Puestos
6$LCOC (-6,28 %) Is the cocoa industry currently undergoing a correction with falling sales in the Arab countries, especially in Dubai? Or can we expect a run-up to a new ATH in the longer term?
I generally find the market relatively interesting, but I don't know enough about it.
I have a small investment, but am considering adding to it if it turns out to be a favorable moment.
Hey everyone! After seeing so many portfolio presentations, I decided to share mine today, following the advice of @DonkeyInvestor (link here)! 🚀
1. Investment horizon and goals
I am Belgian guy of 30 years old, already own an apartment, and have a mortgage to repay. I have been investing sporadically since I was 18, but I really started actively managing my investments in March 2024.
My main goal is to maximize my savings, with the flexibility to either buy a house in the future or allocate funds to another project. Because of this, my investment horizon is flexible but at least 5 years.
I then plan to keep investing long-term and see if this could help me achieve a certain level of financial independence. To be honest, in a rational (but admittedly a bit morbid) way, the inheritance I will receive one day could contribute to that goal—although I am not at all counting on it as a part of my strategy.
2. My strategy and how I intend to achieve my goals
A. Introduction
I already have an emergency fund covering six months of expenses, which gives me peace of mind and allows me to invest without short-term financial stress.
My job enables me to invest at save (for investment) €1,500 per month. Any bonus or additional income is either added to my investments, used to replenish my emergency fund, or allocated to vacations and other expenses.
Additionally, I have around €25,000 from selling mutual funds I purchased in my younger years. This gives me flexibility to pick individual stocks or invest in crypto when I see an opportunity.
B. Investment Strategy & Asset Allocation 🎯
I invest around €2,300 per month in a DCA approach in various ETFs. Then I invest in stock or crypto when I see an opportunity.
My goal is to build by end 2025 a portfolio with the following allocation:
C. Diversification & Experimentation 🎢
Within my ETF allocation, I allow myself to include thematic or higher-risk ETFs instead of only focusing on broad market indices.
I fully understand that this approach is not the most straightforward or simplest way to invest (see point 3). However, at this stage, I want to "have fun" with investing, testing stock picking and specific ETFs. Over time, I will assess whether this was a good decision and adjust if necessary (see point 4).
D. Risk-Taking & Adaptability 🔄
Since I am still young, I am willing to take on more risk, fully aware that I could also lose money. As I gain experience and see the performance of my portfolio, I will adapt my strategy if needed (again point 4).
3. My choice for the stocks in my portfolio
A. ETFs
After experimenting with different allocations, I’ve decided to aim for the following ETF distribution by the end of 2025 (as a percentage of my total portfolio, so including stock and crypto):
B. Stocks
Like most of you, I love tech 😄, so a significant part of my individual stock portfolio is centered around it. I generally invest €2,000 per stock, sometimes in one go, sometimes split across multiple entries.
C. Crypto
I chose Bitcoin mainly due to its volatility and the potential for "easy profits". I initially invested in July and, seeing Trump getting closer to the White House, I decided to increase my position, anticipating potential market movements linked to his policies and the broader macroeconomic environment. For now, I’m sticking to Bitcoin but might explore XRP and other assets in the future.
4. Insight into how I plan to further expand your portfolio
Based on my calculations, I should reach €100,000 invested by late 2025 or early 2026. My plan is to keep investing consistently to get closer to the allocation I outlined earlier.
A. Expanding My Stock Portfolio 📈
I plan to maybe reinforce some existing positions but overall exploring new opportunities. Some stocks I’m considering include:
B. Crypto
For Bitcoin, I keep things simple: I invest €100 whenever I see a dip (sometimes multiple times per day or week), staying patient and accumulating over time. I’m curious to hear your views on where Bitcoin is headed.
C. Reviewing My Strategy in Late 2025 🔍
D. Managing My Biggest Concern – US Exposure 🇺🇸
One of my main concerns is my heavy exposure to the US market, both through ETFs and stocks. However, given the current global economic landscape, it seems difficult to do otherwise while aiming for maximum returns.
For now, I’ll keep an eye on opportunities to diversify while ensuring that my investments remain aligned with my long-term strategy.
5. What I don’t want in my portfolio
I believe that investing inherently carries a level of amorality, especially when investing in broad-market ETFs that include a wide range of companies (but everyone has their own ethical perspective—let’s not start a debate on that! 😄).
That being said, I personally choose not to invest directly in companies involved in alcohol or tobacco. It’s a personal preference.
6. Conclusion 🎯
That’s it for this deep dive into my portfolio and a summary of my thoughts since May 2024, as well as since I started reading your posts in August.
Thanks for all the insightful discussions and shared knowledge—this is an amazing community, and I really appreciate the posts I read since August!
Have a great weekend and thanks you so much for reading so far!
Regards,
A Belgian investor
Closed my first commodity trade. Possible new entry planned at around 110. If it doesn't work out then I'm out of luck. Holding period was just under 2 weeks
Is anyone else keeping an eye on the price of cocoa? $LCOC (-6,28 %) I've been keeping an eye on it for a while. I actually wanted to get in at €50 but somehow missed it or didn't place an order.
$LCOC (-6,28 %) Cocoa prices have been rising massively for a year.
Chocolate manufacturers $HSY (-2,47 %) cited this as a problem for margins at the end of the year. Since then, however, the price of cocoa has doubled again.
Will we be seeing Nutella for €10 or will confectionery manufacturers lose a lot of margin because customers are no longer willing or able to pay the further significant price jumps?
I do think that some of the prices can be passed on, but:
1. due to the high inflation in the food sector, prices are already close to the limit
2. chocolate is not a staple food. It could therefore be saved on
3. weight loss hype around Ozempic etc. could lead to fitness and nutrition awareness, especially in America
Perhaps quality will also be compromised (less cocoa content).
It will certainly also depend on how long prices continue to develop at such absurd levels. I myself have insiders in a company that has not yet noticed the increase. Due to long-term supply contracts, we will probably only see the effects in the future.
What other effects do you see and do you perhaps even have ideas (apart from investing directly in the commodity) for profiting from them?
