Zeal’s Lucky Streak Ended?

[lewman]

I think the zero sum game in options extends to writers of options; i.e. the 90% lost by option buyers went to the counterparts that wrote the options.

Re: long term investing vs short term investment. I think it is possible to do both or at least that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m a long term believer in China and I’ve initiated a dollar cost averaging campaign using mutual funds and I plan to (and hope that I have the stomach to) hold thru market downturns for the next decade. At the same time I trade other asset classes. For me, it’s just part of my effort to diversify.

[qcomer]

Zeal does believe in commodity bull market and they research to provide recommendations of how you can benefit from the best of stocks during that bull market. Believing in commodity bull is not a bad thing, it is personal belief and if you don’t agree with the core thinking of zeal (equties are over priced, commodities are in bull run that will continue till 2013) then you shouldn;t even go look at zeal.

I personally don’t ascribe to newsletters that subscribe to a commodity or equity or one way or other mentality. Also, based on my personality, I like trading as I don’t have the patience for long term investing so I normally try to capture short term trends. You need to have a lot more patience and risk tolerance to be long term investor as it means believing in long term you will come out doing better than most. But this also depends how early you need your investment back and what are you investing it for. e.g. I don’t trade the money I am setting aside for downpayment of a house in 3 years time frame as 3 years is too short.

[rocketman]

I just became a subscriber to Zeal since I just want to focus on PM and Oil right now. If I wanted to play all the sectors I’d be glued to Mad Dog Jim Cramer. When it comes to investing my bucks into anything I do the research. If Hamilton or anyone recommends a buy I check it out thoroughly.

Your right about Zeal making it big during the up swings and that’s what I like. I am side lined right now waiting for the next big UP and I know Zeal will give me the “heads-up” when things are about to turn. That’s what Zeal’s there for. I don’t keep my ear to the track all day and night for that sound – Hamilton does. That’s why people subscribe to the newsletter.

Powayseller– May I recommend a book called “Beginner’s Short Term Trading” by Toni Turner. If you read this book and do the questions at the end of each chapter, you will be very confident at trading long and short by the time you finish the book. She is a very good teacher, easy to read and very funny.

As a side note – can anyone move Yellen to So. California? She’s embarrassing up here in SF.

[Anonymous]

Chris Johnston

Lewman – It was the last pivot low prior to the highest high being made before we rolled over back down. Then price kind of moved sideways in a ledge for a week or so just above that pivot low, then broke it and went down.

[Anonymous]

Chris Johnston

Dave – do not bother responding to him, all he wants to do is be negative just ignore his posts. Obviously Buffet is not a trader he is a long term investor and not who I was referring to with that comment. This guy for some reason just wants to take shots at me and he just exposes his own ignorance when he makes comments like that. Maybe he will take my picture down off his wall and becomes fixated on you next! LOL!

[anxvariety]

Sorry you don’t like my posts Chris J.

I just thought that since piggington is about bringing the data and facts, that you should show us what your trading performance is…

It’s statements like:
It was the last pivot low prior to the highest high being made before we rolled over back down. Then price kind of moved sideways in a ledge for a week or so just above that pivot low, then broke it and went down.

Which are just frighteningly generic and fake-text-generator sounding…

[davelj]

Actually, there are legal/regulatory issues with respect to non-regulated entities (that is, almost anyone other than a mutual fund) providing performance data to “non-accredited investors” (investors with less than $1 million in net worth and less than $200,000 in average income over the previous two years). That’s why you can’t just email KKR and get their performance data – you’ll have to fill out an accredited investor form. Private firms break this rule at their own peril. But I think that investment services and newsletters are somehow able to get around this, but I don’t know the details. Chris J, I’d be interested to see your audited performance as well, but I wouldn’t post it here or send it to anyone without checking with a securities lawyer first. Just my two cents.

[anxvariety]

image

I see that image on your page.. but it’s an image, do you open up Photoshop and update it on every trade? Because last time I checked it’s still 2006!

If you do, I’m sorry for guessing wrong..

[lewman]

Zeal post their yearly performance and have a fairly good breakdown by various categories like number of profitable trades vs non-profitable ones, average gain, average loss etc. http://www.emergingstocks.ca does as well. By constrast Chris’ performance page seems skimpy. And there’s Adenforecast that doesn’t even bother to post yearly results as they just have a one liner that says they produced double digit returns X out of the past Y years.

But I don’t think Zeal and EMS’s numbers are audited; or at least they didn’t say so on the site. I guess since subscribers can request previous issues of the newsletters, one can trace back 12 issues of recommended picks and check the performance and cry foul if they don’t match the published performance. And that perhaps is a big enough business risk to make sure they are more often honest about it than not.

I haven’t visited enough newsletter sites to know whether audited performance is a convention or whether they’re more likely to disclose more details like Zeal or less details like Chris. Anyone here seen enough newsletters to know what the convention is ?

I suspect it’s probably a wide range … sort of a if you don’t like what you see you don’t have to subscribe kinda deal … how “friendly” the newsletter writer is then depends on how much he wants your business.

[sdduuuude]

Zeal must have confused predictions with economic cycles which are repetitive and cyclical and don’t need predicting but only need to BE UNDERSTOOD.

[sdrealtor]

ROTFLMAO

[Anonymous]

Chris Johnston

Dave – Just shoot me an email if you like about the track record, I do have a full spreadsheet prepared by a brokerage firm and approved by the NFA. All of my results are listed on my web page unlike almost all of my competition. There are legalities involved as you are aware.

I do not see a reason to display it here and I do not know how anyway, aside from the legalities involved. I am just a participant in a blog, I make no promises or representations here of any kind. People should just do the opposite of what I say if they think it is best, have at it.

Is anyone else being held to such a high degree of proof in here, what about yours? I just offer my opinions just like everyone else. I cannot help it if this idiot chooses to make cracks like he does about commonly known concepts that have existed for 50 + years like pivots. I should forward his comments to Kevin Haggerty for his response, that would be very entertaining.

[email protected]

[anxvariety]

Zeal is staring down the market with a reccomendation thye made on Sept 6 on some OXY Oct 50 calls that have since taken a 78% haircut.

In todays speculator alert Zeal states that they are not concerned about these options and believes that a energy rally is coming.

“Oil and gas are getting past due for a major rally off of oversold conditions soon.”

Prety ballsy! Their slogan is ‘brave when others are afraid, and afraid when others are brave!’.

I have to say I’m a little afraid, as I think October might be a little soon.. but we shall see! I’m going to average down(denial?) a little bit tomorrow if these are still at 30 cents.

EDIT: I removed some stuff about Iran that I had put here.. I don’t want to send this thread into any more of a tailspin.

[rocketman]

I almost did it.

I was ready to jump into the fire yesterday thinking there was a new rally for gold. I got all my ducks lined up for this morning’s market – then wham! Right into the water! Gold sinks like a rock. Thank God I didn’t follow through. I am so impatient waiting for a breakout – then this afternoon the Zeal Speculator arrived. Now I can relax a bit. Zeal tells us to be patient – maybe 2 more months. I can’t take it, but I’m going to have to move everything into a market account and just sit tight.

[lewman]

Did Zeal have any bets on gold going down since it hit $720 in May or did they just tell subscribers to wait ?

[Author]

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