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Strategies & Market Trends : Rande Is . . . HOME -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rande Is who wrote (39848)	10/28/2000 5:07:27 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 57584

I think we're in for a nice tech and telco rally coming up soon. Take your pick and hold on longer term. The selling pressure is behind us IMHO. Whew!

To: Rande Is who wrote (39848)	10/29/2000 1:18:35 AM
From: Paullie	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 57584

Rande and all, Thank you for this past one and a half years of insightful advice on the Rande Is Home thread and through personal messages. I have learned so much from you and the many helpful individuals here at your Home. When I transitioned from mutual funds to stock purchasing, I began by looking for the “big score” and by thinking that penny stocks were investments:) As I watched, read, and learned here on the Home thread, I was able to create a trading style that fit my personality and lifestyle – one in which I was on track for about an 80% gain in the past 12 months. What has changed? In my opinion, this week’s crushing of networking (specifically optical component) stocks is a telling sign that there is no longer any safe growth stock in which to have your money overnight. I lost some of this year’s gains on AMD in the last month. As in the past, I learned from my mistake and re-entered the optical networking sector – diversified into component companies, semiconductor companies – and also data storage companies. From Monday to Wednesday of this week I was not able to check my stocks because I had no internet access (this happens frequently in my line of work.) When I checked my account on Wednesday, I had lost nearly 20%. Now, I know the critic to such an aggressive investment strategy would say that I need to diversify by investing in sectors other than technology – a strategy that I do not feel is necessary if you can always be there to watch the market. However, as stated, I cannot always be there – and the strategy of going cash before I depart is not acceptable either because it would force me to sell on a specific day rather than based upon market conditions. And, yes, I know there are other techniques such as stop loss orders. The bottom line is that although I love analyzing individual companies and the short term market and industry trends, I have come to the realization that I cannot maintain a “safe” portfolio anymore. Market conditions, my job, and my personal goals do not allow me to keep up with the market the way I need to. For my personal feelings on the market, see one of my previous posts: Message 14663512 I feel there are others in my situation who are not sure what they should do. My advice – understand your capabilities and limitations and sit down with your spouse and discuss the risks and benefits. Together you will figure out what the right thing to do is. My strategy for the next couple of years is to step back and look at the forest – or rather clumps of trees: sectors. I have purchased Fidelity Select mutual funds that specialize in the following sectors: Energy, Transportation, Health Care/Pharmaceuticals, BioTechnology, Networking and Infrastructure, and Developing Communications. I have weighted the Networking and Infrastructure sector in my strategy. I will be following this thread much less in the future. Thanks for all your help and assistance. Rande, I hope your family is doing well! I will sign off for now with my two favorite sayings from this thread: “Profit Often” and “Plan your trade and trade your plan.” Paullie