These days, there is a steady drumbeat in the financial media about an imminent economic recession in the country. I don’t have a position on whether one is inevitable. I try to only invest in quality businesses that can survive (and even thrive) in a recession. Like Chris Davis … [Read more...] about Who is afraid of a recession?
My Investing Journey
Chronicles my investing actions - past and present
Long live Berkshire!
As I sat down this week to research for a new blog post, I read several news headlines on how Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) has outperformed the stock market this year so far. This motivated me to take a look at my own investing history with Berkshire. Berkshire and I go … [Read more...] about Long live Berkshire!
Ready for a 50% drop?
In May 2020 annual shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett said this: “You’ve got to be prepared when you buy a stock to have it go down 50% or more and be comfortable with it, as long as you’re comfortable with the holding.” He went on by pointing out that Berkshire Hathaway’s … [Read more...] about Ready for a 50% drop?
Keeping it simple, unlike Mr. Ackman
Bill Ackman is a well-known and widely followed hedge fund manager. During the Covid market selloff in early 2020, he made several billion dollars by timely moving in and out of the markets. First, he bought credit default swaps to hedge against panic in the bond market. That … [Read more...] about Keeping it simple, unlike Mr. Ackman
My portfolio ten years ago
This post is a trip down the memory lane. Ten years ago (December 29, 2011, to be specific), I had a smaller investment portfolio that also looked much different. It sported more cash. It had more stock mutual funds than individual stocks. I still had some employer-granted stock … [Read more...] about My portfolio ten years ago
Two companies, two great share buybacks
I own shares in two companies whose CEOs have been at the helm for over twenty years. These two businesses are not in the same industry. They don’t have much in common—one is in the video game business, and the other is in investment banking. As you can imagine, their business … [Read more...] about Two companies, two great share buybacks
Blackstone credit platform
I have been singing the praises of Blackstone on these pages since 2018. I first wrote about the company in February 2018. Back then it was still a Limited Partnership (LP), and its shares were trading around $30. Then, about a year later, I wrote another post on it. Blackstone … [Read more...] about Blackstone credit platform
Parting ways with Brookfield Property Partners
My investing in commercial real-estate is mostly via publicly traded REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). Over the years, I have added several REIT positions in my portfolio. See this table for my REIT holdings. From time to time, I’ve also researched certain non-traded … [Read more...] about Parting ways with Brookfield Property Partners
Insiders who bought stocks in March 2020
In a March 2020 blog post when we were in the midst of the stock market crash, I highlighted four businesses where insiders had bought stocks. The table from that post is reproduced below. These insider purchases were made with their own monies in open market. In other … [Read more...] about Insiders who bought stocks in March 2020
Dipping my toe into this SPAC craze
I generally don’t have much interest in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). They are often overpriced, overhyped, and not meant for long-term investors. In last couple of years, IPOs have seen a resurgence along with Direct Listings and SPACs. These IPOs, DLs, and SPACs are … [Read more...] about Dipping my toe into this SPAC craze