Simply Investing Blog

This post will be a little different from my usual portfolio updates. I won’t be doing a full portfolio overview this time — and the reason is quite simple. At the time of writing, I’m in the process of transferring my public portfolio to a new broker.

I mentioned in my previous update that I opened an account with a new platform and decided to test it for a couple of weeks. I liked the experience, so I began moving my holdings there. However, as it turns out, the process takes time, and the portfolio still isn’t fully set up.

So instead of waiting for everything to be complete, I thought I’d share a post about what I bought with my October paycheck, as well as the stocks and ETFs I decided to sell — and why. Once the transfer is complete, I’ll publish a separate, detailed review of the entire portfolio.

💸 Stocks and ETFs I Sold

Let’s start with the sales. One of my first decisions this month was to sell several ETFs I had been holding for a while: 36BZ, XGEN, and EHDL.

36BZ (China Exposure)

This ETF provided exposure to the Chinese market. A few days before I sold my shares, that market had a strong upward move, and I decided to take advantage of it.

• Buy price: €4.10
• Sell price: €4.70
• Gain: +14.6% (May 5 → Sept 26, 2025)

The reason for selling was simple — I felt the ETF had become overbought, and the short-term return looked attractive. As of October 9, it’s trading around €4.90, so yes — I sold a bit too early.

XGEN

My average purchase price here was €24.41, and I sold at €25.65 — a modest 5% profit over roughly four months. Today, it’s trading around €28.25, so once again, I exited earlier than ideal.

EHDL

This ETF focuses on emerging markets with a low-volatility strategy. I sold roughly at breakeven, with a small positive return plus about 2.7% in dividends. Overall, not a bad result. I might buy it again once my portfolio transfer is complete.

Baidu (BIDU)

Now, let’s talk about Baidu. At the start of September, this position made up about 12% of my portfolio. I sold roughly half on Sept 17, 2025, at $133.94, and the rest on Oct 2, 2025, at $141.27, for an average exit price of $137.15.

• Average buy price: $88.25
• Holding period: 9 months
• Total return: +55%

I still like the company, but I felt the market was overly enthusiastic. As of October 11, Baidu trades just under $119, so it seems my timing wasn’t too bad after all.

In addition, I sold KB Home (KBH), Klarna (KLAR), Kaspi (KSPI), Fresh Del Monte Produce (FDP), and BMW. These were all smaller positions, closed mostly with small losses between 1–4%, except BMW, which was slightly profitable.

🛒 October 2025 Purchases

Unlike most months, this time my stock picks didn’t follow my usual screening process.

Recently, I created a Reddit account and joined several investing subreddits — mainly focused on value investing, which has always been my preferred approach. There, I came across two companies that caught my attention.

Of course, I did my own research before investing (always a must!), but these community discussions helped me discover some interesting ideas.

Lululemon (LULU)

The first company that intrigued me was Lululemon.

Earlier this year, the stock traded just under $400, but at the time of writing, it’s below $170 — a significant drop. From what I gathered, the decline is due to tariffs, intense competition from lower-priced brands, and slower performance in the U.S..

Despite these risks, I believe the market might be overreacting. The company’s trailing P/E is below 12x, and while earnings dipped slightly (–1.22% between Jan and July 2025), I can’t see a strong justification for such a massive selloff.

Yes, the RSI suggests the stock could drop a bit more, but to me, this looks like an opportunity. The fashion sector hasn’t historically been my strongest suit, but I’m giving this one a chance — perhaps it’s time for a comeback story.

Average buy price: $174.20

Factset (FDS)

The second stock I added was Factset — another name that popped up on Reddit.

At the start of 2025, Factset traded around $460. Now it’s about $283, even though earnings have actually increased by roughly 12% between February and August 2025.

The selloff might be due to worries about AI disruption or overly optimistic expectations earlier in the year. Even now, the TTM P/E is around 18x, which isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s reasonable given current market valuations.

Like with Lululemon, I’ll keep this one under observation and might do a dedicated analysis post later. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments — I genuinely enjoy reading other perspectives and having thoughtful discussions about investing.

Average buy price: $283.80

🔧 What’s Next

In previous posts, I mentioned that work had been quite hectic, leaving me with little time for the blog. Things are finally calming down, and I plan to reorganize the blog’s structure soon — better categories, easier navigation, and improved readability.

I’m also working on a mix of dividend-oriented ETFs to automate part of my investing. The goal is to achieve a solid dividend yield with moderate risk. Once the strategy is ready, I’ll share it here — so if you’re interested in passive investing, stay tuned!

✨ Final Thoughts

That wraps up this month’s update. As mentioned earlier, I’ll publish a full portfolio review once the transfer to the new broker is complete.

Until then, I wish you all meaningful, rewarding, and profitable investments. Don’t forget to comment, share, and subscribe if you’d like to get the next post right when it goes live. See you soon!

Keywords: October 2025 portfolio update, Lululemon stock analysis, Factset stock, ETF sales, Baidu investment, value investing blog, dividend ETFs, portfolio transfer, stock market update 2025, investing insights, Reddit stocks

Disclaimer:
I am not a financial or investment advisor. The content of this post represents my personal views and is purely informational. It should not be taken as financial or investing advice. Please do your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Disclaimer on the use of AI: Some of the information may be generated by using AI. Always double check the information and do your own research.