AfroBeats - If Artists Were Like Stocks | Momentum Stock: Core Scientific, Spotify, Roblox

 

Investing In Yourself – Using Pillars to Build Your Core	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/urbanomics-pillars-path-set-for.html
Setting Budgets + Saving for Black Swans	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/personal-finance-budget-101-free-credit.html
	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2019/11/hey-henry-high-earner-not-yet-rich.html
How to Open My First Brokerage Account	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-finance-101-starting.html
Diversify your Life (Mind, Body, Soul, + Investments) Use the "SEARCH" bar to see if I've written about a topic you are interested in.	Get Updates to Your Email When I Create A New Post: Use the "Subscription" feature to receive free updates to your device.

AfroBeats - Artists Compared to Stocks

I cannot tell you how proud I am of the growth of African music. I have grown up all my life listening to African music and it's amazing to see the dancefloor erupt when some of our biggest African artists and songs come on at a party. Just like when Dre and Snoop, Nas, Jay, Biggie, Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey, or Whitney Houston are played -- the room is electric. Now the world gets to experience what we've been dancing and shaking to all of our lives. The global explosion of African music across the world has been amazing and I'm telling you it's here to stay. I listen to songs in different languages, slangs, and styles and one thing is universal our music makes you want to dance. And yes, I simply call it African music -- what is this AfroBeats ting?

Well, I wanted to revisit my series that helps you learn how to invest by comparing everyday things to stocks. I always say you have to start by determining what type of investor you are as that usually dictates the types of stocks you like to trade. If you had $100,000 dollars to invest, how would you invest in your favorite African artists:

Momentum Artists: Tyla | Rema | Lojay

I like to say that momentum stocks or artists are investments in something that's buzzing. Like the initial launch of Tesla, the only people that were checking for electric vehicles were EV die-hard fans. No one, I mean no one else was interested in electric cars or let alone wanting to pre-order the damn thing. Then you saw a Tesla on the road OR you heard these hits songs in the last year, and you knew they were undeniably hit songs:

Artist: Tyla ~ Hit Song: Water [Country: South Africa]

Artist: Rema ~ Hit Song: Calm Down [Country: Nigeria]

Artist: Lojay ~ Hit Song: MonaLisa [Country: Nigeria]

Tyla and Water were arguably the biggest songs in the world in the last year. It seemed like we couldn't get enough of Tyla, Ampiano and the buzziness of "Water". She followed up with a remix with none other than Travis Scott and then came for music nerds like me when she teamed up with 2 of my favorites: Skillibeng and Gunna on "Jump". 

Rema - I was bumping "Calm Down" for a minute and the song is infectious. While playing at a backyard party, I had a guest say what is this song -- I like it. The song was so big it has 2 versions, the original which is my favorite and the remix with Selena Gomez. The funny thing is I think some fans think it's Selena's song because of the way the remix was pushed out. Don't believe me, do a search for calm down and strangely you see Selena Gomez as if it's her damn song. Collectively the 2 versions on YouTube Video are easily over 1.5 billion video views.

Lojay & Sarz - Baby corner, corner waka-waka! Yes, for those of you that don't know Creole as we call it or Pidgin in other African regions -- Lojay and Sarz are telling their baby girl to walk over the corner the rest is a sultry mix of indulging in her coca or chocolate body. The song is so big, I share it and people say I've heard and like that song but don't know what they are saying. The song was sooo big that Chris Brown jumped on the remix and the buzz is still going.

Momentum Stocks

Core Scientific (CORZ) - Per their own website "Core Scientific is one of the largest bitcoin miners and hosting solutions providers for bitcoin mining in North America." I read the company recently came out of bankruptcy in January 2024. I started sniffing around when a partner of CORZ, CoreWeave made two attempts to purchase the company. They have to have some knowledge of the operations as they signed a big AI deal in June of 2024 for CORZ hosting services, I believe. While that deal was announced, they then went for the hook up and said we'd love to buy you out. Player move but looks like they are low-balling the offer. It was similar to an African engagement I recently witnessed -- one man representing the bride-to-be's family said, "The envelope looks a little bit light...please go back". I just learned the directors of CORZ are buying the stock and that is promising for a small company with rising momentum. Are they a one hit wonder or can they survive.

