Oct 13, 2016
Financial Security
Picked up an additional 250 shares of Goodrich Petroleum today because the company just emerged from bankruptcy. Total cost $2 putting the total invested at $4.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP)
Oct 12, 2016
Financial Safety
Today I picked up a few shares of Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP). CHKP is in the business of IT security including network security, cloud security, and data security. If there is some form of information you need to protect, CHKP probably has a product available for you. CHKP competes against a number of other companies including Fortinet (FTNT), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), and CyberArk Software (CYBR). IT security is a big concern in the modern market, with major security threats includingthe credit card hacks of Target and Home Depot, the loss of personal health information from hospitals, or the email hacks of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party. Cyber security is becoming a bigger part of life, and therefore companies that are poised to protect that information will likely grow in the future as these hacks become more common and more sophisticated.
CHKP has a longer history than most of the other companies listed and they have been shown to be able to generate positive income. That track record gives them a large edge over FTNT, PANW, and CYBR. In addition, the P/E ratio of CHKP is only around 20, whereas the other companies listed could be as high as 200. The price per share is also fair for me, at $75 a share it was easier to pick up multiple shares compared with Palo Alto Networks (who would have known Palo Alto would be so overpriced). One other company that I had considered was Cisco Systems (CSCO) because Cisco is also a long standing company with many security products. However, Cisco has expanded far beyond IT security, which allows it to generate new revenue streams, but because it does not specialize, I believe this makes it less competitive in the realm. Also with the departure of Cisco's CTO and Cloud Exec, there may be some shake up in leadership which may negatively affect the price of the stock.
TipRanks Analyst has rated CHKP as Moderate Buy, Thomsom Reuter rates it as Positive, S&P Capital IQ rates it 3 stars out of 5, SmartConsensus Reports rates it as Buy, and Market Edge Second Opinion is Long.
One thing I did take away from this purchase was that I was able to get these shares for several dollar less than the market price. I was able to do this by setting a buy limit well below the current market price. So during a period of inactivity, the system bought up shares that were likely on a stop-loss or stop-limit sell. Immediately after I bought the shares, the value of the stock climbed back up to the original market price meaning instant positive returns on investment. In the future, this may be a useful technique for acquiring shares at a discount.
Financial Safety
Today I picked up a few shares of Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP). CHKP is in the business of IT security including network security, cloud security, and data security. If there is some form of information you need to protect, CHKP probably has a product available for you. CHKP competes against a number of other companies including Fortinet (FTNT), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), and CyberArk Software (CYBR). IT security is a big concern in the modern market, with major security threats includingthe credit card hacks of Target and Home Depot, the loss of personal health information from hospitals, or the email hacks of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party. Cyber security is becoming a bigger part of life, and therefore companies that are poised to protect that information will likely grow in the future as these hacks become more common and more sophisticated.
CHKP has a longer history than most of the other companies listed and they have been shown to be able to generate positive income. That track record gives them a large edge over FTNT, PANW, and CYBR. In addition, the P/E ratio of CHKP is only around 20, whereas the other companies listed could be as high as 200. The price per share is also fair for me, at $75 a share it was easier to pick up multiple shares compared with Palo Alto Networks (who would have known Palo Alto would be so overpriced). One other company that I had considered was Cisco Systems (CSCO) because Cisco is also a long standing company with many security products. However, Cisco has expanded far beyond IT security, which allows it to generate new revenue streams, but because it does not specialize, I believe this makes it less competitive in the realm. Also with the departure of Cisco's CTO and Cloud Exec, there may be some shake up in leadership which may negatively affect the price of the stock.
TipRanks Analyst has rated CHKP as Moderate Buy, Thomsom Reuter rates it as Positive, S&P Capital IQ rates it 3 stars out of 5, SmartConsensus Reports rates it as Buy, and Market Edge Second Opinion is Long.
One thing I did take away from this purchase was that I was able to get these shares for several dollar less than the market price. I was able to do this by setting a buy limit well below the current market price. So during a period of inactivity, the system bought up shares that were likely on a stop-loss or stop-limit sell. Immediately after I bought the shares, the value of the stock climbed back up to the original market price meaning instant positive returns on investment. In the future, this may be a useful technique for acquiring shares at a discount.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Toastmasters Tuesday
"A speech is like a dress, it should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep things interesting"
Oct 11, 2016
Social Group
Each time I attend a Toastmasters International meeting I learn something new. Tonight I took on the role of Joke Master and Timer. I really like how the meetings are introduced with a joke, it brings a lot of levity to the meeting and sets a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I learned that the joke itself does not even have to be great, the audience wants to laugh, and you just need to give them an excuse to. I learned from a previous meeting that the details help to illustrate a good joke and sets the scene for a story.You can read the joke below for a few chuckles.
