SmallTimeTrades

Dipping the toe in uncharted waters - $MJN

2009-12-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Looking to buy into MJN if it hits 43.11. Day order only.

$XOP and $SBNY

2009-12-10T12:16:00.001-08:00

Buy SBNY 12/10/09 @ 30.9882 -- Trying to catch this just below the SMA
20 + short ratio >8 + 31% short. Target 32 (will lock in with a
trailing stop @ 32), stop 30. Sold at 32.0547 on 12/21/09.
Buy XOP 12/10/09 @ 38.19 -- Trying to catch this just below the SMA 20
+ trying to catch a benefit from a possible upswing in oil and decline
of the dollar. Target 41.50, stop 37.00. Sold at 39.92 on 12/17/09 on trailing stop on LOD.

ISLE, NSANY, PFCB

2009-11-11T07:25:00.001-08:00

NSANY @ 14.75 -- Exited @ 16.05 on 12/3
ISLE @ 9.145 -- Exited @ 8.725 on 11/18.
PFCB @ 31.7682 -- Exited @ 35.624 on 12/3

A short covering stock screener $FSLR $SYNA

2009-10-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

My starting point screener for stocks to buy

Looking for stocks *just below* their 20-day SMA.
High (>20%) float short
Average volume over 100K
Change from open: up [eliminates a few of the stocks that are just breaking below the 20-day]

I noticed that BWLD [which didn't necessarily fit this criteria until a few days after purchase] broke hard to the upside with volume when the 20-day SMA was crossed. I also noticed that the short interest would take more than 10 days to cover.

My first purchase using the screener as a selection tool was FSLR @ 151.90. I'm also watching SYNA as a possible buy.

Back in $FTK @ 2.3978

2009-06-16T10:54:00.001-07:00

Looks like a nice little dip. Might add to position if there's more.

More housecleaning... $VLO and $CNO

2009-06-15T09:46:00.001-07:00

Selling off more shares that I had no basis for buying in the first place.

Sold off $CNO for 2.242 (0.47/share loss)
Sold off $VLO for 17.15 (1.11/share loss)

Actually, in the case of $VLO, I noticed that the stocks from the S&P 500 performed very poorly with my trading strategy--so I will be sticking with Russell 2000 stocks only.

In $EXAC at 14.55

2009-06-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

Also looking at $WNR, but no position.

In $SNTA, out of $GRO

2009-06-12T06:56:00.001-07:00

I decided to start weeding out positions that I don't have any conviction in, especially if they're down.

Sold $GRO for a loss @ 3.03 (average purchase price 3.45).
Bought $SNTA @ 2.608

Stock watch list for 6/11/2009

2009-06-11T18:45:00.001-07:00

I'm currently in $MNI, so I won't be considering any additional buys.

The following stocks have hit the "Buy" condition on my strategy, so ran the backtesting results on each independently.

$EXAC - YTD 15% gain with strategy, 12% of time in market, 1 round-trip
$MNI - YTD 30% gain with strategy, 17% of time in market, 1 round-trip
$SNTA - YTD 50% gain with strategy, 44% of time in market, 1 round-trip
$SYUT - YTD loss (5%) with strategy, 64% of time in market, 1 round-trip
$TSYS - YTD flat with strategy [only position is one initiated at close], 0% of time in market, no round-trips

Sold $FTK for 2.6265

2009-06-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

I put alerts on the hourly chart for $FTK after watching it approach a peak, and the alert just tripped. I'm all out of $FTK for now.

In @ 2.40
Out @ 2.6265

In $MNI and $SBCF

2009-06-09T06:49:00.001-07:00

$MNI @ 0.7884
$SBCF @ 2.7387

Cashed out of $SPNG at an average of 0.135 or so

2009-06-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

Bought in at 0.079-ish. At least it more than offset my $BZ blunder.

May need to spend some time looking around to consolidate and raise cash. Feeling a little too fully invested--maybe it's just the down market.

Sold $BZ for 1.95

2009-06-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

That's -.40, looks like the shares have peaked and have a solid trend
downward now. Cutting my losses.

Orders in for $DYAX, $NL, and $SBCF

2009-06-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

Ok, I spent some time backtesting the strategy used to pick the above stocks for different accounts, starting funds, and commissions. With a limited amount of money, the strategy was 15% down over the last 52 weeks. My best scenario was using $20,000 with $2,000 buy-ins per stock. Worst case scenario was screening the S&P 500 for this strategy. Best case scenarios involved the Russell 2000. A lot more screening to do, but probably a little less risk of buying into a fully matured company that has resorted to shananigans to continue earnings growth.

