Sunday, September 29, 2013

Incredible return with simple market timing



This table is similar to the table in the Chapter 5 on A Tale of Two Plunges. The dates are set up to be the first of the month to get the monthly data instead of daily data from Yahoo!Finance. In addition, I add one more exit and reenter point for the blur.

Detecting market plunges (Chapter 6) detects the exit point and reentry points from 2000 to 9-2013 as follows.

Table: Vital Dates

Market Plunge
Peak
Bottom
Indicator
Exit
Indicator
Reenter
2000
08/28/00
09/20/02
10/01/00
06/01/03
2007
10/12/07
03/06/09
02/01/08
09/01/09



08/01/11
11/01/11


As of 09/03/2013, my chart (simple to get from Yahoo!Finance) still indicates to invest fully in the market from 09/03/2013 on. Run the simple chart once a month. When it indicates a potential market plunge is closer, run the chart (Chapter 6) once a week.

It is based on stock prices so it may not identify the peaks and bottoms precisely, but so far it has never failed to avoid big losses and ensure big gains. Hope it will give us enough time to act in the next market plunge as the last two.

Unbelievable return with market timing

Calculate how much you made if you followed the above exit points and reenter points from 2000 to today. I bet you will make a good fortune. 

I calculated the return of S&P 500 with and S&P 500 without market timing from 1-2000 to 9-2013 to test the effect of market timing. There are many assumptions due to considering the compound effect for a fairer comparison. In general, dividends are not considered.

I was shocked by the incredible return by using simple market timing (exit and reenter the market only 3 times from 2000 to 2013. Actually it is far better than 500% by buying contra ETFs in existing the stock market.

Summary info:

S&P 500
1-2000 to 9-2013
With Market Timing
Without Market Timing
Better
500%

Gain
1,000
167
Gain %
68%
11%
Annualized gained
5%
1%
Days
4,959
4,959



Calculations:


S & P 500
With Market Timing
Without Market Timing
1-2000
1,4691
1,4691
Exit    10/01/00
1,0412
1,041
Enter 06/01/00
1,041
9644
Exit    02/01/08
1,4893
1,3794
Enter 09/01/09
1489
1,0205
Exit    08/01/11
1,888
1,293
Enter 11/01/11
1,888
1,251
          09/03/13
2,469
1.638



Gained
2,469 – 1,469=1,000
1,638-1,469=167
Gain %
1000/1469 = 68%
167/1469 = 11%
Annualized gained
68% * 365/4959=5%
11%*365/4959=1%
Better
(1,000-167)/167 = 500%



Portfolio with Market Timing:
1 Both starts with S&P 500 of 1,469 on 1-3-2000.
2 10/01/00. The market timing portfolio exits the market and remains same value of 1,041 until 6/1/00.
3 02/01/08. The market timing portfolio exits the market and remains same value of 1,489 until 9/1/09.
    1,489 is calculated as follows:
    1,041 * (1 + Rate) = 1,041 * (1 + 1,379-964)/964) = 1,489
    where S&P 500 is 964 on 6/1/00 and 1,379 on 2/1/08.

The other calculations are based on S&P 500 is 1,020 on 9/1/9, 1,293 on 8/1/11, 1,251 on 11/1/11 and 1,636 on 9/3/13.

Portfolio without Market Timing:
1 Both starts with S&P 500 of 1,469 on 1-3-2000. We could use the 9/3/13 S&P 500 value, but it will not account on some compounded interest consideration.
4 S&P 500 is 964 in 6/1/00 and 1,379 on 2/1/08.
5 02/01/08. The portfolio value is calculated to be 1,020 as follows:
    1,379 * (1 + Rate) = 1,379 * (1 + (1020-1379)/1379) = 1,020
    where S&P 500 is 1,379 on 2/1/08 and 1,020 on 9/1/09.

The other calculations are based on S&P 500 is 1,293 on 8/1/11, 1,251 on 11/1/11 and 1,636 on 9/3/13.


I cannot believe the shocking return with market timing. I checked my calculation and there was nothing wrong but do not hold me on this. The compound rate of return not considered in all periods should be minor. If you have time, send me your e-mail address to pow_tony@yahoo.com, so I can send you the spreadsheet to check any error.

Even if I made a mistake somehow and got 100% instead of 500%, it still doubles the return without market timing! Ask any fund manager what it means to his or her fund performance and his / her career.

The values of S&P 500 are obtained from Yahoo!Finance. The entry and exit points are obtained from my simple chart from Yahoo!Finance described in Chapter 4-6 and subject to my interpretation.  



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My e-book Debunk the Myths of Investing could save you a lot of money in investing. The above is one chapter out of 133 and some important chapters will not be included in the blog.
  http://ebtonypow.blogspot.com/2012/12/special-debunk-myths-of-buffett.html

Sample portfolio for the book.
  http://stockportfolios.blogspot.com/2013/03/welcome.html

(c) 2013 Tony Pow

Disclaimer. I'm not responsible for your actions in your investment. Treat this as educational information and past performance does not guarantee future performance.

All My Books




Debunk the Myths in Investing

The market timing described in this book has been proven to detect market plunges for the last two plunges. It will detect the next one. Hopefully it will give us enough time to act on as the last two. It depends on data, so it will not detect the   peaks and bottoms precisely. However, it will spare you for further losses and tell you when to reenter the market for profits.