The role of Timer is also important. Often times when we give presentations or speeches, we have to be mindful of how long we are speaking for. As one of the veterans of the group says "A speech is like a dress, it should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep things interesting." She was definitely right about that. Throughout the night, every speaker had to stick to their timing constraints. If was very obvious when someone either spoke too little or went over. Those that did not speak long enough did not appear to have enough to say, walking away before their point was fully conveyed. Those that talked too long had short periods of rambling or odd pauses which made the speech not flow as smoothly. And though it may seem like an easy job, I often found myself behind the time with the queues simply because I was trying to pay attention to the speeches and the stopwatch at the same time.
The Joke
A man wakes up in the hospital, he groans as he's trying to move. To his right, his heart monitor was beeping away. To his left, an IV line was dangling off this left arm. "What happened..." the man muttered.
The doctor in the room looks at the patient then down at his chart. "Your coworkers found you unconscious on the floor, by the looks of it you had a pretty severe heart attack. You are lucky to be alive."
"But...how... how did this happen."
"From the labs it looks like your blood pressure is elevated and your cholesterol is through the roof. What is your diet like?"
"Last week I was on a fried chicken diet... this week I was on a donuts and ice cream diet..."
"I see. If you continue what you are doing, you will likely have another heart attack and you may not be so lucky next time. You need to make changes to your lifestyle, and to start you must go on an all vegetarian diet."
"Ok doc, it's gonna be tough, but if you really think it will help, then I'll do it."
The next day, the as the doctor was walking pass the hospital cafeteria, he spots the man eating a 24 ounce porter house steak. "What are you doing?!" exclaimed the doctor, "You are supposed to be on an all vegetarian diet!."
The man looks up with a fork and knife in hand and a piece of steak in his mouth and replies "I am! This is beef, cows are vegetarians!"
Oct 11, 2016
Social Group
Each time I attend a Toastmasters International meeting I learn something new. Tonight I took on the role of Joke Master and Timer. I really like how the meetings are introduced with a joke, it brings a lot of levity to the meeting and sets a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I learned that the joke itself does not even have to be great, the audience wants to laugh, and you just need to give them an excuse to. I learned from a previous meeting that the details help to illustrate a good joke and sets the scene for a story.You can read the joke below for a few chuckles.
The role of Timer is also important. Often times when we give presentations or speeches, we have to be mindful of how long we are speaking for. As one of the veterans of the group says "A speech is like a dress, it should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep things interesting." She was definitely right about that. Throughout the night, every speaker had to stick to their timing constraints. If was very obvious when someone either spoke too little or went over. Those that did not speak long enough did not appear to have enough to say, walking away before their point was fully conveyed. Those that talked too long had short periods of rambling or odd pauses which made the speech not flow as smoothly. And though it may seem like an easy job, I often found myself behind the time with the queues simply because I was trying to pay attention to the speeches and the stopwatch at the same time.
The Joke
A man wakes up in the hospital, he groans as he's trying to move. To his right, his heart monitor was beeping away. To his left, an IV line was dangling off this left arm. "What happened..." the man muttered.
The doctor in the room looks at the patient then down at his chart. "Your coworkers found you unconscious on the floor, by the looks of it you had a pretty severe heart attack. You are lucky to be alive."
"But...how... how did this happen."
"From the labs it looks like your blood pressure is elevated and your cholesterol is through the roof. What is your diet like?"
"Last week I was on a fried chicken diet... this week I was on a donuts and ice cream diet..."
"I see. If you continue what you are doing, you will likely have another heart attack and you may not be so lucky next time. You need to make changes to your lifestyle, and to start you must go on an all vegetarian diet."
"Ok doc, it's gonna be tough, but if you really think it will help, then I'll do it."
The next day, the as the doctor was walking pass the hospital cafeteria, he spots the man eating a 24 ounce porter house steak. "What are you doing?!" exclaimed the doctor, "You are supposed to be on an all vegetarian diet!."
The man looks up with a fork and knife in hand and a piece of steak in his mouth and replies "I am! This is beef, cows are vegetarians!"
