Don't Overthink It

Companies that go bankrupt or become irrelevant make new 52 weeks lows regularly during their fall.

Great companies that experience exceptional growth make 52 week highs routinely.

I am much more inclined to buy a stock at a new 52 week high or still in an uptrend (up to 30%  off its high approximately) than I am to buy a stock at a new 52 week low.

Will you inevitably hit some landmines when buying strength? Sure. All the more reason you have to play the game a lot and not concentrate too much of your portfolio in one investment. Eventually you will own some stock stocks that outperform even your wildest imagination; 5 baggers and so on. (Another important lesson: You have to let winners run. Very hard to do but it is the only way I have found to have a chance in the markets.)

Top 100 Retail Stores in America - List

Looking for a quick way to put into context just how big some American companies' retail operations are? Check out this link from NRF Enterprises that lists the Top 100 American Retailers and provides a sortable list. It is a quick way to process details such as revenue growth, store count growth, and what % of  sales come from abroad. After looking at this list you might have a better idea of companies you want to do more homework on.

One to Keep an Eye On - Geeknet (Thinkgeek)

Thinkgeek, under the Geeknet umbrella, is a company I have long admired. I have no doubt it is a great e-commerce website but is it a great stock? They recently sold off Slashdot and Sourceforge so Geeknet now becomes a pure Thinkgeek play. That is a good thing as Thinkgeek was the real growth story in recent years. Thinkgeek reports on Nov 7th and I will offer my quick take once they report. I am interested to see just how big Thinkgeek believes its addressable market it. Thinkgeek does so many things right, from clever write-ups on products, hilarious videos, social media communication, great knowledge of their customers, and more recently (as in the last few years) innovative Geeklabs products. These Geeklabs products are products "invented at Thinkgeek" and I think they could potentially provide great upside for Thinkgeek. They even experimented with some Thinkgeek kiosks at malls last year. We will learn a lot more on November 7th, but I like putting my money on smart people and from what I can tell Thinkgeek has them.

Full Disclosure:  I have no position in Geeknet at this moment. I will evaluate a long position after the November 7th earnings release.

Earningscast.com

It is essential that you listen to multiple conference calls; not just calls for the companies you invest in. Earningscast.com is a great site to check out because you can access many calls quickly and chronologically. I suggest you scan the list of companies reporting each day and listen to any that are in the same industry as a stock you invest in. It is like a jigsaw puzzle where you try and piece together information from several companies.

Deckers Sell-Off and Why I Like Steve Madden

Deckers (DECK), Uggs more specifically, were undoubtedly the hot shoe for young women the last few years. However, everything from the unique shape to the reliance on sheepskin made Uggs always seem a bit faddish. This is not some revealing thought as the stock price has dropped from $118 to $29.48.

I have no opinion on Deckers at these levels but I do like Steve Madden. Do not read Deckers' weakness as an indictment on all shoes. In fact, it would not surprise me if Steve Madden (SHOO) boots are picking up quite a bit of share from Uggs. Steve Madden is not wedded to one particular shoe style. Combine this with Steve Madden's growing business beyond shoes, and  I intend to go long into Steve Madden earnings this week.


Steve Madden - Ticker: SHOO

Learn from Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Conference Call

You can learn a lot listening to the  Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (Ticker:PEB) conference call each quarter. The company's Chairman and CEO, Jon Bortz, always offers interesting insights. Here is a link to to the Q&A section of the conference call transcript. Specifically, take note of what he says about the New York hotel market.

Full Disclosure: I currently have no position in PEB

Welcome to Trade Nuggets

I have been trading and investing on my own for the last 10 years. It has been my full time profession for the last 5 years. The purpose of this blog is to organize my thoughts and provide little "nuggets" others might find interesting, helpful, or neither. All information is free. Invest at your own risk and do your own due diligence. This is not intended to be investment advice. I am not a licensed professional and all investment capital I use is my own. I promise to keep all my posts short and to point out things you will not find anywhere else. Thanks.