A couple of thoughts. We do see a lot of these headlines regarding "AI bubble." Some of it is probably not much different than any of the other stuff that is pushed out in the headlines. Everybody wants the title of "being right" at some point if it happens. I know enough to know.... that I don't know enough about it. I think the expectations are sky high. In some ways, I do not disagree with the massive potential sure enough. On the other side of the coin, I do think any little stumble or negativity is amplified a bit. If there is some event or misguidance along the way and a down trend begins, I wonder what the panic level will be on some of these things. I suspect it will be like yelling "fire" at a theater. I think it kind of goes hand in hand with the post above about investing psychology. Know your limits, whatever they may be for you. You can still participate without betting the farm.
Yeah, I held an "active" mutual fund for a long time. It wasn't a bad fund, but the expense ratio was eventually beat like a drum when the competitive expense ratio deal started to catch on. I dropped it for a passive index fund back then for almost nothing. Funny thing was the passive fund is still a mutual fund and not an ETF. It is in a tax deferred account, so no need for me to change now. And yes, taxable accounts can be a bitty even holding one of those with capital gain distributions at the end of the year. It was an older "active" fund too, and the distributions really bothered me. I kicked it out long ago and went with a more tax efficient index fund. A good point on fund placement and looking under the hood.
I have now improved to four stocks GREEN. AMZN has joined the good side of the force. I have a....FEELING....that the markets will slowly improve today. The big averages that are red....NASDAQ and SP500 have improved a bit over the course of the morning. By the way....I am now off the little mid-ocean reef that I hit last week....and am now back to riding the wave.
In REALITY....nothing matters till November 19....when NVDA reports earnings after the bell. Next week...... Wednesday is the big day.
I had a to the large side...medium loss today. Three stocks in the red....PLTR, NVDA, and COST. I also got beat by the SP500 today by....1.03%. It was one of those days when NVDA and PLTR by extension got PUNISHED for something they had nothing to do with......and will NOT impact their business at all. But that is the STUPIDITY of the modern day to day markets. Of course I am talking about....SoftBank.
Here is a wrap up of the markets today....I really dont care....but just in case anyone else does. Dow closes at record high but Nasdaq slips as investors rotate out of technology stocks https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/10/stock-market-today-live-updates.html personally....I dont see any ROTATION out of tech stocks...today. It was all a traders and speculators response to SoftBank. AND.....HELL NO....it is not "investors" doing anything. "Investors" are NOT day to day traders or market timers. AND...."investors" do not jump on made up one day rotations out of anything.
LOL...time for one quick post. Is This Really a Hated Rally? https://www.carsongroup.com/insights/blog/is-this-really-a-hated-rally/ "It continues to amaze me how fearful many investors get when faced with fairly normal market volatility. Last week, everyone became a market breadth expert and we were told only a few stocks were going up (which wasn’t true). We’ve also been bombarded with scary sounding warnings like Warren Buffett holding record cash, Michael Burry (of The Big Short fame) going bearish on high flying AI names, and large bank CEOs openly calling for a market correction or bear market. If that’s not enough, chatter about something called the Hindenburg Omen (now there’s a scary sounding name) has been everywhere.".........
LOL....make that two. HERE is the impact of.....screens. AND our social and cultural disruption. The Monks in the Casino A brief theory of young men, "the loneliness crisis," and life in the 21st century https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-monks-in-the-casino
OK....last one. Do gamblers invest differently? https://klementoninvesting.substack.com/p/do-gamblers-invest-differently "People who are at higher risk of problem gambling also tend to trade more in stock markets. So a propensity to gamble translates into investment behaviour."........ "Most people trade less in a low-volatility market, which means that as long as markets remain calm, their returns should be better." BAD news for young men.
Just got back from a 10 hour road trip. A stop for a late breakfast than we continued on to the Auction House. Grabbed the painting and were out the door in about 15 minutes. Back into the car and started back. A quick stop at McDonald's and home. The new painting is on the wall and looks great. PLUS.....I got home to a low....medium loss today. I also got beat by the SP500 by...0.72%. My GREEN stocks today were....NVDA, COST, and MSFT. Considering all that this massive BULL MARKET has given us and the GREAT earnings.....all the FEAR, SKITTISHNESS, and SEMI-PANIC....is INSANE. Is this the impact of under 40 and especially under 35....young and inexperienced investors....that know NOTHING of market and economic normalcy and historical context? I believe so.....in addition to rampant short term and AI trading.
It is a very strange market. I'm not sure there is enough money in the market of sub 40 year olds to create this kind of volatility. Some are most likely buying and selling haphazardly racking up short term tax gains/losses. I have been doing this long enough to know you just have to sit back and do nothing. I feel like @WXYZ has the hardest job in the internet! How do you write daily and keep people's interest about DOING NOTHING! I find it funny that the majority of people starting off are totally fine with working for 45 years for somebody else and complaining about not getting a proper raise each year yet need there portfolio to get them rich overnight!
