Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts

Friday, January 23, 2015

Recommended Readings For Financial Success

Over the years and from when I first started my journey in the financial world, I have read what seems to be hundreds of finance and trading books. Below is my list of favorites and ones I recommend others to read as well.

Education is Key, with the help of books, experience, patients and dedication anyone can be a successful well rounded investor or trader.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust's

In my search and readings about finance and financial freedom over the years, there is almost always a section where it says you should own property for passive rental income as a part of your portfolio.

This means having enough money to purchase investment property, maintenance, insurance, taxes and always trying to keep that house/property leased. This maybe a headache people just don't want to deal with, although the headache could very well be rewarding in the long run.





Saturday, January 10, 2015

Oil is Dropping - The Energy ETF That Might Be a Great Buy


The price of OIL Has dropped significantly in the past year and has yet to see a bottom, currently hovering around $48/barrel. Some think it will go as low as $30/barrel but time will tell. With OPEC not letting up on production its only a mater of time when they decide to reduce production and prices begin to rise.

Building Positions in ETF's 2015


Starting in 2015 I have started to build positions in ETF's that I am most interested in that offer me the investments and returns that I am seeking. 

Each ETF listed is eligible for commission free at TD Ameritrade. To learn more about commission free ETF investing check this link HERE.

Buy utilizing the commission free trades, I am able to dollar cost average on each position as I am able to put money into each selected ETF. 

Monday, June 24, 2013

My Trade in AAPL and looking at GOOG, TSLA

Whats up Traders, Wanted to give a glimpse of what my trade in AAPL was today. Also I will be looking at GOOG and TSLA.

AAPL - Expand the chart to see my entry and exit on AAPL. Perfect setup and easy money was made on puts today. Of course I was out to early but if you held you made money. Also AAPL broke 400 today with a low of 398.05, which I was expecting a huge move after that but it actually bounced from there. After 4 red days in a row I still feel a short term bounce a head, although we could still see the blood bath continue. 
Take a look at this article, pretty bad on Apple lol. Apple Employess consider jumping ship for Google.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Today was easy money on Google and Apple

What's up Traders, quick post on two setups that were just to easy to make money on.
Today was the day that Apple and Google made its move. More so for apple. Yes the market selling did help but the technical told the story and if you were prepared for it you banked! My call on Apple this past week were spot on! Check out my previous post on it, and if you follow me on Twitter you could get my thoughts on it as it was happening.

Intraday chart on AAPL today and my analysis.


I did trade this I was in the next week 410 puts and sold way to early as always. But if you held and followed the trend you banked! I am still Bearish on Apple and think there is more down side to come, on the other hand there may be a short term bounce as with a big sell off usually does follow with a bounce. I will be making another post this weekend on trade setups and ideas for next week.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Market down tripple digit did you profit or get slaughtered?

Whats up Traders!

  What a day in the markets, dow down 353 points and spx breaking that 1600 level, was a huge sell off day. If you sold into any bounce and or took puts on GOOG, AAPL, NFLX ect. you were banking big. Biggest sell off in 2013, some say its a correction, some say its just a simple pull back. Just trade it!
GOOG - Gapped lower but tested that 900 level again and sold off from there. If you took puts later in the day on the 892 breakdown you banked big as goog closed at 884.
We could see a bounce in GOOG soon, will wait for confirmation. Each pull back on GOOG was bought and worked its way higher. 878.90 Good short term support, could touch it soon and bounce. Will look for puts when I see confirmation of more downside, or Calls when we see it rally back to 900. Intraday trades will be tough, but watch for opening momo after first 15min.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

It’s Been a While….

