Costco just announced a special dividend of $10 per share, payable in December. This is their fourth special dividend payment to the shareholders in last eight years. It’s called special dividend because it is in addition to the regular dividend that Costco pays every quarter. … [Read more...] about Costco and its special dividends
My Investing Journey
Chronicles my investing actions - past and present
A bear market in rear view
About a year ago, I wrote a blog post wishing that all long-term investors get at least one bear market in their investing journeys. In that post, I made the case that a bear market is a blessing in disguise, rather than a curse, for all patient investors. Here we are one year … [Read more...] about A bear market in rear view
Three years of dry powder deployments
Last month, the S&P 500 Price index reached its previous high, making up for all the losses incurred in this bear market. That was my automatic trigger to sell some stocks and recoup dry powder cash. It turned out to be an unusually quick turn-around for a decline as steep as … [Read more...] about Three years of dry powder deployments
A look back at BREIT performance
Two years ago, I did a blog post on Blackstone’s real estate investment trust called BREIT. It had just opened its doors to retail individual investors like me. At the time, I was looking to increase my investments in commercial real estate (CRE) assets and thought that it was a … [Read more...] about A look back at BREIT performance
Are we in a short correction?
This stock market crash is looking more like a short-but-deep correction than a conventional bear market. Since its March 23rd trough, the market has been relentlessly going uphill. As of today, the S&P 500 is just about 12% off from its prior peak level. Not that I am … [Read more...] about Are we in a short correction?
I closed my Apple bet
About a year ago, I had opened a hedged Apple (AAPL) position. The goal was to invest cash in an asset where I could benefit from the upside but also limit my downside risk. The cash I had invested was my dry powder cash—the kind of cash that I would need some day to buy stocks … [Read more...] about I closed my Apple bet
Seeking wisdom in trying times
In my last post, I wrote that I have been buying stocks. Well, since then I continued buying stocks as the market dropped even further. At the time, I reported I had invested 60% of my dry powder cash. Today, I am 70% deployed. As the stock market fell 35% below its peak, I … [Read more...] about Seeking wisdom in trying times
Be greedy
Two weeks ago, I wrote that I have bought (or sold) very little in my stock portfolio in past twelve months. But that changed rather quickly in last two weeks. The stock market had been worried about the COVID-19 pandemic for a few weeks. But then on February 27, it dropped 10% … [Read more...] about Be greedy
I like Interactive Brokers
Today’s post is about a business I own since 2015 but I hadn’t bought any new shares in last three years. It’s a business that I am very familiar with. I am not only a shareholder but also a long-time customer. I use its tools and services extensively in my investing work. I … [Read more...] about I like Interactive Brokers
Update on my Apple bet
About seven months ago, I wrote a blog post on an Apple protective-collar position I invested in. It was a defined-outcome type investment where I only took limited risk (less risk than holding long Apple shares). I called it my Apple bet. It was a 27-month long position. So … [Read more...] about Update on my Apple bet