Many think the market is showing its first signs of a major downfall, but I disagree.  Stocks remain well priced and things look brighter while investors have calmed down.

I do not think all the pessimism is justified, but when this attitudes enveloped Wall Street you need to hold on for dear life. 

My stocks have been getting crushed, and it hurts. I got burned a couple weeks back trying to push more money into my stocks they have gone down–trying to get in at a discount. The problem is that they are further discounted and will continue to be.  I will try to hord up some cash and continue to buy good stcoks on the way down as they become cheaper and cheaper.

Again, it is decision time. After the sell-off from the week prior, I decided to plow more money into equities on Monday and Tuesday.  I was obviously premature in my actions as the individual stocks I invested in are down about 10% in less than a week of trading. Is August 6 another opportunity to invest in broad indices as they are at such a huge discount? Is it time to jump on some stocks that you think are undervalued?  I would say yes to both questions, but the market might have another tough week. You can’t predict the highs and you can’t predict the lows so you have to determine your own investing course.

Any way you slice it I think it remains a good opportunity to acquire some great stocks at a 5-10% discount. To combat a possible further market downward spiral build a position, and do not jump in the market all at once.  It is impossible to predict a top or a bottom in the stock market so don’t try.  Create an investment plan and stick to it. If the volatility is too much for you simply sit on the sidelines until enough positive economic is presented to solidify the market.

I think Mr. Lampert has been pushing all this negative news in order to push the stock price of Sears down in order to get a better deal on buying back shares.  Sears is having earnings problems and Lampert is taking advantages of them in order to make the company worth more by buying back millions of dollars in shares. 

Sears (SHLD) is tarding in the low 150s after brushing 190 earlier this year.  It seems a masterstrock of genius by Lampert so when Sears’ earnings do bounce back the company will be even more attractive to investors.

This is why I am long on Sears Holdings (SHLD) and I initiated a position last week in it. 

Maybe this is the end of the bull market, but some world-class stocks took an absolute beating today. Some deservedly so, however, if I had money to put in the market right now I would. Unfortunately , I do not have available cash right now, but I will scrap up some in the next few days if possible in order to take advantage of some dirt cheap prices.

Again, I have been crying wolf about how the stock market is bound for a recession, but I just do not think this is the one.

I went to tradeking.com and the account set-up process was easy to understand and a snap to finish.  I signed up for a joint account in addition to a Roth IRA account.  All I have left is to fund my accounts, but so far I am very pleased with the efficiency of the process. Updates will follow.

This sale freed up cash in the international portion of my portfolio so I deemed it necessary to get that money back into a foreign investment.  That money went into Barclay’s Ishares: Malayasia.  This investment is much riskier, but its short-term outlook is much brighter and it is worth the risk.

Obviously, there is risk that is involved when investing in an area like Malaysia.  First, you have political risk with the potential for terrorit actions which could spoil the recent growth.  Another risk is that because of its recent surge it might have reached its apex and is on the downside now. These are acknowledged risks, but the diversification and potential upside of the investment make it well worth the risk.

Below is a list of the top 5 publicly traded companies rated by profit growth, on average of the past 3 years.

1. Gulfmark Offshore (GMRK)
2. Grey Wolf (GW)
3. Houston Wire and Cable (HWCC)
4. Gulfport Energy (GPOR)
5. Applix (APLX)