It’s Been a While….
Whats been going on?
After a few months of down time I will ease my way back into this volatile market. On a good note, in the down time I have had I educated my self in the world options. I will be posting more about options in the future as I have been paper trading different options strategies. I also have been raising some cash that was lost in the hits I was taking in the market.
My plan will to be posting more watch lists, as well as interesting articles dealing with options and how awesome they are at limiting the risk on trades. In addition I will also be posting about the recent books I have read and my opinions on the market we are in.
I look forward to updating the site and tackle this volatile market.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Trade Details Of Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI)

Trade Details Of Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI)
Well a couple days after I got in it finally happened.
It was only a matter of time before this stock would have a pull back and stop its parabolic move. I got into this stock way to late at $8.40/share which I am disappointed with myself for not jumping in when I wanted to at $6/share when it made its first breakout!


The Trade
I went long on ISSI at $8.40 and as it went up so did my stop. As I new the stock was approaching very heavy resistance I had a feeling that this might be the time where it would pull back. In response to this feeling I moved my stop up quit a bit to lock in some profits. Yesterday was the day it sold off over $1/share, I was stopped out at $8.71/share very early on. I made roughly 4% on this trade, which to me a profit is a profit.


5 Day chart where I bought in and where I was stopped out at.

1 Year Chart

Overall

This is a great stock and with a company that looks to be turning around their business model. As the blew away earnings last Qtr this will still be a great company to invest your money in. Since this stock did do a pull back I will look to go long on it in the near future as this stock can obviously run when it wants to. Congrats to those that got in early when I posted my watch list where I first mentioned this stock and made some killer profits.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

SEC Workers Caught Looking At Porn Instead Of Working

SEC Workers Caught Looking At Porn Instead Of Working

One Supervisor Tried To Access 1880 Sites In 17 Days
This is just hilarious and had to share. Goes to show what the SEC does instead of cracking down on all the fraudulent acts on wall street.
washingtontimes - sec-workers investigated for viewing porn at work

businessinsider

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Van K. Tharp’s “Super Trader” Book Review





Van K. Tharp’s “Super Trader” Make Consistent Profits in Good And Bad Markets
Wow, this book was a great read it truly was. It was definitely different from all the rest of the trading/investing books I have read. When I first came across the book, the words “super trader” caught my eye, well cause you know I want to be a super trader.. I picked it up and skimmed threw it and found it to be different from a lot of the trading books. This one focused on 3 topics, topics that I think are the most important and overlooked in the trading world. The topics were, the psychology or mindset of a trader, the trading plan one needs to be successful and position sizing. All of which he covered in great detail. This book was a very very easy read without to much jargon, it really kept you wanting to read more.


The Mindset
Tharp is not only a very good investor but he also has a great wealth of knowledge in the art of NLP(Nero linguistic programming), which goes hand and hand when dealing with the thought process or the psychology of trading. He knows exactly what one goes threw when trading, exactly the thought process, the emotions, stress ect. The part dedicated to psychology was the longest and most in-depth, he really wanted you to figure you who you really are threw various questions he would ask, or exercises he would ask you to do. Now, it did take some getting use to when reading, on the fact most people would pick this book up and immediately expect to read about trading/investing or how-to’s ect. Not this book, this was strictly a book on honing in on the true details and foundation one must have in order to be successful in the markets. This section really was a life lesson on the thought process of an individual and he does tie it into trading psychology which makes it very unique and interesting.


Building a Trading Plan
This has got to be the most over looked and undervalued thing regarding trading. A lot of other traders I have met never really sat down and drawn out a trading plan a guide to how this individual was going to trade and be successful at it. Most just want to get in and make as much money as possible, come to find out they become a statistic in the 90% of traders who lose money. Tharp hammers this into your brain that you must have one in order to be successful. He will also walk you threw and help you build one by asking a series of questions and jogging your mind about who and what kind of trader you are. This in turn will jump start your ability to write out a trading plan and actually following it no matter what!


The importance of position sizing
Out of all the topics I think this one really hit home with me, I truly got the most out of this section. I actually never realized the importance of position sizing and how it can effect your profits. I mean I know about it and i know what position sizing is, but not the way Tharp put it. He really broke it down and it explained it in great detail, aswell as giving you a formula to come up with for deciding your position in the market. ie: number of shares you should buy determined by the amount of risk you are allocating to the trade ect.. Now that does sound easy and I’m sure everyone does it but not like this. I guarantee he will open your eyes when he explains his method and the reasons behind it, it makes complete since.


