Octopus Overlords

People suck.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:07 pm People suck.

I think we can just add this to our signatures, it will save us time.

Completely unrelated, but I am reading/listening to "Flash Boys" currently (older book about high frequency trading and the flash crash, etc). Should be required reading for everyone on this board. Can't really recommend the audiobook as the guy reading it just coats every word in sarcasm and as much as I love, use and appreciate sarcasm, it's too much even for me! The tone is...whew. He even says the names of the people in an almost comically sarcastic tone. "Braaaaaaaaaad"

Also, for as many people in the book describe how they didn't want to be a: dick, asshole, douche, etc (and it's a lot), the book is filled with just those types. In fact, even the so-called nice guys in the book come across as class A douchebags. Not sure if that's the point, but I guess degree matters here. "Compared to the vast majority of Wall Street trader jocks, these guys are Caillou."

But the processes and the lengths that the main Wall St. players go through on a continual basis to game the system is both disgusting and impressive. I mean, I KNEW I was always trying to win against the House, as it were, but had no idea HOW badly stacked against retail (and even institutional) investors that things were. Haven't quite finished, so maybe there's a light at the end of the dark depressing investing tunnel, but I kinda doubt it based on the way things are going to date.

https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Boys-Wall- ... 0393351599

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 2:59 pm Completely unrelated, but I am reading/listening to "Flash Boys" currently (older book about high frequency trading and the flash crash, etc). Should be required reading for everyone on this board. Can't really recommend the audiobook as the guy reading it just coats every word in sarcasm and as much as I love, use and appreciate sarcasm, it's too much even for me! The tone is...whew. He even says the names of the people in an almost comically sarcastic tone. "Braaaaaaaaaad"

Also, for as many people in the book describe how they didn't want to be a: dick, asshole, douche, etc (and it's a lot), the book is filled with just those types. In fact, even the so-called nice guys in the book come across as class A douchebags. Not sure if that's the point, but I guess degree matters here. "Compared to the vast majority of Wall Street trader jocks, these guys are Caillou."

But the processes and the lengths that the main Wall St. players go through on a continual basis to game the system is both disgusting and impressive. I mean, I KNEW I was always trying to win against the House, as it were, but had no idea HOW badly stacked against retail (and even institutional) investors that things were. Haven't quite finished, so maybe there's a light at the end of the dark depressing investing tunnel, but I kinda doubt it based on the way things are going to date.

https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Boys-Wall- ... 0393351599

Final-fucking-ly. Talk about a backlog...




Some thoughts here.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:08 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 2:59 pm Completely unrelated, but I am reading/listening to "Flash Boys" currently (older book about high frequency trading and the flash crash, etc). Should be required reading for everyone on this board. Can't really recommend the audiobook as the guy reading it just coats every word in sarcasm and as much as I love, use and appreciate sarcasm, it's too much even for me! The tone is...whew. He even says the names of the people in an almost comically sarcastic tone. "Braaaaaaaaaad"

Also, for as many people in the book describe how they didn't want to be a: dick, asshole, douche, etc (and it's a lot), the book is filled with just those types. In fact, even the so-called nice guys in the book come across as class A douchebags. Not sure if that's the point, but I guess degree matters here. "Compared to the vast majority of Wall Street trader jocks, these guys are Caillou."

But the processes and the lengths that the main Wall St. players go through on a continual basis to game the system is both disgusting and impressive. I mean, I KNEW I was always trying to win against the House, as it were, but had no idea HOW badly stacked against retail (and even institutional) investors that things were. Haven't quite finished, so maybe there's a light at the end of the dark depressing investing tunnel, but I kinda doubt it based on the way things are going to date.

https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Boys-Wall- ... 0393351599

Final-fucking-ly. Talk about a backlog...




Some thoughts here.

OMG Dude, your memory. How in the world?! I had completely forgotten about that conversation (6+ years ago, come on!!!), but even more funny/interesting is reading the quips about Amazon at the time! Still have Amazon, and it hasn't disappointed as an investment yet, in all these years. I sold the vast majority of my shares about a year ago I guess, but then have been rebuilding a position again since it has gone back down to and below $3K.

Highlights:

Re: Overlords Investment Conclave [OIC] Recruitment Thread
Post by Carpet_pissr » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:35 am

AMZN sale! I picked up some at $319 a couple weeks ago.
Got hit this morning (-9%), but for the best possible reasons, IMO. Downgraded on continued high spending on investment in technology, content, etc (basically growth).
It worries me less than the analysts I guess (for the long term play I am expecting it to be still)...buying more here.


Post by LawBeefaroni » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:54 am
Lots of things on "sale" today. CVLT is getting slaughtered.
Really bad day for tech, picked the wrong time to play an IGT bounce (May $14 calls at $0.10 yesterday).
I'll look at AMZN around $280. I think the overall tech market fundamentals are weak and it won't take too much to go down another 10+% for a lot of these high P/E stocks.


Post by Carpet_pissr » Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:45 am
I'm still waiting on Tesla to get really knackered so I can buy.
(DOH! I never bought Tesla. )
52 wk range: $50.62 - $265.00

Doh!


