My portfolio achieved a 66% return in one year, 2024. My goal is to be honest and transparent with all of my readers. I have wanted to write about my personal investments for a while, and today, I will do that. I will share how I have received great returns and what companies I am currently investing in.
Microsoft(MSFT)
- First investment-October 31, 2023
- Average cost-$359.55
- Stock price today-$398.30
- Total return-+10.70%
- % of portfolio-6.5%
Microsoft was my first-ever investment. I knew nearly nothing about investing and did as much research as I learned how to do. Microsoft has many different products, such as Xbox, Windows applications, personal computers, and now AI. As an established company with many users and products, I was confident in growth. From the time of my initial investment, I have seen ok returns, nothing exponential, but I was expecting MSFT to be a low-risk, slow-growth investment. I still think Microsoft is a great company to invest in and is a safer investment, as they have built a strong foundation and reputable name in the tech industry.
NVIDIA(NVDA)
- First investment-October 29, 2023
- Average Cost-$84.18
- Stock price today-$128.19
- Total return-+52.42%
- % of portfolio-24%
The start of the AI era has been backed by NVDA chips and processors. I was taught one of the best ways to invest is to know what is going on in the world. At the start of my investment journey, Chat GPT and LLM models were gaining traction. I knew that the people and tech behind their new AI tools had the potential to grow. That is when I started to invest in NVDA, and I have seen great returns. I sold some of my shares after the stock split 10:1 as I was worried about pullback after the split, which did happen. After the pullback, I then bought in again and still hold many shares. I am excited to see where NVDA goes and am still confident about growth, as the AI era is now here.
Amazon(AMZN)
- First investment-October 31, 2023
- Average Cost-$132.05
- Stock price today-$213.54
- Total return-+61.60%
- % of portfolio-5.6%
Amazon, for a long time, has been driving the e-commerce market. Not only do they provide an e-commerce platform they also provide many services, including cloud computing, AWS, and much more. There are many aspects of Amazon that help them create a diverse network, therefore creating more opportunities to make money. I invested in Amazon because I was confident with their business model and hopeful for continued growth. I will continue to hold Amazon and hopefully purchase more shares in the future. So far with my returns I am very happy and hope to see exponential growth in the future.
Fair Isaac(FICO)
- First investment-November 3, 2023
- Average Cost-$1061.33
- Stock price today-$1,816.76
- Total return-+71.18%
- % of portfolio-25.97%
Fair Issac is a company that I have been bullish on for a very long time, and I am happy to see amazing results. FICO is the company where everyone gets their credit score, even if you do not think you are a customer of FICO, you are. They also provide advanced analytics software and platforms to help businesses make data-driven decisions. Their credit score tech and computing is currently considered a “near-monopoly” as they are the only company involved in credit score computing. As more people and businesses use tech, the need for FICO grows with the credit score tech and analytics software. I am still very excited to see where FICO goes and will continue to hold my shares in the company. Again I am very happy with my returns and hope to see growth in the future.
JPMorgan Chase(JPM)
- First investment-August 1, 2024
- Average Cost-$208.50
- Stock price today-$258.59
- Total return-+24.03%
- % of portfolio-6.60%
In August of 2024, I saw a lot of news of interest rates going down, resulting in more loans being taken from banks. I thought the best way to take advantage of the interest rate decrease was to buy JPM. Not only are they a bank, but they also engage in the provision of financial and investment banking services. JPM is a reputable name in the banking industry that attracts many clients, specifically high-profile individuals and companies. Being a reputable company comes with pressure to continue to succeed, and JPM has shown time and time again that they have the ability to do so. They had an 8.2% increase year-over-year in revenue from 2023–2024 and continue to grow. I am happy about my current returns and am bullish on JPM’s future.
CrowdStrike Holdings(CRWD)
- First investment-September 23, 2024
- Average Cost-$293.88
- Stock price today-$382.92
- Total return-+30.30%
- % of portfolio-5.27%
CRWD has seen some hardships recently, specifically the 2024 breach involving CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity platform. This breach impacted many things, but one to note is airport software. Every airport was affected and had flights delayed and shut down. This created a crisis and hardship for the company. This is when I saw a great buying opportunity, a major issue, from a major company. I had faith that the leading provider of cybersecurity would bounce back and show continued growth. The company’s response and the lessons learned have contributed to strengthening its reputation and business model. Since this incident, there have been no reported incidents, and CRWD continues to improve its security. I am happy that I have made such great returns and am going to keep holding for the future.