Spotify (SPOT) - I believe I've written about Spotify recently and boy are they on a surge. I was too early and this artist or should I say stock is now finally stringing together a 2nd and 3rd hit song. I believe in 2021 I bought around the $260 range and saw it rise and then drop shortly after that all the way into the 70s in late 2022. I liked the first song -- as they essentially a part of a cartel. I actually get most of my music from YouTube Video and only recently Music, but the big dog is Spotify and Tidal is a small fry. Sorry real music artists, streaming is here to stay -- I just wonder if Spotify can increase the price, stave off a mutiny from artists and reign supreme. I'm now in the Green and trading actively against Spotify because the option premiums are very attractive like that coca body.

Roblox (RBLX) - Is the like the new stock on the block that I nailed just right but got nervous about when the next hit song was coming out. I listened to a good friend tell me ALL the kids play on a platform called Roblox. I have no clue what this platform is but I looked into the stock and it had a rough time after creating a buzz. Sound familiar touring artists. Like a greedy music label, I saw talent when the stock stumbled to the $25 range. I owned it for much of the last months or so. It ran up on a hit song to the 40s I got nervous a 2nd hit song wasn't coming right away and sold as they came down into the 30s. Well that was a mistake because the second song is doing nicely and the stock is back at the $43 range. I am watching this one soooo closely as I want to get back in. Maybe I'll wait to see if they have a good TMZ like scandal which knocks the stock down, pick some shares up, and then wait for the 2nd album to cause the stock to move higher again.

Disclosures: I own Core Scientific and Spotify; I owned Roblox within the last year and got out too early. Also, I'm not typically a momentum stock trader. Note from my writings -- I like Roblox after they stumbled, Core Scientific only after a label came calling, and Spotify for the lane it is in. Like Shaboozey, an African boy (Nigerian) who had to genius idea of taking a classic one hit wonder song "Tipsy" (Artist: J-Kwon) and putting a country twist on it is an artist in his own lane. The world is craving for a unique sound and not many artists can fill that void yet. He's got a lot of money to make before other artists start attempting to fuse hip-hop and country.

Next Up Growth Stocks

We Be Huntin' Series - What is the Catalyst for the Catalent Inc (NYSE: CTLT) Trade

 

Hunting in Packs - Paul Singer -- Catalent (CTLT)

Investing is a lot like fishing or poker -- it takes patience and discipline. I've found that some of my best trades have come about because I did my research early, had conviction, and then entered the terms of my trade in hopes it would be filled when the market met my expectations -- NOT the other way.

My Mansa Musa network often helps to shape my thinking and when we execute trades together or hunt -- we often make money together in business, real estate, investing, etc. When I combine all these concepts or mentalities into one you get the Mansa Musa Mentality. Arguably the richest person in history, Mansa Musa, ruled over a large empire and put cities like Timbuktu on the map as they were known for their cities and libraries.

This posts is an example of how the #MansaMusaMentality work and how I use my extended network to invest. Almost like a case study, I'll highlight how these contacts guide me on investments such as buying real estate, stocks, precious metals, cryptocurrencies, etc. And I want to foster a community culture, so I'll show you how I learn from them and maybe in the future we can crowdsource or here we call it #tribesource investment ideas for the future.

"Detail" - A Breakdown of my Catalent (CTLT) Investment

Year: 2023

Throwback Link:  n/a

Research Timetable: July 2023

Research Details:

I read a really good article about Paul Singer, an investor, who is in my Mansa Musa network. Don't believe me just look him up in this 2021 article: URBANOMICS: Mansa Musa Mentality - Building Your Investment Empire

Paul Singer is a hunter, or should I say investor that comes across as shrewd and non-compromising. I started reading articles last year about how he was setting his sights on Catalent. They've had of issues going on:

• Declining business after the COVID-19 pandemic
• Senior Management leaving the company
• FDA notice about cleanliness issues at a facility (a notice or citation is when the regulators find a problem and in healthcare this is bad)
• Left at the Alter - Snubbed by the company Danaher, there was hook up here
• Delayed earnings reports (think about getting your annual checkup, but not wanting to tell anyone)
• Down 50% of their value in since 2022; down 65+% since 2021

I don't rock with Paul on a number of social issues but when he invests in companies to agitate and change things -- good things usually happen.

