Banks

In Australia, collectively, banks are king of dividends.  There are 4 major ones and all make money.  While the public resent how much profit they are making, one should be glad that banks make money.  Otherwise, they go bankrupt and your deposit vaporizes.

Recently, when there was a massive sell off of banks, I was waiting by the wayside.  There comes a time when you feel that for what they will be earning and for what you get as interest with your deposit, it is worthwhile buying to top up my holdings.  And so I have... with the 3 major banks, with nice gains.

Market plunged today by 85 points...

OUCH!

But I was so disappointed that none of my orders was fulfilled.  I was hoping for an idiot to dump his/her shares!  Maybe, I was too mean... but if interest rate is under 3% (more than $50,000 and 6 year term, but mostly under 2%) and the divided is over 3% why not buy bank shares?

Mining stocks and banks

All the big majors are getting a downgrade.  And editors are lamenting about mining stocks.

Yet, if you are very selective, there are still some great buys.  Two stocks that I have been topping up are EDE and PXG.  The latter is holding but EDE first top up has more than doubled in a short time.  Even the second recent top up has done well.

Overall, it is a very dangerous sector to enter...

I did top up some banks too when it fell hard recently.  Whether it continues to rise will depend not on Greece but... China.  Greece is just a pesky fly but China could be the big sink hole (sudden, big and deep).

EDE

This is one of the best Aussie developments to watch.  If its early commercialization of its technology is successful, then the sky is the limit.  So far, everything is pointing to the right direction.

I topped up recently at 1.8c and then recently at 3.1c.   It is moving along very nicely and it is just a matter of time before the big boys move into the stock...

SGQ

Big Ray asked me to buy SGQ some time ago.  I didn't because I already own some shares in it.  I knew about its prospect but until you get some solid results, it is very speculative... unless you have inside information.  I am not that 'privileged' and it is also wrong and illegal.

However, as good drilling results are coming out, I topped up when it started to rise.  And it rose after I bought recently at 8.5c a share.  This morning, before the market opened, it again announced a great second hole with a thick layer of discovery.  But this AM, the market is crumbling all over so no one is interested in good announcements... hence I topped up again with another small parcel.  While I am not in the green zone yet, at least the green zone is getting nearer.

NEA

Why re-invent the wheel?  And why dare re-invent the wheel where there is already a great wheel maker?  Google Map is used by everyone and nearly websites use it.  For non-commercial usage, it is free.  But Google never give things away for free; you have to put up with some forms of advertisement usually.  And the quality and frequency of updating depend on whether you subscribe, too.

Hence when NEA took on Google, you would think mapping against a giant would be a silly investment.  However, there are chinks in Google Map.  NEA used to be in a different industry when it swallowed up the mapping minnow.  Today, it is its principal source of profit.  The last one wasn't that good but the prospect is.  Whether the share price continues to rise will be heavily dependent on what the next profit figure is.  There are commercial enterprises out there that much prefer what NEA can offer over Google!

This is not a stock to invest in as the bulk of the rise has already occured.  But of course, it can jump if there is better prospect after the next profit announcement.

EDE

This is an interesting stock.  From hydrocarbon, it makes it into hydrogen (for fuel) and carbon nanofibres.  Its technological achievement is making cement with the stronger-than-steel fibres.  The first commercial use has been instigated.

Like nearly every technological stock that I have invested in, you have to wear a loss for a long time before it turns.  No, EDE has not turned profitable yet but top-ups are highly profitable!  I topped up at 1.8c early this year and it is now 3.4c.  This has made the losses a little more bearable!

If the commercialization is successful, then more and more of its technology will be incorporated into modern structure.  Good luck to the company and good luck to me!