is only at 1.13%, but this is mainly because I have held more onto my stocks for a medium hold.  In fact, I have just sold my AP with 33% gain a few days ago, but that would already be included into the November stats.  Factoring in a bigger portfolio, my equity equivalence gain registered at 6.78%

Now with a bigger portfolio, I tend to buy more stocks which should not be the case.  I should try to maintain at least 4 stocks only. 

I have also tested some trading tactics.  Long green candles does not ensure a good buy.  Always check for volume.

A long incoherent post for today.  Just had my 2nd exam for the midterms.  2 more to come.  At least I get to rest a bit. :)

Left Behind

My original plan of selling CMT and shifting it to SCC (or DGTL) was a good one.  Unfortunately, today's gap up for SCC (at around 10 pesos higher!) got me left behind.  SCC was consolidating and so I thought it would take a day or two for movement yet.  I guess, prices below EMA should be a good buy sign for SCC from now on.  I am hearing tp's ranging from 200-250, still far way off at the current price.  I still vow to enter, probably on the next wave.

Aside from not being able to ride SCC, my next bet was DGTL and I had my order posted at 1.56.  The fish didn't bite as it only went down to 1.57.  I'll probably wait for Tuesday again to enter.

Unfortunately for my CMT, it even went up high today reaching 2 levels!  Damn, call that an insult hehehe.  Well, it happens.

Tuesday, Oct 26 will be the debut of Cebu Pac's IPO in the stock market.  I hope it does well as I have URC in my portfolio.  My professor isn't attracted with CEB, and advised to go away for the meantime from Gokongwei stocks due to this.  Let's see what happens.

Next week, is another busy one for me!  5 more case studies (will be presenting 2) and our very first exam on a Saturday.  Wish me luck! :)

Cement Stuck

Got into a bull trap with CMT almost a month ago, after buying the stock in response to its long green candle the previous day.  Right now, as the market is consolidating, I have decided to take my loss and hopefully position to a more reliable stock.  I am starting to analyze some financial reports on these companies, and cement stocks like CMT may be as speculative as the mining stocks.  With the bull market today, I would rather place my bets on the usual winners.

Earlier this morning, there was a bomb threat at the PSE building; thus, trading got halted.  I have posted my sale order for CMT at 1.86, then suddenly Asia Sec bought up at the close, from the trading price of 1.81 to 1.88.  I think this had also happened during the past few days as CMT was trading at low volume, but maintained green candles at the close.  Something's cooking in here, but I'd rather stay away from now.  It may be possible that CMT will go high in the coming days, but this may just be because of a jockey.

Meanwhile, my "buy on the news" ORE have reached a max paper gain of 11% on its 3rd day!  Although it has already retracted back at 3.43 at the close.  When I was still monitoring the market this morning, ORE was at the 3.53 level.  It would have stayed that way if only PSE did not resume trading at 1pm hehe. 

Checking on the time sales, looks like JAP has started unloading his ORE.  hmm...  or maybe the weak hands are starting to fall off? ;)  ORE shows a shooting star. :-?

EDC seems to be still in consolidation.  pfffft.

URC seems to be another bull trap for me.  Although at least I got in with the first dip, so so far, not yet too far away from my entry.  Low volume trades put this into a Trade the Range.


Prospects (shift from CMT loss):
SCC - foreigns are still selling (JPMorgan & ATR).  Temporary gains might still be weak.  Trade the Range.
DGTL - I still want to take revenge on this stock. hehehe.  Formed a hangman on today's trade, showing indecisiveness.  It might be up or down for tomorrow.  Macquarie seems to be accumulating.  I am buying on the first dip.

Ole Ore!

Last night, after finishing my part on the case study of Reagan Deficits, I noticed that a friend who works for ORE posted at Market Mirror some pictures of actual mining developments.  If his info is correct, shipments are currently in preparation, which means cash for the company + shareholders.

At the open of today's trade, ORE's prices increased starting from 3.14 up to a high of 3.22.  I nearly chased all the way up, good thing I didn't as prices went back down to 3.16 at around 10am.  3.16 was the first pivot point for this week, and so I considered buying.  The stock played further down to 3.13 and then settled at 3.15.

Judging the charts, it is still on the uptrend and have rested a bit.  I am hoping by tomorrow, it would break out from 3.25 given the significant increase in volume today.  MTM2 indicator also shows a positive.

Gus Cosio has been an advocate of ORE about a month ago, as he relies on the "story".  It is also good to note that FAMI (whom Gus may be affiliated to) has ORE on its list of stocks for its Equity program.

PD:  Oh no! 6 Stocks!
AMC - 9.76% 
AP - 15.68%  
CMT - 11%
EDC - 25.24%
URC- 17.89%
ORE - 18.93%

AP remains to be my cash cow for now.

New Challengers

Prospects:
Missed the ICT train today.  Seems like resting for a bigger push.  Bounced back down after meeting its first resistance.

MPI completes a dark cloud cover plus a MACD sell.  Currently signaling a downtrend.

SCC ended with a shooting star. Let's wait at 152.39.

