What a difference a year makes! When I did my portfolio review for 2022, I was down by about a third in just one year, 12% worse performance than the S&P 500 index. Back then, I wrote that I lean toward an improving stock market in the following 12- to 24- months. Here we are … [Read more...] about Year-end 2023 portfolio performance
Complete List of Blog Posts
How can it be a bull market?
As I work on putting together my portfolio’s end-of-year performance review, I thought I’d drop a brief note on the state of the markets today. As of January 24th, the stock market has fully recovered from its 2022-23 drawdown (if we go by the S&P 500 price index). … [Read more...] about How can it be a bull market?
Not much going on
There is not much to do in investing these days. In fact, this whole year, I didn’t have many investing transactions. It has been that kind of year for me. One major reason why I didn’t have many stock buys this year is because I buy when the market is going down, not when it … [Read more...] about Not much going on
On my portfolio concentration
The S&P 500 is a popular index among US investors who prefer hands-off dollar cost averaging way to invest in stocks. It is a market cap weighted index which is perhaps the most suitable form of an index for passive investing. Why? Because it does not require any rebalancing … [Read more...] about On my portfolio concentration
Where is the market headed next?
The S&P 500 index reached its peak in January 2022 and then proceeded to fall through most of the remaining year. By June 2022, it had dropped 20% below its peak and thus officially entered a bear market. From there it went on to further decline, eventually reaching a bottom … [Read more...] about Where is the market headed next?
Why are BREIT investors redeeming shares?
One of my popular posts over the last couple of years was on Blackstone’s non-traded commercial REIT called BREIT. I wrote about it a couple of times here. My last post on it was in August 2020. Back in 2018 when I first wrote about BREIT, it was a new up-and-coming REIT. For … [Read more...] about Why are BREIT investors redeeming shares?
In anticipation of economic recovery
I have been hearing concerns about the state of the economy, inflation trend, looming recession, etc. since the beginning of 2022. Some blog readers have sent me comments on this. I hear this from other individual investors who I regularly interact with. All these macroeconomic … [Read more...] about In anticipation of economic recovery
Year-end 2022 portfolio performance
I am back with my first post of 2023. In case you were wondering, no I didn’t abandon my stock investments on account of a disappointing 2022. If anything, I was buying more shares throughout last year as stocks went downhill. Here’s a recap of how my stocks performed in … [Read more...] about Year-end 2022 portfolio performance
When my stocks go private
Activision Blizzard (ATVI) is getting acquired by Microsoft (MSFT). Activision shareholders will be paid $95 per share in cash if the proposed acquisition is approved by various antitrust bodies worldwide. I am a long-time shareholder of both Activision and Microsoft (13 and 15 … [Read more...] about When my stocks go private
Near-term returns versus long-term
I admit that my stock portfolio is not doing well this year. Nearly all my major holdings are down by double digits. More than half are down by a third or more. Five are down by 50%. My top 25 holdings make up vast majority of my stock portfolio – about 88% of it. Here is the … [Read more...] about Near-term returns versus long-term