Still Making Money?

Closing hour is upon us today, and as the market slumps, I cannot help but ask if everyone made money today. I let go of solar, took some profits in agriculture, and help on with my SHLD short. With my quick profits from FSLR, I bought some PALM and LVLT on their dips. They are small speculative plays for the medium term. SHLD reports February 28th and the early week will indicate the trend for the report, but I will guess it should be terrible. I would sell my short position if it crept over 99.50. Even in a down market, money can be made. If you're losing money on your long positions, someone is making a killing on the short position.

Market Runs Out Of Steam?

The market fed off of a strong week prior to open today. The strength turned into weakness as the day progressed and oil topped $100 a barrel. Many things are still working in a market that has 100+ point swings almost every other day it seems. For example, I am still shorting SHLD, and am now long all of the agriculture and seed stocks like Potash Corp (POT), Mosaic Corp (MOS), and Monsanto CO (MON). These stocks will see plenty of growth outside of the USA this year. Also, I am counting down the days until the earnings release of SHLD. This release should take the stock down further unless it trades down a good 5-10% this week before the release. Either way, staying on the short side of this company has made a profit. We have been short SHLD since around $102.

First Solar (FSLR) Kills Earnings

Well, this has been a new blog that I have been writing on, and the success has been fruitful. First Solar reported great earnings and soared more than 25%. To read up on their excellent report and amazing outlook, check out this article.

This quarter has been full of upsets, so the market loved being able to trade up on excellent earnings. Their was up trading all the way until the market closed, symbolizing some strength in a recent completely bullish market. This is all relevant because people have been used to down days, and a dismal outlook. Today, President Bush signed the tax bill giving many homes in the US a rebate from $300-$1200. This "economic stimulus bill" also was a factor in todays trading.

Also, a report on increased retail sales boosted those stocks such as JcPenny, Nordstrom, and Sears Holdings. This will be short lived due to the earnings of (SHLD) Sears. They have already stated they will report horrible earnings. Once numbers come out, I will update, but as of now I am shorting it heavily.

Investing, Working, Running a Business

Well, today we just crushed the market. (POT) was up huge, and MBI was down over 15%!!! How can you make so much money from two stocks? Well last night I gave my rendition on why MBI should be shorted, and it looks as if bad news and shareholders realizing their demise led the way to the down day. I covered my short position with MBI down 12.5% for the day. Not too shabby for a mornings work. Like I stated, we can make money in an up or down market. Today the market was up and I made money from going long some stock and selling short another company. Another big morning for Wednesday the 13th with First Solar (FSLR) at 5AM Pacific Time.

I have been working all day and trying to get my website up to date and ranking higher with the competitors in my business. The idea of multi tasking is evident in the efforts of the day. When you are dedicated to a task at hand, nothing can get in the way. The technology of allowing you to work on two computer screens or more has enabled many, including myself, to eliminate tasks twice as fast. I am currently scanning in images, editing a website, sending emails, listening to Larry Kudlow on CNBC, and trying to figure out what to eat for dinner! When you are pushed and realize that time does nothing but kill, you put more into that time. My idea is to work really hard right now, putting countless hours into work, and then be able to have time in retired life to relish on your accomplishments.

In SanDiego this weekend my buddy said it best "Success is when you are making 1 million in recurring revenue whether you're working or not." Heck why not 2 million? Everyone has their goals and we want to race our yachts and vacation on each others islands in Dubai. Good evening!

Eric Arrieta
President/CEO
www.rugby916.com

Does anyone out there play rugby? If so, I do too. I play for the Sacramento Capitals in California. I have played since high school, and the love of the game pushes me to keep playing. With the passion I have for the sport, I have created RUGBY916 as a way to get others interested and started in this tough sport. At that site, I sell anything a player needs to outfit them for an awesome season. We supply top of the line gear and nothing less than spectacular. Also, on the site are high school scores and rankings for Northern California. Anyways, check it out and gear up for the season. If you use the coupon code, sacramentorugby, you will get 20% off our already awesome prices. The coupon is good for everything including world cup jerseys, match jerseys, rugby shorts, rugby protective equipment, rugby boots, and various other items. My main suppliers are Canterbury of New Zealand CCC and Gilbert Rugby!

Cheers and good luck this season,

Eric Arrieta
President & CEO
www.rugby916.com

Market Rebound?

Today saw a lot more green upticks in the market than in the past few days. From First Solar (FSLR) rising almost 10% to Diana Shipping Inc. (DSX) running up nealry 7%, the moves were able to make the longs smile. Not to say shorting a stock cannot still make you money though. People quickly forget that MBIA Inc. (MBI) just sold a 1 BILLION offering at a set price of $12.15 per share. Before the trading began Monday, the stock was holding at a sunny $14.60, but that did not last. Increased fear that its days of a AAA credit rating were numbered, helped trade the stock lower, closing today at $13.58. Furthermore, AIG came out with two-month losses at $5 billion which sent most companies in the financial sector lower.

Looking forward, there are many ways to play this market. In a CBS Marketwatch fantasy investing game, I am shorting MBI and SHLD. I am long FSLR, DSX, GOOG, AAPL, and POT. The bulk shipping, agriculture, and Solar markets have fallen to a P/E worth looking at. With FSLR reporting earnings on Wednesday, I believe we are in for a nice suprise and a continued run-up in the stockmarket. I will check back in soon. Good evening.

Eric Arrieta
President/CEO
WWW.RUGBY916.COM