In general, I like Asia, don't like US stocks (US tech stocks can be great if you know something the market doesn't know yet, but presently I don't have any insight here), and don't like the dollar.
I put 20% trailing stops on everything I buy to avoid market meltdowns and bad stock choices. It takes emotion out of the mix which is always useful. It lets the winners run and cuts the losers - a good guiding principal. I've got a lot of Chinese exposure. Everyone knows 2 things about China. Number One: It's the future. Number two: There will be some major corrections along the way. I don't believe in market timing (though Schaeffers Early Morning Market Report that is posted an hour or so before the market opens every morning seems to get the first hour or so of trading right more often than not). But I'm hoping that my trailing stops which sell various stocks if they drop to a price that I have previously determined will keep me from getting burned too badly.
I'm presently in:
MR - Privately owned Chinese medical equipment maker. They've got an inherent price advantage in an industry with high profit margins. Apparently have strong R and D. The P/E ratio is quite high (around 60) which gives me pause.
HRBN - Chinese heavy electrical equipment maker with a more reasonable P/E.
EWY - Korean ETF - a play on the entire Korean market. I like Korea because the country is very high tech with an Asian work ethic and better demographics than Japan
EWM Malaysian ETF - a play on the entire Malaysian market.
BUHPF - Bumrungrad Hospital A hospital in Thailand (and a few other places) that gives world class doctoring for 20% the preposterous amounts we pay in the states. Price hasn't gone anywhere this year but it still might. Big disadvantage - you can't buy it in America as an ADR so I have to have Schwab buy it through a Thai broker - ergo, lots of extra costs, buying and selling.
DOO - A fund that buys the 100 highest dividend paying foreign stocks. Seemed like a good hedge in a market that could go anywhere.
EDU - Chinese private education stock with a sky high P/E. A market leader in this area just sounded like the right place to be.
I'm about half in cash as I don't have strong attitudes about where things are going.
I'm in the process of trying to open a Vietnamese stock trading account in Hanoi. You can only open an account when you're physically there.
It's the wild west. Who knows if you can trust the accounting. Much of the "profit" companies make is by investing in other companies stock. That sounds like a house of cards. I'm looking for companies that are. A. Non state owned B. Show substantial profit generated by the business itself C. Market leaders.
I'll keep you posted.
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