Investing Unscripted

It's official! We are nine months through 2023, so it's time for another quarterly review of the 2023 The Smattering Portfolio Contest! And after a gangbuster first half of the year, every portfolio lost value this quarter and a new leader emerged from the pack. Jeff and Jason take a closer look at all 19 stocks in the portfolio, their thoughts so far, and how they feel about the companies they picked going forward.  In the second part of the show, we introduce yet another portfolio: Nick's Picks! Jeff won some money, and his dad made him buy some stocks, including one he said he'd never buy.  Companies mentioned: AMAT, AMC, AMZN, ASML, BIP, BLNK, BOC, CRWD, DDOG, LMND, MELI, META, NVDA, ODFL, OM, SPG, TREX, TSM, TSLA, TTD We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Thanks to our listeners for a lot of great questions. Topics include holding cash for the long term, a high-growth Latin American bank, keeping conviction during a bear market, and messing around with cyclical stocks among many more. In the second part of the show, Jason asks Jeff, "what's your market vibes, bro?" Begrudgingly, Jeff answers.  Want us to answer your questions on the next mailbag? See how to reach us below.  Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SMATTERING at Manscaped.com Companies mentioned: ATI, MELI, META, NEE, NEP, NU, OM, SOFI, STLD, TSLA, UPST, WIRE We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

There’s a housing shortage and there’s plenty of blame to go around. In better news, Rough Cut episodes now have epic introduction music! Companies mentioned: MTH Rough Cuts Theme by Tom McGovern: TikTok and Instagram @tommcgovern27  We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Fear and greed. These are the base emotions that drive so much of our decision-making as investors. But what are you really afraid of? What, if you get it wrong, could significantly affect your ability to create the wealth you'll need later in life? In this week's episode, Jeff and Jason have an honest conversation about what they're most afraid of being wrong about.  In the second part of the show, we have a conversation about cash. How much do you really need?  Companies mentioned: AAPL, BEP, BOC, CFLT, CWEN.A, GOOG, GOOGL, MSFT, OM, TSLA We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Jason's mad...again. Some companies' entire business model seems to be around getting rich off a good story and retail investors' hard-earned money. Jason's gonna rant and talk with Jeff about how to avoid being a bag holder. Companies mentioned: PLUG Check out our sponsor, Alex Morris at TSOH Investment Research: https://thescienceofhitting.com/ We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Bill Mann has spent the past two decades helping investors find more weirdness. As an expert on small cap stocks and international investing, Bill describes his investing process as "fishing where people don't fish often," but has a track record of finding big winners, too. In this episode, we talk with Bill about his investing philosophy, his origin story, and how he thinks most people should approach international investing.  Because Bill talks even more than Jason, this entire episode is our conversation with Bill. Buckle up. It's about to get weird.  Companies mentioned: AAPL, BABA, GOOS, JD, KO, LMVH, MELI, NSRGY, SBUX, TSLA, VLVLY Check out our sponsor, Alex Morris at TSOH Investment Research: https://thescienceofhitting.com/ We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Investing is hard, and a lot of people go into it without any formal training. And as a result, lots of mistakes get made, particularly when it comes to investing in stocks. But that doesn't mean most of us don't come with some skills that cross the divide between day job and weekend investing warrior. In this week's show, Jason and Jeff share some of their own work experiences, how they've helped them be better investors, and in some cases, maybe didn't help (such as being a public school administrator, like Jeff).  In the second part of the show, we take a look back at the August (despite Jeff's best efforts to insist July happened again) results of the 2023 Smattering Portfolio Contest! One take that Jeff and Jason both share: By and large, we would happily take the results of this contest in our own portfolios. It's been a good eight months for our stocks.  Check out our sponsor, Alex Morris at TSOH Investment Research: https://thescienceofhitting.com/ We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

People like to talk about Warren Buffett's Coca-Cola investment. Jason isn't happy about it. Companies mentioned: AAPL, AXP, KO We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

The "magnificent seven" stocks – the seven largest U.S. stocks by market cap – have had an incredible year. Even the worst-performing of the bunch (Microsoft) has gained 35% this year, more than double the ~15% returns of the S&P 500. Considering that these 7 companies make up more than one-quarter of the market cap of the S&P 500, it's no surprise it's been a good year for stocks. But Jeff and Jason think they can do even better. In this week's episode, they each pick alternatives to the "magnificent seven," in a little competition we are calling The Magnificenter Seven. We're even keeping score! Check out the link to the 2023 Smattering Portfolio Contest for more, and share your own picks. If you think you can do better, that is… Because Jason talks SO much, this is the only top of this week's show. Looking for the monthly update to the 2023 Smattering Portfolio Contest? Since we pre-recorded this episode and will be away at month-end, tune back in next week for a slightly late review of the contest.  Companies mentioned: AAPL, ADBE, AMZN, ASML, CFLT, DOCN, ENPH, GOOG, GOOGL, META, MSFT, NVDA, PINS, ROKU, SBUX, SEDG, SPG, TSLA, TTD, TXN Check out our sponsor, Alex Morris at TSOH Investment Research: https://thescienceofhitting.com/ We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023

Being an active investor is hard. The reality is, humans are wired to do something. It's hard to stand by while our portfolios are doing, well whatever, and not feel the need to act. Stocks going up? Sell to lock in gains. Or maybe buy more! It's going up, after all! Stocks falling? Sell to cut the losses. Or maybe buy more! It's going to go back up, after all! But none less than Warren Buffett has made the case for being a lazy investor. He once wrote, "Benign neglect, bordering on sloth, remains the hallmark of our investment process," after all. But is Buffett really being slothful? And is the lazy approach really the right way to go? Jason and Jeff hash it out in this episode.  In the second part of the show, we wade into companies and social issues. What's an investor to do if a company takes a stand on a social issue? What if it backfires? Is there a right way to approach it or think about it as an investor? Jeff and Jason firmly grab the third rail of investing and talk through this subject.  Companies mentioned: AAPL, CMG, DIS, ETSY, MELI, NFLX, NVDA, SBUX, TGT, TXN Check out our sponsor, Alex Morris at TSOH Investment Research: https://thescienceofhitting.com/ We would love feedback on the show. Share with us at:  Email: thesmatteringshow@gmail.com Twitter: @smatteringshow  Check out our YouTube channel for more content:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmatteringShow Find the 2023 Smattering Portfolio here:  https://tinyurl.com/Smatterfolio2023