There's a bit of irony visible this morning on the heels of our quarterly Sheeple Alert.
RCEL shares are bidding higher once again, following Friday's uptick. However, there's something else I'm finding interesting...
The other day, Pete807, a board favorite as well as one of my own---informed us that his current position is built of a free ride following smart trading along the way. I'm proud of him for having accomplished it.
Then comes the Sheeple Alert. I read through it twice and came to the conclusion that it depicted one person's take on Avita. While many of us dislike such flagrant displays of rants designed to push us into agreement with that other individual, I couldn't find reason to argue against his factual data despite its amounting to not more than a recapitulation of well-known headlines.
That moved me to examine an opinion expressed freely without enshrouded disguised short-sided agenda---from Pete807. And so it was that I dug into Ameritrade's cost basis tables, focusing on my RCEL holdings.
What I came up with surprised even me as I don't ever focus on gains in any particular stock pick. Rather, I have traditionally looked at only overall portfolio gains on a yearly basis.
However, even an old fart will sometimes change style if not odiferous content. Thus it is that I discovered this interesting little factoid:
As of today's market opening, this being August 3, 2020, my split-adjusted cost per share of Avita stands at $11 per share. While well down from this current year's high, I'm sitting on more than a double on the year-to-date basis. Highs and lows should not be factored into things until we sell. My actual cost basis dating back through 2019 will bring that cost basis considerably lower as I traded heavily (for gains always).
Two things come to mind here:
1. Contrasting where our shares are as opposed to highs established earlier in this year is not the way to gauge things in my opinion. Gains registered in February or April are meaningless as I didn't sell shares. It is the books, only, that reflect an ongoing state of health with respect to profits versus gains. Instead, the brokerage is showing that RCEL has been an immensely profitable investment vehicle for me and, I dare say, many, many others here as well. By the way, pete807 is and remains the friend who pushed me to launch my initial position in Avita!
2. When someone like the "sheeple alert" person comes along, going all out to hammer his thoughts and his urgings---my red flag system perks up and shouts to me. Our sheeple alert guy becomes my focus of the moment:
"Len, tune this bullshitter out! He couldn't care less about YOU or your estate---he's got an underlying motive. You've always been straight up in explaining your motives when posting. Why would you trust this guy who shows up every quarter right on HIS schedule, always painting a completely negative picture? And Len---you're sitting on a double plus! What's it going to take to make it clear to you that you're doing great and don't need the likes of a ranting fear mongering specialist?
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Now, then---I always detail my trades here---and I make a point (for my conscience's sake) of displaying my trades---both in and out---before or at the least coincidental with trade order details. I have no ulterior motives and I'm certain none could be established other than to help others follow the very pattern that has me to just over 100% gains year to date in RCEL. And, alas---some of my trades have been terrible! lol
Frankly, I'm surprised about this gain as I don't normally think in terms of profit/gain information. Having been blind for five years, I developed an ability to remember certain numbers critical to understanding how to best assess market opportunity. When I determine price points at which to buy or sell shares, it's based on an ability gained when blind that continues to come to my defense, pointing the way towards profitability. I'm blessed. And although 80 years old, I don't even wear glasses, thanks to some radical eye surgery twenty years ago!
So, to my fellow posters, I'll suggest you do what I failed to do until this morning---go to your profit/loss feature at your brokerage. Insert the time frame you wish to cover (this year-to-date orientation works for me.) You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. And if so, then you know what to do with sheeple alerts. But if you don't like your profit-loss picture, there are ways you can deal with that.
One last item:
Successful stock trading is built of the investment vehicle with its in-place management and the stock picker/investor/trader's portfolio management. The results each of us comes up with will represent the stock and---very importantly---the results of our own individual actions.
We all need to do our own "homework." It's so easy to get it done, really---as I found out.
I truly hope others here take a minute to scope out their own results. I suspect many will give themselves a much-deserved slap on the back.
Let us all hear from you, won't you? Your opinions are the life-blood of this board.
Thank you.
Len/Jugs