Overall
If you are looking for a how to book or a book to teach you how to trade or start investing, this book is not it and I would direct you to this one. On the other hand if you have found yourself struggling in the market or need some guidance or just want to gain insight on a different perspective of trading then this book is a must read for all skill types. I strongly encourage everyone to read this book!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Intel (INTC) Reports Great Earnings Does This Add Fuel To The Tech Sector?

Intel (INTC) Reports Great Earnings Does This Add Fuel To The Tech Sector?
Intel beats expectations!
Wow, so the company everyone was waiting to hear from today was Intel! The consensus on the street was Intel was going to make .30/share with boasted revenue. After the anticipated wait after hours, they released the EPS of .40/share with a revenue increase of 28%, which sent the stock higher by 2% in the after hours read the P/R here. This is the chart of INTC, it’s obvious it has been doing good in the economy and as sales and revenue increase, this report just proves how well the company is doing.


Tech sector boom
What does this say for the technology sector? Not only has tech been the leading sector for percentage gains and topping charts across the board but it’s also the most watched next to the financial’s. With Intel being the first to show signs of how the sector is doing, does this set the trend for all other tech? Lets look at the XLK SPDR which is the tech ETF.


As you can see nothing but a strong up trend. I see this trickling down to all other tech companies and making this as a sign to buy into it!

I will be on the hunt for some good tech plays to get into, that will follow the success of Intel. :)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Check Out This Pump And Dump (IMGG)

Check Out This Pump And Dump (IMGG)
Pump and Dumppppp….
Ever wanted to know what a pump and dump looks like? Well look no further with the latest one by Imaging3 Inc. (IMGG).
IMGG chart


Look at that chart….
Just look at this ridiculous chart pattern, it is nothing more than a blatant pump and dump. Let see, starting in September it was trading around 3 pennies then less than 2 months later it hits a high at $1.95, making most if its gains within 2 or 3 days. Take a nice glance at the volume, it was once trading less than a few thousand shares a day, then all of a sudden it’s trading 7million + shares a day hmmmm.  Then, less than 2 months after the high, the stock takes a nice big red dump and now sits around .60cent/share and still falling.


The Cause..
1. Stock promotion.
2. Message board hype.
3. Stock manipulation.


The Promotion
This stock was being promoted by standoutstocks, picksthatmove and the main one StockPreacher just read their disclaimer. As you can see here, StockPreacher released their “Report” on IMGG  November 10th. OK, now look at the chart find around the time of November 10th…..Yea it spiked huge on this stock promoters pump. Read the disclaimer, they spill their guts there! These promoters are usually compensated for these “Reports” in cash or a number of freely trade shares. Which if they receive those shares, of course they are going to pump this thing and then sell into that. Oh it gets better, check this post on IMGG man does it sound good, then have a laugh and reed to comments below the blog post….. Read it here.


The Hype
Message board hype is my favorite. As you read message boards on sites like yahoo, InvestorsHub and TheLion.com, you can see idiots thinking this is a real company making big moves. All the talk and hype is just code for they want to pump the stock and suck in all the suckers to buy it, push the price higher and then sell it short or sell into that hype.


The Manipulation
I mean if you are a smart person you will do your own research and find out how much of a scam this company is. First, just check out the garbage balance sheet here. Then you can look at their SEC filings and see that they are having problems and not making any money at all! Also their “Products” are also garbage and nothing more than a scam!
Look at what they do, they are a “Developer of a breakthrough medical imaging device that produces 3D medical diagnostic images of virtually any part of the human body in real-time”, Big whoop that sounds profitable doesn’t it? haha..
OK, now look at the latest news from IMGG; they are hosting a conference call to update share holders of the FDA submission.
Read the article here which was released yesterday “The purpose of the call is to update Shareholders and other interested parties of the current developments with the company’s 510k FDA submission” which the FDA is asking for more information regarding their submission because of earlier conflicts. This conference call and the anticipation of FDA approval could cause for another spike in the stock, keep your eye out and do some research so you don’t fall into the scam just profit from it. :)

What do you think?

