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Weekly Update for the week ending July 19, 2024

This past week, many of the big-name mega-cap technology companies (companies with market capitalization exceeding $200 billion which represents the total value of all outstanding shares) that have driven the indexes to record heights all year long lost favour with investors. In fact, much of this past week’s declines can be attributed to these same companies. This includes Alphabet (NASD: GOOGL), Amazon.com (NASD: AMZN), Apple (NASD: AAPL), Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) and Nvidia (NASD: NVDA).

Weekly Update for the week ending June 28, 2024

I am very happy with the nearly 19% gain in Microsoft’s (NASD: MSFT) share price since the start of the year. Normally, that would be a fantastic return for six months. But compared to the performance of another tech giant – Nvidia (NASD: NVDA) – it is modest. Nvidia is experiencing extraordinary times, thanks to […]

Weekly Update for the week ending June 14, 2024

Over the last few weeks, I have been writing about common questions people ask when they first start investing. From ‘What is Investing?’ to today’s topic of ‘When should I start investing?’ with a few more questions to come in the next few weeks. While answering these questions, it occurred to me: before people even […]

Weekly Update for the week ending May 31, 2024

This past week, as I reviewed my three portfolios, I was surprised by the number of trades I had made in the past few months – a total of 21 across all portfolios. Unfortunately, all but one were on my TD Direct Investing account, costing me almost $200. While not a significant amount in the grand scheme, it is still $200 less available for investment. ☹️

Weekly Update for the week ending May 17, 2024

With inflation stubbornly high, hopes for lower borrowing costs are fading. After three consecutive months of higher-than-expected inflation, you might be wondering: when will interest rates drop? Despite many anticipating a quicker resolution, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has opted to maintain a steady interest rate of 5.5%, waiting for clear signs that inflation is indeed […]

Weekly Update for the week ending May 10, 2024

Part of my investment philosophy is to let winners run rather than selling early to lock in gains. This approach has been beneficial with stocks like Nvidia (NASD: NVDA) and Shopify (TSE: SHOP). However, I reduced my holdings in each after they came to represent over 40% of Portfolio 1 and Portfolio 3, respectively, to manage increased volatility.

On the flip side, this strategy has sometimes resulted in missed opportunities for greater profits, as was the case with Illumin Holdings (TSE: ILLM). After surging from C$2.00 to C$32.00 per share in less than a year, it plummeted to C$1.64. Although I made a profit, I could have made more had I sold earlier. ☹

While I generally prefer to let winners run and even expand my investments in them, I recognize there are times when it is wise to sell part of a stake, especially in smaller, more volatile companies.