PD:
Bought URC at 45.25 (buy signal from CSO), buying the dips after a long candle.  1st support from the pivot point was correct, being the lowest trade for the day.  Candlestick forms somewhat like a harami, but still maintaining on the top half of the previous day's long candle.  Buy signal from CSO, was confirmed from a MACD buy and a bullish BOS.  This trade is meant for the short term-medium term only.

AP continuing on its ascent, faced the upper resistance at 26.31. Swing traders would have sold along with doyts.  The stock ended backing down further from the lower resistance @25.23.  Currently closed at 24.8. 

EDC is still having support from foreign buys (doyts and CLSA) although JPMorgan was selling.  Still a bit 50-50 on unloading tomorrow.

CMT on a lull.  I hope I wouldn't face a cut-loss here.  It should hold at 1.8 then hopefully will shoot up breaking out at 2. :P

Can't resist, bought some milk today :)

Composition:  (Oh no, I am now holding 5 stocks.)
AMC - 12% 
AP - 18.4%  
CMT - 13.5%
EDC - 32.7%
URC- 22.7%

Today, I have increased my cash investment for another 25%.  Greedy me.  Well, this is to give way to my long term plans on certain stocks, retaining my cash investments for short term trading.

Money in Milk

1 of my professors in grad school this term loves talking about stocks.  He even usually incorporates stock trading into our lessons (Financial Reporting).  Today, he gave an interesting stock tip which would be shunned upon by short term traders due to its illiquidity.  AMC.

As a finance professor who often consults for companies, analyzing balance sheets and cash flows, it is expected that fundamental analysis is his basis on trading stocks.  He showed to us the company's balance sheet, pointing out recurring profits and ZERO debt.  As he says, a company without debt, never goes bankrupt.  Another good reason to buy this stock is due to accumulation of foreign broker namely,"Doyts".

AMC has a life on its own, whether on a bull or a bear market.  Of course, to take advantage of the bull market, this wouldn't be your top pick.  But, most portfolio managers would include stocks such as this to provide support even during bearish times.

Another stock fundamentalists love is DGTL, although for now, it is still currently on a stalemate due to the buying and selling of the foreign brokers.  He pointed out that he also plans to accumulate slowly on this stock.

Other favorites of his include AT, URC and BPI.

AP, AP and Away!

My "shooting star" call yesterday on AP was a dud.  Shooting stars should have long tails.  Good thing I was able to monitor the market today as AP had a blast raising the roof up to 20.45, to a close of 20.35.  I plan to hold as permissible, probably buying the dips on this stock.  AP outperformed my other "Power bets", EDC and FGEN.  Right now, I should be comfortable to hold on to this stock and hopefully be able to correctly read the candlesticks before pulling out.

SCC: I was able to get off SCC at 157 since i noticed Doyts has been unloading piece by piece on the ticker.  Did a good thing as the stock closed at 154.8 today.  I'll be waiting at 150.95 to reenter.

FGEN: At around 11am, FGEN charts still feeling the resistance at 14.44, and so I decided to sell at 14.12.  Will wait for MACD charts to tell a buy signal before re-entering.

EDC shows a small hammer.  I hope this pushes the stock price up by tomorrow! MACD suggests it is still in consolidation mode.  If ever price increases by tomorrow, it might generate a buy signal.

CMT is the black sheep on my portfolio.  Seems like not much is happening with the cement stocks.

PD:
EDC - 1/3
AP - 1/6
CMT - 1/6
cash 1/3

Window for Selling

Some comments of my portfolio:

CMT is still consolidating.  Wrong move since funds used here came from my sale of MPI which has increased to 4.11 today.  MPI has now a buy signal based on MACD.

AP shows a shooting star, sell asap for a swing.  Currently at 22.15, plan is to submit a sell order at 22.3 (yesterday's trading price with 17% volume) or higher.

EDC, still consolidating.  Plan to sell shares bought at 5.99 (50%) to reduce some load.

It was a good thing I still have some SCC left in my portfolio.  Buy the dips on the first rung of fibonacci. 4 consecutive green candles.  Perhaps tomorrow would be its last run.  Just waiting for a sell signal.

FGEN, slight gap up but with a shooting star.  Still trading sideways.

Looks like tomorrow is a selling spree for me!  :) 

September Ends

Quite a fruitful trading month for me.  For my actual cash gains, I managed to net 7.26% relative to last month's closing equity value of my portfolio.  If I cash out everything on September's end (I am currently holding 5 stocks),  I could increase it to 9.87%.


Recap:
August (5.13% cash earnings; 2.69% End of the month equity value)
- For this month, gains in equity value was lesser than actual cash earnings due to a slump in the market at month's end.  Gains were credited from a long position at ALI (1month) and a momentum trade with MPI (10 days).  Getting out of JGS too early, when it was on an uptrend was a mistake.  I was just too hasty in taking profits after being stuck with the stock for nearly a month. Got a bit lucky with 3rd liners NI and ORE with an attempt in range trading.  Nearly got bitten by an ORE downtrend but was able to escape at break-even.