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Self Reflection Sunday
10/9/2016
Self Reflection
Welp, I screwed up, this past week I accomplished none of my goals. My inertia is gone...I went from running 3 miles a day, 3 days a week to 0 miles a day, 0 days a week. My analysis of property also went to zero. I did not meet any new people to add to my real estate team and my dreams of financial security has been delayed at least 1 week. How could this have happened, I was doing so well just a few weeks ago. Well life happened. First my computer broke down, failing to boot up multiple times. Without my computer, I had trouble analyzing properties so I sought to fix the issue at hand. Ultimately I had to do a reboot of the system, erasing all the files, and gave the computer a clean start. At first it seemed as things would be fine, but then it failed to load again. I realized that if the computer will only boot up properly half the time, then I should stop having it boot up and simply leave it on 24/7. I know that if I dare to shut down my computer, it may not start again. It is only a matter of time before my 4 year computer calls it quits.
Next my phone started to act funny. My HTC m7, a phone I have enjoyed having for the last 3 years is showing its age as well. The proximity sensor no longer works, the camera has the dreaded purple haze, and the battery can not longer hold a charge for a work day even with power saver on. The battery life is at the point where if it tries to activate extreme power saver mode, the energy that it takes up to activate will shut down the phone. I need to figure out if I can make it to black friday, where hopefully a number of electronics will go on sale and I can pick up a replacement. At almost 2 months away, it is not entirely clear if my phone will make it that long.
This week I ended up spending my time dreading about buying a new computer and phone. Every time I look at one, I keep thinking about how much that item actually costs. A $500 computer actually costs about $900 once you factor in sales tax and income tax. Add it another $500 phone and that's $1800 gone. And that is on the generous side, most new phones and computers now costs $750 or more; meaning it will cost me well over $2000. I am trying to balance out whether to put money into something brand new so that it lasts longer or save some money by buying an older model. What is clear is that if I do not have these things, it is much tougher for me to be productive, and therefore will hurt me in the long run.
What I am happy about this week is that I was able to take time off from work to take my mom to the hospital for her surgery. I am proud that despite how busy life is, I was able to make time for family. And for one day I was able to be by my mom's side and to hang out with my brother. Mom is doing well and recovering at home.
I will not let this bump in the road stop, me I will renew my efforts this coming week. This week's goal is to complete last week's goal.
Self Reflection
Welp, I screwed up, this past week I accomplished none of my goals. My inertia is gone...I went from running 3 miles a day, 3 days a week to 0 miles a day, 0 days a week. My analysis of property also went to zero. I did not meet any new people to add to my real estate team and my dreams of financial security has been delayed at least 1 week. How could this have happened, I was doing so well just a few weeks ago. Well life happened. First my computer broke down, failing to boot up multiple times. Without my computer, I had trouble analyzing properties so I sought to fix the issue at hand. Ultimately I had to do a reboot of the system, erasing all the files, and gave the computer a clean start. At first it seemed as things would be fine, but then it failed to load again. I realized that if the computer will only boot up properly half the time, then I should stop having it boot up and simply leave it on 24/7. I know that if I dare to shut down my computer, it may not start again. It is only a matter of time before my 4 year computer calls it quits.
Next my phone started to act funny. My HTC m7, a phone I have enjoyed having for the last 3 years is showing its age as well. The proximity sensor no longer works, the camera has the dreaded purple haze, and the battery can not longer hold a charge for a work day even with power saver on. The battery life is at the point where if it tries to activate extreme power saver mode, the energy that it takes up to activate will shut down the phone. I need to figure out if I can make it to black friday, where hopefully a number of electronics will go on sale and I can pick up a replacement. At almost 2 months away, it is not entirely clear if my phone will make it that long.
This week I ended up spending my time dreading about buying a new computer and phone. Every time I look at one, I keep thinking about how much that item actually costs. A $500 computer actually costs about $900 once you factor in sales tax and income tax. Add it another $500 phone and that's $1800 gone. And that is on the generous side, most new phones and computers now costs $750 or more; meaning it will cost me well over $2000. I am trying to balance out whether to put money into something brand new so that it lasts longer or save some money by buying an older model. What is clear is that if I do not have these things, it is much tougher for me to be productive, and therefore will hurt me in the long run.
What I am happy about this week is that I was able to take time off from work to take my mom to the hospital for her surgery. I am proud that despite how busy life is, I was able to make time for family. And for one day I was able to be by my mom's side and to hang out with my brother. Mom is doing well and recovering at home.
