Here we go again!
Back in the summer, EVERYONE said we were going to break out to new highs and the analysts were tripping over themselves to predict a higher goal for the S&P and, after calling for caution since May, I virtually screamed for people to get to cash on July 20th in "Monday Market Manipulation – Everything is Awesome" in which I said:
CASH!!! People! Cash, cash, Cash and more CASH!!! I can only tell you and show you that the conditions we are seeing now – INCLUDING the market-boosting government bailouts – are VERY similar to what happened in 2007/8 leading up to the collapse. That is the limit of my ability. In 2007 and early 2008 I also was "wrong" and the markets went up and I said it was ridiculous and the markets went up and I warned people to go to cash and the markets went up and my only regret was that I didn't do MORE to warn people how dangerous the markets were at the time.
Fortunately, we followed our own advice and cashed in our Member portfolios – getting out at the red line on our Big Chart (+15%) and getting back in at the green line (Must Hold) and THAT is why we have AVERAGE gains of over 100% since last summer – especially as we did it all over again in November! Our timing could not have been better. PERHAPS this time is different but I have that same sense of foreboding I had in July but not so imminent that we've gone to all cash – but we do have $120,000 worth of downside hedges in our Short-Term Portfolio and we did tightly cover our Long-Term, Butterfly and Option Opportunity Portfolios (see weekend review).
In fact, we gained about $8,000 (1.3%) in our paired Long and Short-Term Portfolios on yesterday's little dip so I think we're bearish enough there but the OOP lose $2,000 (2%) and the Butterfly Portfolio, God bless it, was flat (it's supposed to be). Portfolio balance is a tricky thing and it's important, when you are worried about market direction – to have a very good idea of how a 1% rise or fall will affect your overall balance. …
