Lots of big important news out lately, but I'm not doing anything differently. Nor will I ever. Because I've matured enough over the past decade to sit, wait and strike only when I see all the variables aligned. And that time still is not upon us. By buying The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (NYSE: BSC), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) may or may not be getting a great deal, but I'm not smart, well-informed or interested enough to really care because there are still too many conflicting variables. I only care for ideal trading opportunities, of which there are none (for my style of trading).
Since January, I've been calling for a 10%+ market drop and warning about a potential disaster not because I'm psychic, but thanks to archaic industry regulations limiting transparency, for industry outsiders, there's really no way how deeply troubled these financial firms are. Judging by Bear's buyout price of $2, even well-informed industry insiders are scared to pay too much to take on such risk.
So, just as when I featured them last week, perfectly downtrending stocks like Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) and Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MER) will probably continue downtrending, only more steeply this week around.
And, the perfectly uptrending stocks like Quicksilver Resources Inc (NYSE: KWK), streetTRACKS Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) and United States Oil Fund (AMEX: USO) will similarly continue uptrending, if more steeply.
No, this is not magic or voo doo, it's just basic trend following. Maybe that's why trend following hedge funds and traders are all raking it in right now. Maybe that's why you need to take up chart reading, to which I have devoted my entire mind, body and soul.
I leave you with one radical thought: trust no one and no company and focus on your investments' charts.
Timothy Sykes writes the blog timothysykes.com, is a former hedge fund manager, star of the TV show Wall Street Warriors and author of the book, An American Hedge Fund: How I Made $2 Million as a Stock Operator & Created a Hedge Fund










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-17-2008 @ 11:19AM
thebigkill said...
What an awfully horrendous post. Anathema to any reader.
"...I'm not smart, well-informed or interested enough to really care..."
Then why did you waste our time posting this? The entire post is self-serving, and offers absolutely no insight.
You were formerly a hedge fund manager? Holy wit! Maybe I should short the entire market right now.
If you don't have something useful to say, then don't say anything.
3-17-2008 @ 11:27AM
thebigkill said...
I'm sorry, that was rude. You're welcome to post anything you like. Lord bless derivatives, and may the DJIA rise forever with no corrections.
Buy, buy, buy! :D
3-17-2008 @ 10:34PM
FJW said...
NO TRUER WORDS WERE EVER SPOKEN AS STATED ABOVE IN THE ARTICLE. "TRUST NO ONE
AND RELY ON YOUR CHARTS." AFTER ALL, WHY SHOULD ANYONE MAKE YOU RICH ? AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THEY ARE OR WHO THEY REPRESENT. THE BOTTOM LINE - WHO GETS THE MONEY.