I will not let this bump in the road stop, me I will renew my efforts this coming week. This week's goal is to complete last week's goal.
I Am Glad Donald Trump Ran For President
Oct 8, 2016
I am glad Donald Trump ran for president, and No I am not being sarcastic. Donald Trump is easily the most controversial person in politics at the moment, and that is even compared with the Filipino President Duterte who has legalized street executions. Trump is more controversial because of his platform of being not politically correct, his ability to stay in the spot light despite repeatedly insulting others, and his knack for grabbing attention wherever he goes; and he is able to accomplish this all while being a huge turd. Most people dislike politicians even though the majority will vote for them, and most will say that politicians are cheats and liars but are always insulted when the politician is cheating or lying; but Donald Trump takes lying, cheating, and dislike to a whole new level.
Donald Trump is a terrible racist, and often he directs his attacks at Mexicans. He began his campaign by calling Mexicans criminals and rapists. Some of his supporters may say his comments are not directed at those of Mexican descent who are living here legally, the comments are only for those criminal elements that have crossed the border. The truth is Trump cannot tell the difference. That is why he decried Judge Gonzalo Curiel as being unfit to preside over his Trump University lawsuit. Judge Curiel was born and raised in the U.S. and upholds the law. You literally cannot get any more American or any more non-criminal than Judge Curiel, but Trump only sees Curiel's Mexican heritage and will brand him as a Mexican. Trump will never see Curiel as an American regardless of what Curiel does, how long he has lived in the U.S, or any other factors. The only factor Trump sees is Curiel's heritage and therefore he must be Mexican. Trump claims a conflict of interest saying that the Curiel's heritage makes the case biased against Trump, making his claims based only on race; which is text book definition of a racist. Perhaps he would prefer a white judge, maybe he would receive a favorable judgement that way. But the law is supposed to impartial, so being biased in Trumps favor would not be appropriate either. Perhaps an Asian, black, Muslim, or females judge... no, Trump has insulted those groups as well and Trump would likely cry foul as well.
Donald Trump constantly lies or is wrong. According to Politfact.com, 52% of Donald Trumps statements that were analyzed were deemed to be false or pants-on-fire (meaning outrageously wrong). It is hard to determine if he is lying or is wrong, mostly because to lie would require you to knowingly say something that is not true. With all the controversies and conspiracies that Trump spews out, it is difficult to know whether or not he realizes they are not real. Whether it is claiming that Obama was not born in the U.S or that Ted Cruz's father had a part in Kennedy's assassination he cannot stop making things up. When confronted with facts and evidence to the contrary, Trump attempts to deny he ever made the comments or simply double down, but his explanations are often worst than his statements. Even when it was shown that Obama was born in the U.S. Trump pursued the issue, refusing to let the conspiracy die. Then he claims that he alone ends the conspiracy and attempts to take credit for ending something he started. Later when pressed on it, he blames Hillary Clinton for starting the entire controversy, attempting to rewrite history, as if people have not been paying attention or the internet did not exist. And yet, he utter every word with confidence, confident but wrong.
Donald Trump loves getting money, and he does it by taking from charities, his supporters, and small businesses that cannot defend themselves in court. Unlike most charities founded by wealthy philanthropist, Trump does not put his own money into his charity the Trump Foundation. Instead he collects money from other organizations, then gives that money away for the publicity. Often times he makes money off his charities. The Washington Post found that in one instance Trump had taken money from another organization, given it to a police union, who had paid to use a Trump property. So Trump put up no money, and got the police union to pay him instead. He was also caught using charity money to buy luxuries for himself, pay for legal fees, and donate to political campaigns; all in violation of federal laws. Recently the New York attorney general had to send a cease and desist order to the Trump Foundation. Trump not only makes money off charities, he also makes money off his campaign for presidency. A large portion of the money that supporters have donated to the Trump campaign have been spent at Trump properties. So win or lose, Trump is sure to make money off the other people's contribution. This is in stark contrast to most other candidates that would avoid such as relationship between personal and politics to avoid a conflict of interest. Finally, Trump makes money by screwing over the little guys. Often times Trump will refuse to pay for services rendered, and when confronted, his team of lawyers would ensure that litigation would drag out for so long that the small business would crumble financially even if it wins. His 3,500 lawsuits are a prime example that those who work with Trump often regret working with Trump.
