Humu Wha?
The only group of stocks that I keep together based on geographical location is my Hawaiian portfolio. The real reason I maintain it is for nostalgic purposes. How can you not like a place that has a language that consists of only 12 letters, and a state fish called Humu Humu Nuku Nuku Apua'a. You can just call it a trigger fish. Go ahead, sound it out...Tr-ig-er-fi-ish.
HA, Hawaiian Holding, Inc.
The main asset is the sole ownership of all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. Good volume, nice 2.0 beta. Timed right, you can ride the friendly skies and get paid for doing it.
HE, Hawaiian Electric Industries.
Primarily engaged in the electric utility, banking and other businesses operating in the State of Hawaii. Steady as she goes with a yield of 5.6%.
As a young chimp, I had spent time in the Aloha State as a willing participant in an animal research study at Pearl Harbor where I learned way more than I ever wanted to know about chemical and biological warfare. The hamburgers were a little salty, too (at least I think that was salt), but all in all it was a good time. For me, sometimes ignorance really is bliss. It sure beat that trip to Plum Island but that's a story for another day.
BOH, Bank of Hawaii
A staple in the HI portfolio with a yield of 3.9%.
ALEX, Alexander and Baldwin
A multi-industry corporation including transportation, real estate, and agribusiness.
Yield - 3.4%. Not a favorite but I keep it on the list anyway.
O ka makapo wale no ka mea hapapa i ka pouli.
Translation: Only the blind gropes in the darkness.
My translation: No plan, no progress. I always have a plan when making a trade, even when using this "Aloha Six". While some of these are dividend plays like the Water Portfolio, others are used specifically for very short term momentum or swing trading.
CYAN, Cyanotech Corp,
This Company provides beneficial, quality microalgal products for health and human nutrition in a sustainable, reliable and environmentally sensitive operation. It engages in the cultivation and production of microalgae into high-value, high-quality natural health and nutrition products. Volume is anemic but trading it can be wild and profitable ride. I had higher hopes for this company but maybe it's a little ahead of it's time?
HOKU, Hoku Corp.
This is a diversified clean energy technologies company with three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar and Hoku Fuel Cells. This stock was a 7-bagger in 2007, a disaster in 2008, and has stayed in the $2-$4 range since. Short term opportunities are there if you have a quick trigger finger.
E lauhoe mai na wa'a; i ke ka, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke ka; pae aku i ka 'aina.
Translation: Paddle together, bail, paddle; paddle, bail; paddle towards the land.
My translation: Plan the trade, trade the plan, and accept losses if they are the means to higher profit.
Short Timer or Life Long Resident?
One monkey's nightmare is another monkey's dream. Most of my 'Curious George' adventures include conversations with bus drivers for some reason...and this one is no different.
After sitting through a lecture that included brief intervals of faux-gas dispersement that smelled of bananas; a real dose of lachrymatory agent, better known as tear gas; and an incessant chorus of "you're dead, you're dead!" if that WWII-era gas mask wasn't in place within four seconds, I headed to the short bus for the drive home. The driver was complaining about having to chauffer a group of monkeys around but before he realized he was talking to one, I had learned that his mental unbalance was due his six-month confinement on the island that limited his travels to unending loops and figure-eights around "an isolated heap of lava" (his words) referring to Oahu.
I guess sun, surf, and a melting pot of well tanned, nature-loving wahine(s) wasn't his bowl of poi. Anyway, I hope he found his way back to some land-locked paradise. He was a good driver.
It wasn't long after that I met a kama'aina (long-time resident) that was preparing to honor the "beauty of Maui" (her words) by spending several weeks walking the entire perimeter of the island.
Ummm..where was I? Looks like the islands make monkey a little loco. Back to the trading world...
Perspective is everything, almost. Whether trading utility stocks or "lottery tickets", the risks have to be determined beforehand. A five day, wrong direction trade using a leveraged ETF might seem like the end of the world for the short-sighted, but in the context of the longer range plan (emphasis on the word plan) it is nothing but a minor diversion...just like this post.