September (7.26% cash earnings; 9.87% End of the month equity value)
- Significant improvement in trades.  Played shifting with some 7 stocks on the momentum.  Implemented some top slicing on my core stocks such as SCC and EDC.  Swift gains coming from ALI and MPI.

==
DS foresees some major correction on October as the August and September markets have been in overbought conditions.  I have increased my cash positions which would be reflected on this month.  Cautious trades are advised.  Now that I am busy with my graduate studies, I plan to try to implement a buy and hold strategy on fundamentally good stocks, starting with the power sector.

PD:
EDC - 30%
AP- less than 20%
CMT - less than 20%
FGEN - less than 20%
SCC - more than 5%
cash - more than 5% 

(note: CMT is a "cement stock", while SCC is a cross between power and mining)

Pivot Points

I am now trying to make use of pivot points to determine my buy and sell signals.  I also confirm if these signals would act as support or resistances by using Fibonacci Retracements.

For my first try, I felt that MPI would reach a resistance and would eventually go back down.MPI pivot point was at 3.92, but I mistakenly saw Doyts selling MPI on the ticker, making me sell at 3.87.  The stock price actually reached 3.95 before going down to 3.80 at the close.

On the buy side, I waited for the nearest lower pivot point to be my buy signal.  As I left the terminal at around 11am, I was no longer expecting my orders to be hit.  As I have finally arrived back home, I'm surprised that my portfolio is currently brimming with new stocks: AP, CMT and additional shares of EDC. Since I started posting these orders at around 1030am, my entry prices are more or less equivalent to closing prices.

I am still bullish with the power sector as evidenced by my more than half of my stocks: EDC, FGEN and AP.  CMT is a "cement stock" which are currently in play right now.  This time, I wouldn't want to miss the train (assuming it still remains on the green).

So far, my portfolio is still on the green thanks to my hold with EDC and FGEN.  By tomorrow, we shall see if my decision of entering to AP and CMT would actually pay off.up:gucci handbags

PD: (considering 50% increase in cash investment)
EDC - 30%
AP- less than 20%
CMT - less than 20%
FGEN - less than 20%
SCC - more than 5%
cash - more than 5%

Short Term -> Medium Term

I started trading while being a bum and so I had plenty of time playing with the stock market.  Now that graduate studies eat most of my time,  I think it is now time to shift from short term trading to medium term.  My definition for medium term would be at least 1 week to 1 month.up:gucci handbags

Anyway, September has been good to me as I was able to lock in greater profits as compared to my maiden month.  Being bullish in this market, I have increased my stakes hoping to take advantage of higher returns.

For the past 2 weeks, mining stocks were in play but I didn't join in.  Instead, I started investing on Power since these are the fundamentally good yet relatively cheap stocks as based on COL's assessment on each FV.

As of today, my current portfolio is composed of:
EDC - 40%
FGEN - 25%
MPI - 25%
SCC - 10%

SCC went back down to 137  (PD: aep@138.8), and I am thinking if I should buy more.  Though this stock has a huge resistance at 143, and a breakout signal at 145.

MPI just met up with its 1yr resistance at 3.8, but still needs to have a convincing breakout at around 3.9 before it goes to reach the 4.xx level.  I might need to sell if it bounces downwards from resistance; hold if otherwise. Or, since Doyts is heavily buying on MPI,  the time that they sell, would be the time that I should sell too!

FGEN remains to be a laggard, also meeting some resistance at 14.  I think FGEN is just slowly consolidating before it pumps up again.  Currently doing sideways.

Re-Entry

 Citiseconline declares a bull market until next year, even increasing most FVs of companies in the PSE.  This gives additional boost to investor confidence (at least to the local market),up:gucci bags

As I have been liquid these past few days, I am now itching to re-enter the market in bullish mode.  Mining stocks are currently in play right now, unfortunately I have already missed the train.

Despite the market being in a bullish frenzy (overbought conditions are being ignored), I am still trying to be cautious for as to avoid a whiplash.  I wanted to enter PX this morning, however the huge  gap up from 14.4 to 15.26 disabled me to do so.  JGS was also of interest for me, considering the nearing IPO of Cebu Pacific on October.  My cheapskate bids were far off from the opening prices.

Since the stocks on momentum seem to be already high up, I tried searching for relatively "cheap stocks", aiming my guns on VLL and MPI.  News about MPI liquidation by PLDT scared a chunk of shareholders which gave buying opportunity to investors.  My buying indicators already showed a buy at 3.61 after bouncing off near 3.53.  I should have not hesitated on buying since its RSI indicator is no longer in the overbought region.



When I decided to buy at 3.61, the stock eventually rose up fast, making me catch up until I was able to buy at 3.67.  Momentum2 indicators show a cross at the signal line, which makes me a bit comfortable despite buying at a higher price.  "Buy high, sell higher", as they say.

I have sliced off again on my SCC, taking profits on strength.

PD:
25% MPI

25% FGEN
12.5% EDC
12.5% SCC
25% cash

Major Shakeout

The market had experienced a major shakeout today as most stock prices had a gap up during opening then suddenly lowered down in the middle.  It was supposed to be a good time to buy stocks but the bearish people (me included) are already scared to re-enter the market immediately.  Apparently, prices went back up for some strong stocks but was not able to continue breaking the 4k mark on the PSEi.

