Do You Have the Guts to Make This Trade?
By Jeff Clark
March 18 , 2008
A few weeks ago, I took a cue from commodity guru Matt Badiali, and held my own Growth Stock Wire Q&A session. I asked readers to submit questions for future essays, and we received a lot of positive feedback, but not too many questions.
I find that odd, especially since I've made a number of controversial calls since then... some that even had me questioning myself. Take a look...
Q: Dear Jeff, Nice timing, moron. One day after you write about a potential bottom in financial stocks, Bear Stearns collapses and the financial sector hits a new low. Clearly, you're wrong on this one. How about a retraction? Sincerely, Jeff.
A: Dear Jeff, Don't pass me the plate of crow just yet. Bottoms take time to form. And bottoms in the financial sector often coincide with a major bank or broker collapse.
I may have been early in calling a bottom last Thursday. But right now, I think the odds of a rebound significantly outweigh the odds of a complete breakdown of our financial system. The market seems to be pricing in a complete breakdown, so maybe it's time to take the other side of that trade and buy a few financial shares.
Q: Dear Jeff, Back on February 26, you suggested waiting for a pullback before buying into the PowerShares DB Agriculture ETF (DBA). After yesterday's shellacking, DBA is down about 11% from its high. Is that enough of a pullback, or should we wait for a bigger decline? Anxiously awaiting your response, Jeff.
A: Dear Jeff, Commodities are in a long-term bull market, so it makes sense to buy shares of DBA on a pullback. If you don't own any, then yesterday's decline provides a pretty good opportunity to start nibbling. However, the chart looks to me like there's another 5%-10% more downside, so I wouldn't commit 100% to the trade just yet.
Perhaps the best thing to do is buy a few shares now and wait for a lower price to commit the bulk of your investment.
Q: Dear Oil Idiot, On March 6, you showed your ignorance of the oil market by suggesting the current run higher might stop at $110. In fact, you wrote, "The real money... will be made by shorting oil when it gets to $110." I noticed it hit that level last Thursday. So how about it, dummy? Did you have the guts to make the trade? You probably don't even have the guts to print this letter, Jeff.
A: Dear Jeff, Honestly, I missed it. I hate to initiate positions right in front of a weekend, so my plan was to wait until Monday to execute a variety of short oil trades. Unfortunately, crude oil declined sharply just before the stock market opened Monday morning, and many of the trades I was looking at gapped away from my price range.
The good news, however, is I have another way to take advantage of falling oil prices, and I'll be recommending that trade to S&A Short Report subscribers this morning. If you're interested in taking the trade, then click here...
Finally, I'm hoping to make this Q&A session a recurring monthly event... although I don't plan on talking to myself for all of the sessions. Please help prevent me from developing schizophrenia and send your questions to editorialfeedback@growthstockwire.com.
Best regards and good trading,
Jeff Clark
