IncreaseStocks.com

SOLD SWHC (Smith and Wesson), BOUGHT NOK (Nokia)

E.M — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:25:29 +0000

Today we sold SWHC (Smith and Wesson). We took our profit after a quick 10% run-up. SWHC still has room to grow and is a good solid stock for a long term investment in my opinion.

We transferred our funds into NOK (Nokia). Nokia took a recent hit and is trading at very low levels. We hope to get a quick jump and bail. I don’t know if I like Nokia as a long term investment. They have quite a name in the mobile phone arena, however have been lacking in the Smart Phone craze.

As we always state, we are not professional traders and participate in the market for a hobby. All feedback and comments are welcomed!

Purchased SWHC (Smith & Wesson)

E.M — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:47:57 +0000

Today we purchased shares of SWHC (Smith & Wesson). The stock has solid support at $4.00. Reputable company, very low p/e ratio, and appears to be a little oversold. We are hoping for a quick upswing. The company has been under performing the S&P however tends to have quick 10% fluctuations.

As we always state, we are not professional traders and participate in the market for a hobby. All feedback and comments are welcomed!

SOLD – CENT (Central Garden & Pet Co.)

E.M — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:33:39 +0000

Today we sold CENT (Central Garden & Pet Co.). We purchased this stock Monday 4/12/2010 at $10.02 per share. We gladly took our 10% profit in three days.

I’ll keep readers posted on our next purchase.

E.M.

SOLD H & R Block (HRB) – Purchased CENT

E.M — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:52:46 +0000

Today we sold our shares of H & R Block (HRB). We believe this stock has some more room to move however we were aiming for a 10% gain. Our sell limit hit early this morning and our goal was reached. HRB turned out to be a good purchase. After our initial purchase on March 10th, the stock steadily moved up with little corrections.

We transferred our funds into CENT (Central Garden & Pet Company). We liked the P/E ratio and feel the stock is currently oversold. Also, we feel the company is entering its prime season of the year.

As we always state, we are not professional traders and participate in the market for a hobby. All feedback and comments are welcomed!

Purchased HRB – H&R Block

E.M — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:23:45 +0000

After selling off Ebay, we transferred our funds into HRB (H&R Block). This stock has good support at its current level $16.00 – $16.80. It also has support at the $15.00 level. We do not plan on holding our shares for a long period of time.

H&R Block recently had a large sell off due to a declining revenue from falling filed tax returns. Personally, I use H&R Block’s online tax preparing software. I’ve enjoyed the service for years. We are hoping the sell off will reverse itself as the tax deadline nears.

Graph of HRB (H&R Block)

As we always state, we are not professional traders and participate in the market for a hobby. All feedback and comments are welcomed!

E.M

Sold Ebay…. What’s next?

E.M — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:54:59 +0000

Today we sold our holdings of Ebay. We tweaked out a very small profit but managed to hold Ebay throughout the recession. Without panic, we never took a loss on the holding. Obviously, selling Ebay prior to its fall in September 2008 and reinvesting at its low would be ideal. But hey, we’re only human!

I believe Ebay does have more room for growth. However, quite frankly, we were tired of the stock. We are currently observing a few potential purchases and will keep readers updated.

Still holding Ebay…

E.M — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:16:45 +0000

We are still holding onto ebay hoping recent company moves will climb this stock. Selling Skype in my opinion was a blessing to the company. Ebay should focus on its online auction structure. Heck, it’s a money maker, they’ve proved that. Paypal is a great holding for the company because it enhances the simplicity of its online auction. Stubhub isn’t a bad idea because again it relates to an online people to people exchange system. Kijiji.com is a joke and ebay should either change the domain name to something easier, or get rid of it. I have trouble remembering my birthday, and now I’m supposed to remember kijiji? With that point however, it is their version of craigslist which I do believe Ebay should compete with. Their 25% ownership in Craigslist is only creating hassle and annoying craigslist owners (which I find amusing). Skype, however, never seemed to “fit” with Ebay’s companies and generic people to people market structure.

Ebay's year chart... provided by Yahoo!

Ebay has great name recognition and continues to rack in new customers and revenue. Personally, I believe if the markets don’t plummet creating the infamous “W” and continues with a “V” recovery, Ebay will move. The company is sound and will continue to grow. Hey Paypal… how about a peer 2 peer lending system similar to Prosper and Lendingclub? Keep focusing on people to people markets and I’m glad you hung up on Skype.

Is craigslist devouring Ebay?