Post by Zaxxon » Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:01 pm
Carpet_pissr wrote:
I'm still waiting on Tesla to get really knackered so I can buy.
52 wk range: $50.62 - $265.00
Doh!
Methinks the recent drop to $185 might have been your window.


Post by Carpet_pissr » Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:23 pm
At almost 10% down after great results, I have no choice but to double my position in Amazon. Good night.
Tesla will have to wait...

Funny! AMZN got down to 300 or so, pretty much splitting the difference. I never did buy until $950 or so.

I did buy a lot of TSM back then though. In the $20s. Still have some.

PPI data delayed due to website issue but certain firms got it early via direct transfer.

LawBeefaroni wrote:Funny! AMZN got down to 300 or so, pretty much splitting the difference. I never did buy until $950 or so.

I did buy a lot of TSM back then though. In the $20s. Still have some.

But did you ever finish reading that fancy, autographed copy of ‘Flash Boys’?!

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:36 am

LawBeefaroni wrote:Funny! AMZN got down to 300 or so, pretty much splitting the difference. I never did buy until $950 or so.

I did buy a lot of TSM back then though. In the $20s. Still have some.

But did you ever finish reading that fancy, autographed copy of ‘Flash Boys’?!

I did.

Someone bought my AOUT call a week early. I'm out. That was good quick money but not nearly the good quick money others made off me. Still. It encouraged me to get out at +50% in a very short time frame. At no other time could someone complain. Nowhere else to put the money right now plus my other growing cash. We are deep in to I have no idea what is going on and don't understand the value of the companies I thought I understood the value of. I still have no idea what I'm going to do about me ETF calls either. That continues to be a learned lesson I can't take back.

The next one I'll be forced out of is 6 calls for GE in June and probably a call for HPE at that time as well. Bought at $6 did trivial calls up until $8 when the price took off. Again someone else will make +100% off my +25% over nearly a year. At no other time could you complain about that sort of gain.

Beyond that, anyone been grocery shopping lately? They can say food is not part of inflation but whoa boy is food up in price in the last month.

Coffee, at least, is up and will continue to go up for a while as the industry deals with a supply problem.

Might be a few weeks before we feel it at the retail level.

Sold some OSTK yesterday and bought MUDS. A wash so far but I still have a decent amount of OSTK.

Took advantage of the P&D numbers delayed reaction on Tesla last week via short-term calls. Make a quick 70% in a week there.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 2:08 am Meanwhile, I've thrown back in after solidifying my losses by exiting in early March.

Back into S&P 500 GROWTH ETF and American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund.

You have been warned.

March brought me back to even, and April has put me back in black.

BTC $63K
ETH $2.5K

I didn't touch COIN. Might at ~$270.

MUDS ran so I'm only adding small chunks at this point but I do want a larger position.

I have debated a few shares of COIN as a way to get "in" without getting in but I'm out of my depth and I can't think of a time that I've gotten in out of my depth and it hasn't ended up being a bad call... Or a "learning lesson" that cost me money.

My cash continues to grow as small amounts get taken off the table and nothing new replaces it, which is part of why the COIN debate in my head is happening even when I tell it "no." I did break down and bite the bullet to buy back my soon to expire VT options and am likely to do the same with SPY coming up here with some of that growing cash. Boy oh boy, lesson learned. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

My meme purchase of DogeCoin at ~$0.04/share two months suddenly seems like a very good purchase. Currently at $0.38. Only wish I had bought more than 300 shares!

Oh, fuck yes.

Vlad Tenev, the much-reviled CEO of Robinhood previously worked with Global Equity Ltd, which is the largest single shareholder of $HWIN. It is believed that he is leveraging that relationship to launder money that his firm has made illegally off the backs of its clients’ funds.

This is only the tip of the iceberg—it will be fascinating to watch how the rest of this investigation plays out.

Ohhhhh my.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:01 pm I did break down and bite the bullet to buy back my soon to expire VT options and am likely to do the same with SPY coming up here with some of that growing cash. Boy oh boy, lesson learned. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Feel the burn!! Still have my VTI covered calls (the last of my hard earned lesson) out there and not comfortable with the amount of cash I'd have to take off the table to buy them back at this point, having just taken so much off the table already. Ohhhh, what a lesson, though it's still (at this point, anyway) hard to call it complaint worthy, as I'm just raising the worth of my equities like I should, even if they are raising at a rate that none of the previous 7 years compares to. 7 years?!? Time. gone. poof.

Total reversal and then some of morning gains after an announcement that capital gains may go up if you make more than $1 million a year.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:09 pm Total reversal and then some of morning gains after an announcement that capital gains may go up if you make more than $1 million a year.

FWIW, it was an announcement that they would more than double, to well over 40%. That seems... not great, to me. And I'm all for tax increases, in general. LT cap gains seem like something that should always remain well below the marginal tax rate, though.

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:12 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:09 pm Total reversal and then some of morning gains after an announcement that capital gains may go up if you make more than $1 million a year.

