Value Investment Fund – Status on September 30, 2021
“I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.” – Abraham Lincoln
I took my vacation during September. Spent some time on the beach reflecting, relaxing and thinking. It was rejuvenating. During September, the Value Investment Fund decreased in value $315. What is really interesting is that almost every popular index had significant reduction in value. Take a look:
. August 31, 2021 September 30, 2021 Percentage Decrease
Dow Jones Industrial Average 35,361 33,844 4.3%
S&P 500 4,523 4,308 4.7%
S&P Composite 1500 1,033 985 4.6%
Russell 2000 2,274 2,204 3.1%
NASDAQ Composite 15,259 14,449 5.3%
NASDAQ 100 15,582 14,689 5.7%
As stated multiple times throughout the lessons and tutorials, high quality stocks have less risk and thus, resist remarkably well when the market goes down or is stagnant and recover quickly upon market rebound. Furthermore, high quality stocks provide many opportunities to earn good rewards if properly purchased at less than intrinsic value and sold upon market price recovery.
Yes, during September the Value Investment Fund only held one position which was Wells Fargo. It only decreased in value a mere .6%. To make this even more interesting, during September, Wells Fargo was hit with two more fines from the agencies of the federal government totaling more than $300 Million and yet, Wells Fargo only decreased in value a pittance .6%. This is another example of how high quality investments, when purchased at good prices, reduce risk dramatically. Yes, there is an offset to this risk elimination design. An investor will never get rich quickly, i.e. in less than one year. High quality investments purchased at less than intrinsic value have very little volatility and as such can only generate good returns. Good returns are defined as greater than 20% per year on average. In most cases, the average annual returns will exceed 30% per year with about one or two years per economic cycle with meager returns in the five to ten percent range.
Again, Value Investing is about earning good returns, year after year. It is not a get rich quick scheme; it is a thoughtful well laid out plan to improve one’s wealth over time.
Here is the Value Investment Fund’s status report for the end of September 2021.
Value Investment Fund – End of Month Report
. September 30, 2021 August 31, 2021 September 30, 2021
REIT Pool # of Shares Cost Basis Market Price* Fair Market Value* Fair Market Value*
– No Stock Holdings (All six REIT’s are at or near their all-time highs)
Railways Pool
– No Stock Holdings (All six railroads are at or near their all-time highs)
Banking Pool
– Bank of New York – – – Sold
. – Wells Fargo (Tranche #1) 292.0560 10,000 45.41 $13,346.96 $13,262.26
. – Wells Fargo (Tranche #2) 558.9715 20,000 45.41 25,545.00 25,382.90
. – Wells Fargo (Tranche #3) 234.3292 10,000 45.41 10,708.84 10,640.89
. Sub-Totals 40,000 49,600.80 49,286.05
Dividend Receivables 217.07 -0-
Cash on Hand (Basis, Gains, Dividends, PUTS) 116,018.03 116,235.10
Totals (Starting Cost Basis = $100,000) $40,000 $165,835.90 $165,521.15
*Net of transaction fees of $1.00 per share; thus the amount in the schedule equals the actual market price per share at closing less $1.00 per share.
Value Investment Fund – Activity
During the month of September, there were no transactions.
To date, the fund has realized earnings as follows:
Gains
Gain on sale of Norfolk Southern $2,678.26
Gain on sale of Union Pacific Railroad 4,620.06
Gain on sale of Comerica Bank 3,677.40
Gain on sale of Essex Property Trust (06/18/21) 7,863.67
Gain on Sale of Equity Residential (07/15/21) 17,105.64
Gain on Sale of UDR (07/12/21) 10,956.00
Gain on Sale of Bank of New York Mellon (08/12/21) 2,578.61
Sub-Total Gains $49,479.64
Dividends
Norfolk Southern (Nov) 92.39
Union Pacific (Dec) 111.50
Equity Residential (Dec/March/June) 1,039.20
Essex Property Trust (Dec/March) 294.58
Comerica Bank (Dec) 251.57
UDR (Jan/April/July) 658.87
Bank of New York Mellon (Jan/May/July) 223.62
Wells Fargo (Feb/May/August) 387.27
Sub-Total Dividends $3,059.00
Sale of PUTs
Expired PUTs (See Prior EOM Reports for List) 1,592.16
Union Pacific (Feb @$155/Sh) Expires January 20, 2023 1,769.23 – Market price is currently at $198.78.
Norfolk Southern (March @$190/Sh) Expires January 21, 2022 335.07 – Market price is currently at $242.12.
Sub-Total PUTS $3,696.46
Total Realized Earnings $56,235.10
Total dividends earned in Year Two year-to-date equals $3,059.00. Realized earnings and dividends receivable plus $60,000 of the original $100,000 of basis equals the total capital available ($116,235.10) for investment in other securities. In effect, the Fund now has a very strong cash position at $116,235.10. Almost all of the available options for investment are at or near their all-time highs. Thus, without more available selections, the Fund will have difficulty with good returns in 2022. Act on Knowledge.