After the big silver selloff the Friday before was looking for ways to buy in a little lower than those entries. Selloff is also top up time
Portfolio News
In a week where S&P 500 dropped 0.2% and Europe rose 1.13%, my pension portfolio dropped a whopping 3.2%. Heavy weighting in nuclear cost - 4 stocks IN ASX portfolio in pension portfolio dropped more than 30% each and the gold hedges were not working there. Only bright spot was Japan with only one stock going down. Sure am pleased last options expiry released so much cash.
Big movers of the week were Grand Gulf Energy (GGE.AX) (50%), BMG Resources (BMG.AX) (25%), Sagalio Energy (SAN.AX) (25%), Starr Peak Mining (STE.V) (21.7%), Largo (LGO) (18.9%), Kairos Minerals (KAI.AX) (14.3%), Sumitomo Chemical Company (4005.T) (13.9%), Sigma Lithium Corporation (SGML) (13.4%), Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) (11.7%), Hercules Metals (BIG.V) (11.4%), ANA Holdings (9202.T) (10.5%), Amcor (AMC.AX) (10.1%), Nokia Oyj (NOK) (10%)
Only 13 stocks in the big movers list. A few big themes showing - from the top gold/silver mining (4 stocks), alternate energy (3 stocks) - that is all
US markets sort of recovered from the gold/silver selloff, got nervous on earnings showing big capex plans and then on Friday went all sweetness and light to a Dow record.
Crypto Collapses
Bitcoin price went sideways a bit and then fell over finishing the week 6.4% lower than the open and touching a long time support level at $60k where there were buyers. Peak to trough range of 24.3% makes for shaky feelings especially if you bought near the $100k mark.
Ethereum chart looks much the same - a small push higher and then the collapse through support (the green line) but finding buyers around $1750 finishing the week 5.7% lower = less than Bitcoin. The peak to trough range of 26.8% was worse - hard part is price is hovering under a level it dropped through and a long way down to the next support (bottom two green lines)
Was it all doom and gloom - mostly yes - but one ray of light Cosmos (ATOMBTC) popping 20% and giving only half away.
Nuclear Energy Holdings
Found some errors in the spreadsheet - the eagle eyes will note changes in the opening balances. Reworked those so the change chart is probably right. One biggish addition in US and the monthly auto-invest on the ASX. The big story is the 14% drop in valuations. All driven by the massive run up in spot price around the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust Fund (U-UN.TO) machinations and then the selloff. ETF rebalancing did not help. That sell off is 3 years of pension payments.
Mix of holdings sees share of portfolios drop something like 3 points and a few changes in places with Yellow Cake plc (YCA.L) taking over top slot. Sprott Junior Uranium Miners ETF (URNJ) and Paladin Energy (PDN.AX) swap places in the middle. Centrus Energy Corp (LEU) comes into slot 8 and Ur-Energy Inc (URG) comes into slot 10. Falling out the top 10 are Lotus Resources (LOT.AX) and Peninsula Energy (PEN.AX). There is a timing effect in these two as ASX closed badly low on Friday whereas US saw a bit of a uranium recovery. The mix does not look like an ETF at all with Top 10under 50%
Will put in the holdings by stage - no looking back as the data may not be like for like - esp the Technology box
Hidden away in the numbers - my broker finally soirted out the corporate action for the sale of Goviex Uranium to form Atomic Eagle Uranium (AEU.AX). Was a huge move up from the merger price - only took them 2 and a half months
Alternate Energy Holdings
One key sale and two small adds on ASX stocks and a more telling 4.5% drop in valuations.
The sale took out the stock in last week's slot 3. Largo Inc. (LGO) moves up into slot 3 overtaking Sigma Lithium Corporation (SGML). Moving into Top 10 is Kairos Minerals Limited (KAI.AX) - which is only 30% lithium. It is moving on gold price content. Share of portfolios drops 1.1 points
This mix of holdings is quite troubling with stocks in slots 1 and 3 not in the best financial condition carrying significant debt. Time to address that with the replacement strategy for L&G Hydrogen Economy ETF (HTWO.SW) - maybe time to add back the iShares Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) or some components of the Global X Lithium ETF (LIT).
