Comments on Fund My Mutual Fund: 12 New Stocks to Buy on a Pullback

Ward, no fixed method. I read, think, read, think...

2007-12-15T13:13:00.000-05:00

Ward, no fixed method. I read, think, read, think. Try to think of trends, then try to go find stocks. 95% is that way, the other 5% are things I find by looking at relative strength of stocks over time - see what other people are buying (which stocks are ramping) and then run screens and read up on stocks I am not familiar with. In fact that is how I found MICC and MTL - I ran a screen of stocks up 75% in the past quarter, and those were 2 names that showed up that I was not familiar with and in sectors I was interested in. But mostly I read a lot, and sometimes research on 1 stock I am familiar with leads me to something else.

A very nice list you have here. Almost all the st...

2007-12-15T12:50:00.000-05:00

A very nice list you have here. Almost all the stock that I’m watching are on your list or in your portfolio only you have a lot more than me. I will serenely investigate the otters. Do you have a fixed method of finding new sectors/stocks?

Thanks for such detailed feedback, I do appreciate...

2007-12-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks for such detailed feedback, I do appreciate the comments. I do try not to just pick things randomly or what is sexy at the moment. Always trying to think a few steps ahead and will occassionally be correct, and occassionally incorrect. Hopefully correct happens more than incorrect.

As for the mix of comments, thats just how I think. I assume some people only come for the picks, some people like the economics, and some people like the nutty commentary on are inane government but hey something for everyone and hopefully it can mix some entertainment value with economic value. I thought at first maybe I just do the blog until (if) I am fortunate enough to find enough readers to actually see if this idea can happen. But in a way, I think it would be unique and unprecedented to have a 'virtual' mutual fund where investors could see what the manager thinks day in and day out. Most managers provide quarterly commentary at best... many just biannual or yearly.

I am trying to not to be too negative but being a dismal scientist at heart I am just aghast at some of the things I am seeing; but I realize it is more fun to read about happy things but right now we are just not there, maybe by next fall...

Anyhow thanks for the feedback as I said; it takes a lot more work than I thought at the beginning to lay out the myriad of thoughts into a blog - in fact I probably only put out about 60% of what I am thinking simply to time constraints. By definition of what my goal is, I have to really outperform both the indexes and peers in the real mutual fund industry... just beating them a little won't garner any reason to invest. So far so good. 2.75 years or so more to go ;)

Excellent job this week not only outperforming the...

2007-12-15T02:39:00.000-05:00

Excellent job this week not only outperforming the indices, but actually being in the green! I was admittedly very skeptical when I first read of your idea to track the performance of a virtual mutual fund in the hopes of raising real funds.... But I must say, you're doing a bangup job, and if I'm any indication, you're idea just might work. I'm particularly impressed with the way you've spotted (and blogged about) emerging secular trends, often-times before the market seems to fully appreciate them (fertilizer and coal come to mind), and then used those as a starting point for your picks. Its one thing to be a good stock-picker, but its another to watch the "story" behind your picks develop exactly as you'd predicted. Thats when you truly know that luck wasn't a factor.

Additionally, I thoroughly enjoy your very insightful commentary on economic issues as they relate to the markets. You have a very nice grasp of the macro issues (what did you say you majored-in in undergrad again? :-)).

Content-wise, your mix of fund picks/analysis, market commentary, macro commentary, and the occassional random (but interesting) blurbs on your blog are PERFECT. You've quickly become far and away my favorite stock market blogger on the net. Keep doin what youre doin and I have no doubt in my mind that you will reach your goal of raising capital (including some of mine) for a real fund.