Poll: What was your first stock and return?

[mooddude]

OK, let's get nostalgic and share our first-time experiences with the market
Mine was TFCY (former TFCT). I was buying and selling purely on hype with only $500 invested for the first time. My gain was 85.40% in about three weeks. Not bad for the first time, hugh?

[IIC]

My first stock was United Australian Oil at .26 sh circa 1967(I was about 14). Went to .90+ shortly thereafter...My Dad was my broker...I told him to sell at a buck. Well, it never made it...The CEO was arrested for embezzlement and that was that...But the stock certificate is suitable for framing...I believe it is in a box in my parent's attic...IIC

[B.J]

I bought Ninety-Nine Cents only in 1997, and made some decent gains.

[skiracer]

Someone made me buy New Jersey Natural Gas (NJR now) way back in the early 1970's. I still have those original shares plus whatever it has split into over the last 35 years or so. It's the surest thing I know of. Every year/year an a half or so it splits 2/1 or 3/2 like clockwork. When it does I load up on as much as I can at the lowest price I can get after the split. Last time it split was 3/2 at $49. After the split I bought it somewhere between 25/26. It closed over 44 today. Also have been in the dividend re-investment plan since the beginning so whatever dividends I made over the last 35 years have been plowed back into it. Never once took a nickel out of it. You would be totally amazed at what 35 years of dividend re-investment, splits, and buying once every couple of years on the split will accumulate into. It was an is the one best investment I ever made an it wasn't even my idea in the beginning. I don't know how many times in those early years where I came close to cashing out because I needed cash flow or money to do something probably foolish. Got married in 1978 at 35 yrs. old and my wife would never let me touch that pile now. She controls the blue chip long term portfolio. Not really.

[Websman]

On Feb 9, 2004 I bought 80 shares of GES at $14.10. I sold on Feb 18 for $14.685.
Not a huge gain or a lot of shares but it got me off to a good start.

I've made some $$$ and have had a lot of fun at it.

[RL]

Thats a day I've been trying to forget. The date escapes me but I bought SPD think It was a auto supply on front page of Barrons made $500 In about 2 hours and was smart enough to sell and take the money. The stock was under water the end of the day. The next day I bought ? made $278.00 Thought I was the next Peter Lynch.[good luck] since that time I've stopped reading books and trying to follow charts & on & on & on. Found out put In a lot less time and do much better throwing darts.
If anyone has the magic formula how about sharing It.Hope we all have a great week.

[drutzen]

gosh, i think it was wang labs

[jiesen]

QCOM in 2000. This was my first purchase after opening my online trading account. (I did buy just a few stocks before that using a full-service broker, but I won't count those trades as my first "real trade")

sold QCOM the same day I bought it for a 2% gain (after about a 1% commission)

good times... easy credit!

"the bubble" burst shortly thereafter, while I was holding INSP, LNUX and NXTP (wtf was I thinking?!?!) all the way down. it was a very educational lesson in investing for me... well worth the money I lost. most of what was left wound up staying in my XING shares until now. this is quickly becoming a much less significant part of my stock portfolio (due in large part to the recent beating XING shares have taken in the market). $$MM stocks have begun to dominate it due to their steady positive overall performance.

because I'm still a novice in this business, I continue to hold more in cash than stocks. maybe someday I'll figure out the "magic formula." until then, I'll keep working at it...

[IIC]

J...From your posts...I don't think you are classified as a Novice...you seem pretty sharp to me...IIC

PS...Let me know if you ever find the "MAGIC FORMULA"

[jiesen]

J...From your posts...I don't think you are classified as a Novice...you seem pretty sharp to me...IIC

PS...Let me know if you ever find the "MAGIC FORMULA"

if I do find it, you all will be the first to hear about it.

[dmk112]

ECST...20 % gain

[b_critical]

Bought 100 Shares GSI in now GSLI for $30.00 went right to 35.?? didn't sell still have Since then company been bought now I have 134 shares with price now of 8.72 for a 1867. loss.

Should of sold at 35?

[buckhunter]

It's always a learning experience!

I'll admit my first self-directed trade was JDSU at the peak (around $125/share). I sold a couple months later for $45/share. That's when I knew I needed to find someone a heckuva lot smarter than me. And here I am learning from you guys!

[Jaws57]

My first trade was back in the 80s through Schwab. Bought LTV at 6 sold at 1. At least I got something before they went totally bankrupt.

[spencer]

My first stock was IAT Multimedia a candidate for the german "Neuer Markt"-Index at that time (199 for approx. €9 - it never made it to that index. The company merged in the year 2000 with an italian producer of pasta and animal food (Spigadoro Inc.) and gave up their core business of producing videoconferencing systems. The stock is dead now and so is my money.