• Catalent caved and gave Paul's investment firm four board positions,
• Created a strategic review committee, which usually means they wanna hook up with someone (swipe right)
• They are the primary manufacturer of Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug, Wegovy, and could be a takeover target as companies want to consistent pipeline to deliver these blockbuster drugs

Huntin' In Packs Alert: In August 2023, I decided it was worth riding shotgun with Paul on this one.

The Setup:

Aug 2023: $40 

Feb 2024: 2 Trades at the following prices:

• $60
• $56.2691

How is it Performing: Well in February 2024, Novo Nordisk's holding company made an announcement they want to hook up with Catalent at a range of $16 Billion dollar value. So, I went shopping again and you can see the prices above.

All was well until April 2024 when the Federal Trade Commission and Novo Nordisk discussed initial hook up plans with Catalent. Novo pulled their filing to the FTC and subsequently refiled. Then in May 2024, the Federal Trade Commission requested more information on Novo Nordisk hook up plans, shortly after an application was filed.

I'm exhausted watching this soap opera but the stock has been steadily climbing from the low $50s and is now approaching $60. They buyout price would be around $65 if all goes well. I wish I would have done more research and identified how entangled Catalent was with other providers like Eli Lilly but at the end of the day, Lilly could have swiped right and tried to hook up with this company too. We'll see if CTLT is too important to be bought out when the FTC decides, so stay tuned. Right now, I'm up only slightly but it will be a nice win, in a short period of time if this hook up makes it to the alter.

We Be Huntin' - A Look Back at My El Pollo Loco Trade (NASDAQ: LOCO)

Hunting in Packs - Sam Biglari -- El Pollo Loco (LOCO)

Investing is a lot like fishing or poker -- it takes patience and discipline. I've found that some of my best trades have come about because I did my research early, had conviction, and then entered the terms of my trade in hopes it would be filled when the market met my expectations -- NOT the other way.

My Mansa Musa network often helps to shape my thinking and when we execute trades together or hunt -- we often make money together in business, real estate, investing, etc. When I combine all these concepts or mentalities into one you get the Mansa Musa Mentality. Arguably the richest person in history, Mansa Musa, ruled over a large empire and put cities like Timbuktu on the map as they were known for their cities and libraries.

This posts is an example of how the #MansaMusaMentality work and how I use my extended network to invest. Almost like a case study, I'll highlight how these contacts guide me on investments such as buying real estate, stocks, precious metals, cryptocurrencies, etc. And I want to foster a community culture, so I'll show you how I learn from them and maybe in the future we can crowdsource or here we call it #tribesource investment ideas for the future.

"Detail" - A Breakdown of my El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Investment

Year: 2023

Throwback Link: Link Back to El Pollo Loco 

Research Timetable: August 2023

Research Details:

I read a really good article about Sam Biglari, an investor, who is in my Mansa Musa network. He has been a major investor and had a significant impact over Steak 'n Shake. Now it's time to show my age. When I was growing up Steak 'n Shake was a cool place to take a date. It reigned supreme as a late-night spot with low expectations. This was two decades ago, but I felt like it had commonality with grease -- greasy meal with greasy floors. You had to walk carefully but as a youth it was all good because you and your date were only there for the "shakes". The shake never failed you. Fast forward, one of my employees was telling me they eat occasionally at Steak 'n Shake and even called it clean. My interest perked up because I had over the decades disowned the fast-food shop for exactly the opposite reasons. I got more intel and recently tried it with my young kids. In fact, it was clean, they now had a drive-thru, and the food was hot which is a step up from the off-the-assembly lines fast food chains.

The article I read back in August detailed how Sam made investments into the company years back which was in a dire situation. They turned a profit back in 2021 and shrewdly closed about 90 locations. Adding drive-thru gives them an opportunity for more volume as they become of a fast-food restaurant and reduces costs from less dining in.

Huntin' In Packs Alert: Sam's picked up a large stake in another restaurant chain El Pollo Loco. By buying an ownership stake around 9% of the entire restaurant chain ($33 million dollars) I decided it was worth riding shotgun with my guy Sam.

The Setup: Check the stock chart above back in August 2023. The stock was trading around $11 dollars a share. Now me, I remember was candy bars were .50c so I like value. If I don't see Reese's Cups selling for this level -- I pass. Same with my trades, I like to build a margin in by betting on the lower side of where a stock has been trading. I did my research (usually by analyzing the stock's movement in the last year) and set a price I'd like to get in around $8-9 dollars a share. I put the trade in my account in August and it hit in November. The stock dipped to $8.60 range and my trade hit!

