6,935 Days
Tuesday, May 12, 1998
by Jeff Fischer
([email protected])
ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 12, 1998) -- Apparently someone injected the stock market with stimulants, because in the afternoon it awoke from a slumber and darted straight up a steep hill. It might have kept going had the bell not chimed at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, putting stocks to bed for the night.
The S&P ran up 0.8%; the Nasdaq trailed but still climbed 0.6%; and the Fool was first to the top of the hill, gaining 0.9% and increasing its lead over the market.
There was no news to report on our stocks, but below I'll share our current encapsulated thoughts on all of our holdings. First, though, it's Foolish to note that slightly more than 365 days have passed since the May 2, 1997 Fool column entitled "7,300 Days." Fools who have been reading for over a year might remember the column, while new readers can read it in the archives, right here.
The column reminded that there are 7,300 days in 20 years. Of those days, there are only 5,200 market days. That's only 33,800 market hours. That's only 1.21 billion seconds. Can you hold stocks of world-leading companies that you know and love for that many seconds, regardless of the uncertainty in the stock market at various times over the coming years? Are you a long-term Foolish investor (as we are), and do you plan to have something to show for it when you read this column 19 years down the road?
Holding stocks has rewarded the Fool well during the past 365 days alone. One year ago our shares of America Online were worth $16,000. They're now worth $61,000. The entire portfolio was valued at $130,000 last May. It's now worth $206,000. But we have decades more to go. We just made one lap of the sun, while 6,935 days remain in our 20-year marathon. Are you along for the ride -- strapped into your own favorite investments for the long haul? Or are you trading in and out of stocks, hoping to skim a profit at the expense of a windfall?
With 6,935 days to go (at least), it makes sense to share how we're currently thinking about our stocks in the Fool Port. We:
1. Love the long-term prospects for AOL and Amazon as much as, or more than, ever.
2. Will be using a Foolish Four approach for all of the coming years.
3. Will remain short The Donald as long as the reasoning outlined in our sell report holds true or, as we've seen, becomes even more true.
4. Are currently considering the long-term value of holding 3Com and KLA-Tencor compared to other investment options out there.
5. Are baffled but holding 3Dfx, the niche leading company growing at breakneck speed.
6. Are looking for another short.
7. Are happy with Spiders until we find something that we feel will better the S&P 500.
8. Bought Innovex during an industry downturn, yet we continue to like the company's long-term prospects and valuation. Still, if we find better, Innovex will go. But 3Com and KLA- Tencor are likely first in line to be sold before Innovex.
9. Have made great money on Iomega, even locked some gains in, and we will probably continue to hold while the company sorts through current issues. As long as Iomega leads its growing market, we are likely to be investors.
All of that said, don't send email asking what is happening next, first, soon -- anything. Why not ask? Because, 1) We don't know any answers yet. Months could pass before we take any action (we're long-term thinkin' Fools, after all). And, 2) I couldn't share our exact plans anyway, of course. So, 3) Rather than spend valuable time writing me email, head over to tonight's Cash-King report.
Since Tom Gardner began the Cash-King Portfolio in January he hasn't been involved with the Fool Port in any active sense. We've missed his columns here, but he is writing at least five times per month for his Cash-King Portfolio. Tonight Tom's column is another one to read, print, and share with other non-Fools or friends -- or even drop thousands of copies from a plane onto New York, if you do that sort of work. The column speaks for itself, as always. Enjoy... and Fool on.
--Jeff Fischer
WE
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Day Month Year History FOOL +0.90% 2.29% 24.33% 317.26% S&P: +0.83% 0.36% 14.98% 143.41% NASDAQ: +0.66% -0.44% 18.46% 158.29% Rec'd # Security In At Now Change 8/5/94 710 AmOnline 3.64 87.75 2313.08% 5/17/95 1960 Iomega Cor 1.28 7.56 490.63% 10/1/96 84 LucentTech 23.81 73.06 206.88% 9/9/97 290 Amazon.com 38.22 91.13 138.41% 8/12/96 130 AT&T 39.58 57.75 45.92% 2/20/98 215 DuPont 59.83 80.00 33.70% 1/8/98 115 S&P Depos. 95.91 111.94 16.72% 2/20/98 200 Exxon 64.09 73.81 15.17% 2/20/98 270 Int'l Pape 47.69 54.25 13.75% 4/30/97 -1170*Trump* 8.47 8.81 -4.06% 8/24/95 130 KLA-Tencor 44.71 41.38 -7.46% 1/8/98 425 3Dfx 25.67 23.13 -9.91% 6/26/97 325 Innovex 27.71 23.94 -13.61% 8/13/96 250 3Com Corp. 46.86 30.88 -34.12% Rec'd # Security In At Value Change 8/5/94 710 AmOnline 2581.87 62302.50 $59720.63 9/9/97 290 Amazon.com 11084.24 26426.25 $15342.01 5/17/95 1960 Iomega Cor 2509.60 14822.50 $12312.90 2/20/98 215 DuPont 12864.25 17200.00 $4335.75 10/1/96 84 LucentTech 1999.88 6137.25 $4137.37 8/12/96 130 AT&T 5145.11 7507.50 $2362.39 2/20/98 200 Exxon 12818.00 14762.50 $1944.50 1/8/98 115 S&P Depos. 11029.25 12872.81 $1843.56 2/20/98 270 Int'l Pape 12876.75 14647.50 $1770.75 4/30/97 -1170*Trump* -9908.50 -10310.63 -$402.13 8/24/95 130 KLA-Tencor 5812.49 5378.75 -$433.74 1/8/98 425 3Dfx 10908.63 9828.13 -$1080.50 6/26/97 325 Innovex 9005.62 7779.69 -$1225.93 8/13/96 250 3Com Corp. 11715.99 7718.75 -$3997.24 CASH $11558.06 TOTAL $208631.56
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