{"id":51384,"date":"2020-08-04T16:52:25","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T20:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=51384"},"modified":"2020-08-04T16:52:25","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T20:52:25","slug":"the-dumb-way-i-pick-tech-stocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=51384","title":{"rendered":"The dumb way I pick tech stocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another big gain in tech stocks today.<\/p>\n

My biggest gain today was in Enphase Energy Inc. (ENPH).<\/p>\n

I don’t know why it went up. But it reinforced my central thesis: Solid tech stocks are the place to be.<\/p>\n

And if you own a lot of tech stocks, some are bound to go up — enough to carry your portfolio higher.<\/p>\n

I tend to like logical reasons — like picking stocks based on low P\/Es and fast earnings growth.<\/p>\n

But these days, I tend to eye what the company does and based on my 50-year adventure (background) in technology, if what it does makes sense.<\/p>\n

I tend to like CEOs who make sense. I hear them on BubbleVision (often on Cramer). If they can explain what they do and why people buy their stuff, that’s a good beginning. I look at several years of stock prices. I don’t like charts that look like these:<\/p>\n

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I look at VZ, T and INTC. I buy their products and their services. And I watch them make continuing stupid expensive mistakes — buying the wrong companies, trying to grow in the wrong direction. They don’t seem to be smarter than I am. And that bothers me. So I keep away.<\/p>\n

I ‘m not always right with the stuff I buy. Sometimes I don’t understand it thoroughly. So, I tend to buy small positions and buy more when I feel comfortable.<\/p>\n

I just updated the portfolio.<\/p>\n

Ransomware strikes again<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

GPS company Garmin reportedly paid hackers a multimillion dollar ransom to recover files after a cyberattack that left their services offline for several days last month. The malware used against Garmin has been attributed to Evil Corp, a Russia-based hacker group that was placed on a US sanctions list last year, according to Bleeping Computer.<\/p>\n

Ransomware virus can really mess up your life. I was aghast that it caught a sophisticated tech company like Garmin. I wrote about ransome recently:<\/p>\n

Open a bad email attachment. Bingo all the files on your computer are locked. You can\u2019t get your precious data back unless you pay them \u2014 in untraceable bitcoin.<\/p>\n

If you pay, the honest crooks may send you a key to get your files back. May or may not. There are keys to protecting yourself:<\/p>\n

+ Don\u2019t open attachments from anybody without checking first with the sender. That includes Word Docx and PDFs.<\/p>\n

+ Keep backups of all your files. There are many ways \u2014 from flash drives to the cloud.<\/p>\n

+ Have a complete clone laptop all loaded up and ready to take over the moment ransomware strikes. Not that pricey. Maybe $1,500 at the most.<\/p>\n

+ Load your day-to-day laptop with anti-ransomware software. PCMag recommends Zone Alarm by Check Point. Clickhere.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Totally wonderful<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n