Perhaps there was a rush to break the 4k mark for the PSEi, and then people decided to take in profits which eventually led to the index's momentary fall.

I still feel strong for my SCC despite being shaken down to 134.  It's good to note that it has taken back its position closing at 139 (at least) for 14% of today's volume trade.   A bit of a warning though for SCC, as it nearly showed a bearish engulfing signal.  MACD also registered lower divergence.  The crossing and positive divergence remains to be good for the stock, so it's a make or break.up:gucci bags

I was able to enter FGEN during the dip as it reached my first signal buy of 12.5, considering the gap up at the opening. In hindsight, re-entering EDC @1.4, even @1.32 could have been better.  It seems I have been to pre-occupired by the shakeout and fear got me.  Anyway, fundamentally, FGEN could be better since it still has a long way to go towards its target price at 19; as compared to EDC's 7.54 (COL).

DOW-J is currently positive (+30) as of this writing.  I honestly don't know what to do now, but for now I guess holding would be a good decision.  I really need to fix my schedule (trading, tutoring and studying).

PD:
50% cash
40% SCC
10% FGEN

SCC, Good to Go, Sir!

With a DOW-J closing at +48 last weekend, PSEi has been on an extended rally and remains bullish until now.  Index gained 70pts today and is already near the 4000 mark.  This can be easily broken by tomorrow as the Philippine stock market is currently enjoying a positive momentum.up:gucci handbags

MEG is a strong winner today, having its stock and 2 warrants included in the top10 gainers.  I saw MEGW2 bottom out at 1.10 this morning, too bad I wasn't ready to enter into new grounds yet.  MEGW1 and MEGW2 closed at 1.3x levels while MEG is strong at 2.3.

I have been busy handling my 2 stocks this morning: SCC and EDC.  EDC had a gap up from 5.26 to 5.31 until its ascent to 5.47.  As soon as I sensed the decline of prices, I was able to sell my shares @5.44 (9:44am) having a favorable 10.26% net profit.  A shakeout occurred making EDC reach 3.35 before going back up again towards the end, closing at 5.5.

I plan to re-enter in EDC allotting 25% @5.34 and 50% @5.27.  Buy during 10am onwards.

I remain bullish with my SCC despite having a shakeout with the price dipping towards 137.  During the shakeout, I was able to buy 60 shares at the first drop at 140, then another 40 shares at 137.  At around 1030am, it went regaining back up to the close at 141.9.

I am hoping for a gap up tomorrow, as the MACD signals a buy for SCC.  Will see if it could breach the 145 mark by tomorrow.  I plan to sell my first 200 shares at around 145, then re-enter at 136, if able.

Let's Play ALI

ALI has been good to me ever since I have started trading, always welcoming me with profits.  ALI has also been quite a tease pushing and pulling the PSE index with its high-low combinations on its closing prices.up:gucci bags

Just recently last week, ALI jumped on the close from 18 to 18.7; too bad my shares got bitten as it was sold at 18.  I now plan my re-entry as I expect it to open at a lower price again, just like what happened last time.

20% is allotted at 17.4
30% on 17.16
50% on 16.8
increase buying below 16.8 with an immediate support at 16.2

Buying on the 16.xx level is good since TP from COL is at 19.75 (as of 9/8/10).

On a High

It was my first day at graduate school today (1st class at 1pm) so I was not able to monitor the market until its close.up:gucci handbags

Last night's DOW-J was green and so I was still expecting a longer run for EDC at 5.28.  Gen. DS declared a buy at 5.2, and so I have decided to take hold of my shares yet, cancelling my exit.  The price did go up higher at 5.37 then eventually went back down closing @ 5.26.  In hindsight, selling at my original target exit was ok, but I need to find a new target entry.  EDC's FV is at 7.54 (as of 9/8) which means the stock is still cheap. 

The market started strongly with SCC having a gap up to 134 (+4) at the opening, reaching 140 before 10am.  This is already a paper gain of 7% for me, even better than the magic of ALI.  My tipster, Gen. DS, sold at 140 and was planning on re-entering at 135.  I guess he was able to enter at 136.  Multiple entries with SCC is great since break-even can be easily achieved at a peso per share cost.  Fluctuations should have been in tenths (0.x), but just like what had happened this morning, it went by the peso.  If DOW-J would show weakness, I'd aim for at least 140, if not, I could wait until 150.  Buy the dips, 20% per decrease of 3.  Currently closed @139.

Since I already need to leave, I just posted a sell order for my ALI @18.  This was supposed to be a "delayed sale" after the intraday jump and so I have set this as my exit target.  Another surprise move at the close; if only I have set my order a bit higher than 18, then I could have been given a bonus for the 18.7 close of ALI.  DBP-Daiwa is again buying bullishly forcing the close at these levels.  Definitely not a fluke.  Let's see how they play.  I'll be waiting for the dips on monday.

