Where have you gone David Gard-ener - a lonely subscription service turns its eyes to you…woo woo woo…
What’s that you say Ms Rule Breaker - The Great Gardener has left and gone away - hey, hey hey…
Ok…ok…maybe weaker sauce but its all I got just now.
Not to sure whether I just have happened to have stumbled across a number of posts lately that feature as their sole content and subject grumbling about the Fool and its stock recommendations - Or, if these sorts of postings are just regularly mortared-in to explode on whatever Fool service is being savaged. Human nature I suppose. Let’s take just Rule Breakers for example.
Once upon a time, Rule Breakers was something of the Go-G0 subscription service for us High Growth denizens. I for one have subscribed to that service for literally eons and will continue to do so. As such, it’s not very surprising to me - that in a period of a sort of sneering market sentiment toward Growth stocks and the accompanying evisceration of them, that people - especially the newbies to the service, have seen their investments dollars evaporate. Grumbling is being polite I suppose but that will tend to happen when you sell yourself as a way to crush the markets and then fail to do so.
Having said that, if you take a gander at Rule Breaker performance currently you might note that of the last 16 Rule Breaker recommendations all but one is under water - and some significantly so. Why might that be you might ask? Well that explanation comes easily: Those 16 latest recommendations cover a period from late June 2021 through today - which, if one is a real sharpie, correlates to the Great Growth Sell-Off. So of course they are down. When things turn around - and Growth is the markets sweetheart once again - the vast majority of those Rule Breaking picks will trim - if not erase, those losses practically overnight. Nothing is guaranteed here of course but I have seen this pattern enough over the years to recognize it: the only variable is time.
The other reason for the long litany of losing recommendations has a lot to do with the way Rule Breakers is set up, to wit: It’s Charter calls for delivery of Two (2) recommendations per month, delivered with perfect clock like timing and the precision of the changing of the Royal Guard along with regularity - rain or shine. So naturally - if you are recommending two Growth companies a month in the middle of a massive growth sell-off only a newbie or a witless nincompoop would not recognize the danger. Note - I have nothing personal against newbie’s or witless nincompoops having matriculated through those exact levels somewhat slower than your average newbie or nincompoop.
And then there is the loss of an All-Time-Great Investor: David Gardner. I mean…as good as the Rule Breaker team is - when you lose a major investing icon there is a price to pay…although, while such is entirely obvious and duly noted, there is some leeway…a bit of wiggle room in this equation thus far. Why? Well…because thats why. In the middle of a torrential downpour its much to early to figure out if you are going to get the second half in. And thats exactly where we are with Rule Breakers. Given the circumstances its much to early to assess the actual impact of David taking his ball and going home. Rather - even consideration of the reasons for the losses in Rule Breakers turns out to be something of a Red Herring. Why? Well…because thats why!
If you have any history at all of Rule Breakers then you understand what I am saying here perfectly. And then the question is neither the reasons why nor the loss of an ATG - but rather, it would be much to your advantage to utilize your time to be picking over the ruined recommendations carefully and spending your time investing in the most promising ones that are most certainly going to return to greater heights…eventually. Time is on your side:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&…
So - I suppose the moral of the story is to quit whining, grumbling, and/or blaming the Fool - or - whatever other useless folly you find yourself prewired for - and, by the way, don’t be jumping on the new Rule Breaker recommendations just yet. Pace yourself - and while you are pacing yourself, pick out and research the last 16 or so Rule Breaker recommendations - put in some finely tuned, 15 minutes of personal vetting and research - and then edge into those investments as the case may be. Cross coordinate the 16 hapless ones with other services and such and then arm yourself with the confidence and will to move forward.
Still…I lament the loss of David G. Guy was most certainly the engine, the energy, the very life blood of the service. Having said that - alls well that ends well and whether it ends well or not for you personally depends on the actions you take to prepare your portfolio roster for the coming Growth renaissance.
All the Best,