AppLovin(APP)
- First investment-September 25, 2024
- Average Cost-$132.75
- Stock price today-$386.00
- Total return-+190.77%
- % of portfolio-15.23%
APP has so far been my best investment yet, seeing returns nearing 200% in just five short months. To be honest, when I invested in this company, I did not know much; I saw a lot in my social media feed. I also saw it many times on the top daily mover’s chart in September and was intrigued. After I saw this, I did minimal research and hopped on the AppLovin train. As the company grew, I did more and more research and was impressed. APP operates primarily as a mobile advertising and marketing platform, with a business model centered around connecting app developers with advertisers to monetize and promote mobile apps. They also offer software tools for app developers to create a platform to maximize ad revenue. Since my returns are so high and there has been a significant decline in the past couple of weeks, I am skeptical about whether I should sell or not. I do believe there is still potential to grow but I will be careful if the stock price dips much more.
Robinhood Markets(HOOD)
- First investment-November 11, 2024
- Average Cost-$31.65
- Stock price today-$47.23
- Total return-+49.16%
- % of portfolio-7.83%
Robinhood is one of my favorite stocks I own for many reasons, but the main reason is that I have seen significant improvement within the app. The app and website have become more user-friendly and adapts to the market very well. The app offers a great interface for beginner investors to learn and improve their investing skills. Not only does it have a great interface the app also teaches investors different things. For example, when I opened my IRA, it gave me a lesson and a quick slide show on what an IRA is and how it can help me in the future. I believe that Robinhood is leading the way in easy-to-use mobile apps that everyone can use to invest. They are also incorporating new things, such as Robinhood gold, which can provide more insight into your investments for a small fee every month. Overall, I am very happy with my returns and the way Robinhood is heading.
Costco(COST)
- First investment-November 20, 2024
- Average Cost-$924.97
- Stock price today-$1057.19
- Total return-+14.29%
- % of portfolio-1.22%
Costco is a staple company that will always have a large customer population. The basis of COST is its membership model, which forces anyone who wants to shop at Costco to maintain their membership status. They also participate in a low markup-high volume business model, creating affordable goods and services for people. When the prices are affordable, there will be a higher volume of bought goods and services. Costco also offers name-brand goods and diverse products. Having name-brands is very important to customers to know that they are getting quality goods. Also, having a diverse product offering, they cater to all people, such as families, individuals, and companies. Having the ability to cater to all these customers is a very strong business model. In the future, I hope to buy more Costco, and I am confident that there will be growth in Costco’s future.
MY STOCK TO WATCH FOR THE WEEK
As we head into this week, the market saw a significant loss, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust falling 2.58% to a price of $594.24 compared to its price last week of $611. This week, there are many earnings reports, some companies to highlight are Home Depot, NVIDIA, and Dell Technologies. This week, my stock to watch is Apple (AAPL), trading at a price of $247.22. Apple has established themselves as a tech giant, guided by the iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and much more. Apple is a product company, but they are also a software company. An example of this is the Apple app store; developers pay Apple a percentage of revenue for apps sold through the store, which generates significant income. Apple also has very strong brand loyalty for many reasons, but a driving factor is that it is hard to switch. If an individual has all Apple products, and on those products, they have an Apple ID, which connects to their photos, emails, texts, and more. If an individual wants to switch, it is hard to go from all Apple hardware and software to Windows or Google. Apple also has many exciting upcoming products, such as a new low-cost iPad; there has not been an upgrade to the low-cost iPad since 2022. Many are excited about this launch and expect increased iPad sales. From 2023 to 2024, Apple increased its total revenue in the past twelve months by 2.61% to $395.76B. Apple’s annual free cash flow for 2024 was $108.807B, a 9.26% increase from 2023. I think Apple is a great investment as it has promising future products, strong financials, and a strong consumer base. I hope to buy Apple shares in the future.
RECAP FROM LAST WEEK STOCK PICK OF WEEK
Price at time of suggestion to buy-$126.90
Price Today-$141.92
Price up 15$ up almost 12%
First steps into successfully starting your investment journey
To start investing, you need a platform to invest with. My preferred platform is Robinhood; this is an app that gives the user the ability to buy stocks, bonds, options, cryptocurrency, and start an IRA. If you would like to start investing, visit this link.
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