Don't Believe Me Just Watch - This is what I said literally back in August:

Call me crazy, or should I say LOCO, but let's see how our trade does. I like LOCO around the $8 level and for I'll enjoy hunting with Sam.

#HuntinPacks - designates investments I made alongside someone in my network

#MansaMusaMentality

 

Are Systems Inherently Fragile or are they Broken - CrowdStrike | Economies | Politics | Health

Investing In Yourself – Using Pillars to Build Your Core	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/urbanomics-pillars-path-set-for.html
Setting Budgets + Saving for Black Swans	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/personal-finance-budget-101-free-credit.html
	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2019/11/hey-henry-high-earner-not-yet-rich.html
How to Open My First Brokerage Account	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-finance-101-starting.html
Diversify your Life (Mind, Body, Soul, + Investments) Use the "SEARCH" bar to see if I've written about a topic you are interested in.	Get Updates to Your Email When I Create A New Post: Use the "Subscription" feature to receive free updates to your device.

Just wakin' up in the mornin', gotta thank God

I don't know, but today seems kinda odd

No barkin' from the dog, no smog

And mama cooked the breakfast with no hog

Ice Cube ~ It Was a Good Day

Fragility - Vantage Point: CrowdStrike (CRWD)

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc NASDAQ: CRWD

I was just wakin' up in the mornin' and I already has a few messages. Computer screens around the world were BLUE, literally, and companies were feeling the BLUE. They were finding out that their businesses were coming to a screeching halt. Airlines could not fly, employees could not login, and the government could not operate. The news was a "normal" update from the cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, contained errors and had disrupted how Microsoft computers were operating. Ahhh who cares. Well, I like to put things into perspective by providing some context. Roughly 70% of computer systems run Microsoft software and I've recently heard CrowdStrike is the endpoint detection solution for a majority of companies. For me directly, it meant that I was not able to log into my company laptop. I had two simple takeaways from this event:

1. Systems are Fragile - It's amazing that one faulty update, that happens frequently, brought companies and their systems down. How does that happen??

2. CrowdStrike's Reach - I know CRWD is big, but I felt their reach firsthand

Value Trading - I've been watching this stock for quite some time and used this opportunity to buy some options in CRWD as the stock fell hard and fast Friday. The day went by and finally at 3:45 I received a message on how I needed to fix my laptop to get logged in. Then strangely I saw a message saying that I had purchased some stock in CRWD. But I had not placed an order? Remember when I said that I had been watching this stock? Well, I had an "open" order that basically would be triggered if for some strange reason CRWD were to drop to levels I thought were worth buying. Maybe I believe that systems can be fixed just like that update I received. 

Fragility - Vantage Point: Economies and Ecosystems

I have often written about the boom then bust nature of economies. In the economic world we call this growth and then recession or inflation and then deflation. The question is why does this happen? Is the system fragile, are ALL systems fragile -- or is the system broken? I'm not here to truly answer the question today, but I wanted to share this question after watching the CRWD issue bring businesses to their knees. From an economic perspective:

1. Economic Fragility - Will debt bring the US to its knees?

    OR

2. Economies Inherently Broken - Is this part of the regularly scheduled program?

How about our crazy weather. For the first time, in a long time my old city Chicago was impacted by a tornado that touched down. Shingles flew off my roof of the home I still own there and then at my current home I think I heard my howling from the fast-paced winds as the house shook. From an ecosystem perspective:

1. Ecosystems Are broken? - Is the rapidly changing climate going to continue to erode coastlines, cause houses to fall of mountainside cliffs, tornados to touch down in the Midwest and cities to flood around the world?

    OR

2. Ecosystems are Fragile - Are systems inherently fragile and this is how it is and will always be?

Fragility - Vantage Point: Politics

I'll let you fill in the section. Is the system broken or is politics inherently fragile? When the US, the superpower of the world, sees an assassination attempt of a former president during a campaign -- are we really just like the rest of world and ALL politics is fragile? Or have we gotten to the point where the system is broken.

