In Search of the Perfect Investment

I can give you ten reasons why the market will keep going up, and ten reasons why it will won’t.

Neither makes more sense than the other.

My friend says the market must go up because there’s no where else to put money — bonds are awful, Europe sucks, and overseas safe havens (e.g. Cyprus) are no longer safe. So, hot and cold money looking for safety and rewards must come here.

But it’s gone up a lot and it’s got to take a breather, because that’s what it always does. Maybe.

Many of my “friends” have been out of the market for their many reasons — usually “The economy is terrible. Profits are ebbing. The market is ridiculous. It can’t last. etc.”

One of them, who’s stayed on the sidelines (and is kicking himself), wrote me this morning:

It’s getting close to market irrational exuberance time again. Too many stocks are going parabolic.

And then there are the doom and gloomers, who thinks it’s a good time to sell depressing newsletters, also called newsletters that depress.

This one is my favorite:

Personally I’m staying long, watching every stock carefully. If any drop back 8% I’m out.

Fr now, I’m enjoying the ride.

Latest tasteless. I shouldn’t make jokes about religion. This one is priceless.

There was a knock on the door this past Saturday morning.

I opened it to find a young, well-dressed man standing there who said:”Hello sir, I’m a Jehovah’s Witness.”

So I said “Come in and sit down.”

I offered him a fresh cup of coffee and a cookie and asked “What would you like to talk about?”

He said, “Beats me….Nobody ever let me in before.”

Harry Newton who believes “buzz” is what the present market is about. You either got buzz (like Apple used to have) or don’t (like Microsoft, Intel and HP don’t have now).  Buzz also comes in small doses, like WEN, HON, STWD, VZ, GOOG and, my largest holding, BRKA.

I’m staying away from stocks I don’t like — e.g. big banks , the gold miners (in fact miners in general)– and stocks I no longer understand, like JCP and BBY.

That’s it for now. Not very intellectual or intelligent. But that’s not what making a few shekels in the market is all about. At present. It’s all emotion, buzz and how everyone feels. I feel good, though I may be overdoing the tennis. My legs need replacing with younger ones.