Feeling Bullish

As many have expected, I was not able to sell my ALI shares @18 during the opening since it started at a low of 16.5  Holding ALI for the meantime is not a problem for me since I had just bought it about 2 days ago.  Too bad though that I could've had achieved a personal record if only I was able to sell immediately.  But with a red DOW-J from last night, buying up would still be a hard thing to do for investors.up:gucci bags

ALI's performance this day was still impressive.  Starting at 16.50, it slowly came up towards 17.7 before sliding back down to 17.3.  Disregarding the forced buy up yesterday, ALI still proves to be in an upward trend, posting a new low at 16.44.  I am looking at an immediate sale @17.78, but I can still wait further when it reaches the 18 mark.

With 50% cash on my portfolio, I tried following some tips coming from DS by buying SCC shares @129.5.  Technicals show a "bullish engulfing" candlestick, and at the same time the narrowing of bollinger bands has been observed.  Check also the change in MTM2.

Company Disclosure also says that one of their directors bought shares at around 127.  Let's see if we can sell at my TP of 148. :D

As for my EDC, I've checked on my charts hoping I could sell at at least at 5.11. As the price seems to be stable reaching 5.08, I decided to sell a slice at this price and leave the rest at 5.11.  Interestingly, the price was closed at 5.05; however, pre-closing bids was set at 5.10.  This made my 5.08 bid be taken away and was rewarded with a bonus of .02 per share.  Closing period interests me now.  I realize how much sellers of ALI at the close had gained yesterday, when it jumped to 18.  Just wow. 

Note to self:  Sell at the close on a down market.

The Magic of ALI

A few weeks ago, ALI had a "super discount sale" ,  rumored to be due to human error from a broker at ATR.  Stocks were sold @14, 2 Pesos lower from the ongoing price at around 16 per share.  PSE index had a major pulldown that day because of ALI.  Eventually, ALI pulled back up the following day when it was traded at around 15 during the opening (and even rose further upwards).

After trading back at "normal" levels, ALI had been silently moving towards its upward direction.  Thinking that I should move in back to property stocks, I was able to reposition myself with ALI, albeit on a slightly earlier time.

And so I was a bit sad realizing that I still need to practice more on my buy and sell indicators/strategy.  Since I didn't expect ALI to bounce back upwards as it is still on its RSI high, I had just been monitoring my EDC shares hoping to find a good exit.


My dental appointment was scheduled on this day, so I had no choice but to leave my stocks and hope that nothing bad would happen abruptly.  Today was also a tennis day for me and my friend, so I was only able to go home at around 5pm.

Lo and behold!  I got amazed that ALI had been traded at 18 during closing!  This gives me around 7% paper gain in only 1 day!  And since my picking of ALI yesterday was based mainly on my decision, I felt proud of myself.  (But I think it's really just luck! hehe)up:gucci handbags

BUT... one should not count the golden eggs yet, as this is still just a paper gain.  Going back to the Time Sales, I found out that ALI was trading at 16.9 then jumped to 18 at the close.  The trade started with a cross-sale within S.B. Securities, then lots of brokers participated in the killing.  DBP-Daiwa bought solidly while ATR had cross trades in the millions.

This is a very interesting sight for me, since I still have my shares with me.  The big question is, could I be able to sell at the 18.xx price point?  Target: Lock in on profits, sell @18!

Extended Rally

With EDC left on my helm (75% cash), I wasn't able to enjoy today's fanfare for an extended rally.  I think my technical indicators are overextended, that I should decrease my stops to achieve proper exit/entry strategies.

Though I did plan to wait near the close, I believe EDC sale @5.11 is a good price exit.  At around 11am, EDC was already running at 5.07 levels.  I was not yet convinced to sell through since there would be no trading at the US markets due to labor day.  Hopefully, positive momentum is still on our side.up:gucci bags

Since being cash-ready puts me in a position to be a buyer, I have been marking up stocks that could be a possible buy.  For now, most are already in oversold conditions.  I have been eyeing on property stocks lately, and tried to position myself into ALI.  Another proof that my stops have been overextended as my buy order got hit @ 16.78, while the price went down further to 16.3.  If I have followed the ideal stop, I could get it at exactly that price.

I definitely have many more to learn.

Refresh

Lost a week's post because of the deleted database on one of my subdomains (my fault).  Too bad since I was on a blogging spree due to the bountiful market last week, plus I had with me charts coming from COL.

Anyway, now I'm 75% cash ready for this week, hoping not to repeat my earlier mistakes of eagerly getting in the market. 

DOW-J ended favorably last Friday with a +130 on its scales.  It seems that PSE's market would still be on the rise tomorrow.  This would be good for my EDC as it has already surpassed break-even levels.  I should be ready on my exit which has been one of my problems last weekend.up:gucci handbags

EDC Chart via Citiseconline

 I'm looking at an exit @5.2 , but with the positive effect of DOW, I shall wait near the close.

General DS of FM has now issued his last free POW.  Though I have not been to dependent on it, I guess I should take advantage of his tips now while it's free and available. So far, I'm currently looking in the following stocks:

RFM:
-consistent long term uptrend
-still looking for more entry signals.  Might be a sideways to down on the short term.
-buy@1.79
-RSI = 61.6

PNB:
-#2 of DS' POW
-sideways to up trend
-buy below 42
-RSI = 54.7

Buy on the dips on Property Stocks:
MEG - 1.92 ; FLI - 1.17; ALI - 15.9

DMC - Reentry @21.25

Freedom!

