Vulcan Materials - VMC

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/06/why-vulcan-materials-companys-shares-popped-today.aspx

Remember this stock I mentioned long back as a worthwhile hold ?  I am not rushing to add to my position but remain more re-inforced in my faith on careful valuation based decisions.

Time to renew one's basics

http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=631984

If the market makes a reasonable correction, it may be time to get back in.  The above would serve as a good review in honing one's skills in individual stock selection.

Is this the tip of the iceberg? The price of the Bush/Obama adventursim in indiscriminate spying. I am pulling out of all American cloud companies for now.  See

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/swisscom-builds-swiss-cloud-spying-151807267.html

See also
http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/nsas-prism-could-cost-us-cloud-companies/240159980

Tags: Cloud, competition, spying

ESRX options looking good

A put at strike $65 for Jan 2015 is priced at about $9.12.  For a stock with a fair market value of about 80+ in a defensive sector, I find it quite attractive.  There are other shorter term options too expiring around May 2014 that look quite attractive.  I have personally preferred this strategy instead of buying and owning the stock, given all the macro uncertainties governing the US market --  despite the market performance now that may make people like me look overly cautious and missing an opportunity.  If you don't wish to be that cautious, this may also be a good time to buy the stock and write a covered call for something above 67.5 for Jan 2015.

2008 will fade away, but watch out

Soon, the 5 year performance metrics of all stock funds will start looking better.  Well the 5 year window will drop the dreaded period when all hell broke loose in 2008.  But don't be misled.  Check the holding and their quality before you load up on any fund.  I am not alone in feeling this way.
Check out this page: http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=611810

Something worth reading

http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=609806

This lady Benz has written many very useful columns, and the above is really Finance 101.  If you didn't have to read it, you are one of the lucky few.  There are however very few who can claim to be mindful everything mentioned in this article.

Patience pays

I am still patiently watching on the sidelines except for some of the PUTs I have written on AAPL and MT.  The following quote taken from an article in smartmoney.com gives the sort of things that make me cautious.

 "If you need a bearish thesis on stocks, just follow the money. Over $17 billion in capital fled exchange-traded funds in August, the biggest month of outflows in the history of the ETF industry, according to Index Universe. The details are even more disturbing, with a whopping $14 billion pulled out of the flagship SPDR S&P 500 ETFSPY +0.10% , the single-biggest proxy for retail investors."

The crowd sourced information on budget cuts and downsizing at various companies that I discern from my friends and contacts seem to suggest that despite outside posturing, many are bracing themselves for a grim 2014.  So, for now, I continue to remain mostly a spectator only.  More later.