Watching Holcim

I haven't followed Holcim (SWX: HOLN) for a long time and now see that I missed the start of a rally on 15 July 2009.

Novartis produces H1N1 flu vaccine

The stock price is rising today following the announcement that Novartis produces a first batch of a vaccine for the H1N1 flu, known as swine flu, for clinical trials. Novartis hopes to have the vaccine approved for sale by the end of the year.

Qadrant: Aquamit takeover offer

The takeover offer is now official. Quadrant sent me a letter to shareholders giving details of the bid. Aquamit offers CHF 86.00 per share. That's a bit lower than the range of CHF 86.65 to CHF 90.00 at which the stock has been trading today so far.

Quadrant: take-over bid

Aquamit B.V has made a take-over bid for Quadrant. Aquavit was incorporated in the Netherlands by the Japanese company Mitsubishi and four members of the board of Qadrant specifically for this take-over.

The offer is CHF 87 per share, far below my cost of CHF 211.50 on 4 September 2007.

Yesterday, the price shot up from the previous close of CHF 70 to a high of CHF 90 and today so far the stock has been trading between CHF 89 and 90.

Sold ABB

ABB (SWX: ABBN) stopped out at CHF 26.14 shortly after the open today. Loss 10.0% in 7 days.

ABB: received refund

Yesterday, my broker credited me with a refund of CHF 0.48 per share on the purchase af ABB (SWX: ABBN). This reduces my cost per share to CHF 29.04 and I change my stop-loss order to CHF 26.14.

The price has gone down since I bought the stock on Friday but yesterday closed for the first the time above the open and today for the first time did not close below the open in the first 30 minutes of trading.

Evaluating ABB

Yesterday, there were a lot more sellers than buyers for ABB (SWX: ABBN) from the outset and throughout the day but after the fiasco with Sonovan (SOON) I dared not risk giving a limit buy order. Today, before the open, sellers again far outnumber buyers and it will interesting to see how the price goes.

ABB has put a statement regarding the arrest of one of its employees on their website:

"ABB statement regarding Libya

Zurich, Switzerland, July 23, 2008 – ABB confirms that a Swiss employee is currently being detained by the Libyan authorities.

The ABB office in Tripoli has been temporarily closed. ABB is working closely with the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek a rapid resolution of the issue. Given the current situation, ABB will not be providing any further information."

According to an article in today's CASHdaily the price dropped not because of Kadhafi's antics but because the net profit for the second quarter was "only" 34% higher than last year. Apparently, the analysts had expected more.

It was a mistake to buy the stock before the earnings report and the usual selling frenzy that followed it.

Bought ABB

With the uncertainty in stock markets I bought nothing for quite a long time but this morning, after seeing that ABB (SWX: ABBN) closed above the trendline yesterday, I placed an order to buy it at market at the open. The order got executed at CHF 29.52

Yesterday's news about the temporary closure of the ABB office in Libya and the arrest of a Swiss employee – in retaliation for the arrest in Switzerland of Hannibal Kadhafi – seems to depress the price at the moment but I expect it to recover within a few days. Just the same, I enter a stop-loss order at CHF 26.58, 10% below my pruchase price.

Missed out on Sonova

I missed out on Sonava (SWX: SOON) yesterday. Buyers dominated the session throughout the day and the price closed at CHF 98.00. Today it opened at CHF 99.25 and buyers dominate again very strongly.

Next time I shall know better and order to buy at market at the open. I'll try to catch it on the next downward swing.

Buy order for Sonova

I place a limit order to buy Sonova (SWX: SOON) today at CHF 92.30.

Sonova plans to increase its turnover from the current CHF 1.2 billion to 2 billion within five years, according to a media release yesterday.

Sold Meyer Burger

My limit sell order for Meyer Burger (SWX: MBTN) was executed at CHF 288.50 within the first hour after the open, in several instalments. Profit 1.5% within 26 days.

Sell order for Meyer Burger

I really should have sold Meyer Burger (SWX: MBTN) at the open on 2 April but I had not followed its trend. Looking at the chart just now I decided to place a limit sell order at CHF 288.50, which was today's close.

Bought Meyer Burger

My order to buy Meyer Burger (SWX: MBTN) at market was executed at CHF 284.00 and CHF 284.50

Meyer Burger: buy order

Shortly after the open today I placed a buy order at market for Meyer Burger (SWX: MBTN)

I have been watching this stock for some time and the trendline gave a buy signal three days ago. Yesterday's doji gave me some doubts but today's open was strong and prompted me to buy this stock.

Bought hedge fund Reichmuth Matterhorn

I received confirmation today that my order to buy the hedge fund Reichmuth Matterhorn (ISIN No. CH0015193656) was executed on 27 February at CHF 4,161.35

SILC stopped out

Today, also Silicom (SILC) stopped out and was sold at USD 11.6001, with a loss of 8.6% in 5 days.

The high of USD 13.14 on Friday had given an activation price of USD 11.826 on my 10% trailing stop.

Sold UBS

After I bought UBS (NYSE: UBS) on 10 March at USD 28.91 the price rose to a high of USD 31.45 on 12 March, creating an activation price of USD 28.30 for my 10% trailing stop. This was triggered today at 11:21 EST and my stocks got sold at 11:22 EST at USD 28.17, with a loss of 2.6% in 4 days.

Bought Silicom

My order to buy Silicom (SILC) at the open was executed at USD 12.69 .

I place a trailing stop at 10%

Silicom:placing buy order

Silicom (SILC) gave me the expected buy signal yesterday, closing at USD 12.54, and I have now placed an order to buy at market at the open today.

I place a trailing stop at 10%

Evaluating Silicom

Silicom (SILC) yesterday closed the gap-up created on 28 January 2008 and the price has been on the rise since the open this morning. This stock could become a candidate to buy at the open tomorrow.