Cash holdings in portfolio - market downturn preparation..

[rimmy2000]

Having just updated the WMH article (https://community.ig.com/t5/Shares-and-ETFs/William-Hill-WMH/m-p/23029/highlight/false#M414) with a note that I reduced, or partially cashed in some of this position, I thought a thread may be good to hear what others are doing. Are you taking any steps in anticipation of a correction in the Market?

 

I have been selling low conviction positions or reducing core holdings this afternoon, so that all of my accounts have somewhere between 30%- 50% in cash now.

 

 

I have continued to hold some of the larger cap stocks, the more defensive stocks, as these will likely continue to pay reasonable dividends and in all fairness I am not bothered about the price per-se, only the long term income offered. EG BATS and IMB.

 

However, I have sold out of positions where comfortable gains were made, such WMH, FEVR

 

Elsewhere, I have reduced my weighting of stocks to levels that I am more comfortable with, should they take a 20% dip in any market downturn situation. These I will continue to hold, partially because it helps me to remember the stock and its price, but equally because I see the long term story intact but there is no point in holding out if the risks are high, and there is a chance to buy back at a later date.

 

Am I sounding like a doom-monger..?! 

Are you still adding to your portfolio?
Are you being more selective or changing the balance?

Are you increasing your cash holdings?

 

 

[Guest PandaFace]

Well here are my views. Even though I’m not as bullish on the markets as I was before I’m not going to take out into cash quite yet in the same way as you are. I want to diversify tho and get some money into some regular safe haven assets, but I don’t want this on leveraged dealing but on regular 1 for 1 share dealing or even lower beta ETF’s.

 

I read about this webpage in a different thread which is ok. You can split between ISA or ‘all’ which is good and then try and pick out some which fit what you want. I’m not convinced the filters work so well so I just search for something like “gold” and then have a look at a few of those downloadable fact sheets. You can also find some really globally diverse ETF’s here as well, like the “PowerShares FTSE RAFI All-World 3000 UCITS ETF”. Screenshot here – looks pretty diverse to me so you are basically buying 3000 stocks with one click.

 

Oh also a vix ETF, although you don’t want to hold that for a long period of time as it’s time decay is really bad.

 

On top of that I have a bit in ether which many will say is a punt and should probably stay out of this thread. But it’s done well so just think of it like a commodity instead.

[Guest PandaFace]

Oh yeh I’m on mobile :facepalm: can’t add the image. But search it on etfscreener.ig.com and then the “download factsheet” button for the pdf.

[rimmy2000]

BATS bounces around this level. is that now twice or three times..? I have a couple of Long positions.

 

UKX goes up, then defensives drop. I include BATS in this. Opportunity..?