What A Growth Stock! My Unforgettable Investment Experience

I have several Japanese companies’ stocks.  In 2005, I read a book written about portfolio approach.  It all started from that book.  After watching financial markets, I started investing around 2008.  After bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, financial markets were in chaos.  It was like that the Dow Jones Average plunged by 300 points and the next day it rose 200 and the next day tumbled 300 again.  I think it was valuable experience for me to observe markets at such a historical crisis.

I prefer bargain stock rather than growth.  I especially like stocks which have Japanese unique system “shareholder special benefit plan.”   It is the system that company sends a gift to shareholders, mostly its company’s product.

One day in 2009, I bought eyewear chain JIN stock.  http://www.jins-jp.com/about_en/  Because this company gives each shareholder a 5000 yen discount coupon a year.  I have good eyesight, but recently I came to need reading glasses because of my age.  This company CEO Jin Tanaka is a good-looking man.

This stock fell down terribly at the Lehman Shock.  At that time, he met Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai running “UNIQLO.”  Then, Yanai asked him what his company’s business value was?”  He was stuck for the answer.  It was a turning point.  He rebuilt his business.  He challenges to raise company’s value now.  The stock price shows it. The record low price was only 39 at 02/02/09.  What do you think the current price is ?  Look at this chart.

http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/quickchart/quickchart.asp?symb=JP%3A3046&insttype=&freq=2&show=&time=20

Amazing!  1923 yen today!!!  Share unit is 1000.    39,000 yen becomes 1,923,000 yen in only three and a half years!  Unfortunately I don’t have it any more.  When it became the double, I sold it.  After reading some articles whipping up enthusiasm among investors,  I was afraid of cats and dogs stock.  I wish if I held ….  I can’t buy it any more(T_T)

JIN released eyeglasses for PC users last year.  I hear that these glasses protect your eyes from the blue ray of computer screen.  I purchased them.  These are very good.   My eyes aren’t tired with these glasses.  Now I want glasses that don’t touch my nose. Because glasses leave marks on my nose and makeup comes off.  Please create such glasses , Tanaka-san.

A Documentary Film

I rented a documentary film “Inside Job” which I mentioned in the previous article  https://happyuan.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/   This film won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.  It is described by Charles Ferguson how the late-2000s financial crisis happened .  Many big names were interviewed.  But Robert Rubin(the 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury),Larry summers(the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury )Henry Paulson(the 74th United States of the Treasury)Alan Greenspan(Chairman of the FRB1987-2007)Ben Bernanke(Chairman of the FRB),  they declined to be interviewed.    There exists systemic corruption among the bureaucrats, politicians, businesses and scholars.  It’s common to all nations .  I think that Japan has the same kind of problem relating to construction of nuclear power plants.  This happens in other countries as well.  But America has a significant impact on world.  Martin Wolf of the Finantical Times said that it was global ponzi scheme. Ragharam Rajarn of IMF2003-2007 pointed out irrationality that trader got huge cash bonuses based on short-term profit, but was imposed no penalties for later losses. I so agree with him.

What can  ordinary people do to change?  I think that it was very hard to make this film.  I’d like to pay my respect to Charles Ferguson.