What do you like right now in stocks?

Water Cooler
#1

I have a fair bit of cash sitting on the sidelines right now and am looking to get it back to doing something productive. Yes, I should have bought nearly anything a month ago and not now, but hindsight is 20/20.

I am already a bit overweight in financials which has hurt me this year. I am looking at upping my exposure to sin stocks (PM/BTI, DEO) but not too sure about the entry price right now. Also looking at international consumer stocks, think VOD.

I’ve been holding off because of the debt drama in Europe and this stupid up 3%, down 3% market.

I’m just curious what you all have been up to in your long positions.

Thanks in advance for the thoughts!

#2

Nothing is good right now. Still waiting for Greece to default. I’m looking to get into MMM at a price of 70 or lower, hopefully that will happen. I wanted to buy SAM a few months ago, but sadly hesitated. I just think it’s a bad idea to invest in financials. Commoditized industry with excessive employee power.

#3

How much do you have allocated to cash? It’s good to keep a fair bit of cash around for an aprés-le-déluge moment (see John Hussman this week: http://hussmanfunds.com/wmc/wmc111107.htm ). However, there’s always a chance that things might not get so dire, and that investors will finally absorb the fact that admitting that one has an addiction problem doesn’t mean that you don’t have to actually go through the pain of withdrawal. So an all-cash position is not warranted. I don’t really do preferreds right now, but this seems like the environment where they may make sense.

#4

I’m all about ETFs, SPY and EFA in particular.

#5

Since I haven’t said it in a few weeks…Gold and Silver. BTFD (Buy The F@cking Dips)

#6

Credit Default Swaps on French debt?

#7

gold miners. even if gold goes nowhere, FCFE will skyrocket for them. Long GDX.

#8

Not if ISDA will never declare a credit event. You would never collect.

#9

If you bought them a week ago and sold today you would have made a killing. There doesn’t have to default for CDS to pay off.

#10

My brokerage accounts are over half cash right now, which is a bit over $15,000. My living expenses rainy day fund and all that is separate, so that $15k is allocated to investments, just not in anything right now.

#11

Active portion (about 10 percent of the total) is currently: Short DB, MS, C, LNKD, CMG CRM, MT, FXE, GMCR mostly with put options. Looking to get out of a few of those positions as they have paid off pretty well. Long MO, KO, XOM Phys. Call options on GLD Passive portion: (about 90 percent) $ I’m looking for a good long here aside from gold, which seems to move in the same direction as the SPY.