Sold Kroger/ Bought 100 PHO at $13.6/ FJA: Underlying Bond TRADES

Of all the consumer staples that I bought in RB's frolic and detour, Kroger was the only one which barely registered a note in the per se animal spirit.  I sold those shares late today at $22.25  that were bought at $19.95.  Bought KR/Wells Fargo: A Ray of Sunshine/More on Recent Floater Purchases/   I will use those proceeds to buy another consumer staple with a higher yield.

I also bought 100 shares of an ETF from Powershares, PHO, at $13.6.  I have traded this one several times, profitably so far, but mostly at much higher levels than today's purchase.  My only mention in this blog was my last sale which was in December 2008, at a price a few pennies above where I bought it today. CPI FLoaters PFK AND OSM/ Warnings by Chip Companies/FDX I do not like the expense ratio of this ETF, a lot of the ones from Powershares are a little too high for me, and this one is at .60%. InvescoPowerShares.com - Water Resources Portfolio - PHO   But, I have been successful with this ETF in the past so I decided to have another go.   This ETF has been mauled over the past year, though it has rallied off its low of $10.10.  This ETF is based on the Palisades Water Index which seeks to include companies that provide and treat water as well as technology related to water consumption.   This is a link to its current holdings.   InvescoPowerShares.com - PHO - Water Resources Portfolio Holdings

I have also invested in the past in a Global Water ETF from Claymore Securities, CGW, or I should say that I have a vague memory of doing that.  CGW - Claymore S&P Global Water Index ETF - Summary  I prefer PHO however. 

Once I own a Trust Certificate, I try to check the trades of the underlying security at the FINRA site.  I found it interesting to see the recent trades of the underlying security in FJA. BOUGHT 100 of the TC FJA

This is the link to FINRA. FINRA - Investor Information - Market Data - Bonds - Bond Detail Once there, select a date range at the bottom, click "Show Results".  I will generally try to look at a week of trades.   I would then try to compare that data to the TC on two factors: yield and discount to par value.  The TC  FJA closed at $14.5 with a $25 par value.

I would add that I feel in some ways like being in a war for the past 16 months, suffering some battle fatigue and becoming a tad ornery, RB just said that I have been ornery since the age of 2 and nothing has changed.  But, after that struggle, I am up about 12% this year so far and close to break even in the main account since October 2007.  The retirement accounts are now ahead about 5% over their 10/07 values adjusted for subsequent contributions.  Still, I feel like the Lord is punishing me for taking that wrong turn 27 years ago, deciding to become a stock Stud rather than buying that old Grandpa type of investment, a 20 year treasury yielding 14% in 1981, and then just rolling it over.  So, this last 16 months was just another whipping as far as I am concerned.  Boy, that really hurt. 

DISCLAIMER

  I am not a financial advisor but an individual investor trying to navigate my way through a difficult market. I have never worked for a financial institution and never will.  In these posts, I am acting as an unpaid financial journalist and an occasional political commentator.   I am also aggregating financial news stories that I view as important and providing readers of these posts with links to those articles, sort of a filtered, somewhat intelligent, free search engine.  Any discussion made by me of particular securities  is not a recommendation to buy or to sell.  Trade at your own risk.  Consult with your financial advisor prior to making any purchase or sale. I will try to identify my sales too but it may take a few minutes after I implement them to create a post explaining my reasons.  The sale may before or after the post.  Before buying or selling any stock, even one recommended by a trusted financial advisor,  please research it and make up your own mind which is what I always try to do.  Research would include reading reports, reviewing financial records, earnings estimates, sec filings and prior earnings releases and news.  In this post, and all others by me, I am merely describing my reasons for purchasing  or selling securities, and the potential pitfalls that I identified prior to purchase or the reasons for a sale.  The securities mentioned in this and all posts written by me may not be suitable for others based on their unique financial position and risk profile.  By way of example, it is unlikely that I will ever need the funds contained in my retirement accounts. Always read the prospectus before buying a Trust Certificate, bond, preferred stock or other bond or bond like investments.  Information contained in my posts has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed.  It is always important to follow the investment process. the investment process/links to further information on canadian energy or royalty trustsInvestment Process Part II: Bonds and Bond Like Investments   NOT A RESEARCH SERVICE/Add of PWE Last Week   These posts by me do not constitute investment advice, nor shall they be construed as a guarantee of future results, or as an offer of any transaction in securities.   All content in these posts is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only, and it is a form of entertainment for me.  Anyone interested in a topic may want to review all discussions contained in the blog about it by using a relevant search term in the box at the top. Opinions are subject to change and they certainly evolve over time as information is assessed and analyzed for compatibility with prior opinions, the only process for a serious investor, and a topic of frequent discussion in this post.