E.M — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:01:13 +0000

Being a penny saving comparison shopper, I use both Craigslist.com and Ebay.com almost daily. I began using Ebay since its beginning and still today love its ease of use and selection. It never fails to amaze me on its vast availability ranging from Boeing 737′s to chiclets. Heck we’ve seen human organs, tattooed advertisements, and pen pals for sale. Its ability to provide basically any item a consumer demands at a discounted price (usually) is Ebay’s spinach for continual strength and growth.

However, Ebay has always had its disadvantages ranging from listing fees, shipping costs, lack of seller/consumer trust, and speed of transactions. This is where craigslist.com comes in.

Craigslist allows consumers and sellers to interact on a more personal level. I can now see an item before deciding to purchase it. Being able to take a test drive on a truck I’m considering to buy really adds to its appeal. Generally there are no shipping costs and most transactions can occur within hours after a listing. Craigslist also provides some amazing bargains from what I’ve seen. Without national competition prices tend to be lower if you can be the first to respond to a new listing.

Unfortunately, unlike Ebay, craigslist lacks on its selection. It took almost 3 months until I found a set of rims I was wanting to purchase for my pickup truck. The rims were always listed on Ebay by many sellers. However if I were to purchase them through ebay I was looking at around $650 for the set when shipping was accounted for. I paid $150 locally from the craigslist seller.

Overall I believe both companies will continue to grow. I don’t foresee Ebay going away any time soon. Its selection and availability allows it to remain a final source of online shopping. Craigslist will more than likely continue taking sales from Ebay (like they did over my rims purchase) however it is no where near “devouring” Ebay’s profitability. And yes.. the rumors are true.. Ebay owns 25% of craigslist.com…

“Q: Is there a connection between craigslist and eBay?
A: eBay acquired 25% of the equity in craigslist from a former shareholder in august of 2004.” http://www.craigslist.org/about/factsheet

Buckle Your Seatbelt and Fly the Airlines?.. or … Jump Out!?

E.M — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:38:34 +0000

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of news about the airline companies. CNBC had a guest the other day who was telling viewers to buy. His basis was the low price of oil has reduced costs for the companies and has helped their bottom line. True, oil is very inexpensive compared to six months ago! However, I’m not sure if the reduction in oil price is the prevailing variable.

First, let me say, I’m not very knowledgeable about the airline companies. I welcome feedback and ideas relating to this subject. Personally, I feel the low cost of oil will help the airlines reduce costs. However, I believe the lower costs of oil can also hurt the airlines. With lower oil prices, we’ve seen a drastic drop in fuel prices. This means it is cheaper for road trips. I take a yearly trip to Tucson, Arizona. Before 2006 I always drove the 950 miles, but in 07 and 08 I flew because the cost of driving outweighed the cost of flying and renting a car. This year however, I’ll be driving once again. Basically, oil prices are helping airlines with costs. However, I would assume the demand for flying is declining due to lower costs at the pump for drivers.

DEMAND FOR AIRLINE TICKETS VS OIL

The question is whether the reduction in demand outweighs the reduction in costs for the airlines. I don’t have this answer. Another question to ask is how you feel about the current oil price. Today it is around $36/ barrel. If you jump into the airlines, do you feel this price is going to stick around? What happens if it jumps to $60?

I have too many questions before I dump my investments into airlines. Before you listen to the analyst on CNBC, ask yourself how you feel about airline tickets. Are you more likely to take a road trip with the lower fuel prices?

Again, I’d like some feedback on this issue.

E.M.

Practice Makes Perfect

E.M — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:29:24 +0000

I think we have all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”. I learned this basic rule very early in my life and applied it to online stock trading. Many sites offer fantasy stock market trading platforms. Essentially, you are given theoretical money which you can “trade” in the market. Obviously, real transactions are not being placed, however your account will reflect true values. It is a great opportunity to test your skills before risking your investments. If you screw up, just open another account! These sites are also very similar to online brokerages and allow you to get a feel for how to execute trades. Personally, I started with a mock trading account. After losing my theoretical money multiple times, I began to understand the trading process and learn valuable research techniques. Within a year, my theoretical accounts were gaining profits and I became very confident in my trading abilities. At that point I was comfortable investing my hard earned money.

I recommend http://www.youngmoney.com. The site is very easy to use. Signup is a breeze and you can start trading immediately for free. There are hundreds of mock trading platforms that can easily be found using search engines.

Keep practicing and get a feel for online trading. Once your theoretical dollars begin earning profits on a regular basis, you might feel more comfortable investing real assets. Hope you have fun! Earn some prizes and get free educational training!

E.M.