Fragility - Vantage Point: Health

Finally, what better sums up fragility than health. I'm watching President Biden on the campaign trail and compare what I am seeing to my experiences with my aging parents. Is that what we are all thinking? This week, I listened to a neighbor describe her husband's response to chemotherapy as he battles cancer and recalled how that hit a similar tune to experiences in my family. 

I've read and continue to follow the stories around Nate Robinson's health. He was literally called 'Superman' as the 5'9 former NBA guard won 2 slam dunk contests catapulting over people. Now he is battling the fragility of his health as high blood pressure and kidney failure have dunked him to the point of depression. His story discusses how the disease may be genetic but also speaks to human desire as he chose to continue playing as he found out about the diagnosis early in his career. I relate so much to his story as I and many others battle high blood pressure and its wide-ranging effects. Are my issues genetic, caused by my choices, factors beyond my control -- or just part of a fragile system to complex to comprehend. Human life is truly amazing -- but I wonder if it's because we ALL share a story of fragility. One disease, one paycheck, one accident and fragility shows its face. But family, friends, memories, and experiences have the amazing effect of pushing fragility to the back of our minds.

CAPRI HOLDINGS LIMITED - Is the owner of Versace | Jimmy Choo | Michael Kors a BUY, SELL, OR HOLD?

 

Investing In Yourself – Using Pillars to Build Your Core	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/urbanomics-pillars-path-set-for.html
Setting Budgets + Saving for Black Swans	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/personal-finance-budget-101-free-credit.html
	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2019/11/hey-henry-high-earner-not-yet-rich.html
How to Open My First Brokerage Account	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-finance-101-starting.html
Diversify your Life (Mind, Body, Soul, + Investments) Use the "SEARCH" bar to see if I've written about a topic you are interested in.	Get Updates to Your Email When I Create A New Post: Use the "Subscription" feature to receive free updates to your device.

CAPRI HOLDINGS LTD (NYSE: CPRI) POSITION UPDATE

As a small business owner, I have to make decisions often about what is an optimal outcome for my clients, staff, and me.  I get heckled for my consistent response of "What is the risk"? If we don't know the risk, then we should not be doing it. I then get a look of surprise when I share teachable moments to people by applying and concepts from business, cybersecurity, finance, marriage, and raising children. I believe in the 'Circle of Life' and how complex systems share similar principles. I ironically ask my business team to consider the risk of what they are doing and how it impacts our business and then I come how and discuss with my kids (all under the age of 10) about the risks of their actions.  The goal is to create accountability for one's own actions. I stay consistent because instead of accountability I often hear the opposite when things go awry. With my kids, I might hear "well I didn't know" and in the corporate world I see two things: 1) analysis paralysis - the inability for departments to make a decision without escalating to the highest levels of the organization and 2) 'call a guy' mentality - let me outsource my task or decision to another person by adding them to an email or meeting even when they don't add value. This article is to hold me accountable for my investment in CAPRI HOLDINGS.

Human nature is to only write about our investments when they go up. When people ask for financial advice, I joke they should find the podcaster, blogger, influencer, or coach that will be honest about their investments that aren't working. That is someone I want to talk with because there is integrity there. For CAPRI, the buck stops with me and my current investment is not working out and currently has me down or under water by 5 figures! My job is to keep it real, I haven't log into my account recently but I'm sure my investment is down roughly $10K or so. The amount is significant because CPRI represents my largest investment in my personal account. I made a series of trades to amass this position and I have to reflect on whether I miscalculated the risks. Let's revisit the details:

Details by Capri

In the 3rd Quarter of last year, my spidey senses tuned into an announcement from a stock I used to have a decent position in called Tapestry, Inc. In August 2023, Tapestry slid into the DMs of Capri. I saw this hook up of high fashion as a investment that made sense for my portfolio. 

Tapestry, owner of Coach, was approaching the house of Versace. So, what were the risks I weighed:

1. Risk of Capri Saying No: I didn't think this was a high risk because on August 10, 2023, Capri made the announcement that they wanted to hook up with Tapestry as the terms of engagement were favorable. I personally think it makes sense because as a connoisseur of hip-hop I hear in songs that the fashion trends are constantly changing. I presume to compete with fast, every day, and high fashion, these brands will acquire each other to keep the marketing efforts in your face, costs down, and prices premium.