Precious Metals Holdings
A few additions in both gold and silver and a modest 0.9% drop in valuations. Decided to report the changes in ETF's separately - most of this change was the add of the Silver ETF. Still working out other analysis angles - exploring vs developing for example and whether to add antimony or even rare earths. Doing this certainly clarifies my thinking
Mix of holdings changes with the adds there. Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ) moves up 5 places into slot 5. Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NAK) drops two places into slot 9. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (WPM) comes into Top 10 in slot 10. Dropping out the Top 10 is Sun Silver (SS1.AX). Share of portfolios goes up 0.5 points.
Bought
Well that was a bit of a bust - huge sell off in gold and silver the day after the new trades went on. What to do? Well I have been following a lot of the commentary about gold, silver, Bitcoin and de-dollarization. What seems clear is that most of the pundits and the contrarians are on the same page - not much has changed in the fundamentals of the US and developing world economies. Yes, there is talk about China taking action to migrate away from a Dollar world to a Yuan world and the concrete evidence is the amount of gold they are buying. If all that is right the what to do thing is to average down o gold and silver.
Did exactly that across many of the stocks bought last week once it was clear on Monday that the end of the world was not happening. Did two things 1. Bought more shares in many stocks mostly in same size but a few to round up to round numbers to write covered calls. 2. Sold naked puts below the prices that emerged on the Monday open. If price wants to drop, let them drop and give a lower entry. If they want to rise will just happily keep the premium.
Seabridge Gold (SEA.V): Gold Mining. 21.6% lower
Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS): Silver Mining. 19.4% lower
Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ): Silver Mining. 29.8% lower
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp (WPM): Gold/Silver Mining. 12.9% lower
A quick summary table for these stocks of 2nd tranche, 1st tranche and latest close (Feb 12 prices)
Cameco Corporation (CCJ): Uranium. Could not help but buy back the first parcel in pension portfolio at 14% higher than last assignment but 12% lower than the highest close last week (Jan 28). Price achieved was just above the $119.40 low of the day (Feb 2). Wrote covered call for 1.95% premium with 16.9% price coverage - February expiry.
iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA): India Index. Saw the trade deal announcement between US and India and the 3.7% jump in Indian futures. Did something not normally done - added to holding in pension portfolio in overnight trading - figuring the early bird may get the worm. As it happens $53.15 close (Feb 3) was below trade price achieved. Did scale up the holding to be able to write covered calls.
AdAlta Limited (1AD.AX): Biotechnology. Long standing order at base price for some of the big movers moves - looking for a small jump and exit.
Used sell off days to scale into a few holdings in personal portfolio
Power Minerals (PNN.AX): Lithium/Rare Earths. Scaled into holding on Next Investors idea from a few months back - taken up at 57% lower price than first entry
Lodestar Minerals (LSR.AX): Rare Earths. Scaled into holding on Next Investors idea from a few months back - taken up at 73% lower price than first entry
Lotus Resources (LOT.AX): Uranium. Company announced a share placement at something of a discount. Timing was not the best as market is in meltdown. Bought a small parcel in personal portfolio at 6% discount to the placement price. Price will go back there in due course.
Aura Energy (AEE.AX): Uranium. Company had announced a share placement at something of a discount earlier in the week. Selloff took price 15.8% below the placement price - added a small parcel in personal portfolio too.
Iondrive (ION.AX): Recycling. Next Investors sent out a reminder newsletter highlighting the growing importance of recycling for critical materials and the role the company could play. Used the selloff days to average down cost in personal portfolio.
Sold
L&G Hydrogen Economy ETF (HTWO.SW): Alternate Energy. Closed out at 52 week high for 6% blended profit since February/March 2021/November 2022/December 2023. Seems that all the hype about hydrogen disappeared into thin air when lithium prices fell over. Two out of four tranches profitable. Important part of the trade is the ETF is listed on the Swiss exchange with AUD/CHF exchange rate ranging between 0.72 for first tranche to 0.54 for the sale. Makes for a 26% profit in AUD terms. Would have made 33% just buying the Swiss Francs in February 2021. ETF has not paid dividends.
Also closed in managed portfolio for 3.2% blended loss in CHF terms since February/August 2021/December 2023 but 9.2% blended profit in EUR terms - EUR is reference currency for this portfolio
Basically lost patience with the idea - seems that a few others did too with a big write-off for the Australian Green Hydrogen project.
ASX Portfolio
The segment reports trading in ASX fractional share portfolio.
Auto-Invest
Two sets of auto-invests added this week
$600 spread across 4 uranium stocks, one gold ETF and two index ETFs - in personal portfolio. Raising cost base.
Uranium
- Silex Systems Limited (SLX.AX): Uranium Enrichment.
