In Search of the Perfect Investment

My phone is ringing off the hook, “This is our best day ever, Harry.“

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

There’s a monkey wrench.

As the market pops, there’s a flood of hot calls from desperate brokers touting their hot stocks.

They have a sales pitch that is totally persuasive — until you check it out.

“Check it” means going to finance.yahoo or the Wall Street Journal and eyeing stuff like this:

Not impressive. The likelihood of a surprise “pop” in Q2 earnings is slim to none. The stock is down today after earnings last night.

The key is not to be in “iffy” stocks. Stay with the ones you use and like. Stay away from Harry’s List — biotech, big pharma, bricks and mortar retailing, etc.

Which brings me to Amazon, Google (Alphabet) and Microsoft.

I wish today were every day.

Item 1:

* Microsoft, as reported (GAAP)

Item 2.

Apple reports that orders for the iPhone X are “off the charts.” iPhone X orders sold out in a few minutes.

Item 3:

My big fear is I’m too concentrated in big tech. My largest holdings in order from biggest down, are:

Square, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Apple, Google, Alibaba, Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, and Nvidia.

To balance off the heavy tech, I do own a large position in Berkshire Hathaway, several Vanguard index funds and companies like United Health, Central Garden, Honeywell and JPMorgan Chase.

So, I’m concentrated in tech, but also diversified.

This is why Expedia is down 18% today

Everyone and their uncle is encouraging you to book directly with them and save. Expedia can’t fight this trend.

I love the Northrup Inn in Portland, Oregon. I’m staying there this weekend.

Another reason not to love biotech or pharma

Useful

+ Don’t upgrade to a new computer if the present one is working fine. Get more memory and a solid state hard drive. That will save you the agony I’m going through, upgrading to a nice new laptop that sadly sports Windows 10 — not my old,reliable Window 7.

+ Eagle Creek makes great luggage. They have a lifetime warranty. They just repaired my favorite wheelie that has been through the ringer. It’s now like new. Thank you Eagle Creek.

+ Put your name, address and phone number on  anything you take traveling with you. The TSA’s list of stuff-left behind is mind boggling. My favorite is Amtrak. I visited their Lost & Found, and found prosthetic limbs and sets of full mouth false teeth. It takes real effort to leave your teeth behind.

+ You won’t get a new job with your boring resume. You will get a new job if you find your perfect company, detail why you want to work there, and some ideas of things you could do for them. The involves doing the research to find the three companies you want to work for and why. Tell your kids.

+ This gadget takes the TV signal from one TV set and sends it to another TV in the same room or a different room. It saves you renting another cable box. It saves you running unsightly cords. It’s a wonderful gadget. I have four of them. They cost $199 at (guess where) Amazon. Click here.

+ Every disaster is always a blessing in disguise. It just takes time to barrel your way through and find a solution. There always is one. And it’s always better than what you were doing.

+ A friend is offered a board position. He calls his friend and asks, “Should I join the board.”

The reply: “Go on the board if you need something to dress up your obituary.“

What happens when our brain runs out

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her car.

She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs, “I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car – NOW!”

The four men didn’t wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver’s seat.

She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then she realized why.

It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee, and two 12-packs of beer in the front seat.

A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into her own car and drove to the police station to report her mistake.

The Sergeant couldn’t stop laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four young men were reporting a carjacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and toting a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

Harry Newton, who is spending the weekend in Portland, Oregon visiting the children, Anne and Michael, and the above average grandchildren, Eleanor and Peter.