News & Views
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------May 28, 2025
For almost two years, I have been frustrated by foreign ADRs hogging the Weekly Table and Top Ten Table. I download my raw lists of stocks from YCharts, and in the past, I just used the raw data that I got based on my selection criteria. My usual weekly download is a raw file containing about 3,300 indivfidual stocks that have sufficient data to qualify.
I really do not know why I get so many foreign ADRs in the raw results, and why they dominate (aka hogg) my published charts. I suspect that the reporting requirements are not as stringent as good ol SEC requirements for US listed stocks, or, maybe something gets lost when the raw data is bundled into an ADR. I'm also tired of paying foreign taxes on my dividends.
Anyhow, I decided to do something about it to try to have more US companies in the top ranks.
With help from my new Best Buddy, ChatGPT, I now strip out all raw data where the Symbol is longer than 3 characters and the last character is "Y" or "F"; not very scientific, but that formula strips out about 1/3 of the raw data and results in a concentrated list of US and Canadian stocks with a good assortment of foreign stocks that trade directly on US exchanges.
Unlike President Trump, I like doing business in Canada and respect their reporting rquirements. I also figure that if the stock trades directly the reporting might be more accurate. Now you know. Happy stock picking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------March 23, 2025
It has been a long time since I wrote anything in here. I'm getting and feeling older - just celebrated my 86 birthday in Feburary. I have not been following the formula very carefully. Had a nice run up the last few months, but recently feel uncertain, and have plenty of money so that I can just coast for a while. So, you can see from the Watchlist page. I am now pretty conservative with lots of fixed income and cash.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------July 3, 2023
On June 17th I rolled my June portfolio. By my crude reckoning I made 14.2%. My formula is ending balance minus starting balance, plus withdrawals minus cash contributions, the net divided by the starting balance. I know that's not accurate, but for the purpose of how much spending money, it works for me.
Pretty good, right? Well the S&P 500 index went up 17.45% in this same time period and - get this - Invesco QQQ ETF total return for the same period was 30.74%
In this particular portfolio, I stuck pretty close to the Trending Value rules. I think I'm gonna quit working so hard and start buying more short bonds and ETFs
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------April 24, 2023, 2023
For the last couple of months, domestic USA stocks with high value ratings are scarce as hens teeth, and the ones that do qualify are pretty concentrated in the energy or finance industries. Right now, I don't want to be overweight in those industries.
Economnists are pontificating about whether or not there will be a recession this year. One of my long time rules is this, "If it really is the end of the world, why worry? Your money ain't going to help you". Might as well as look around for bargains. Or at least, put your extra cash to work at some interest rate.
There are some pretty good yields in the 6 to 15 month corporate bond markets with such names as Walmart, Caterpillar, John Deere. If they default, you're going to have to learn how to shoot, clean and cook wild turkey, grow and can vegetables and heat with wood that you chop yourself. My personal view is, that ain't gonna happen. So, put your extra cash to work in short federal agency or Corpoate bonds, and nibble at the stocks you like from this week's Weekly List.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------February 20, 2023
The reason the web site was not updated last week was because Ycharts made some arbitrary changes to their data screening that resulted in no data in the "net shareholder yield" column of my download spec. I have queationed whether I should use that function or their "Dividend Yield" function. I favored the former because it also includes share buybacks, but always questioned whether investors really give a shit about stock buybacks. Well, ycharts has now made the decision for me, and even tho the column is headed "Total Yield", it is really "Dividend Yield".
I may figure out how to change the column heading sometime in the future, but it is late, I have had three glasses of Chardonay (Almaden), and I ain't gonna do it tonite.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------January 11, 2023
I'm sorry that the site was not updated this week. The reason is because Chas Schawb programmers - in their infinite wisdom - arbitrarily changed the format of the header on the customer data that can be downloaded by clicking the "Export" link on their account page.
They made several other unnecessary changes to their web site recently that resulted in inaccurate information being displayed on their summary page. As you may have concluded by now, I'm pissed. I have a problem with immature programmers supervised by incompetent designers arbritarily making unnecessary changes apparently just to keep busy. Do I sound like a pissed off customer? I am.
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