GENERAC

I don't know why this stock has done so well.  The price has more than doubled since the last time I purchased it.  I only have 5 shares of this stock, but still feel some exhilaration and happiness at the progress of this stock.

Makita

I install cabinets for a living.  And Makita beat Dewalt to the punch on the lithium ion battery.  They sell a drill set at Home Depot for $216.  I use these drills every day.  I bought them used from a friend and they have served me well for almost two years.  In my opinion they trounce any Dewalt product.  I talked about buying this stock several weeks ago when it was near 43.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the funds to purchase.  I will be watching this stock and look for a good oportunity to purchase.  It is now over 47. 

MkTay

Makita is trading under ticker symbol  Mktay.  Currently trading at 43.77.  P/E ratio is mid twenties.  I like it.  Thinking about dumping my AAPL stock and putting it all in Makita.

Musings about purchases

Walgreens is at $44.67 up $1.52 from my purchase price.  Things I have learned in the year since I started purchasing individual stocks.  I bought AAPL during this past Christmas and New Year.  Apple gets a lot of attention from the media.  I bought apple probably at an average price of $340.  $348 if you include the fee to purchase.  Now it is at $320.  AAPL is my biggest loser.  I heard some say that the stock is undervalued and should go to $500.  Again, lots of attention paid to Apple.  I am keeping the stock in hopes that it may resurge.  But, it could easily trend south.  Is Steve Jobs not coming back?  I just read an article in Fortune about the company environment.  Wow, no mercy for the weak.  Reminds me of my days at AK Steel.  I will never buy stock in that company.  Another dog I have is Boise Inc. trading under ticker symbol BZ.  I purchased based on the numbers only, not knowing much about the company which I think makes paper products.  Lesson learned here:  Smaller, less well known companies are also dangerous.  In another case I purchased Generac, a generator manufacturer.  I had an opportunity to use their product and found it powerful for its size (kind of like a Honda generator) and cost effective (less expensive than Honda).  And I am able to compare it to a number of other portable generators on the market.  Generac trading under symbol GNRC made it through this most recent six week downturn without much of a hiccup.  I want to do some investigation on the company that makes the Makita product.  Over a year ago I purchased a used drill set from a friend.  And I use them both every day.  In my opinion, these drills blow away any DeWalt product I owned.  They now sell at only $216 at Home Depot.  I almost want to buy another set because I know they are a great value.  Those are the kinds of companies I want to invest in.

WAG

My Walgreens stock is outperforming my other stocks.   Currently at 44.38.

Good time to buy?

Wondering if this past six weeks of a downturn is an indicator of a good time to buy?  Am sure there are some bargains out there waiting to be scooped up.

I Admit It

I am an amateur at picking stocks.  I own eight stocks and seven of them were losers this past Friday.  The only winner was Generac a company that builds generators.  I purchased that stock because my neighbor purchased one of their portable generators and I was very pleased with its performance.  I also jumped on the Apple bandwagon a little late it seems.  I purchased Toyota after news of the recalls last year and the company has since had a small resurgence in stock price.