October 3 - October 7

Learned This Week

       This week, I learned that for me personally, it is much easier to predict if a stock will go down, as to predicting if it will go up. For example, if you had to base your decision as to if a stock were going to go up or down, it would be much easier to predict the drop. For example, if you notice that the trend of a stock is relatively constant, and all of a sudden a drastic increase appears, it is most likely to go back down eventually. Another thing I have learned this week is how useful it can be to put a limit order on certain stocks. For example, early on in the week, I invested in Direxon Daily Gold Miners (NUGT), and initially I was able to make a bit of money. As the day progressed, I forgot to check my stocks and missed the chance to sell it at a good time. From this I learned that I should start putting limit orders on stocks that have a tendency of fluctuating often - I still have not been able to sell NUGT as it continues to drop, the picture below shows how NUGT has done in these past five days. 

What I have Done This Week and Why 

     This week, I tried out a different strategy, as mentioned previously I was able to come to the conclusion that predicted when a stock is going to crash is easier for me, with that being said, I shorted a few stocks in which I believed were going to crash, the majority of the stocks in which I shorted I was successful, those stocks being Walmart Stores Inc (WMT), Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) and Summit Therapeutics PLC ADR (SMMT). The picture below is a before and after of DRI, the picture on the top was screen shotted at the time I shorted it, the picture below shows the continuing days.

SMMT was one of the stocks I was able to make most money off by once again shorting. In that stock, I currently hold $5451.00, I have progressively made more money from it as the days go on, but I do plan on selling it soon before it starts to once again go up. The picture below was taken the moment in which I shorted the stock.

                                  

                                              

    Shorting was not the only strategy I took on this week, I also tried predicting when a stock/ industry would go up. This did not go as well for me. This week I invested in both Direxion Daily Gold Miners (NUGT) and Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners (JNUG) when they were at a relatively low price, for example, I bought NUGT when it was at $14.41/share, which it has now dropped to $11.98/share. I have lost a good amount of money in both of these stocks so now my only plan is to wait it out and wait for it to go back up.