I bet you’ll be a better investor by reading one of my books. First start with “Debunk the Myths in Investing” (aka Myths) and then read “Scoring Stocks”.You may be interested in Profit from Insider Trading (aka Insider).  They are summarized as:



Book
Development
PDF1
Kindle2
Paperback
Size (6*9)4
Last Update
Myths
$9.99
$9.99
$19.99
499
10/2013
   More info:3
Click here
Click here
Click here


Scoring     
$6.99
$6.99
$11.35
115
10/2013
  More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here


Insider      
$8.95
$8.95
$13.95
133
12/2013
  More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here


Best 2014 
$7.95
$7.95
$9.95
74
12/2013
  More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here




The first book is the foundation of the series “Debunk the Myths in Investing” (same title as this book). By the time you finish the series, most if not all the topics in investing should have been covered. “Myths” is quite lengthy with 499 pages and it would lose its focus if “Scoring Stocks” and/or Insider were part of this book even they have several common chapters copied from Myths.
 

Other books


I continued to write several books with different target audiences and different markets. Many chapters are copied from “Myths”. The books are:

·         Debunk the Myths in Investing for Couch Potatoes.
This is a simplified version of Myths with stock analysis taken out. When we do not have time to analyze stocks, buy ETFs and / or sector funds. Market timing is included.

·         Swing Trading: High profit and low risk.
This is a simplified version of Myths with chapters on swing traders. You do not need Myths if you already have it.

·         Best Stocks in 2014, According to Me (aka Best).
They are about 132 stocks recommended by me.  The list was created on Dec. 15, 2013.

All books are loosely related. For example, when you buy Insider,  I have included chapters from Myths that are related to Insider, so you do not need to buy Myths.

The following could make a second and alternate series together: Market Timing, Scoring Stocks, Finding Stocks, Insider (in both series) and Swing Trading. It competes with books with similar book titles. They may be moved to the primary series when they’re updated enough. Market Timing and Finding Stocks already have at least one new chapter that would be useful for fund managers or rich retail investors.

·         Market Timing: Profitable, Predictable and Protective.
If you have Myths or Myths for Couch Potatoes, currently most retail investors do not need this book.

·         Finding Stocks: Screens and Strategies.
It has several new chapters such as monitoring and ranking the performances of screens.

·         Swing Trading: High Profit and Low Risk
This book is different than the Couch Potatoes. It includes everything a swing trader needs to trade stocks. It also has some chapters from Market Timing and Finding Stocks.

·         A Nation of No Losers.
It is a political satire on USA and China.

They are summarized in the following table.

Book
Development PDF1
Kindle2
Paperback
Size (6*9)4
Last Update
Myths for Couch
$6.95
$6.95
$9.95
190
10/2013
   More info:3
Click here
Click here
Click here


Market Timing
$7.95
$7.95
$12.95
135
10/2013
   More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here


Finding Stocks
$7.95
$7.95
$12.95
135
10/2013
   More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here


Swing Trading
$8.95
$8.95
$13.95
162
12/2013
   More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here








A Nation of No Losers
$3.00
$3.00
$10.95
280
07/2013
   More info:
Click here
Click here
Click here



The following are related books. They are targeted to different audiences and/or different markets. Many articles are copied from “Myths”.

·         Debunk the Myths in Investing for Couch Potatoes.
It is a simplified version of Myths with stock analysis taken out. When we do not have time to analyze stocks, buy ETFs and / or sector funds. Market timing is included.

·         A Nation of No Losers.
It is a political satire on USA and China. It is the first book I wrote and many related articles are copied to Myths.

The following three books could make an alternate series together with Scoring Stocks and Insider. It competes with books with similar book titles. When they have been enhanced enough, they will be moved to the primary series.

·         Market Timing: Profitable, Predictable and Protective.
If you have Myths or Myths for Couch Potatoes, currently you do not need this book.

·         Finding Stocks: Screens and Strategies.
It has several new chapters such as monitoring and ranking the performances of screens.

·         Swing Trading: High Profit and Low Risk
It includes everything a swing trader needs to trade stocks. It also has some chapters from Market Timing and Finding Stocks. It is being converted to Kindle and paperback.

Excellent gifts

My books could make your friends and family members better investors themselves. No gift wrap and shipping for digital books especially if they live far away from you. My choice is the paper copy of “Debunk the Myths in Investing” and “Scoring Stocks” from amazon.com. This fits into the saying “gifts keep on gifting forever” and they will thank you for life.
  

Footnotes

1 Development PDF.
It is a development version over the corresponding production version which is being sold in Amazon.com. It is a preview and review version with very limited distribution. It has more enhancements, but it has not been proof read.  It is distributed in PDF format, so all the computers and tablets can read it.

Order info. via checks or PayPal will be supplied by clicking the “Click Here”.

2 Kindle.
You can load Kindle in an iPad.

3 More info.
You can click the link to obtain more information about the book and its table of content.

4 Size is approximate.

5 The last major upgrade.

Disclaimer

All info is subject to change without notice.

Do not gamble money that you cannot afford to lose. Past performance is a guideline and does not guarantee future performance.

All information is believed to be accurate, but there it is not guaranteed. All the strategies described have no guarantee that they will make money and they may lose money. Do not trade without doing due diligence and be warned that most data would be obsolete.

All my articles and the associated data are for informational purposes only. I'm not a professional investment counselor or a tax professional. Seek one before you make any investment decision.

I try my best effort to ensure the accuracy of my articles. Data also from different sources was believed to be accurate. However, there is no guarantee that they are accurate and suitable for the current market conditions and /or your individual situations.