#06 - The Game Hasn't Stopped

This week kicked off with a whirlwind of market excitement as meme stocks went on an all out run Monday morning reshaping the investment landscape once again.

Big 3 Market/News Topics

• Roaring Kitty resurrects the Planet of the Diamond Apes 🦍💎

  

  • GameStop $GME stock soars up over 70% on Monday and the rest of the week it was a rollercoaster after Roaring Kitty tweeted for the first time since 2021.

  • If anyone doesn’t know the background on this check out the documentary “Eat the Rich - The GameStop Saga” on Netflix. This was single handedly one of the most entertaining events that happened during COVID.

  • Whether GameStop and all the other meme stocks ever go to the Moon 🚀 only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, the market is much more exciting to follow when companies with declining growth and a not so promising future get pumped.

  • I bought $23 worth of GameStop $GME on Monday so you didn’t have to. At one point I was up 110% when the share price went over $60. Thursday I sold my position and the stock had already crashed down to the upper $20’s and I lost $6 on the trade.

    • FYI- If you are going to play risky pump day trades like GameStop, AMC, or any other “pump and dump” play you need to be ready to hit the sell button and have to be ready to monitor the position all day long.

• Markets Continue Higher to All Time High’s

  • Wednesday the S&P 500 & Dow Jones Industrial moved to new highs increasing a bullish 2024 in result from lighter than expected inflation reporting this week.

  • Since October 2023 the markets have been on a tear upward after being in a decline in 2022. Interest rates, real estate, and consumer prices continue to rise but as the months have passed employers keep adding jobs, and consumers are spending/splurging more than ever on big-ticket items like housing, cars, etc.

  • A “recession” has been predicted by many for almost 3 years now by so many economists, however it is yet to materialize giving investors great stock market returns over the past 6-12 months.

• OpenAI Partnership Could Put Apple & Siri on the AI Map

  • Apple $APPL is nearing a partnership deal with OpenAi that would bring AI tech to the next iPhone. Meaning Apple may upgrade Siri with ChatGPT ability. Open AI just unveiled GPT-4o model that has more voice capabilities.

  • Apple stock which has been questioned as of recently about future innovation would benefit from this partnership and ramp up their AI competition against Google and Microsoft.

  • If this partnership happens and Siri gets upgraded. This could lean more into having your very own personal assistant in your pocket.

  • Watch the GPT-4o demo here: Hello GPT-4o 

The Freedom Fund Update

• 5/17/24 - Friday Freedom Fund purchase:

  • This week I started a new position with 3 shares into $SCHX the US Large Cap ETF through Charles Schwab.

    • Currently between $SCHX, $SCHD, and $BCX the Freedom Fund is currently allocated toward 26% ETF type assets. Over the course of the next 6-12 months I will begin to push that allocation up to 50/50 ETF’s vs single stocks.

    • Reminder - Diversify your brokerage into a blend of single stocks and ETFs. Your retirement accounts should be more heavily allocated towards Mutual Funds & ETFs.

  • Added an additional 2 shares of $APLE Apple Hospitality REIT.

    • $APLE is a Real Estate Investment Trust that buys hotels such as Hampton, Hyatt, and Marriott (See Hotel Map Here).

    • I discovered $APLE when I was researching who owns the hotels in my home town of Madison, WI and noticed they recently purchased two Hiltons that were being built in downtown Madison.

    • There is something reassuring about being able to drive past locations or see services in person in assets that you invest in.

    • $APLE pays a monthly dividend with an annual div yield around 6.55% currently. A $5000 investment into a REIT such as $APLE will pay ~ $27 dividend per month (or enough to cover your Netflix and Spotify subscriptions).

I created the Freedom Fund as a public brokerage account back in October of 2022 to share that anyone with a social security # and a bank account can begin their investing journey by investing a couple hundred dollars a week. Every week and month I post on X (@GrahamInvesting) public updates about the purchases, exits, dividends, and growth of the fund if you want to follow in real time.

Amor Fati - Mindset

Over the last couple of months I have been doing a lot of reading & listening to the concept of "amor fati" and its relevance to work, investing, and life. Amor fati translates to the "love of fate.” This Stoic philosophy encourages us to view moments of our lives as essential parts of our journey regardless if they are good or bad. Below is a breakdown of how I have started to try to build an “amor fati” mindset habit in 3 large areas of my life:

• Work: In the workplace, adopting amor fati means accepting challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning. Rather than dwelling on what could have been or fearing failure, we can approach our work with a sense of resilience and purpose. By embracing every task and project, regardless of the outcome, we cultivate a mindset of productivity and fulfillment.

• Investing: Amor fati is particularly relevant to investing, where uncertainty and gains/losses are constant. Instead of fixating on short-term fluctuations or regretting missed opportunities, adopt a long-term perspective and trust in the process that you create for yourself. Embrace ups and downs of the market to allow yourself to stay focused on our investment goals and make decisions with confidence.

• Life: In our personal lives, amor fati invites us to accept ourselves and our circumstances fully. By embracing the present moment and finding meaning in every experience, we can cultivate gratitude and inner peace. Whether your life events are happy or sad, relaxing or stressful, this mindset trains you to cherish every moment and live life. You may not always be excited about your current house, car, habits, relationships, but know that not everything is finite and view your current setting as a reminder that you have the choice to take steps to change it. Life will get better in the long term if you focus on the solutions you could provide to your life rather than complain and feel victim to the situation life puts you in.

By embracing moments as an opportunity for growth, we free ourselves from regret and resentment. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, amor fati encourages you to focus on the present and find meaning in every situation. It empowers us to take control of our lives and shape our own destiny, finding purpose in the most challenging circumstances. Through amor fati, you can cultivate resilience, peace, and a sense of contentment with the unfolding of your life.

The purpose of Graham’s Gazette and my social account @GrahamInvesting is to help others get started and stay consistent on their own personal, professional, and financial journey. I appreciate the time you take in reading & interacting with me and look forward to growing together.

Thanks for investing your time reading this.

-Graham (@GrahamInvesting)

Disclaimer: Graham’s Gazette provides information and resources related to investing, financial topics, and personal growth for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content presented is not intended to be construed as financial advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions. Graham’s Gazette and its creators do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided nor do they guarantee any specific results from such use of information.