If Donald Trump does not win the election it would be because of his most damning fault, he does not believe women are people. For months we knew he is comfortable attacking women as slobs and fat despite being nearly obese himself. But the recent revelations that he assaulted a married woman saying “I did try and f--- her. She was married,” and “Grab them by the p---y, You can do anything.” He made these comments while being married to his current wife Melania. After the revelation, Trump claims that these tapes were just a distraction and he promised to do better. The tapes were recorded in 2005, it has been 11 years, and it is pretty obvious that Trump is still a sack a crap and is no better than he was 10 years ago. He still constantly berates and attack women from a former Miss America to Megyn Kelly of Fox News. He calls the tapes a distraction but sexual assault is not a distraction, it is a very serious issue that affects many women in the U.S and in the world. If affects the woman who rides in a taxi, goes to a frat party, hangs out in a bar, or even walks down the street. It is pervasive in the workplace, military, and even at home. Many women live with the fear that sexual assault can come from anywhere. Sexual assault is very real, it is no distraction, and the ease and comfort that Trump talk about it and conducts himself indicates how little he thinks of women to be able to behave that way.
Donald Trump is full of pretend money, he does not release his tax records so it is difficult to estimate his real worth. He claims that he is worth over $10 billion but analysis say that he may really be only worth $3 billion. Trump claims that the majority of his worth is in the Trump name, that it is synonymous with wealth and success. However, after what we have seen, the Trump name is really synonymous with racism, ignorance, greed, and misogyny. This campaign season is likely going to have a negative affect on the value of the Trump name, perhaps knocking him down by a few billion dollars. And without his money, Trump is just another crazy homeless man, yelling non-sense on the street.
It is for all this that I am glad Donald Trump ran for president. The fact is that Trump is a giant turd, perhaps the shiniest turd that was ever polished. Before the campaign season, he was seen a great business man. For years the Trump name brought with it wealth and success. Now we see him a much different light, as a person who takes from charities, violates the law, and demeans other cultures and genders. His assault on women and his denigration of others would not have been exposed had he not ran for president. There is a good chance that more civil and legal lawsuits will be brought against him. Running for president exposed all his flaws for the world to see, and it is likely that he will fall very far from grace and fall very hard. Had he not ran his campaign, it is very likely that he would have gotten away with all the terrible things that he has done and would likely have been able to continue to do. There is a good chance he will be punished for all that he has done and all his future action will be highly scrutinized. That is perhaps the only silver lining I can see in this campaign season. But with all his flaws, he was right about one thing: he has the ability to unify, though that unity is very much against Trump.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Goodrich petroleum
I just purchased 170 shares of goodrich petroleum for $2 (total, not per share) . Goodrich is an over the counter company which means it is not available for purchase via the big brokers, I had to buy their shares through my brother who used Merrill Edge.
Goodrich recently filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, reducing their debt from $40 million to $4. They have enough money set aside for restructuring and wages. They operate over 150 oil and shale sites in the United States. With the slowly increasing price of energy due to OPEC reducing output, I see an upside to this company. One of the biggest upsides is that it can pretty much not go any lower, and it may become a buyout potential if bigger companies want to acquire its property. Also for $2, or less than the price of a cup of coffee, I can handle the risk.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Self Reflection Sunday
"when your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you have something good to watch"
Oct 2, 2016
Self reflection
It is the beginning of October and the weather is starting to get cooler. It is amazing how quickly time passes, often without us realizing it. And the more I do this blog, the more happy I am that I started it those months ago. These reflections have not only given me a way to track where I have been but it also allows me to have a goal of where to head to.
So far I have written 27 articles, far more than I would have ever expected. I have yet to miss a self reflection, good or bad. This past week I continued my inertia of working out for 3 days and also analyzed 10 properties, a few properties had good potential. Thus far I have looked at 39 properties, just short of half way. I also started getting pre-approvals for loans to figure out where I stand for when I am ready to put down an offer. This coming week I want to workout for 3 days, analyze at least 11 properties (to bring my total to 50), and start 1 more pre-approvals process. I will also look into finding a real estate team via a meet up or bigger pockets.
My brother has also given me a challenge. He wants me to document my thought process for buying stocks. So I will jot down why I bought a stock and then look back on it in the future to see if I was correct. This should be a fun and simple exercise but it may help open my eyes to things I had not considered before.
Still plenty of learning ahead, let's make life worth watching.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)