The following test is for $700 in capital in a BuyAndHold IRA account ($2.99 commissions), with $200 buy-ins per stock that hits the buy signal. At the end of the test, the positions are liquidated:

Symbol	Date	Action	Quantity	Price	Profit-Loss	Profit-Loss %	Cumulative P&L
ARTC	1/2/2009	Buy	41	4.86	0	0	0
ACAD	1/2/2009	Buy	219	0.91	0	0	0
APP	1/2/2009	Buy	91	2.18	0	0	0
APP	2/11/2009	Sell	91	2.28	3.12	1.57	3.12
VPHM	2/11/2009	Buy	32	6.19	0	0	0
VPHM	4/7/2009	Sell	32	4.88	-47.9	-24.18	-47.9
CYTK	4/8/2009	Buy	121	1.65	0	0	0
ARTC	4/20/2009	Sell	41	10.7	233.46	117.16	233.46
RGLD	4/20/2009	Buy	5	35.77	0	0	0
MPG	4/21/2009	Buy	206	0.97	0	0	0
MPG	6/5/2009	Sell	206	1.12	24.92	12.47	24.92
ACAD	6/5/2009	Sell	219	2.49	340.04	170.63	340.04
CYTK	6/5/2009	Sell	121	2.95	151.32	75.79	151.32
RGLD	6/5/2009	Sell	5	44.91	39.72	22.21	39.72

Bought in $VLO @ 18.26

2009-06-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

It was only stock that popped up on my screener out of the S&P 500.

Bought into $FTK @ 2.40 and $SPNG

2009-06-04T19:46:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I have no idea what possessed me to dabble in a BB (SPNG)...
Costco, yeah... I know. It could be their big break, yada, yada,
yada.

As for $FTK--my Ult Oscillator 60-min technical indicator that I was
playing with screened it out among some of the stock mentions today
from the experienced traders. Don't have any major convinction behind
it and may dump the position in a heartbeat if it does or doesn't pay
off.

Sold $TXT for no gain

2009-06-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

In @ 11.95, Out @ 11.96... held for a month with little to no movement.

Bought in $CNO, $BZ, and $GRO

2009-06-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

Decided to dabble in some more sub-$5 stocks:

$CNO @ 2.69
$BZ @ 2.38
$GRO @ 3.45

To heck with the creep towards the 200 MA on the S&P - sold $UYG and $LUV

2009-06-01T11:38:00.001-07:00

...I'm getting out of this party before the neighbors call the cops.

$UYG in @ $4, out at $4.24.
$LUV in @ $6.68 out at $6.92.

Out of $CROX at 2.88

2009-05-29T10:58:00.001-07:00

Bought in at 2.53 on 5/11/2009

Reasoning? Hmmm... I'll take a short term 15% at any point, especially when its in a stock like Crocs, which has so many pundits trashing the stock on a periodic basis. I suspect there might be some funny business with the articles.

Technical analysis? Oh yeah... I'm playing with the 60-min Ultimate Oscillator and StocK (5-min) on Ameritrade's StrategyDesk, because I'm too cheap to invest any more money in something that isn't my day job.

$CROX floated to the top of my watch list, so I sold.

First post via new account

2009-05-28T06:45:00.001-07:00

I moved this activity to a new account to not cluster my stream.

Got bitten by the bug to buy into $LUV

2009-05-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

Bought in at 6.68. Just couldn't help myself.

Sold $RFMD @ 2.58

2009-05-27T06:52:00.001-07:00

Bought lots at 2.54 (5/08/2009) and 2.10 (5/13/2009)

Removed the $FEED bag

2009-05-26T10:15:00.001-07:00

Selling FEED for 6.16

Entered @ about 5.07 on 5/22/2009. I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth here--getting out.

Monthly $UYG and $DRYS calls written

2009-05-18T07:28:00.001-07:00

Serious small potatoes here:

$UYG MAY 4 Call (UUFED) expired. Rewriting the $UYG JUN 4 Call (UUFFD) @ 0.35.
$DRYS MAY 7.5 Call (OOCEU) expired. Rewriting the $DRYS JUN 7.5 Call (OOCFU) @ 0.85.