Citigroup (C): Profit-Taking

Citigroup (C) continued higher on Monday, crossing a key level and triggering a trailing stop sell order I had placed at $75.24 which filled when Citigroup pulled back to the $75.21.

Citigroup is incredibly volatile thanks to its exposure to the international banking sector, so taking advantage of its wide price swings over time has been a key technique for me to capitalize on this long-term position.

Monday’s sale lowered my per-share cost -1.46% from $58.35 to $57.50. My next sell target is near $80.00 and my buy target is $53.25, quite the spread.

C closed the week at $76.12, up +1.21% from where I sold on Monday.

FedEx (FDX): Profit-Taking

While I do intend to build a position in the company for the long-term, FedEx’s (FDX) incredible bounce from $137.78 in excess of +20% in less than a month has been an inexplicable marvel to behold, however, it also means it’s time to take profits to reduce my per-share cost if FDX rolls over again.

On Tuesday, FedEx broke through $166 where I placed a trailing stop order to take profits which filled when FDX hit a high of $167.59 and pulled back, filling at $166.78 per share.

The sale reduced my per-share cost -4.65% from $152.59 to $145.49.

From here, I have no additional sell targets (this is a long-term investment), with my next buy target at $138.85, slightly above its $137.78 low set in October.

FDX closed the week at $163.22, down -2.13% from where I sold on Tuesday. 

GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH): Added to Position

GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) dropped more than -16% on Wednesday after reporting an excellent blowout quarter Tuesday after the bell. 

What the heck happened?!!

GWPH is a biopharmaceutical stock whose primary drug – Epidiolex for epilepsy in children – is selling like hotcakes internationally. However, many analysts are concerned that the company’s forecasts for the sales growth of the drug are exaggerated, causing the stock to sell off.

Personally, I see a great deal of potential in GWPH for the long term. While it is using cannabis to produce its drugs, these are prescription-strength pharmaceutical-grade products, not CBD oil or marijuana cigarettes.

When GWPH crashed through $110 on Wednesday, I used a trailing stop order to add to my position, filling at $109.12. The buy reduced my per-share cost -2.77% from $126.67 to $123.16. My next buy target is $92.25 with some profit-taking possible if GWPH works its way over $140 in the coming weeks.

GWPH closed the week at $109.41, up +0.27% from my Wednesday buy.

Square (SQ): Profit-Taking

Square (SQ) popped on Thursday after reporting decent earnings Wednesday after-the-bell. I set a trailing stop order which I hoped would fill at $65.06 and Square’s price action was so bullish, my order ended up filling at $66.32, a gain of 1.94% over my desired target.

The sale captured gains of 16.29% on some more of the shares I bought less than two months ago on September 16 for $57.03. My next sell target is around $70.00 (I have a trailing stop order set to start at $69.54 with a $0.10 trail).

Currently, I have no plans to add to my Square position as it is quite overweight in my portfolio, however, I would target the $55-60 range for additional buys if I was going to add more.

SQ closed the week at $62.45, down -5.84% from where I sold on Thursday.

Take Two Interactive (TTWO): Profit-Taking

Take Two Interactive (TTWO), the video game maker behind Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Borderlands, reported a good quarter but gave poor guidance on Thursday after the bell.

The stock showed such poor price action during after-hours trading that I nearly closed my entire position, but Friday morning, TTWO started rising significantly. I capitalized on the opportunity to take profits on some shares using trailing stop orders that yielded an average selling price of $120.90.

The sale lowered my per-share cost -7.96% from $97.60 to $89.83. My buy target for TTWO is $91.85 and my next sell target is $134-135.

TTWO closed the week at $116.96, down -3.26% from my average selling price.

Twilio (TWLO): Added to Position

Twilio (TWLO) sold off substantially last week following a bad earnings report combined with “accounting issues.” This week, Twilio’s CEO told Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money mid-week that the error was made in the press release – the mistake showed better earnings than actual, however, the positive long-term forecast remained unchanged.

On Thursday, TWLO appeared to find support around $91.00 where I placed a small trailing stop order that filled at $90.96. The buy lowered my per-share cost -1.18% from $108.89 to $107.61.

My next buy order will place if TWLO breaks through its recent low of $89.84.

 TWLO closed the week at $93.23, up +2.50% from where I added Thursday.