October Trades

This past month saw the DOW (DJI) drop from 27781 to 26501. That is another 1280 point drop on top of the 649 point drop we had in September. Overall, my investments are down about 2.2% from the August peak. My current allocation is 40% stocks, 15% bonds, and 45% cash. I made the following trades in October: Sold Avient Corp (AVNT) for a $539 profit, Bought 50 more shares of VIRT, 100 shares of Norton Lifelock (NLOK), and 100 shares of Ruger (RGR). The buys were all in stocks that I thought would benefit from the volatility caused by the election and pandemic. I also added about $10,000 to several income generating holdings as prices dropped below my initial purchase price. I’m still hoping for a rebound in Cisco and Gilead, which are both down 20% for me. They are both paying a dividend over 4%, so I will continue to hold them for now. I will be surprised if Trump wins re-election. I think people are ready for someone new. I listened to part of a Trump rally the other day and the man sure talks like a schoolyard bully. But, the crowd loved it. Whoever wins, it won’t make much difference in my investment strategy.