2. Risk of Government Regulators Blocking the Acquisition: I didn't think was a high risk because my assumption is fashion is global. One would believe the various countries where these fashion brands live would be on board with supporting their local brands. I have no knowledge of high fashion but image France not supporting Louis Vuitton or Italy and their iconic brands. Heck, I've read that even if these two brands combined, they would only be the 4th largest luxury company in the world.

But why isn't the investment working:

I thought I was correct on all fronts. Capri accepted the terms of marriage and agreed to the hookup. Next, I read that Japan and the European Union regulators even signed off on the marriage and regulators are like parents who approve of marriage. All that was left were US regulators known as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). I joke someone must have known something because this investment has not done well since I made it. Or I should have calculated a higher probability or rejection by the FTC because I got burned on my Tegna investment last year. The FTC has been very aggressive in looking into these deals and just about a week ago they voted to block the marriage. This is bad news for an investor like me but I would agree if I thought communities and companies would be harmed. What is the harm to my community when high fashion brands link up??

Per the FTC, Coach, Kors, and Kate Spade all participate in the handbag and compete and monitor each other to make strategic decisions pricing. Also, every large acquisition could result in the reduction of employees to save costs (and often do).

My response would be: I assume all of these products are out of the common persons reach. I love my spouse and have never attempted to purchase any of these products. Heck, I thought Birkin was the sought after bag according to Cardi B and other celebrities. So whether prices stay high, doesn't impact the average American. Maybe if outlet prices go up it would but again these are vanity purchases...or so I thought.

What I didn't calculate was the FTC's comment on the potential for harm via job reductions. I never even factored that into my equation because that is a normal action or outcome of acquisitions. Looking at this scenario now, I'm not sure Tapestry is all of a sudden going to have all of these products being sold out of super stores, therefore cutting tons of employees. That type of action could water down the experience of these high end brands. So in my opinion the logical loss of employees is limited to the administration functions: marketing, finance, legal, purchasing, etc. 

What's Next - Well, Tapestry has sued the FTC's blocking of the merger. If this heads to court, my assumption is that fashion is a competitive contact sport for the luxury brands. I can't keep up with the name dropping in hip-hop songs of new brands every day. Next, a judge may ask why the FTC is the only regulator to block the hook up when Japan and the EU had no problem with it. Finally, I assume the rationale for the merger is it is getting hard to compete in this space and these companies want synergies, or to benefit from best practices, of the combined organization to compete against the onslaught of competition I assume comes from all ends.

For me I will hold, now that I've had a chance to spit out all my thoughts here on paper. I truly struggle with seeing how high fashion impacts the "average" consumer. My assumption is most of these brands are a bit out of reach of the average consumer so the harm is limited to the occasional premium outlet purchase for the consumer (her) feeling good, date night, and influencing on Instagram. I missed the jobs angle and will log that away for the future but if that is critical -- the world would never let any companies merge. I'll watch closely and hold because I think I've learned 2 things - where Capri is valued from here on out based on the terms of the deal and my current assumption that 2/3 approvals may sway a judge to get this across the finish line.

Drop a comment if you agree or disagree

#tapestry #capri #coach #versace #katespade #hookup alert #federal trade commission

How to Find Value? -- Start with Stocks Down Quarter 1 2024

   

Investing In Yourself – Using Pillars to Build Your Core	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/urbanomics-pillars-path-set-for.html
Setting Budgets + Saving for Black Swans	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/personal-finance-budget-101-free-credit.html
	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2019/11/hey-henry-high-earner-not-yet-rich.html
How to Open My First Brokerage Account	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-finance-101-starting.html
Diversify your Life (Mind, Body, Soul, + Investments) Use the "SEARCH" bar to see if I've written about a topic you are interested in.	Get Updates to Your Email When I Create A New Post: Use the "Subscription" feature to receive free updates to your device.

How to Find Value? -- Start with Stocks Down Quarter 1 2024

Sometimes I like to find value in stocks that are a bit down and out. They all have their own stories for why their stock prices are down. It can be a good starting point, if you like to do a bit of research to see if there is some value there. Take a look at this list and tell me, are you a buyer?

