As often noted to NFTRH subscribers, I believe now is a good time for swing trading. Not day trading (whipsaw) and not investment (other than maybe a few items I’d consider investment worthy for my own reasons, largely stemming from my originally coming from the productive economy, not the financialized one).

Swing trading is defined here as the act of taking positions on downside buying opportunities and holding through some ups and down and then forcing myself to take profits when they are presented. In 2015, for some reason they have been presented with great regularity. I am not sure why, other than I did improve my own focus as a trader and decided to stop burning so many commissions.

I bought Intel (INTC) on its big drop and decided to hold into earnings. That’s often a tough call. Today it’s up in AH after meeting expectations.

Then there are the Biotech/Specialty Pharmas. We have been following the index and the sector ETF, advising that until the trend is broken the trend is not broken.

Still, I decided to take profit on DEPO again after buying the recent plunge.

I decided to continue holding BCLI despite today’s 10%+. The chart and some light fundamental study (but it’s a spec. Bio!) kept me holding.

I trimmed only a partial profit on OMED… again.

And am holding VCEL until the chart gives me reason not to.

As for Intel’s buddies in the old guard, we also did an NFTRH+ on Cisco last week and I am really jazzed up about GE, as it has extricated itself from the ongoing credit bubble (and oncoming credit contraction). I’ll probably write about GE, as part of a macro piece. We highlighted it in NFTRH 338 as well.

As part of this swing trading and profit taking regimen cash management has been Thing 1. Good cash management and good profit taking discipline allows you to be strong when others are squirrely (i.e. buy Intel or OncoMed when they plunge into my waiting arms). I really do feel like I have improved something about myself functionally since last September or October. I’ve just been seeing the spin on the ball. I’ve been able to hit the curve. I like it and am not going to take it for granted. It takes decision making and discipline.