Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Cloud Computing: Clouds Are Moving


I'm happy that I sold significant part of my VmWare (VMW) position ahead of earnings. Drop after earnings was spectacular. Here's what I think is happening.
Cloud computing changes. It looks like companies are not that eager to create internal clouds. I'm sure that some companies are still doing it, but not enough for quite a crowded market. Which means that it's time to sell VmWare (VMW) and Red Hat (RHT), my other cloud position.
On the other hand, Infrastructure as a Service and Software as a Service models are doing great. For IaaS major providers are Google (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN). I own Google and Amazon looks scary with it's sky high valuation. For SaaS I'm watching Saleforce.com (CRM). Other providers include IBM (IBM), which also provides IaaS, Microsoft (MSFT) and Oracle (ORCL). But CRM is the only pure player. Of course, there are other providers in SaaS and IaaS areas, but I don't see anything significant. I'm looking.
Disclosure: I am long VMWRHTGOOG.
Additional disclosure: I have no positions in other companies mentioned. Positions can change any time.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Annual Portfolio Review


Portfolio goal. Growth. This is high beta, unapologetic growth portfolio with some safeguards and some boring investments. The goal remains unchanged.
Basic Principles. Most of the stocks in this portfolio were chosen for long term investment, which, for me, is about 18 months. Every stock is under review all the time, with a major review of the portfolio twice a year. I can trade around any position if I feel like it. The portfolio is not diversified by sectors. Diversification reduces risk, but it also reduces potential gain. No change in basic principles either.
Strategy. As I already mentioned in my blog before, political environment doesn't look good for the economy. Strategy changes: increased cash cushion, reduced long positions, more trading around positions.
Paradigm Changers. These are stocks of companies that are changing business in sectors or even in the whole world.
Google (GOOG)
Ultimate disruptor. Google is changing the advertising world. The company is also aggressively moving to mobile internet advertising.
Risk: All great empires were destroyed by internal problems. There is also a risk of search ad market saturation.
No changes since last review.
Plan: Hold, trade around.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
Robotic surgery that is changing surgery of internal organs. Company has monopoly on robotic surgery right now.
No changes since last review.
Risk: new technologies are being developed, legislation changes can reduce demand.
Plan: hold.
VmWare (VMW)
Cloud computing is all the rage, and VmWare is on the front line. If a company wants to create its own cloud, VmWare is the way to go. But it looks like trend is to external clouds.
No changes since last review.
Risk: it doesn't look like internal clouds would win over external ones or over software as a service.
Plan: Reduce position.
ARM Holding (ARMH)
Pure brain company. Company designs ARM CPUs for a wide range of mobile devices and licenses them to different companies. Most smartphones and all tablet computers I know run on ARM CPUs.
Reduced position into strength since last review.
Risk: Tech world is changing quickly, somebody can invent a revolutionary new design and beat ARMH.
Plan: hold, trade around.
Red Hat (RHT)
Company provides and supports Red Hat Linux, the most popular Linux distribution in enterprise world. Recently this OS became the most popular OS in clouds. But, as with VmWare (VMW), I'm not sure that internal clouds are winning.
No changes since last review.
Risk: high valuation requires high growth. Any slowdown can crash the stock.
Plan: reduce or liquidate position.
Facebook (FB)
The only social network company worth investing.
Added to position since last review.
Risk: Wall Street hates the company.
Plan: hold, add on weakness.
DSW Inc (DSW)
Yes, retailer can be a paradigm changer. This is a great company and I like shopping there.
Added to position since last review.
Risk: Any retailer is a high risk company. Anything can go wrong.
Plan: hold.
Qualcomm (QCOM)
This was an attempt to play on mobile net revolution. Attempt obviously failed
No changes since last review.
Risk: there are not many hardware companies in mobile world. Loss of one customer can reduce sales and profits significantly.
Plan: Sell, preferably into strength.
Banks / Financials
Banco Santander (SAN)
Probably the best Spanish, and maybe European bank out there. High yield, big investments around the world. Bought it because I believe in resolution of Euro troubles. This is also can be placed in International part of the review.
No change since last review.
Risk: Currency fluctuations, more problems in Eurozone.
Plan: Hold.
Steady growers / high yield. Companies with steady growth, high dividend or both. I am increasing weight of this group, such companies are best investments in depression times.
Polaris Industries Inc (PII)
One of the best recreation equipment manufacturers out there. Local (for me) company as well.
Added to position since last review.
Risks: another recession, people don't like buying discretionary items in recessions.
Plan: Hold, reinvest dividends.
3M Company (MMM)
Most innovative company in Dow Jones index. Another company headquartered in Minnesota.
No change since last review.
Risk: another recession, management mistakes.
Plan: Hold, reinvest dividends.
Intel (INTC)
This was a mistake, almost panic buying last spring.
This company has a big dividend, but business is shrinking.
Plan: Sell into strength.
International
Indian Fund (IFN)
India is the only part of BRIC which I like now.
No change since last review.
Risk: political.
Plan: hold, add on weakness.
Fixed Income
I have a group of closed-end funds, which are bought when at discount to net asset value or at low premium and sold at high premium. There are two groups of funds: corporate bond funds and muni funds. There are too many of them and they are rotating too fast to present them in the portfolio review. Watch my trades on stocktalk of Seeking Alpha.
Disclosure: I am long ARMHGOOGISRGDSWFBIFNINTCMMMQCOM,RHTSANVMW.
Additional disclosure: Positions can change any time.