Sunday July 13th, 2025 - Block by Block Finance

📈 What I’m Watching: Building High-Risk Blocks in Real Time

As I’ve written before, I’m actively developing the high-risk and very high-risk layers of my investment pyramid. Most of my future trimmings are earmarked for this category.

My investment decisions aren’t impulsive—they simmer, evolve, and culminate in strategic allocations. Lately, my attention has zeroed in on a few themes: AI, robotics, drones, and defense stocks.

🛠 Current High-Risk Positions

Recent additions since April include:

Aerovironment
Coreweave
Draganfly
Joby Aviation
Tesla
Voyager Technology
Woodward

Most are performing well—Coreweave is up 223%. The only position currently in the red is Voyager, but with a small allocation, it’s a manageable loss and nowhere near triggering a move which I usually consider if I’m down 20%.

Coreweave exemplifies my approach: trim when the gains are strong and redeploy the profits across other blocks. Some of those trimmings landed in GLD, locking in the profits in a lower-risk asset—a textbook rebalance.

I also hold sector ETFs like ITA, SHLD, and SMH, which echo the same themes as the individual high-risk holdings but belong to different risk tiers. Wars and geopolitical tension have helped defense-related holdings appreciate, which I’ve trimmed accordingly.

🧠 My Rebalancing Philosophy

I sometimes reinvest gains within the same theme—but more often, I go the other way. When something is hot, I trim it. When something’s ignored, I start a position. It’s a principle I have previously referred to as micro-level rebalancing.

As Jim Cramer famously puts it, “There’s always a bull market somewhere.” My strategy ensures I stay exposed to what’s in favor—but always with an eye on trimming those gains and rebalancing toward what’s out of favor.

🌍 Eyeing Middle Eastern Growth

Lately, I’ve been exploring Middle Eastern country ETFs as potential additions. These regions are investing heavily in tech, AI, and infrastructure, and recent geopolitical warming could open new growth corridors.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia (KSA)

ETF: iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Position: High-risk, $2,200 invested so far with nothing more planned.
Dividend Yield: 3.65% so it’s paying me something to wait.
52-week Range: Trading slightly below midpoint.
Holdings: One or two I recognize
Current Status: Down 2.81% or ~$61—I’m letting it “cook”

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates (UAE)

ETF: iShares MSCI UAE (UAE)
Position: High-risk. Nothing invested yet. I plan to start with about $500. Maximum allocation is $2,500 but I’ll shoot for ~$2,000.
Dividend Yield: 2.98% so there’s that
52-week Range: Near the high end which means it could be topping. All the more reason to go in with smaller investments to catch it going up or down. (Either way is good)
Holdings: Mostly unfamiliar—fine by me

I don’t need to know every company in an ETF. When the theme makes sense and the exposure is limited, it’s worth a seed investment.

🐾 Personal Picks with Medium Risk

When I personally love a brand—Home Depot, Walmart, McDonald’s—I’ll assign it medium risk without hesitation. Chewy has paid me back enough to fund pet deliveries for months. Sometimes, emotional connection and brand conviction deserve a place in the pyramid.

🌱 Planting Seeds & Watching Them Grow

This post marks my first time detailing a position as it’s being formed. Whether the investments bloom or flop, I’ll track them here—wins and losses alike.

Just like the flat of impatiens I planted recently, some will flourish, some won’t. But if the garden looks good come fall, the effort was worth it.

📅 What’s Ahead

I plan to start posting three updates daily:

⏰ Morning: Pre-market thoughts
🌤️ Midday: Status updates
🌙 Evening: Closing reflections or trims

It may evolve over time—but if you enjoy watching me win, lose, and learn, I’d be honored to have you along for the ride.