{"id":31389,"date":"2015-07-15T09:57:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-15T13:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=31389"},"modified":"2015-07-15T10:02:54","modified_gmt":"2015-07-15T14:02:54","slug":"stockpicking-still-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=31389","title":{"rendered":"Stockpicking still works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thank you\u00a0 Cramer for Receptos. It’s in my list on the right column\u00a0 of Stocks, ETFs and Funds We Like and Own.<\/em> (See below.)<\/p>\n

My friend thanks Value Line for Micron.<\/p>\n

Cramer had a chartist on last night who said Apple could breach $130, and reach $140. It closed last night at $125.61, a little above what I had sold some Apple at. Fortunately I still have a large position. Apple is now my second biggest stock holding, after BRKA. I have bigger positions in in index ETFs and funds, including IVV and VFIAX. Other funds are VBR, VTI and XLV (the healthcare sector ETF).<\/p>\n

Martin Weiss likes Aetna (AET) because of its growing healthcare interests. It is buying Humana. Martin says AET “merits a Weiss Stock Rating of A+ and ranks #10 among the thousands of stocks we review each day.” AET is on sale, meaning it’s come down recently.<\/p>\n

Cybersecurity stocks have fallen out of favor. But will come back next time there’s another big corporate hacking. I like CyberArk (CYBR). But the cybersecurity ETF HACK is a safer way to play this.<\/p>\n

BlackRock (BLK) is the world’s largest asset manager and one of our picks. Today it reported. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $4.96 per share, handily beating analysts’ average estimate of $4.80, according to Thomson Reuters I\/B\/E\/S.<\/p>\n

From Delivering Alpha Conference (which is on CNBC today): Bill Ackman likes — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.<\/p>\n

Greece, Iran and Cuba<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Three deals. They lift uncertainty. They should be positive for the market.<\/p>\n

Greece seems to have a deal, to be bailed out again — the third of recent years. It plugs one hole. There are plenty of other.\u00a0 This deal will make Greek poorer, and in a few years will require yet another bailout, or a Grexit. No one seems to have the stomach to deal with Greece in a Chapter 11-type scenario.<\/p>\n

Iran has a deal.<\/p>\n

In October 1994, President Clinton signed a no-nuke bomb deal with North Korea. A few years later they got a bomb, and now they have a small arsenal.<\/p>\n

Iran will also get a bomb, despite today’s agreement. Pakistan and India have them. So far MAD has worked. MAD stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. No one has used them.<\/p>\n

We won’t get regime change in Iran or Cuba. We’ll get second best — “engagement.” Lifting trade restrictions from Iran and Cuba will help trade and corporate profits and growth.<\/p>\n

I’m optimistic.<\/p>\n

If you get my blog by email, you don’t see the list of stocks we like and own. You need to go to the web site. Click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

However, here’s today’s list (I felt stupid not including the list).<\/p>\n

\"StocksWeLike\"<\/a><\/p>\n

News of Note:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"CalpersROI\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In contrast, the S&P 500 was up 7.4%. They would have made nearly three times as much money if they had invested in a simple S&P500 index fund.<\/p>\n

Go figure.<\/p>\n

As of June 30, 2014, CalPERS managed the largest public pension fund in the United States, with $300.3 billion in assets, according to Wikipedia.<\/p>\n

Reading today:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

+ Does this Deal Prevent Iran from Developing a Nuclear Weapon? by Alan M. Dershowitz. Click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

+ A proposal to help falls short. Sizing Up Hillary Clinton’s Plans to Help the Middle Class? Click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

+ Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal Pits His Faith in Diplomacy Against Skepticism. Click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"HarryNewton\"<\/a>
\nHarry Newton. Note on the list above some new additions, including eBay. Despite its fall, I still own LADR. It’s now a little below its IPO price. It’s yielding a safe 6.04%.<\/p>\n

It’s not a good idea to have huge positions in companies you don’t control — like listed securities. If they ebb (like fall a little), I tend to freak out because the dollar losses look so huge (though the percentages are not) — viz Apple. Live and learn.<\/p>\n