# CNBC - Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge



## NOBama (Nov 28, 2008)

Anybody here playing? Just wondering.

Ya could win oh... 1/2 million bucks or so.

I always play. I usually setup my portfolio's and just leave them alone.

To play, logon to CNBC, click CONTEST, create your portfolio's.

Good Luck if you're in!


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## editec (Nov 28, 2008)

Cool. 

Sound like fun.

Now I used to gamble (for fun) online, but for some reason (technical not worth explaining here) I can no longer do that, so maybe this will satisfy that gambling lust for me, instead.

You guys do not want to play texas hold'em with me, BTW. 

I'd own your farms if you played against me long enough.

Of course gambling at cards is way easier than making money on the market, but this might be a fun, anyway.


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## NOBama (Nov 29, 2008)

editec said:


> Cool.
> 
> Sound like fun.
> 
> ...


 
Interestingly, a novice player won 500K$ in one of these CNBC games. I'm not 100% sure but I think his "big play" was Fanny or Freddie. Anyway, I imagine he's happy he played.


Man, you'd never want to sit at a Texas Hold'em table with me. You'd REALLY have a bad outlook on life after that.


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## NOBama (Dec 1, 2008)

Ed, did you get your CNBC Portfolio's setup?

My portfolio's (their all the same) are probably going to take a hit today. I'm long in the following short ETF's:
QID
SRS
SKF
EEV
Long Currencies:
GBP/USD

I stand ZERO chance of winning but I like to track my picks over the period of the game.

I'm surprised that your the only person that expressed any interest in the game. It seems like there's a lot of people who post here who could use a free chance to win some cash. 

Oh well, good luck to you!


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 1, 2008)

NOBama said:


> Anybody here playing? Just wondering.
> 
> Ya could win oh... 1/2 million bucks or so.
> 
> ...



Sounds fun.  I use to play this game in high school.


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## NOBama (Dec 1, 2008)

PoliticalChic said:


> Sounds fun. I use to play this game in high school.


 
High school? Interesting...

I wish this internet thingy was around when I was a kid in school. Too bad AL Gore hadn't invented it yet!


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## DavidS (Dec 1, 2008)

NOBama said:


> Ed, did you get your CNBC Portfolio's setup?
> 
> My portfolio's (their all the same) are probably going to take a hit today. I'm long in the following short ETF's:
> QID
> ...



The brits are thinking about converting to the Euro.....


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## NOBama (Dec 2, 2008)

Wow, my little CBNC portfolio made $219.367.56 yesterday. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





If that was my real portfolio, I'd take the money and run!


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 2, 2008)

NOBama said:


> High school? Interesting...
> 
> I wish this internet thingy was around when I was a kid in school. Too bad AL Gore hadn't invented it yet!



When I was in a high school, I was fortunate to be part of the Academy of Finance.  We played the stock market game (not CNBC) and I summer interned at Shearson Lehman Bros (that was what it was called at that time).  All of us aspired to be yuppies


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 2, 2008)

NOBama said:


> Wow, my little CBNC portfolio made $219.367.56 yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow!  Can you parlay your expertise into real $$$?

I'm still setting up my portfolio.


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## NOBama (Dec 2, 2008)

PoliticalChic said:


> Wow! Can you parlay your expertise into real $$$?
> 
> I'm still setting up my portfolio.


 
I've been flipping short ETF's ever since the bailout was first announced. If I mentioned how much $$$ I've added to my real portfolio, nobody would believe me. I can live with that.

I use to mention them (short ETF's) on the Economy board, but nobody seemed interested and my buddy editec doesn't like the idea of making money 

That HCBK I posted about today is a good play too. I made a boat load of cash on that puppy this year.


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 2, 2008)

NOBama said:


> I've been flipping short ETF's ever since the bailout was first announced. If I mentioned how much $$$ I've added to my real portfolio, nobody would believe me. I can live with that.
> 
> I use to mention them (short ETF's) on the Economy board, but nobody seemed interested and my buddy editec doesn't like the idea of making money
> 
> That HCBK I posted about today is a good play too. I made a boat load of cash on that puppy this year.



Do mind giving a lesson on ETF's?  

You must know what you're doing if you're making money in this market.  

I would love to devote more time into understanding the market.


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## NOBama (Dec 2, 2008)

PoliticalChic said:


> Do mind giving a lesson on ETF's?


 
I wouldn't call this a lesson but, Basically what I do is:

Every morning, starting around 4:30AM, I look for World News articles that may impact the markets, overseas market stats, US futures, check on what economic reports are coming out that day, and scrounge around my favorite stock related message boards looking for tells and investor sentiment (of people I trust), to name a few things I do. I also try to stay away from low volume plays like the X3 funds.

If I decide to flip one or two that day, I get in as early as I can (premarket), before the PPS escalates too much. Then, watch Level-II and Streamers on one screen, live news feeds on another, surf around on the third, and keep an eye on the talking heads on CNBC.

Im not as aggressive as some people I know, I usually leave some $ on the table but, I don't worry about that. Since the SHTF my attitude is: Get In, Get Out, Make Cash. Rarely do I stay in overnight and never over a weekend. Hope that helps.

There's a couple of other people who post here like Brian and Toro, who could probably offer up some good information too.

Individual equities. Thats a different ball game.


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## usmbtech (Dec 3, 2008)

Just started playing today.. so we'll see what happens..


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## NOBama (Dec 4, 2008)

DanK said:


> Just started playing today.. so we'll see what happens..


 
Good! Man, it would be hilarious if somebody who posts here won a weekly prize or even hit the mother load LOL!