Monday, January 11, 2010

ThinkOrSwim (TOS) Broker Review

ThinkOrSwim (TOS) Broker Review
First Impression


When I was on the hunt for an online discount broker I had really no Idea what to look for. I came across what had seemed like hundreds all with different rates and claims, which was all just a load to get you to dump your money in their account and trade with them. I wanted the best but not pay all the platform fees and other hidden fees and outrageous commissions. I then kept hearing about this broker called “ThinkOrSwim“, to me I was like “wtf is thinkorswim, does not even sound like a broker”. So I checked them out and for about an hour on their website reading about them and what they have to offer I was pretty blown away. One problem, they wanted $3500 minimum to start your account with. For me at the time I did not have that kind of cash sitting around just to put in a trading account. Although I did register on the site and downloaded their trading platform to get a feel for it while paper trading. More on the platform later… I was itching to sign up with ThinkOrSwim for what they offered and so on but I just did not have that exact amount to start with so I decided to e-mail ThinkOrSwim to kindly ask them to make an exception for me :) . In the e-mail I simply told them how much I have heard about them and the reviews they were getting and blah blah blah. I then asked if the minimum to open an account was strict and no exceptions, that I only had $2500 to start with and would I be able to trade and be excepted if you will. To my surprise I got a prompt e-mail back less than 24hrs later stating that they would love to make an exception and allow me to trade with that amount. AWESOME, where do I sign?… The point to all this is how fantastic the customer service is over at ThinkOrSwim I could not be happier.


Commissions


ThinkOrSwim has a pretty decent commission base. They advertise $9.99 a trade or a per share commission with a minimum of $5. Which I will admit the commissions have eaten me alive lately but that’s no one’s fault but my own. **Side note, I have heard a rumors that if you talk to ThinkOrSwim and tell them that their commissions are high and that you are thinking about going somewhere else that they will cut you a deal. From what I have herd they will give you like $4 a trade unlimited shares. Which for a day trader this could be a very nice deal! I have not tried this out, I have heard of several people doing this, the only down fall is that it does not last forever, I think they give you a time period at which you can get that commission for like a few months or even a year. The point is ThinkOrSwim will work with you :) .


Trading Platform
ThinkOrSwim Platform


I think their trading platform is phenomenal. They update it all the time, constantly giving you more and more features to use. Please go and download it and try it out for yourself here.
They do offer a web style trading where you can trade threw an internet browser, which it looks and feels just like the platform.
The charting on the platform is just incredible, any feature or indicator is offered and they are always coming up with new things to add.
The only down fall to the whole platform is there Level2 quote system, which in my opinion is garbage compared to a lot of other brokers level2 systems. On the other hand the rest of the platform makes up for it. Hopefully they will upgrade that system soon.


Short List
ThinkOrSwim is widely known for their great list of Easy to borrow stocks and having plenty of shares to go around. Although some have noticed ever since TD ameritrade took over that list has gone down some and is not as good, which I think is not true. In order to get those shares to short, you must open up a live chat with one of TOS representatives and ask if there are shares, if there are you can tell them how many you want and they can place to order for you or you can just reserve them until you would like to use them. Now on the platform when you enter a ticker symbol in, on the top right hand corner will be a spot where it will say “ETB” or “HTB” which will say whether shares are available to borrow. **Side note, even if it does say “HTB” i still make an attempt and ask anyways which i have been lucky a few times and gotten shares to short.


Overall
I could spend hours detailing every feature that ThinkOrSwim offers but I won’t since you can download it and try it out for yourself :) .
This is the broker I use and highly recommend for any level trader. Also if when you do register and fund your account they will send you a ThinkOrSwim monkey in the mail, no not a real one but a cool stuffed animal.

ThinkOrSwim Monkey

Thursday, January 7, 2010

ATLAS PIPELNE HLDING (AHD) Failed Breakout

ATLAS PIPELNE HLDING (AHD) Failed Breakout

So, I was watching this stock pretty closely today ATLAS PIPELNE HLDING (AHD) because it was on the verge or breaking out from it’s previous high at $7.00. As you can see from the chart when it was gaining on a breakout point of $4.50ish the first time it broke and shoot way up. I was expecting it to do the same here at $7.00, but from not a very strong market it was having trouble holding on to that point mid day. I bought in at $7.41 with a bad fill i was aiming for around $7.35ish, but i thought w.e i this thing will take off soon. It shot up to a high of $7.45 and headed down from there. I have a tight stop in at $6.93 which is slightly below the breakout point. I will give this thing one more day, if i get stopped out then so be it and i cut my losses quickly,learn and move on! I have a small position since it was a risky play, but hopefully the market will open up strong tomorrow and this thing will breakout for which i expect it to. This was a total breakout speculation trade, this company is not doing well with a horrible balance sheet with over 1billion that’s right a billion dollars in debt, it is has a current market cap of $194million dollars which is pathetic compared to what it use to be. Tomorrow will be the test, lets hope it goes to the moon and squeezes out some shorts :) .

Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (MDRX) Analysis


Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (MDRX) – This company offers software, services, information, and connectivity solutions that enable physicians and other health care providers to deliver patient safety and clinical outcomes primarily in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Clinical Solutions and Health Solutions. The Clinical Solutions segment includes enterprise business for large physician practices and integrated delivery networks, and professional business for smaller or independent physician practices. It provides clinical and practice management software solutions and related services. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. is a subsidiary of Misys plc.


IT in the health care industry is booming right now and Allscripts-Misys Healthcare is just one of the leading companies providing IT infrastructure to the health care industry. This company is a diamond in the ruff with a current trading price of less than $20/share(1-7-2010) and a growth multiple of 82! Allscripts has huge potential for growth and inovation in health care, with it gaining new customers from all over the country. It’s most recent news came from Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) when it “Selected the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solutions for 300 employed and affiliated physicians and mid-level providers to enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient communications, and better manage the cost of care delivery.” and will provide this service across a Four-Sate area. Read the full P/R here. This goes to show how in demand these services are especially with how the country is turning over to an entire electronic health care record database.


The companies CEO Glen E. Tullman is really taking this company to new levels, he has been with the company since 1997 and has a wealth of knowledge in the industry. Glen has been on Jim Cramer’s Tv show “Mad Money” several times describing what his company does and were it is going. Although Jim recently gave MDRX the “Sell Sell Sell” When he said “I’m saying ka-ching, ka-ching… let’s ring the register and bring home some profits. Healthcare reform may very well be history.” he made this statement on 12-1-09. I really could disagree with Jim here, with it’s trading price at $19.60(exatcly as i write this) is down from it’s 52 week high of $22.21/share this could be a nice place to start getting in. I would wait to see were it starts to level off, and see the first qtr report of 2010 and make my decision.


Technical Analysis.
MDRX_Chart


As you can see from the chart this stock has been on the steady rise since it’s low of $7.61 in February and hit a 52 week high in October at $22.21. It looks as if that $22 mark is resistance and as you can see it tested that mark at the end of October and failed to break it. It does have some good support around the $18ish area were it most likely will hit and bounce off of. The volume is pretty low with an Average Volume (3 month) 905,897 shares traded. I did get a MA(4.9) cross to the down side with an ADX below 20 signaling that it is selling off and headed lower. This needs a good momentum push to the upside with a good amount of volume to break the resistance barrier.


Overall
I like Allscripts Fundamentally but Technically it needs to improve. Although this would be a great opportunity to pick up some shares for cheap.


