Stock Stories

Let's take a step back for a moment.  From everything and everyone that I have studied, becoming a successful investor is about more than picking great stocks.  Portfolio management is really important too.  Today we discuss some the importance of reviewing your portfolio's holdings to make sure that you are actually on track toward achieving your goals.---Instagram: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

DaVita helps people dealing with ESRD, or End Stage Renal Disease.  It is a problem affecting more and more people in America and worldwide, with diabetes on the rise.  Listen to learn more about one of Warren Buffett's top holdings.---alex@stockstoriespodcast.comInstagram: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

It's the 80/20 rule, also known as the Law of the Few.  It's a pattern that emerges in different phenomena - 20% of the causes are responsible for 80% of the effects.  In this episode we explore the implications of this mental model in investing, and see how it applies in other areas of life as well.---Instagram: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Apple is one of the largest computer and electronic companies in the world.  It is known for its highly engineered, high quality (and high priced) products.  Over the decades it has found a way to innovate, from the first Apple I to the Macintosh, to the iPhone.  With the initiation of a dividend and large stock buybacks a few years ago, Apple is maturing, but that does not mean the growth story is over yet.---alex@stockstoriespodcast.comInstagram: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Walmart, now the world's largest retailer, started out as a small five-and-dime store in rural America.  Sam Walton, its founder, gradually created the retail empire, which now consists of over 11,000 stores.  It has been one of the most profitable stocks that you could have invested in over the past several decades.  In today's episode we take a look at Walmart's past and present in order to make a sound judgment about it's viability as a potential investment.---Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comInstagram and Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

It is the world's largest social media company, and its rise as a cultural influence has been nothing short of extraordinary.  In this episode we discuss Facebook's rise first as a social media empire, and then as a thriving advertising business.  After discussing the financials, we'll go over some of the risks that Facebook faces going forward and what that could mean for us as investors.---alex@stockstoriespodcast.comInstagram, Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

This episode shares just a little bit about me and where I am coming from when it comes to investing.---Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

We often think in terms of cause of effect, as in event A causes event B.  But then that's it.  What about events C, D, and E?  How are they related to A, B, and each other?  The world is not one smooth sequence of events.  If we want to understand it better, it helps to apply the principle of second-order thinking.---Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Although not part of the S&P 500, British American Tobacco is the world's largest publicly listed tobacco company.  It currently exists as a company that sells brands in over 200 markets, and is constantly creating new products to combat the inevitable decline of cigarettes.Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Corona, Modelo, Robert Mondavi, Svedka - these are just a small sampling of brands that Constellation Brands sells.  They are one of the largest beer and wine producers in the world and they are number one in total alcohol sales in the United States.---Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com