Z-SYMBOLS

Rolling over my Call Options on the VIX as volatility fears continue to fall

Rolling over my Call Options on the VIX as volatility fears continue to fall

Investors and traders are less afraid of a drop in stocks than at any time in 2021. The CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX), which measures how much investors and traders are willing to pay to hedge against volatility in the S&P 500, is down another 3.32% to 15.44 today, June 25, as of 3:30 p.m. New York time. The drop took out the former low for the VIX for 2021 at 15.65. I have to go all the way back to February 10, 2020–before the pandemic knocked the stuffing out of stocks–to find a lower level for the “fear index” at 13.68. So today I’m buying Call Options on the VIX–which will go up if fear and the index climb for November 2021 with a strike at 19.

News that White House and Senator group have struck a deal on infrastructure sends the usual suspects higher today

The White House has announced that it has struck an infrastructure deal with a bipartisan group of 10 Senators. There are almost no details on the deal and it’s not at all clear that President Biden will be able to convince the progressive wing of his own party to support the deal. On the other side of the aisle, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has not endorsed the deal. As I do the math, if only the 5 Republican Senators who were part of the negotiating group vote for the deal in the Senate, it will fail to clear the 60-vote threshold necessary for passage if McConnell and other Republicans decide to filibuster the legislation. All that aside, today the usual infrastructure stocks gained.

Nvidia joins small group of “must-own” stocks

Nvidia joins small group of “must-own” stocks

If you’re building a portfolio and want e-commerce exposure, you buy Amazon (AMZN). For smartphones, you buy a stake in Apple (AAPL). For electric cars, it’s Tesla (TSLA). There’s a small group of stocks that are “must own” stocks for any growth portfolio because they encapsulate a key growth trend. I’d now add Nvidia to the list.

Special Report: 5 Picks and 5 Hedges for a Falling Market–another (new as of August 17) installment on hedging

Special Report: 5 Picks and 5 Hedges for a Falling Market–another (new as of August 17) installment on hedging

After Wednesday’s news from the Federal Reserve, we all know that an interest rate increase is coming–even if we don’t know when. Could be 2022. Could be 2023. And even if we don’t know how many increases we’re looking for in that time period. Could be one. Could be two. The need to revise your portfolio to take that change in monetary policy is obvious. But figuring out how and when isn’t by any means straightforward. What gives? And how should be navigate a period that is almost certainly going to end with a reversal of the lower for longer interest rates that have dominated asset prices for decades? Today, for the last installment in my Special Report: “5 Picks and 5 Hedges for a Falling Market” I’m going to take one last run at how to hedge this market and how to position your portfolio for the developing trends. (I don’t have much hope that this will be the last time I’m visiting this topic, of course.)

Adding Ford to my Jubak Picks Portfolio

Adding Ford to my Jubak Picks Portfolio

Today I made Ford (F) my fifth pick for a falling market in my Special Report: Five Picks and Five Hedges for a Falling Market on my JubakAM.com subscription site. Some of the logic of that pick is laid in n more detail in the Special Report. With momentum stocks showing signs of flagging, I think adding more value stocks or special situations with very specific growth “events” set to trigger a cascade of good news is indicated. In the case of Ford the company is building good momentum on its introduction of popular electric vehicles such as an electric Mustang and an electric F150 pickup truck.

Trick or trend: Have SPACs turned the speculative corner again?

Trick or trend: Have SPACs turned the speculative corner again?

Once upon a time, way back in 2020 Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), blind pools that raised money with a strategy of finding s promising still-private company to acquire and then take public, were the hottest thing on the speculative menu. They were, if I can make a comparison, the GameStops (GME) and AMCs (AMC) of that market. Then they fell way, way out of favor. But they look to be making a comeback in the last week

Selling VanEck Vectors Low Carbon Energy ETF out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio on June 3

I don’t think 2021 is going to be an especially good year for Tesla and it will be tough across the auto industry. That means, if I’m right, that this ETF’s heavy exposure to Tesla (and to Nio) is going to be a drag on what I see as a likely recovery in the wind power stocks Iberdrola, Orsted, and Vestas Wind Systems that all are top 10 portfolio holdings in the ETF. I’d rather play any wind power rally through these stocks–I own Orsted (DNNGY) and Vestas (VWDRY) in my Jubak Picks Portfolio–than though this ETF with its drag from Tesla in 2021. I will sell the VanEck Vectors Low Carbon Energy ETF out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio tomorrow June 3.