To continue the above discussion by myself and others......the GREATEST issue right now.....well make it two....the big one....a massively IGNORANT media. Journalism as we older people knew it is DEAD, DEAD, DEAD. The days of factual reporting are over and will never come back. EVERYTHING now is simply unsupported and often ignorant opinion and sensationalism. AND...the level of sensationalism that we have now would make the old supermarket check-out tabloid....THE NATIONAL INQUIRER..... BLUSH. Second....a lesser but still significant impact on the psyche of the markets and investors.....the FED. The FED is completely disconnected from the data now. They have become the opinion media of economics. They are also totally disconnected from any mission of making the USA economy a success. POWELL is now off the rails and WILL finish out his term at odds with reality. The FED as it is constituted right now is....HOPELESSLY....political. In my lifetime I have NEVER seen a FED trashing the markets as much as what POWELL is doing. If anything I believe he will get even worse as his term winds down. If we are lucky he will be ignored....but dont count on it....the fear-mongering media is relentless. As to the media....it will continue to get worse and more ridiculous. In five to ten years what we have to deal with now will be the good old days. As to Powell we just have to gut it out for about 6 more months. The REAL FOCUS....for real investors....earnings and fundamentals. Although we continue to squander all the good news and punish success.....thanks to the two entities above. I hear on Varney from an actual....long term oriented.... investment manager that......WE ARE NOW INTO ELEVEN STRAIGHT QUARTERS OF EARNINGS BEING UP.....STRONGER YEAR OVER YEAR. In addition we are soon going to be fully into the new tax bill and the aspects of it that apply to business and individuals....to make life easier. EVERY earnings reporting period is a constant fight with negativity. A constant fight with the micro slicing and dicing of earnings and guidance....while totally IGNORING the BIG PICTURE. REALITY.....it is the BIG PICTURE....that actually counts. Long term I STILL have my usual concerns that I have noted in here many times....regarding the eventual destruction of the markets and a total disconnect from fundamentals and reality. BUT....what choice do I have....the only way for any.....little person .....to make and grow money is in the markets long term. So......there is no choice but to go along for the ride.....for as long as it works. If I am lucky I will NOT outlive the working markets. If I do...I will deal with it later.
So true TireSmoke. I walk two lines in this thread.....one...pushing for and showing the way with LONG TERM INVESTING. Two....talking about the day to day markets and creating a record of what has to be dealt with while siting and waiting out the long term. The short term discussion is necessary for context.....and hand-holding....on this thread for any that might be faltering. Plus this thread would be pretty BORING if it was 1300 pages of posts that say: "WELL.....I am still doing NOTHING" It is a hard job.....but someone needs to do it.
As to the above.....I was on the way to Dallas on Sunday with a couple of other people to go to an art event. One of them was a museum director. She was asking what she needed to do to be able to see this thread.....it was mentioned in the car.....since the driver.....a former financial advisor....and my best art friend.....was talking about what I do. I told her that I could not give her the information on this thread. That what I do is ANONYMOUS.....and if I told her the name of the site and the thread....I would no longer be anonymous. Even my financial advisor friend does not have access to this thread. I have to be anonymous to be blunt and honest. I dont allow anyone....family, friends, colleagues, kids, my wife......anyone....access to this thread with knowledge of who I am. The museum director asked.....why do you do it? My answer which is the TRUTH....I am trying to help people......it is service to others....to help educate people about the power of investing in stocks and funds for their financial future. At the same time I benefit by constantly reinforcing my own investing behavior with constant posting on here. I think I benefit from posting here more than any reader benefits.....so I am driven by self-interest....as is everyone. Of course like anyone....I have my BIASES. AND.....this thread is NOT ABOUT GIVING FINANCIAL ADVICE. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR ANYONE TO FOLLOW WHAT I DO IN MY PERSONAL INVESTING.
I saw and article a minute ago with thsi headline: "THE DJIA IS NEAR 50,000, HOW DID WE GET HERE SO FAST" I have no idea what the article said....but.....YES, we are very close to a HUGE milestone.....DOW 50,000. AMAZING. AI tells me that just EIGHT YEARS ago....when this thread started on October 18, 2018.....the DOW closed at......26,773. WOW....talk about the power of long term investing. Especially when you consider all the events that happened over those eight years.
A nice little article on politics and investing. For Investors, Public Political Brainstorming Is Noise, Not News Not every trial balloon takes flight. https://www.fisherinvestments.com/e...lic-political-brainstorming-is-noise-not-news
AND...speaking of politics and the negativity of the markets. I will say: We are just at the start of SOCIALISTS and COMMUNISTS being elected to major offices in the USA. I think this trend is going to get worse....probably much worse. How much it impacts investing and investors....is very much up in the air. In general.....a very troubling trend. BUT....to quote Forest Gump......"THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT".
I like this little article.....and it seems to be happening...although the markets can turn on a dime and are INSCRUTABLE. Yes, stock investors, there is a Santa Claus rally. No, it isn’t coming early. Wall Street wants you to believe that a year-end stock-market rally starts now https://www.marketwatch.com/story/y...ly-no-he-isnt-coming-early-885ef555?st=iRcXgt