I can see all the "I didn't see that Thread" posts now


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## usmbtech (Dec 5, 2008)

Glad it's not really money cuz I'm down about $100k   I'm not all in so hope to put some money to work today!


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 5, 2008)

I'm down $2k.  Purchase of Ford 2 days ago saved me some $$.


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## Valerie (Dec 5, 2008)

DanK said:


> Glad it's not really money cuz I'm down about $100k   I'm not all in so hope to put some money to work today!



Hey, take heart...I've done that in real life with real money, made it, lost it, made it again and so on...which is precisely why I am too burned out on crunching numbers right now to talk much about stocks around here.  

My advice to people is to watch the volumes and the cash flow, not just the stock price.  There is a massive power shift going on right now and it is very easy to get burned in this volatile market.  

If a stock is breaking through it's lows on high volume, don't just buy it because it is low.  Do your homework and invest in companies who have real earnings, high dividend yields, and low P/E ratios.  Don't jump in with both feet just because a price is lower than ever...wait for the high volume to show itself on the upside!


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## Valerie (Dec 5, 2008)

Valerie said:


> Hey, take heart...I've done that in real life with real money, made it, lost it, made it again and so on...which is precisely why I am too burned out on crunching numbers right now to talk much about stocks around here.
> 
> My advice to people is to watch the volumes and the cash flow, not just the stock price.  There is a massive power shift going on right now and it is very easy to get burned in this volatile market.
> 
> If a stock is breaking through it's lows on high volume, don't just buy it because it is low.  Do your homework and invest in companies who have real earnings, high dividend yields, and low P/E ratios.  Don't jump in with both feet just because a price is lower than ever...wait for the high volume to show itself on the upside!



Here's one I am watching closely and plan on buying in my IRA.  

*CAT*

CAT: Summary for CATERPILLAR INC - Yahoo! Finance


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 9, 2008)

I bet most of the players are up because of the rally.  I'm up 6.8% since I started playing.  How are you guys doing?


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## NOBama (Dec 9, 2008)

PoliticalChic said:


> I bet most of the players are up because of the rally. I'm up 6.8% since I started playing. How are you guys doing?


 
Since the last time I said anything about it, I went from the top 4% to the top 97%  LOL! 

Still holding the same positions.


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## PoliticalChic (Dec 9, 2008)

NOBama said:


> Since the last time I said anything about it, I went from the top 4% to the top 97%  LOL!
> 
> Still holding the same positions.



Wow!  That's awesome.  I'm only in the top 44%.  

I hope you haven't been taking lessons from Martha Stewart...


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## usmbtech (Dec 9, 2008)

Still holding the same positions with about 10% cash. I'm ranked in the Top 45.2%. 220,960th


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## NOBama (Dec 9, 2008)

PoliticalChic said:


> Wow! That's awesome. I'm only in the top 44%.
> 
> I hope you haven't been taking lessons from Martha Stewart...


 
If we have another big dip I probably get back into the top 10%. Barring a dip though, I might wind up with under 300k when it's all said and done. 

Thank God it's funny money!


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## Valerie (Jan 23, 2009)

Valerie said:


> Here's one I am watching closely and plan on buying in my IRA.
> 
> *CAT*
> 
> CAT: Summary for CATERPILLAR INC - Yahoo! Finance



Bought up some CAT this morning!   



(Real $ not virtual)


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## DavidS (Jan 23, 2009)

Valerie said:


> Bought up some CAT this morning!
> 
> 
> 
> (Real $ not virtual)



Even though new home construction plunged by record levels yesterday?


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## Valerie (Jan 23, 2009)

DavidS said:


> Even though new home construction plunged by record levels yesterday?



Yes, I think that news was anticipated and already priced in.

That news served to drive it down to the price I was waiting for.

If you look at the day I originally posted that, December 5th, it was at around the same price as it was this morning, ~ $35, but I did not buy.  I waited and watched as it went up all the way up to $47 on January 5th!  In one month you COULD have made $12 per share, or ~33% on your money! 

This morning I was happy to see my standing order filled at $35.30.  For one thing, I think once the infrastructure bill gets back into the news this stock will go back up.

Anyway, I bought it for the long term, in my IRA and I feel good about the fundamentals going forward:


*

Day's Range:	35.01 - 36.68
52wk Range:	31.95 - 85.96
Volume:	10,352,914
Avg Vol (3m):	11,737,700
Market Cap:	21.92B
P/E (ttm):	6.00
EPS (ttm):	6.073
Div & Yield:	1.68 (4.20%)*


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## Valerie (Jan 25, 2009)

DavidS said:


> Valerie said:
> 
> 
> > Bought up some CAT this morning!
> ...



I have to admit I'm a bit worried about Monday's impending earnings report.  Keep an eye on this one as a good example and a sign of things to come in our economy.  It's possible this thing gets flushed below thirty this week, which will represent another capitulation and I believe another good buying opportunity.  As you know, a loss is not realized until you actually sell.  

It's a difficult thing to stomach, but when nobody else wants it, that's when you have to have the guts to step in.  I plan on hanging on and even buying more if it makes a new bottom.  This type of volatile activity in individual equities is typical when the market is over sold and I'm counting on the potential downside to be more limited than the potential upside, based on the fundamentals.  



Week ahead for Wall Street: Earnings, GDP and the Fed - Jan. 25, 2009



> *The week ahead: Investors gear up for a deluge of weak earnings and the biggest plunge in GDP in 26 years.*
> 
> NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Investors this week will face the largest batch of company report cards yet, in what is quickly shaping up to be the worst quarter for corporate profits in a decade.
> 
> ...


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