Quick Glance at Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (MDRX) Fundies….


Market Cap – $2.86B
EPS – 0.24
Growth Multiple – 82 (current market price / eps = M)
P/E ratio – 83.22
Total Cash – $84.85M
Debt – $41.19M
Qtrly Revenue Growth (yoy): 77.70%
Shares Outstanding – 145.13M
Float – 61.94M shares
Recent Analyst Coverage.
18-Dec-09 Maxim Group Initiated Buy
18-Sep-09 Caris & Company Initiated Above Average
18-Sep-09 Piper Jaffray Upgrade Neutral

References: yahoo Finance, Finviz.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Jim Cramer’s Getting Back to Even Book Review


Booya Jim Cramer
A lot of people have their own opinion on Jim Cramer, some good some bad. I on the other hand think he is a great entertainer with his show “Mad Money”. I also love his books that he writes, they are very informative and his methods he uses are Genius in my opinion. Now mind you they are for what he calls “Home Gamers” that do not have professional market experience nor the time to dedicate fully towards the market. I use Cramers books as a means of learning new strategy, or gain a different perspective of the market and how it works, i mean the guy did run a half a billion dollar hedge fund. I also do not solely use his methods and nothing else, i try and learn every strategy or method possible and Frankenstein them all, this way i take what i want out of it and come up with my own working strategy.


Cramers latest book “Getting Back to Even” is very well written and geared towards individuals that have lost a substantial amount of money in the not only the market, but IRA’s, 401k’s, and the Housing market. His tone when writing this book is very positive and encouraging, makes you feel that you can “get back to even”. I literally read this book in a week, only because i love learning this stuff and cramer makes it interesting. Listed below are the chapters in the book, and as you can see he covers just about everything.


Chapters:


Don’t Give Up!
Crossing the Stock Market Minefield
Putting the Pieces Back Together
Dividends: The Best Offense Is a Good Defense
How to Invest in the Recovery: Twelve Stocks to Watch
The Next Big Thing: Regional Banks Poised to Grow
Getting Back to Even Like a Pro: Using Options to Replace Stocks
Taking Options to the Next Level: Advanced Strategies
How Your Generation Should Respond to the Crash
Twenty-five New Rules for Post-Apocalyptic Investing
Coping with the New World Disorder
Afterword
Acknowledgments
I wont go chapter to chapter detailing what i like and dislike, but i will inform you of my favorite parts, just to hook you so you go out and read it yourself. This book is well worth the time and effort you put in to reading it.


1st Favorite section: Dividends, you think you know but you have no idea… :)
Jim as we all know from his show preaches diversification, well of course he does it again in this book. This time he goes in more detail as to why and how important it really is. One of the main benefactors of being diversified are the companies that pay you to own their stock, we are talking dividends. I always new about dividends and how they somewhat work, but after reading his chapter on them, well i thought i was a pro after it. The methods he presents about dividends and how to play the company that pays them are truly gold and makes complete sense. He helps you not only find these good company’s paying those juicy high yield dividends but also what to look for when you are doing your homework, which what he says is up to date with this new market we are in. The explanations he gives are in plain English and in such rich detail, which makes you feel as if you know dividends and could teach them to someone else.


2nd Favorite: Options
Now i have always been curious about stock options and how they actually work, but when reading about them i just kinda through up my hands and stick to the regular common stock. Well one of Jim’s tactics to getting you “back to even” is playing with options, he does a great job of getting you to read those chapters even if you are not interested in options. So i take a dive into them and see what he has to say. Jim gives a excellent description of options and explains exactly what they are without giving you a bunch of useless terms or jargon. I truly and finally understand options and how they work just by reading this chapter and feel that much smarter now. His second chapter on options titled “Taking Options to the Next Level: Advanced Strategies” gives you a very sneaky yet cleaver way of using options to your advantage with very minimal risk if any risk at all. I wont give his tactic away but i will say it involves both options and common stock in the same company, which if you apply this strategy correctly it could bring a nice return your trading account. I will be experimenting with this tactic in the new year and am excited to see the results, all else fails it will be a great experience.