What a boo-boo!  I have deleted a subdomain on my web account, and it seems that my Trade On wordpress blog has been linked to its database!  Now I'm back here at blogspot, and good thing there is an undelete function.  Unfortunate to me, this week's posts have been gone to waste!  I hope I would be able to return to it soon.up:gucci bags

Anyway, this week has been good for PSE in general, as most stocks came up on a rise.  This is due to a favorable gain from DOW-J.

As I had been reeling in the beginning for having a reddish portfolio by the end of August,  this Friday, I was able to unload 75% of my hold while the remaining one is on the green.

Next week, I'll be on the lookout for good buys on the market.  I promise to myself that I shouldn't enter unless I'm going to be sure of it.

PD:
On 9/2:
- sold JGS @ 18.78  for a small net profit of 1.62%.  If I have waited just a day longer, 9/3 closed at a high of 19.5 (5.5%!)  I was holding this stock too long, which led me to be eager on releasing it ASAP.

- I nearly sold EDC at break-even, but COL became buggy at my end, disabling me to trade that day.  It turned out to be a good thing as EDC went up high the next day and closed @5.02 giving me some paper profit.


Today:
- sold DMC for a net profit of 4.33%.  It had a breakout closing at 23.2, that could have been 7.1% net.
- sacrifice sale of DGTL @ 1.42 for a loss of 2.46%.

Although I am happy now that I have cash on hand for future buys, at the same time having positive net gain, I still need to learn more on proper exits.  One notable mistake would be my eager trading at the early rounds.  I have sold my shares even before 10am.  I still need to learn on how to be patient, and wait on the prices to become stable.  Being too early cost me the chances of enjoying the breakout.

Market Correction, Rolando Mendoza And the ALI Super Sale

Yesterday's tourist bus hostage taking crisis brought about by former police Sr. Inspector Rolando Mendoza, has put the Philippines into the limelight on World News.  It is on a sad note that the situation ended into a tragedy.up:gucci bags

The market closed 82.74 points lower from last time,  a change of -2.29%.  Market consolidation had been expected this week due to having stocks on already overbought conditions.  Alongside with the recent bad news that had happened in the Philippines, most investors either sold down their shares or just took hold, bringing down most stocks into the red.  Market was down 36 points so far...

The big drop came from an unexpected move from broker ATR Kim Eng.  At around 11:54 pm, just minutes away to closing, ALI was still selling @16.08 when suddenly ATR began unloading @14!  1.4 Million shares of ALI had been sold during the pre-close period, an uneventful 15.25% loss for ALI shareholders.  Since ALI is included in the index, this brought about the remaining 40+ points down on PSEi.

The mystery behind this sale is that ALI is a well-performing stock, why sell at a loss?  Fundamentals are strong for most of the property stocks, it is expected that ALI would regain back to the top.  Lucky then for those who were able to buy at such a bargain.

One major theory on this sale is that it was a boo-boo on ATR's part.  With the new PSE trading system, the trader might have pushed the wrong buttons.  Instead of posting a buy, they posted a sale instead.  A costly mistake if ever it was true.

It's a good thing I have already sold my ALI after holding it for a month.  What worries me a bit is on ATR since I have a Mutual Fund (Equity) account with them.  And so I wonder, what the real story is behind the sale.

EDC Bought on 8/23 @ 4.88

Lots of stocks to pick from today, I didn't even know where to start.  Last night, I was looking into AP, a #2 on DS' pick of the week. AP's prices are currently below its EMA as it had a huge drop last 8/11.  Despite its current down trend, DS says its fundamentals are strong.  I hesitated to buy this morning because of a gap up on the opening prices. 

So I was scouring through the latest update on Tsupitero.com and I've decided to take on a blue chip stock this time.  EDC was on a buy on the dips.  However, at a previous close @4.89, resistance is already near @5.05 (support: 4.8).

At open, prices were playing at the 4.9 region and so I posted my bid @4.88 thinking there would only be a small dip.  I should've realized that the stock was still on the overbought region and it would consolidate soon.  As it turns out, I was too early to buy as the stock went to a low today closing @ 4.71.

chart from pse.com.ph

Note to self:
Never to be in a hurry in buying stocks at the open, especially when I have not studied it well.  I could have bought at a lower rate, probably 4.79 based on the previous drops EDC made (.11 drop last 8/19).  Besides, prices were already too high and away from the EMA.

As of 8/23:
close: 4.71
EMA: 4.71
RSI: 53.27
up:gucci handbags
I hope Tsupitero is right on this stock going to an up trend after this correction.  DS on the other hand is waiting to buy at 4.3.  3% cut loss level is at 4.73... hmmm, most likely I'll be holding this stock for long.

Foreign Investments in the Philippine Stock Market

Common PSE traders usually standby for the results on the US charts (DOW-J) to further anticipate what may happen in the next day's trading.  Just like what happened on 8/12, a drop on the DOW-J resulted to PSEI going down. 

PSEi 3,483.02     -39.70 pts.    (-1.13%)
Value Traded: Php 3.65B

Dow Jones  10,378.83   -265.42 pts. (-2.49%)

Yesterday's result was interesting.  Despite a drop  in the DOW-J, PSEi instead pushed further and is now on its highest level coming back from the 2007 crisis.  (On Aug 10, 2007 , the market closed at 3,525.81 before it came down crashing)

PSEi 3,593.60  +33.21 ( 0.93%)
Value Traded: Php 4.9B
Dow Jones 10,271.21 -144.33 (-1.39%)

The US Market has been lying low these past weeks due to some renewed recession fears.  The gain now in the PSEi is attributed to the influx of foreign investors in our market, shifting their hold to one of the best performing markets in Asia. 

I was among those who sold stocks near the opening due to the fear of the "DOW effect".  Stocks indeed dropped at the opening but eventually pulled back up at around 10am, even closing in the positive.up:gucci handbags

MPI Bought on 8/10 @ 3.03

 

chart from pse.com.ph

On 8/10, the stock opened at 3.06, bought my shares at 3.03, before going down to 2.98.  This was again a buy signal from Tsupitero.com with MPI having a sideways to up trend.  Later on DS of FM had this listed on his top 5 picks for the week.  According to DS, "MPI had a core 1H net income of 1.9B was 2.7X of 2009 income Php 716M attributable to Meralco and Maynilad contribution."

Considering the negative sentiment brought about by the drop in DOW last 8/12, MPI dropped only a bit to 2.91.  The next day was a turnaround as it began its up trend leading to today's high at 3.43.

Since MPI is now on a safe zone for me, I am now eyeing when to exit.  As seen on the RSI chart above, it has now reached 77 indicating overbought conditions.  Likely, it will consolidate soon to a new low.  I plan to sell it ASAP tomorrow while it's high.up:gucci bags

As of 8/19
close: 3.42
EMA: 3.03
RSI: 77.155

Target exit price: 3.45

Update:  on 8/20, with the drop in DOW, I sort of panicked and wanted to sell ASAP before prices go way down.  Sold my shares at the opening @3.37, a cut profit with 11.22%.
Interesting turn of events.  From a low of 3.34, it eventually pulled back up to a high of 3.46.  The whole PSE Index was even on the green.

ALI Bought on 7/20/2010 @ 14.25

 chart from pse.com.ph

ALI has been 1 of the first 2 stocks I have bought ever since I have started real time trading with the PSE.  It has been a very reliable stock for me as property stocks have been constantly on an up trend.  Tsupitero.com recommended a buy on the dips for this. So on the day I started trading, I got a bargain @ 14.25, the lowest price for the day.

Price gained momentum from 7/30-8/6 reaching a high @ 15.82.  During this time, I was already increasing my portfolio with new stock picks and maintained a hold of ALI which is already on the safe zone.  It began consolidating after, reaching a low of 14.8 on 8/13 (another blow from the DOW drop).

This week seems to be a good one as ALI pulls back to a high, closing at 15.6.  Although we should still take note that 95% had been traded at the 15.4x region.  There is still so much space for ALI to go high up, so I might hold a bit for a day or two before I finally sell.up:gucci bags

As of 8/18
close: 15.6
EMA: 15.28
RSI: 60.45

Target exit: 15.6 or higher depending on tomorrow's trade.  :)


UPDATE:
At exactly 1 month, I was able to sell at 15.68 on 8/19; though the stock even rose up to 15.9.  Gain of 10.04%

DGTL Bought on 8/2 @ 1.44

chart from PSE.com.ph

On the end of July, Tsupitero.com recommended DGTL if there would be a breakout, but warned against a breakdown.  Thinking this was a definite buy signal, I posted my order and got my shares @ 1.44 .  I bought too early, thinking that it would eventually pick up.  Eventually, the stock broke down the next day crossing the 1.42 support as low as 1.39.

It tried to find its way up again reaching as high as 1.48, but the huge drop in DOW on 8/12 made it go back to start.  It continues to swing sideways, still in a down trend.  My break even is at 1.46 and I hope it could go up soon.

Despite the dismaying performance so far, fundamental analysts has expressed interest on DGTL for the long term.  This was based on the recent earnings of the company; thus, stock prices have a chance to go up, albeit slowly, in the long term.  DS of Finance Manila even gives it a Target Price of 2.up:gucci handbags

As of 8/17
close:  1.41
EMA: 1.43
RSI: 42.24

JGS Bought on 8/6/2010 @18.28

chart from pse.com.ph

Tsupitero.com suggested a buy if breakout for JGS, having resistance at 17.25.   It was a bull week and I obviously entered late as JGS opened at 18.5 on 8/6.  I bought at 18.28, which was actually the pivot point leading the stock to a low of 18.20.

Citiseconline.com recommended a hold as of 8/11, having reached a high of 18.9.  The huge drop to a low of 17.9 on 8/12 was the result of the negative sentiment brought about by a drop on DOW-J. 