FWIW, it was an announcement that they would more than double, to well over 40%. That seems... not great, to me. And I'm all for tax increases, in general. LT cap gains seem like something that should always remain well below the marginal tax rate, though.

43% was what CNBC mentioned. Not sure if that's short/long both.

Not buying on this but holding for sure.

Traders say? It's better than coffee grinds but maybe only a little. I'm holding as well. I expect monster earnings.

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:52 am Traders say? It's better than coffee grinds but maybe only a little. I'm holding as well. I expect monster earnings.

I've made a lot more money off "traders say" than something like corporate guidance.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:28 am

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:52 am Traders say? It's better than coffee grinds but maybe only a little. I'm holding as well. I expect monster earnings.

I've made a lot more money off "traders say" than something like corporate guidance.

Sure but AMZN splitting their stock? That's hardly whisper campaign stuff.

If anyone remembers my long ass post about shroom stocks, one of my babies made it to the NASDAQ today!

MMEDF-> MNMD
No material changes, just an uplisting. Thus, holding.

I also see the kiddos on /wallstreetbets are talking about it. Honestly not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

That place is not as bad as Yahoo Finance message boards (nothing is, AFAIK), but it's pretty bad.

Uplisting should be good for a big pop. Do you know the share structure?

I'm putting it on watch for a PIPE or secondary which would make a good buying opportunity on any drop.

It did pop, on the uplisting news (last Friday). Not a lot of popping on the first trading day (today).

Looks like premarket and opening got a bit crazy. Painted $5.77 at the open.

Going to wait for share stats but this is probably a good trade opportunity.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:06 am

MUDS ran so I'm only adding small chunks at this point but I do want a larger position.

Up 33% since first buy. Added more along the way but didn't build a big a position as I was expecting. Not buying more right now.

I missed it but it looks like GME finally cashed in on the excess valuation on their stock price after they made a half billion dollar secondary offering yesterday.

They also announced they are pushing the CEO out which makes sense. They don't seem to have a strategy and waited months to capitalize on the mania. However, whoever engineered this wiped out all their senior debt notes and positions them to do something to save the company.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:51 pm Looks like premarket and opening got a bit crazy. Painted $5.77 at the open.

Going to wait for share stats but this is probably a good trade opportunity.

Yep, it's all over the place now. Went down to $3.80 a few minutes ago. Thankfully I didn't buy more yesterday, as I was very tempted to do.

Plan to hold this for a looong time, personally. We will likely see more consolidation as well (a bit already happened within last year), but not sure if MMED would be acquirer or acquiree. CMPS, in the same space, trades MUCH higher...$40-$60 in past 6 months. Also have some of that, but sold to gravy a while back, so if it doubled tomorrow, it wouldn't put my brood through college or anything.

As expected, AMZN knocks it out of the park, the state, and the country. Holy shit.

$15.79 EPS vs. consensus estimate of $9.54

Almost tripled net income YoY, and more than doubled operating income.

More than 200 million Prime members worldwide now. Just think about that for a second. Not just customers, but subscribing customers.

I guess when they REALLY start buying up all the dead or dying malls for in-town distribution centers, the already crazy delivery times will shorten even more:

Same-day delivery in 5 hours, for free, on more than 3 million items in certain cities. Free same-day delivery on millions of items in thousands of cities.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:10 pm As expected, AMZN knocks it out of the park, the state, and the country. Holy shit.

$15.79 EPS vs. consensus estimate of $9.54

Almost tripled net income YoY, and more than doubled operating income.

Already up 3% after hours.

It's amazing how my assessment of AMZN has changed over time. I had a crazy amount of shares (way overweight in AMZN, one of main reasons for selling) maybe a year or so ago, when share price was nudging $3,400-$3,600 I guess.

Reasons for selling (in approximate order of importance):
1. Stock represented an absurd % of my entire porfolio
2. Worried that they had grown so much, and so fast, that there was not much upside left. With SO many people (in the US) already Prime subscribers, the market was shrinking quickly. What I DIDN'T take into account, was their ability to simply keep nudging prices up. Which they have been doing, and which people are obviously happy to pay. There will be a wall, but we aren't there yet, especially if they keep adding stuff to Prime.
3. Worried about pending regulation (Bezos and others had been called to Congress to testify)
4. Worried that something would happen to Bezos (die, retire, etc. ) Nailed that one at least!

Now?
I'm KIND OF still worried about regulation. But too big to fail? Hmmm. Modern America seems to have forgotten about monopolies, or at least seems to care less about them now than we used to.
SLIGHTLY worried about the unionization issue. That could have some longer term ramifications on share price I guess, but probably not too severe. I just don't have any reference for what to expect as a shareholder if unionization of Amazon warehouses spreads, or becomes a regular thing.

Bezos' semi-retirement didn't seem to shake the share price that much. But if he retreats further (and I think we can assume this is step 1 in his "extrication" plan like Bill Gates)

In the past several months, analysts who have super track records on Amazon stock have really upped their target prices (like $3,800 and above) for the short to medium term. We'll see.

Damn.