Santa Claus

The US Market rallied today to an unbelievable 490 points!  I heard of a “Santa Claus rally”, and while I don’t have a clear idea of why there would be one, this 490 points today could be it!   I mean, just last week we’ve got the European Union problems on credit flooding the ,markets with uncertainty, I doubt there would be good news of any sort but hey, I’m not one to complain, I’ll take any gift thrown my way.

Last week, the stock I am watching was at a very low point.  It was temptingly low, and I thought of adding positions.  However, I was still very busy polishing the eBook, and the EU problems still persisting so I didn’t  feel prepared enough to trade a new position.

But let me share the thought that so tempted me – you know I’m a band trader right.  I watch the highs and lows of the prices.  Last week is at the low point of the price range, so I am watching an “exhaustion” or a slowing in direction of the price moves that may indicate the move is nearly over and could reverse.    A common example in trading is the  ebb and flow of ocean waves.   On practical terms,  something looks very cheap to some people and they’d go and buy it, pushing the prices back up.  On the other hand, prices could also go out of hand and something could be  “overpriced” with people wanting to sell at that point to take profits driving the prices back down.   It’s just how the world works.

If you still want to make sense of it, I can share that these may be due to human and macro-economic forces at work. (Can’t take credit for these ideas, check out “Safe Strategies for Financial Freedom” by Dr. Van Tharp).

1. People are saying that with the Black Friday / start of shopping season, there is  pent-up demand.  People may have been very careful in spending most of the year, but it’s the holiday / Christmas season so, purse strings are loosened a little bit.  It’s like trying to  lose weight / watch what you eat but then eventually, you give in to temptation.   People are out shopping, which is good for the economy.  Just  saying.

2. Mi casa su casa – that’s Spanish darlings.  The House of Europe is in trouble,,, and the Chinese think they are  or will be too.  So before the worst  happens, the Chinese  are out to do something to help out.  At least themselves.  Their economy is export-oriented, meaning they make money selling things to other countries like EU countries.  (Wonder who does not get things Made in China).  And knowing they can’t depend on selling a lot than they used to to others, they are also loosening up purse strings at home.   They’ve just relaxed regulations about bank’s reserve requirements (so they can lend to people), who can go shopping  i.e. “stimulate demand” at home.

How to trade these conditions?   Well, the last one I did was a covered call that I bought back.  My shares are therefore following the ebb and flow of the market.  I thought of the covered call strategy again out of fear that more sharp drops can happen, but thought, it has gone down too much in the time frame and the 3R profit opportunity is not there, I didn’t want to risk it.  My stock STO has gone up 3 days now and today the volatility is getting muted,  which is signalling to me that the ride down might happen soon.

But until it actually moves down, I’m just watching.

Let the Santa Claus Rally begin!

Share this:

Pls use this page Rex – no more Discount Code for this.
You will also get a full eBook version of High Heeled Traders as a Christmas gift 🙂

Share this:

High Heeled Traders Book Cover

Shopping is the new Trading according to Book “High Heeled Traders”

Charmel Delos Santos explains share trading in terms of shopping, fashion, and shoes

SYDNEY – 90 percent of traders are men. They are also responsible for most financial scandals.

It’s time for women to step up. In her new book, “High Heeled Traders” (ISBN 1463797915), Charmel Delos Santos says women are natural traders and her book helps women understand trading with what they know from shopping to fashion and shoes.

“In talking with women, they say they are interested to trade but do not know how to start. They find current references too complicated and boring,” said Santos.  “The book uses girlie analogies that help women relate and show what they already know can help them to trade profitably.”

“The initial response to the book has been even better than we expected,” continued Santos. “I think what we are seeing here is that women are drawn to some of the other benefits as well.”

For example, readers said that finding how to integrate trading to their own lifestyle is an important plus—a feature not available in any other book.  “We thought it was important when writing the book to give people even more than what they are asking for,” said Santos. “That’s why we didn’t stop with just the obvious angle. We really tried to cover all the bases.”

With the book, women will now be able to:

• Understand how behaviour is a big part of trading and the ideas that actually work.
• Know what is the key to success in trading.
• Know how to earn trading income and still have a life.
• Know how to profit whether markets go up, down, or sideways.
• Save money and avoid frustration from years of trial and error with the detailed steps and information provided to trade effectively.
• She believes her how-to guide for trading will benefit women everywhere. The book raises funds for United Nations Women’s gravity-defying empowerment projects worldwide.

“High Heeled Traders” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

About the Author:

Charmel Delos Santos grew up in the Philippines. The second of 3 sisters, she had strong women that influenced much of her life, as her mother and six aunts are mostly teachers.  As a young woman, she worked in the family business exporting handicrafts made by women in her village. She was active in civic activities organizing and modelling in fashion shows, which prompted her to join Binibining Pilipinas in 1998 (Miss Philippines).  She received her bachelor’s in international studies from Miriam College in Manila while also taking up computer programming. She started her career as a business analyst and worked in information technology for 15 years. After investing in real estate, Santos traded shares and options. Her current focus is protecting assets and generating income using options and developing trading system for Forex. She is based in Sydney and currently volunteers in a mother’s group.  She is a member of the United Nations Women National Committee Australia.

MEDIA CONTACT

Charmel Delos Santos

Email:              charmel@highheeledtraders.com

Phone:             +61-405148124

Website:           www.highheeledtraders.com

REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS ARE AVAILABLE

###

Share this:

Have you unpacked those shopping bags yet?  Have you recovered from the exhaustion, the excitement, perhaps the frustration of searching for the best deals and not getting them?

Shopping for the Christmas holiday season has officially started, and though reports are preliminary, the people of America delivered and did their patriotic duty to go shopping.   With all the talk of being financially responsible, spending (or shopping) is something  one really must do to live and is actually needed to stimulate the economy.  So yes, it is important thing to do, and especially if you shop for something or use the services of local businesses, you are helping people to stay / get on jobs in your area.

On the other hand, if you can’t help but buy imported items, you help people still on the other side of your borders.    That’s still OK, keep the money moving around.  When businesses are profitable they are able to keep people employed and perhaps expand and employ more.    They can  also keep servicing their debts (that most businesses have anyway) — that in turn could be used to lend to others.    So yes, this is the time for Economic Stimulus Packages a.k.a Shopping Bags.

(Articles below on the massive shopping event – Black Friday’s turnout.)

Economic Stimulus Packages - photo by Rembulan Indira

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-26/consumers-in-u-s-release-pent-up-demand-amid-brisk-black-friday-traffic.html

http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/26/pf/black_friday_sales/index.htm?iid=Lead

Share this:

We’re having a wet spring slide into a wet summer here in Sydney.  And my daughter has been saying she doesn’t like rainy days.  I tried to convince her it’s not too bad.  And instead of feeling down, find a way to enjoy it.   “You can play in muddy puddles” I said,  “the plants will also be happy to get a free drink and you definitely have an excuse to enjoy hot cocoa with marshmallows on top!”

Making the most of a bad situation is certainly going to be a must-have  “survival strategy”, so keep thinking about that especially since there are “10 Signs the Global Economy is About to Crash”  – article here:
1. France loses its AAA rating — Seems to be nervous chatter, that nobody wants to hear, but can’t help passing.
2. China experiences a hard landing —  I bet you see most things with the mark “Made in China” – but they will have less customers if Europe and US continue to struggle, and real-estate booms, we all know what happens with that!
3. The US will have another recession — hard to believe right?  The first one doesn’t seem to have ended! But recent quarter’s GDP was actually revised lower, jobless rate is still too high at 9%,  I mean, yes, I don’t think we will have another recession, it’s just a continuation.
4. US Banks gets slammed by European Crisis.  The domino-effect that’s getting all too familiar.
5. Germany turns its back on Europe – now this is interesting.  Germany was said to be the biggest “gainer” when the euro was invented because their products became more affordable to other countries.  Interestingly, if they don’t “help out” the others, who will buy their goods?
6. IMF tries to bailout Europe — let’s say for argument’s sake that they can as IMF is funded by “rich countries” (but who else is left?)
7. Investment firms fail and people lose their retirement savings – MF Global just went belly up with the Greek “solution” which reduced what they owe to everybody by 50%.   (I know, unfair right?  You and I still owe 100% of our own debts — is there a lesson here?!)
8. Reserve Bank of Australia slashes interest rates by .25 basis points — and it could possibly not be the last.
9. Bank of America fails – there was a “too big to fail” scenario already before.  And apparently, they got away with it (with none other than US Federal Reserve lending the money).  There’s bound to be a repeat of that.
10. Australian property market crashes — this could happen and it’s not all that bad.  Property prices here need to be more affordable.

These could just be all “chatter” … but it’s not just the  “angry birds”.

If there are no solutions, you know what happens, things get worse.  Learn “bear market” strategies and be ready to make the most of it.

Mad chatter by Rev. Fr. Noel Azupardo

Share this:

Have you been following my posts lately on my “ill-fated” trade STOJY7 – the covered call I did about 6 weeks ago. I’ve put that trade on when STO was at 12.45 expecting that the market will fall due to the debt problems in Greece, and their European cousins.