2 trading days after, the chart still shows an uptrend as JGS slowly climbs back to its previous position.  I hope this still continue as my break even is at around 18.50. up:gucci bags

As of 8/16

close: 18.00 

EMA: 17.89

RSI: 60.45

Parallels Desktop

Though I have recently switched to Mac, I still feel the need of having a Windows machine.  Most applications still rely on Windows, that support and upgrades come in too late for Mac users.

I decided to try Parallels Desktop, a virtual machine software that enables the user to run other OS (i.e. Windows) right through Mac.  I've currently installed Windows XP (SP3) into my system, let's see what I can get from here.up:gucci handbags

In a somewhat related note, I have downloaded a .nrg file, which is basically an ISO file under Nero (Windows-based).  To convert .nrg to .iso , I was able to use nrg2iso (freeware).



I tried to install a software which required .NET framework download.  My SMART Bro USB is slow it's a pain for the Virtual machine to download using the internet.

Engineering or Finance?

Yesterday, I got a message via LinkedIn coming from a headhunter in Japan.  He was referring me to an FPGA-related job in the financial industry.  My interest bar went up high.

One of the main reasons why I plan to take MS Finance is to be able to work in the finance industry.  As for my engineering background, I have mostly been involved in digital microelectronics, particularly with microprocessors and FPGA.  HDL (Hardware Design Language) had been my main programming skill set.  I worked in Japan implementing FPGAs for manufacturing research.  And now, FPGAs to be used in the financial industry?  Interesting!up:gucci bags

It turned out that the headhunter's hiring client was Nomura Securities (bought Lehman-Tokyo after the crash) and they plan to deploy a new system.  Btw, the headhunter was not just ordinary peon, in fact he is the director/ co-owner of Springboard Japan (HR consulting company).  Definitely a major deal.

I had a great email correspondence with the director, and so he was also able to setup a phone interview with Nomura within the day.  I knew that the interview could be technical and so I wanted to delay it the next day for me to have more time to prepare.  However, as I have already built rapport with the director, I thought that by being available for interview immediately would also give me plus points from the hiring client (it seems the position needs to be filled asap).  Eventually, I obliged for an interview at 6pm JST.

I got the call from a VP of Nomura, and I think it has also been phone-patched to the American counterpart.  It turned out to be a panel interview for me. The interview could have been easy if only the interviewers were the usual executives and not the techie ones.  Unfortunately for me, someone who have not prepared for the technical interview, the panel knows their stuff and was bombarding me with questions I couldn't answer.  The questions were not that difficult, really, it's just that... I have forgotten the answers!

It has been almost 7 months since I've been out of the industry, with no practice; totally forgetting about everything as I see myself already gearing away from engineering.  Some of the questions were even from our undergraduate research project and that was 3 years ago.  Actually, if only I have fast internet, I could have googled my way through as some questions were trivial.  For non-chemistry related majors, try answering questions related to chem way back high school. That was how I felt.

Anyway, even if my engineering background fits the position, it just proves that I no longer have interest in pursuing a career in Engineering.  Yes, I do still want to work in the finance industry, but definitely on a different field, probably focusing on IT and Finance.  This is not just a career move, it is mainly a move towards something I am passionate about.

At least for now that I assume I wouldn't get the job, there would be no dilemma for me as I will be starting my MS this September.  More time to be in the Philippines, trading on the PSE, and filling in this blog.  :p

Hard Exit

My portfolio is currently full having 4 different kinds of stocks and no more cash available for investment.  I allot 4 slots for my portfolio, but ideally I should hold on to 2 slots while half of my investment is cash.  Being cash ready would mean I can enter any stock that I would want to invest in especially when one goes cheap.up:gucci handbags

One of the major challenges in short term stock trading is knowing when to enter and exit.  Though I've decided to sell my ALI shares, it was unfortunate that with the drop of DOW, prices of shares went down.  Basically I'm currently stuck with all my shares now, waiting for the prices to go up again.

I've been holding ALI for almost a month now, bought it at a good price @14.25 and now it's current support is 15.25.  In hindsight, I should've sold it when it reached its short term resistance @15.8.  Now, it went down to support.

Seems like a major downtime for PSE today, currently 40 pts down as I write this blog.  Could've been a great time to buy.

Noob

As I am a newbie on Stock Trading, I am also still a noob on setting up my own web site.  I plan to blog about my daily activities in the stock market as part of my learning process.  Since I am also taking MS Finance starting this September, I might even blog about interesting facts regarding my classes.  Somewhat like a Project 365 in Finance.
up:gucci bags

Well, for now, I am trying to setup my site having a subdomain (finance.scioncho.com) point to this blog which is actually being hosted by wordpress.com .  As for today's trading day, I'm still holding on to my portfolio containing ALI, DGTL, JGS and MPI.  I'm just waiting for ALI to go back up before I sell it to maximize my gain.

Anyway, that's all for now.  Hopefully you can read this at my subdomain sooner. ( If I am able to figure this thing out) :P

PSE Pre-Open

I just discovered that once you enter your opening bid on the Pre-open stage of the market (9am-930am), you can no longer modify your position until actual trading starts at 930am.up:gucci bags