What I'm Trading - Andrew
Some have a "sleep theory", but at 25 years of age, Andrew is one Stake trader who doesn't mind a bit of excitement in his portfolio. After living in New York and witnessing the energy of Wall St, Andrew took the plunge and has never looked back.
Occupation: Marketing & CS
Age: 25
Location: Sydney, Australia
Stake Portfolio Size: ~US$20,000
What was your first trade on Stake?
One $DBX free stock (thank you Stake!). And $PTON – one of my proudest, most successful trades.
How did you first get into trading?
My dad has always been an avid investor and even sold his business to become a full-time trader. So naturally, he encouraged me to invest from a young age. He would sit my siblings and me down for painfully slow trading lessons but it wasn’t until I started living in New York, and experienced the Wall Street energy that I finally lost my investing virginity.
In one sentence, define your trading style.
At this stage of my life, I can afford to take some risk, grow my portfolio as much as I can before taking a more conservative, long-term approach after I hit 30. Some people adopt the “sleep theory”. They only invest an amount of money that allows them to comfortably sleep at night. I don’t mind a little bit of stress; the excitement of active and moving markets. The biggest risk of all is not taking any risks!
Why are you in the market?
I am very business-minded and the markets put the very best companies on the world stage. Owning shares allows you to be part of a company’s growth, a community. I can connect with others who own the stock and engage with those who may be bearish. It’s also inspirational. I learn about ideas and strategies I can use in my own startup. Side hustles are the dream right?!
What’s in your portfolio on Stake right now?
I bought into the Coinbase IPO; that’s my most recent addition. On top of that, my equities included Digital Turbines (APPS), Peloton (PTON), Skillz (SKLZ), Amazon (AMZN), Baidu (BIDU), and GoPro (GPRO). I allocate some money to a couple of ARK ETFs too: ARK Fintech Revolution (ARKF) and Ark Space Exploration (ARKX).
How are your returns so far?
My top performers have done really well but my losers are relatively deep in the red. If I had to use a movie as an analogy, it would be ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly’. I believe in the companies though so I am happy to hold on and give them a chance to turn around.
Any investments that are not on Stake?
What’s in our backyard, the ASX. I’m also a Bitcoin convertee and I’ll admit to eating my words. It definitely took some time to have the confidence to invest in $BTC. (Maybe still a little on the fence).
What are you watching? Why?
Quite a diverse range of stocks, from semiconductor stocks like Himax (HIMX) to Insurance (LMND) and alternate fuels (PLUG). I also have my eye on some blockchain/crypto-centered stocks like Marathon (MARA) and Riot (RIOT).
In terms of crypto, I’m watching Binance Coin (BNB) because I think crypto is here to stay. Especially after $COIN’s successful IPO.
$FNKO, $HIMX, $MARA, $RIOT, $PLUG, $LMND – they’re all pretty speculative.
Do you have a trading or investing role model?
My dad and my brother. I’ve learned so much from them even though they’re more conservative than I am. If I had listened to them more, I’d have better returns.
I always have to say the GOAT aka Warren Buffet. I know that’s expected but I respect him so much both as a person and an investor. The CEO of one of the top 10 biggest companies in the world, a philanthropist, and an all-around great guy – all the while eating McDonald’s for breakfast every day. Goals.
If you were to buy a US stock or ETF right now, what would you buy? Why?
Depends on my intention. If it’s a stock I’ll hold forever, then probably ETFs like IVV or FANG type stocks. If it’s for something more speculative, I’d go for more $SQ or $RIOT or $CRWD. Too many options!!
What’s a piece of advice you’d give a newbie?
Always stay up to date with what’s going on in the world of the stock market. Try to find a role model and an investment strategy that works for you. Read books about it and find what’s relevant to you.
When investing in a company “Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful”. – Warren Buffet.
ICYMI: make your own decisions
This is not investment advice, just my opinion. It doesn’t reflect any opinions of Stake. I’m as fresh to this as the next person off the street. Do your own research and make your own decisions.