Here is a quick list of stocks down in Q1 2024:

Stock Name	Ticker	Quarter to Date % Decline
TESLA	TSLA	-28%
BOEING	BA	-26%
MARKETAXESS	MKTX	-25%
CHARTER COMM	CHTR	-24%
NIKE	NKE	-13%
INTEL	INTL	-13%
APPLE	AAPL	-10%

Bitcoin (GBTC) Update | Coming Soon: Splunk (SPLK) | Capri (CPRI) | Reddit (RDDT)

 

Investing In Yourself – Using Pillars to Build Your Core	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/urbanomics-pillars-path-set-for.html
Setting Budgets + Saving for Black Swans	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/personal-finance-budget-101-free-credit.html
	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2019/11/hey-henry-high-earner-not-yet-rich.html
How to Open My First Brokerage Account	https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2015/04/personal-finance-101-starting.html
Diversify your Life (Mind, Body, Soul, + Investments) Use the "SEARCH" bar to see if I've written about a topic you are interested in.	Get Updates to Your Email When I Create A New Post: Use the "Subscription" feature to receive free updates to your device.

Hello everyone, out there. 2024 has been a blur so far! Wait isn't that the name of Drake's current tour? All I know is the first three months of this year, I have been skating by like Tyla's hit single --- "Water". So, for my first post I want to revisit some trades that have been at the top of my investment playlist. Some have worked, others are clearly on vacation.

Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) (GBTC) Update

Bitcoin! I've been called many things but don't call me a flip flopper. I recently had someone say, "See I told you about Bitcoin and now you like the investment". My response was as follows "You clearly didn't read my previous post, What? Am I Investing in Bitcoin:  https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2023/11/what-am-i-investing-grayscale-bitcoin.html "

What I have been called over time is a penny pincher, miser, or as I like to call myself -- a Value Trader. I love to find value. My cryptocurrency friends don't like to tell you about the lumps they absorbed if they bought Bitcoin when it was trading at roughly $60K over a year ago and then precipitously saw it drop to roughly under $20K. The 'Day 1' crypto lovers probably held on to their investment but your average investor may have seen their investment fall almost 100% (...if they bought at the highs) and sold out of fear.

I have to admit, I was triggered into investing in Bitcoin. I watched this Bitcoin drop for over a year and felt for those crypto investors that bought at the highs. But more importantly from my post last November, I was triggered by the fact that crypto industry was suing the SEC to allow them to create and offer Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). ETFs are investment vehicles that allow an investor like me to easily buy and sell, say a commodity (like corn, wheat, gold, crypto, etc.) without having to take ownership of the actual good. I did not want to buy crypto outright because as a cyber professional I've seen the supposed crypto exchanges get hacked (remember Mt. Gox). I have seen crypto influencers post on social media about their wealth only to have crypto robbers (usually friends) beat them up and force them to give up their passwords to their crypto accounts or cold storage devices. Even worse, I saw how FTX and the saga Sam Bankman Friedman played out and the pain it caused many of FTX's crypto investors. An ETF means, no crpto exchange needed, no cold storage required, and no hassle. The VALUE logic I believed was when Bitcoin hit the lower end of $20K there was much more upside than when it was trading at highs of $60K. So, I bought GBTC back in November 2023 at roughly $20 a share. because of the value but more importantly because of the catalyst of the SEC losing this all-important court case. So, I remind my fellow value traders who read my posts on Urbanomics the path that got us here: Value (investment trading at a perceived reasonable discount) + Catalyst (positive legal decision in this case) = great trade even for an investment you may not like or plan to hold forever.

Splunk (SPLK) Update - Deal Close, Trade Done

Stay tuned for my new post of how Splunk is no longer...congrats to Cisco on this hook up. It went down in the DMs and this was a profitable trade for me.

Read my previous post, here: https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2023/11/lets-go-splunking-splunk-inc-nasdaq-splk.html

Capri (CPRI) - Trade Underwater

Next, I'll visit my failing trade in Capri. The FTC has stepped in like a thoughtful parent and put this discovered hook up on ice so far. Is this hook up in danger, like my failed Tegna trade.

Read my previous post, here: https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2023/08/savage-over-avid-technology-nasdaq-avid.html

Pay It Forward - Reddit (RDDT)

Stay tuned for a post on Reddit. I have a gentleman I mentor tell me how he broke out his old Robinhood account and finally made a trade. While he said it was easy money, I reminded him it was a thoughtful trade similar to what Mansa Musa network trader Peter Lynch would do. My friend simply bought something he knew about, used, and had much more insight into that I do.