Overall message behind the book
I can honestly say that Jim Cramer does care about the regular investor and i am very appreciative for him to share is wealth of knowledge and wisdom with his readers and viewers. With that being said you as the reader can find this book not only entertaining but very informative. Cramer iterates over and over how much he thinks this is a golden opportunity in getting back in the market and buying up those beaten down stocks and recovering your account. I believe this is his best book yet and recommend it to everyone!


Side note
It is funny how after reading all of his books, he literally recites all the information in his show which to me is kinda cool because i can pick that out and think to myself which book he said that in and what section, or at least i do :) . For those of you who have read his books should know what i am talking about. ;)


Pick up your copy of his new book here:

Jim Cramer's Getting Back to Even


Cramers other books that I enjoyed reading:





Related posts:


If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more great content just like it.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Trading Desk

Trading Desk

What do you have on your trading desk? Are you organized or even care about your trading desk and staying organized, i mean it is your money making machine.
I know when i first started trading and getting highly involved in the market i was always curious as to others trading desk’s setup and the equipment that was used.
Well just in case you are wondering, here i give you details of my setup and what i have on my desk.


I have a pretty basic desk setup, i am very organized with a pretty powerful computer.


computer I use:
Duel 19in wide screen monitors
Amd Quad core cpu
4 gigs of ram
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit  
1terabyte hard drive


Internet Connection:
I use a direct(wired)connection to the internet.
I do not advise going wireless when trading due to being vulnerable for drop connections or a weak signal.


I keep my laptop by my side for a back up, just in case my main computer fails for some reason.


Trading Software:
My Platform setup:
i have my futures, live news feed, intraday chart, level2, time and sales all running on my TOS platform at once. I also have a browser going with yahoo finance open, and StockTwits.


Desk Elements:
calculator- I use a basic calculator for quick calculations, determine cost of a trade subtracting commission or general use, i find it very useful.
Note book-A simple cheap notebook is always handy for jotting down notes and ideas or, keeping a trading journal and tracking your trades.
Sometimes i have CNBC in the background(for breaking news/entertainment i don’t take advice from those talking heads :) ), and sometimes i have music on.


Posted below is a quick picture of my desk.

desk

Sunday, December 27, 2009

6 SPDRs You Should NOT Be Afraid Of!

6 SPDRs You Should NOT Be Afraid Of!

I use and follow these specific sector ETF SPDR’s when trading and investing.


Financials SPDR(XLF)
A wide array of diversified financial service firms are featured in this sector with business lines ranging from investment management to commercial and investment banking. Among the companies included in the Index are JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and BankAmerica Corp.


Energy SPDR(XLE)
Energy companies in this Index primarily develop and produce crude oil and natural gas, and provide drilling and other energy-related services. Leaders in the group include ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp, and ConocoPhillips.


Health Care SPDR(XLV)
Companies in this sector primarily include health care equipment and supplies, health care providers and services, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals industries. Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Abbott Labs are included in this sector’s mix.


Technology SPDR(XLK)
Stocks primarily covering products developed by internet software and service companies, IT consulting services, semiconductor equipment and products, computers and peripherals, diversified telecommunication services and wireless telecommunication services are included in this Index. Components include Microsoft Corp., AT&T, International Business Machines Corp., and Cisco.


Utilities SPDR(XLU)
The Utilities Index primarily provides companies involved in water and electrical power and natural gas distribution industries. The component companies include Excelon Corp., Southern Co., and Dominion Resources Inc.


Consumer Discretionary SPDR(XLY)
Industries such as automobiles and components, consumer durables, apparel, hotels, restaurants, leisure, media, and retailing are primarily represented in this group. The Index includes McDonald’s, Walt Disney Co., and Comcast.

resource here