- Global X Uranium ETF AUD (ATOM.AX): Uranium.
- Deep Yellow Limited: Uranium.
- Elevate Uranium (ELV.AX): Uranium.
- Terra Uranium (T92.AX): Uranium.
Indexes
- VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX): Gold Mining. Yield 0.5%
- Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS.AX): Australian Index. Yield 3.1%
- Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS.AX): International Index. Yield 2.4%
For my kids portfolio - lowering some cost bases - 4th month
- Bannerman Energy (BMN.AX) - Namibia explorer
- BetaShares Global Uranium ETF (URNM.AX)
- Aura Energy (AEE.AX) - Mauritania developer plus Sweden explorer
- Cauldron Energy (CXU.AX) - Western Australia explorer
Sold
Appen Ltd (APX.AX): Sold after racing past profit target for 107% profit since January 2026 (3 weeks). Good outcome for a business that has been in a lot of strife.
Cryptocurrency
Transferred some AUD to Coinjar account - did not have to wait long for funds to be credited. Put half the amount into Bitcoin - makes up a tidy number of months for my granddaughters. Hard to tell why prices fell so hard BUT there were signs of life on a 4 hour chart - buy in on a bullish engulfing bar.
Income Trades
Covered Calls
Two covered calls written in one portfolio, both US
Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD): US Technology. Added a parcel in pension portfolio to average down entry cost figuring a down day for the QQQ's was day to do this. Yield at 11.43% does not make up for the gap in capital performance since the cycle low
But if you take a cycle from one dip low to the next dip low it comes close. In the case of 12 months from April 2024 it was close. Taking the last dip low to the one before (August 2025 to November 2025) the capital value tracks well.
With monthly distributions it is slightly better. Tax treatment is different as distributions are income and not capital. So the instinct to buy on dips is right - smoother path and earn the distributions.
Naked Puts
Sold puts happy to own at lower prices
- Glencore plc (GLEN.L): Base Metals. Return 4.27% Coverage -0.7% - ITM
- First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG): Silver Mining. Return 8.5% Coverage 2.7%
- Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI): Gold Mining. Return 3.5% Coverage 3.8%
- Equinox Gold Corp. (EQX): Gold Mining. Return 2.4% Coverage 12.8%
- Equinox Gold Corp. (EQX): Gold Mining. Return 9.5% Coverage -6% - ITM
- iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF): US Treasuries. Return 0.15% Coverage 0.7%
- Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS): Silver Mining. Return 5.5% Coverage 4.3%
- SSR Mining Inc. (SSRM): Gold Mining. Return 5.7% Coverage 3.6%
- Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (WPM): Gold/Silver Mining. Return 1.7% Coverage 9.8%
- enCore Energy Corp. (EU): Uranium. Return 9.3% Coverage 3.7%
- Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM): Uranium. Return 4.15% Coverage 6% - scaled in
- Uranium Royalty Corp. (UROY): Uranium. Return 3.2% Coverage 16.5%
- Coty Inc. (COTY): Consumer Products. Return 6% Coverage 12%
- Cameco Corporation (CCJ): Uranium. Return 2.34% Coverage 8.2%
Kicked the can down the road on sold puts that could be assigned
- Fermi Inc. (FRMI): Nucelar Technology. 26% loss on the buy back. 17.5% cash positive.
- ASP Isotopes Inc. (ASPI): Nucelar Technology. 28% profit on the buy back. 5.5% cash positive.
- Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD): US Semiconductors. 61% loss on the buy back. 27.4% cash positive. Down a strike
Credit Spreads
No new spreads.
Exercise risk is well within margins but total risk is a bit high
Resources
Cautions: This is not financial advice. You need to consider your own financial position and take your own advice before you follow any of my ideas
Images: I own the rights to use and edit the Buy Sell image. News headlines come from Google Search. All other images are created using my various trading and charting platforms. They are all my own work
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Investing: Interactive Brokers provides comprehensive global markets coverage with very competitive commissions. Open an account to earn up to USD 1,000 in IBKR stock. https://mclnks.com/ibkr
Crypto Trading: Binance offers a wide range of coins to trade, tight spreads and low fees if you use BNB to pay https://mymark.mx/Binance
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Gate.io offers a solid range of coins many of which have been delisted elsewhere. Have chosen to share the commission rebates. 40% is the rate - split 30% for me and you get to keep 10% for any people you invite. https://mclnks.com/gateio
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February 2-6, 2026