I was asked to work overtime this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. We had to meet a deadline for a project. Since I was was going to get paid for the time, I decided to put in some hours. I worked a full Saturday (8 hours) and half of Sunday (4 hours). I would have worked the entire Sunday but I had dinner plans for my mother. I took her out to sushi with my family and relatives.
May, 2007:
Worked Overtime On the Weekend
Sold MDR Too Soon
I sold my holdings of MDR a little too soon. I sold the stock yesterday. The stock closed at $59.03, and it shot up after hours. Today, the stock maintained its momentum from last night and closed at $65.59. Today’s closed was $6.56 higher than Monday’s closed or about 11%. I did lose a sizable opportunity and am kicking myself. I don’t know why, of all the stocks in my portfolio, I sold MDR. I should’ve sold all the other stocks, because everything else in my portfolio dropped in price and only MDR jumped. It was terrible timing.
On the bright side, I made a decent profit off MDR, but I wish I had held on to it for one more day. I would have double my profits and bought myself a vacation to Vegas.
Stocks Investing So Far This Year
In the first quarter of 2007, my portfolio took a big hit and I was down about $10,000. I lost a lot of money in tech stocks and SIRI. Then I decided to get rid of tech stocks and invest primarily in oil-related companies. Since then, things have reversed for me. Now, during the second quarter, my portfolio is currently up by $20,000. Talk about volatility. I hope things hold up. I want to post more details about my investments but I’ve been so busy lately. I’ll try to post more when I have time.
Do you get enough rest on weekends?
I live pretty close to work, so sometimes I take a walk. When the weather is nice, walking is a good exercise to start the day. It’s quicker than waiting for the bus. On my way to work, I notice a lot of people walk like zombies. Do people get enough sleep on Sunday nights? I know I don’t and I’m trying hard to change my sleeping schedule. How well do you prepare for the next work week? Do you get enough rest on Sunday nights?
The Warren Buffett Mutual Fund
The Warren Buffett Mutual Fund
May 5, 2007
Everyone knows that Warren Buffett is one of the greatest living investors. The guy’s not known as the “Oracle of Omaha” for nothing. But while shares of his Berkshire Hathaway holding company look relatively cheap in terms of their price multiples, ponying up the entrance fee might be a stretch: Berkshire’s A shares (BRK-A) currently go for $109,000 a pop, while the B shares (BRK-B) will set you back nearly $3,600 apiece.Buffett groupies
The good news is that you can get more affordable access to Buffett and his collection of subsidiaries and equity holdings — a lineup that included ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) at the close of 2006 — for smaller sums. How so? Via mutual funds that hold Berkshire shares in their portfolios.
The good news is that you can get more affordable access to Buffett and his collection of subsidiaries and equity holdings — a lineup that included ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) at the close of 2006 — for smaller sums. How so? Via mutual funds that hold Berkshire shares in their portfolios.
Ariel Focus (ARFFX), for example, recently had 7.6% of its assets plunked down on Berkshire B shares. The fund rounds out its portfolio with the likes of H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) and Citigroup. Oak Value (OAKVX), meanwhile, runs with a Berkshire slug that weighs in at more than 9% of assets and, if you invest via an IRA, has a $1,000 minimum. Buy shares of this puppy, and in addition to Berkshire, you’ll be investing in a portfolio that recently held 3M (NYSE: MMM) and eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), too.
What’s that? Those funds don’t provide quite enough Buffett for you? Not to worry: In Motley Fool Champion Funds, we’ve recommended a fund — my favorite of the Buffett boys — that packs more than 16% of its assets into Berkshire Hathaway. And this fund, too, can be had (via an IRA) for a mere $1,000.
In the interest of protecting value for our members, we tend to keep our newsletter’s recommendations close to the vest. But if you want the inside scoop on this pick and all of our others, no problem. Just click here for a free 30-day guest pass.
Fund your future
In the meantime, add “access” to the list of winning traits that make investing in a world-class portfolio of mutual funds a great way to begin — and continue — your career as an investor. In addition to the likes of Berkshire, funds also open the door to areas of the market that might lie outside your circle of investing competence.
If you’re looking to dial up your exposure to, say, equities plucked from the world’s developing economies, or even industries in your own backyard that you may not fully understand — biotech and nanotech come to mind — terrific funds led by stock pickers who do understand them can be had, provided you know where (and how) to look.
Pricey picks with rookie managers should be avoided, for example, as should most funds that pack tons of assets into narrow areas of the market. Quick and easy diversification is another built-in advantage of well-chosen mutual funds.
Link: http://www.fool.com/investing/mutual-funds/2007/05/05/the-warren-buffett-mutual-fund.aspx
Sunday’s Quote
Between the chance of making an unusually large profit on an unknown company and the assurance of losing only a small amount on an established company, the normal mutual-fund manager, pension-fund manager, or corporate-portfolio manager would jump at the latter. Success is one thing, but it’s more important not to look bad if you fail. – Peter Lynch
Saturday’s Quote
When managers want to get across the facts of a business to you, it can be done within the rules of accounting. Unfortunately, when they want to play games, at least in some industries, it can also be done within the rules of accounting. If you can’t recognize the differences, you shouldn’t be in the equity-picking business. – Warren Buffett
Loading ...