With the 85c premium I received for STOJY7, the strike price is $12, so my breakeven is at $ 12.85 (excluding fees). If you missed some of my posts, what happened was, the market did not have a grand fall as expected, but as part of the plan 🙂 I protected that covered call with a “buy call” strategy when the price started moving up (while keeping the STOJY7). In short, I used 7.5c from that 85c and made 60c = my “ridiculous” 800% profit or 8R trade.

However, against my wishes, STO moved up further up to 13.70 level. I told you about how laughable that is, with the uncertainty in the financial markets, but hey, this is no Cinderella story and there is no magic wand to wave people to wake up to reality. STOJY7’s value went from 85c to around $1.40, I didn’t even want to look at it. LOL

Anyway, after the “bailout party” the market went on a gradual slide again (*as I thought!). Today, I am facing STO at 12.76– STOJY7 call option is expiring on Thursday so before someone exercises the option against me (meaning I will be forced to sell it at $12) I bought it back today  to close at 83c, back to black right at the clock. 🙂

I’m free to write another covered call on STO again. Just you wait.

(Posting the statement later, my broker doesn’t send it till early morning the next day).

Share this:

Yes indeed, it pays to wait, in my previous post, I had a floating loss of $192, following the day’s fall, it is  now down to $45.

This weekend is going to be great, I can tell!

STOJY7_worth the wait

Share this:

Trying hard to contain my excitement.  I’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting…

1. Waiting for a new trade that has potential for 3R profit

2. Waiting for an opportunity to buyback the Call Option that I sold, US market had another steep fall (nearly 200+ points) following yesterday’s fall (150=) and today, Oil fell more than $3, so that does not bode well for the stock I hold, but good for the call option I sold (I’m embarassed to admit this but I’m happy that the market is falling – the call I sold will be much cheaper!)

3. Waiting for a confirmation for an up-move,  here , seeing that the market is continuing to fall, I don’t want to close on my call option if the market is still going down.  I am buying it back when the price has “landed” and there is a “V”  or confirmation that the price is on the move upwards.

As of yesterday’s close 17 Nov.  the covered call STOJY7  which I sold  for 85c and is now 1.17.

With 600 shares, my floating loss is $192 — check the statement:

Covered Call Statement - STOJY7

Share this:

“America’s Got Talent”, “Britain’s Got Talent” , even “Australia’s Got Talent” well, yes, “Pilipinas Got Talent” and for sure by now, we know “Korea’s Got Talent”.   The best bit about these talent shows is not how much talent there really is out there, but the discovery of people who, may not have had the chance before, but now are, wanting to use their talent.

I don’t normally blog on Sundays but today the Gospel was about the “Parable of the Talents”.    (Matthew 25:14-30 in the Holy Bible).  It’s one of my favorite stories.  If you feel lacking in motivation, feeling “comfortable” , or just plain lazy, this is a good reminder to get going —  it says “to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, not even what he has will be taken away”.

I found an online story here – (see that! Thanks to the talents and dedication of people we don’t even know, it’s readily available!)

It just reminds us that God wants us to go out in the world, apply ourselves, be productive, and improve our lives.

Happy Sunday…. I leave you this music from Mozart, Barbara Bonney and the talented people in the orchestra and choir.

Share this:

Once upon a time, there was a dictionary that defined “Filipina” as  “domestic helper”.   If you’ve got one of those dictionaries,  throw it out and  get a new one since Filipinas have been found to be one of the most educated, healthy, economically empowered, and politically free women in the world!

We had the Gender Gap Report come out the last few days, and the Philippines is in the Top 10 in the world, Top 8 actually and the only Asian country to have that standing.   There is certainly a lot we can do to improve it especially in the areas of economic participation.   The great thing is that Asia is going to be the engine of economic growth in the world, and I feel we can certainly help our neighbors and sisters in this area.   So I thought, why not organize an event for WOMEN – promoting our Value, Dreams and Causes.   I just feel that so many women can step up and contribute.

The event will also introduce my book “High Heeled Traders” – an educational, entertaining and empowering “how-to” book on  the business of share trading – which I wrote for women who have full, busy lives and still have BIG dreams to live for.

We will be bringing the event everywhere,  so I look forward to have you join us!

May the Fierce be with you.

—————————————————————————————

PS.  Filipina “domestic helpers” are hailed as heroes, contributing millions of $$$ to the economy, while sacrificing family time, working 6 days in foreign lands.

Share this: