Life today is volatile.
The stock market is cratering. Covid is in full attack mode. And gypsy moth caterpillars are devouring our trees.
This is the tree they denuded of leaves. This is them climbing in search of more food. This is them eating what’s left of our leaves. Listen carefully, you can hear them chomping away.
Isn’t nature wonderful?
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The caterpillars are relentless. I sprayed the trees with this.
But they can give birth faster than I can spray.
I took my long office scissors and cut their heads off.
They don’t like being decapitated. I got a few hundred heads. I now understand the French Revolution. Chopping heads is fun. Susan says I’m disgusting.
Not as disgusting as today’s stock market, however.
This is NOT my portfolio. This is my Watch List of stocks I watch – for no other reason — than I thought one day they would be “cheap” and buyable.
Not today. Everyone of them is down today. I guess we shouldn’t fight the Fed when it’s getting seriously aggressive about raising rates and putting us into a recession.
Shorting is the name of the game today. I’m actually short four stocks: C, CVX, JPM, and NVDA. They’re all making me gobs of money. I wish.
When you buy long, you think about the beauty of the company and its growing, profitable business.
When you think of shorting… I have no idea what you think. How awful the companies are? All four I shorted are not awful. They’re fine companies in an un-fine market.
Notice the first column next to their name is their P/E. I had this fantasy that I’d find a low P/E stock that magically would turn up.
Not yet.
I do own two stocks, my last two – GNRC and ENB.
I like them. But, as I write this blog GNRC is down nearly 11% on the day. That’s crazyland. They’re throwing the baby, the water and the bathtub out.
This feels like capitulation.
Which means that soon, it will be OK to buy.
But what’s “soon” is anyone’s guess. Maybe it was even today?
Meantime, I feel sorry for the anchors on CNBC who have to smile.
To end. Here’s some real pleasure.
My four grandchildren last weekend sitting in front of some trees that still have leaves. From left, Zoe, Eleanor, Peter and Sophie.
They’re our future. One of them will be a future president. They’ve all got great brains. It will be interesting.
See you tomorrow, or so. — Harry Newton
2.1 and 1 AMP.
