I know it's a long term portfolio and perhaps i shouldn't watch it as closely as I do but I find the numbers interesting!
So my new interest is volatility. Perhaps I can learn something from someone here about how volatility is really measured but this month struck me as abnormal in the amount of movement on my portfolio (no not in one direction, fortunately or unfortunately). So I decided to make up my own volatility measurement, month to month for the last year. Quite simpy I took my portfolio's loss or gain of each day and added those values up regardless if they were +ve or -ve. That would give me the monthly movement. I divided it into the value of the entire portfolio and end up with a percentage or my 'volatility' figure.
Well I was way right, this month is off the charts! And it's not over yet. Over the last year the 'volatility' on my portfolio ranged quite consisitently between 8% and 15%.
To close on Friday i.e. still 7 working days to go, my 'volatility' for April is already at 17%, that means I'm heading for over 22% movement this month. Almost a quarter of my portfolio. Interesting to me anyway. Wish it was all UP!
Figures like that really make day trading a temptation.