After first investing during the rocky waves of COVID-19, Gina returned to the markets in mid-2024 with a clearer sense of purpose and a goal in mind. A self-described ‘moderate risk taker’, she balances safe and higher-risk holdings, focusing on building resilience against inflation and less on hype.
Occupation: Student
Location: Sydney
Investment approach: Moderate risk taker
When did you first start investing?
I invested briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted investing in mid-2024. My first trade was Apple ($AAPL). It was back in 2020 and I chose a well-known company to get started.
Who or what got you interested in the market?
At the time, the stock market was going through significant changes and was highly uncertain. I was rather optimistic about the future after COVID, and chose this time to start investing.
What are you investing towards?
I am currently investing with the goal to protect my assets against inflation and future market volatility.
What’s in your portfolio right now?
I mostly invest in stocks and occasionally ETFs. At the moment, 50% of my portfolio consists of safer assets and the other 50% consists of relatively risky assets – such as tech stocks.
What's on your watchlist?
Three stocks in my watchlist are:
What stock or ETF has been your biggest winner?
The biggest winner has been Tesla ($TSLA). I don’t hold any Tesla stock now though.
What stock or ETF has been your biggest loser?
So far UnitedHealth Group ($UNH) has been the biggest loser.
Which company has been in your portfolio the longest?
NVIDIA ($NVDA) and Apple. I think at this point, I consider them long-term holdings due to the fundamentals and technological developments.
What was the stock that got away?
Coca-Cola ($KO). When I was considering buying it, the company announced its performance numbers and I missed the opportunity to buy it at a good price.
Who or what inspires your investing rationale or decisions?
Warren Buffett. He would probably say my current portfolio is too risky and that I should focus more on dividend-paying stocks. I [also] follow the news to track changes in policy and political developments.
What advice would you give a new investor?
The earlier you start, the better. Back in the day, I thought I didn’t have enough capital and the timing was too late. However, now I find that I should have started earlier.
There are always opportunities in the market. Not every stock moves the same way, so it’s important to stay disciplined, patient, and selective.
The personal views in this article do not reflect the views of Stake and do not constitute financial advice, nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. As always, do your own research and consider seeking financial, legal and taxation advice before investing.
Subscribe
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy.