Stocking Picking Contest - v3.0

[easysurfer]

I created a this thread for the new stocking picking contest which Spudd created. Thanks Spudd.

Figured better to have a separate thread than overlap with the Stock Picking (Beat Boho) - v2.0 contest.

Here is the contest link to enter:

https://www.howthemarketworks.com/contests

From what I see, contest dates are 05/02/2019 - 08/02/2021, with starting portfolio of $100K.

 

[Boho]

The player with the highest fish net account value wins.

 

[DatumPoint5]

+1 Agreed on the "fish net" phrase.

 

[easysurfer]

To Spudd -

Do you set the contest rules or are they fixed? Reason I'm asking is because during my initial trades, I went up against a position limit of $25,000. The limit might be right for stock pickers but I'm pretty much an index type investor.

For example, when I tried to simply buy 3 index ETFs to my desired allocations then be done with my picking , result was no-go as I can't have more than 25% in a position.

Ended up stuck with for a smaller % allocation that I really wanted.

 

[Boho]

To Spudd -

Do you set the contest rules or are they fixed? Reason I'm asking is because during my initial trades, I went up against a position limit of $25,000. The limit might be right for stock pickers but I'm pretty much an index type investor.

For example, when I tried to simply buy 3 index ETFs to my desired allocations then be done with my picking , result was no-go as I can't have more than 25% in a position.

Ended up stuck with for a smaller % allocation that I really wanted.

You can get what I have in Investopedia - SPY, IVV, VOO, and VTI. Which I think is three S&P 500s and a NASDAQ.

 

[easysurfer]

You can get what I have in Investopedia - SPY, IVV, VOO, and VTI. Which I think is three S&P 500s and a NASDAQ.

Yes, I can look for similar ETFs, I suppose. But prefer not to if I don't have to.

I wonder why there should be a position limit at all. Perhaps for the integrity of a contest. In real life, I'd think if a person said, I want 100% of my investment in stock A, I'd think there wouldn't be any limit saying you can't do that. Am I wrong?

 

[easysurfer]

Been looking more into my predicament.

Hopefully, Spudd will read this and I can negotiate the contest rules. I created a test contest for myself to do some deductive reasoning.

I think Spudd's contest, isn't open to mutual funds as I initially tried buying funds instead of ETF's but when trying things got quirky as I'd click on the buy funds tab but the option would then go away.

On my test contest, I could easily set that to buy funds without a percentage limit.

Thus, I'm hoping Spudd can update the contest to allow for mutual funds with no percentage limit. Thus, this would not affect the percentage for stocks picking and I could create a lazy few index funds as the picks for the contest .

 

[Spudd]

I just accepted the default of 25% max position size but I have gone in and changed it now to be 100%, so you should be able to be all in on one position now if you like.

Oh, andi added the ability to buy mutual funds as well. Let me know if anything else needs to be changed.

 

[easysurfer]

I just accepted the default of 25% max position size but I have gone in and changed it now to be 100%, so you should be able to be all in on one position now if you like.

Oh, andi added the ability to buy mutual funds as well. Let me know if anything else needs to be changed.

Thanks!

 

[karluk]

I am ambivalent about joining this game, but have tentatively decided to do so. I am unconvinced that a third contest is necessary. The previous game clearly demonstrated what most of us already know - that passive index investors will beat the majority of active traders, and that the traders who outperform can't be predicted in advance.

On the positive side, my participation figures to require minimum effort, since I don't plan to actively trade. I just hope someone decides to play the role of benchmark by buying and holding VTI or some similarly diversified investment.

 

[Boho]

I tried joining as Boho so I could be the index investor this time but it said I need a 6 letter user name so I tried BohoII and Bohotwo but I got the same message. And for some reason I was only able to enter one letter for my last name. And the box for my email address disappeared. I'd normally try another browser or changing a browser setting but it's not worth it.

 

[ransil]

I tried joining as Boho so I could be the index investor this time but it said I need a 6 letter user name so I tried BohoII and Bohotwo but I got the same message. And for some reason I was only able to enter one letter for my last name. And the box for my email address disappeared. I'd normally try another browser or changing a browser setting but it's not worth it.

Didnt ask for email, 6 letters got me in check for other errors, last name us only 1 letter. When i checked my profile email was listed as fakefake@fake.com

 

[OldShooter]

Darts, anyone?

 

[easysurfer]

I tried joining as Boho so I could be the index investor this time ....

Maybe should have used something like BohoSeesTheLight as the index investor .

 

[easysurfer]

Darts, anyone?

That's darts choice is tempting.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I joined,but won't be playing as it will not let me trade the ETF's and reverse ETF's I would be using.

 

[triangle]

If one wanted to win a paper trading contest isn't the best strategy to use leveraged funds and high beta stocks? Trading around earnings releases. (I did not create a login so I did not really see what this was about).

 

[Boho]

If one wanted to win a paper trading contest isn't the best strategy to use leveraged funds and high beta stocks? Trading around earnings releases. (I did not create a login so I did not really see what this was about).

Yes, if you care about that. No if you're testing a system you're thinking of actually using or one you want to test for whatever reason.

 

[easysurfer]

I tried joining as Boho so I could be the index investor this time but it said I need a 6 letter user name so I tried BohoII and Bohotwo but I got the same message. And for some reason I was only able to enter one letter for my last name. And the box for my email address disappeared. I'd normally try another browser or changing a browser setting but it's not worth it.

Wonder if nunnun plans on joining and being the frame of reference again.

If no takers, maybe I can create a dummy contestant picking a total market index.

 

[ls99]

Stocking Pickin

g Contest - v3.0

 

[ransil]

Can we get rid of the maximun position limit

 

[Running_Man]

Universities Producing The Most Nobel Prize Winners tend to not use Indexing in funding their universities - I'm investing in this contest like a NOBEL prize winning university would do and eschew indexing.
2017 rank Institution Country Score
1 Princeton University US 3.25
2 Stanford University US 3.16
3 University of Chicago US 3.00
4 Columbia University US 2.83
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology US 2.67
6 University of California, Berkeley US 2.25
7 Howard Hughes Medical Institute US 1.94
8 Harvard University US 1.78
9 University of California, Santa Barbara US 1.74
10 Technion Israel Institute of Technology Israel 1.66

This does not include University of Chicago which has 10% of their endowment in hedge funds but another 40% of their portfolio is privately managed and 25% of the remainder is in a absolute return fund with a 1% fee. University of Chicago has underperformed nearly all other endowment funds last 10 years (earning 5.3% per annum).

 

[easysurfer]

I just accepted the default of 25% max position size but I have gone in and changed it now to be 100%, so you should be able to be all in on one position now if you like.

Oh, andi added the ability to buy mutual funds as well. Let me know if anything else needs to be changed.

Can we get rid of the maximun position limit

I thought Spudd had removed the limits. But apparently, something still tripping me up also.

When I trying to buy funds, I ran into a position limit also .

 

[Spudd]

No idea what happened, somehow the position limits had gotten set to 5%. I re-set them to 100% again.

 

[easysurfer]

No idea what happened, somehow the position limits had gotten set to 5%. I re-set them to 100% again.

It's working now. Thanks!