How did I manage to achieve nearly 400% returns in half a year by relying on 'rational analysis of news' while juggling work and childcare?

Hello everyone in the Longbridge community, I'm Sister Wood from Kwun Tong. 👋
Recently, I was invited by the Longbridge editor and saw my YTD return of nearly 400% being shared. Honestly, I was really excited and grateful. But the first thing I want to tell everyone is: I am absolutely not some investment guru. Just like all of you, I am just an ordinary retail investor.
In daily life, I have a job, and after work, I have to take care of my kids full-time. My time is packed with work and family every day, making it impossible to watch the market like a professional day trader. Many people ask how one should trade?

My answer is very simple, just eight words: Pay attention to your surroundings, analyze rationally.

Investment inspiration often comes from life and news.
I don't buy stocks based on rumors; I rely on the financial news I squeeze in time to read every day, combined with observations of things around me. Take SanDisk (SNDK), which made me a lot of money this year, for example.
Everyone knows that tech concepts exploded this year, but while everyone was frantically chasing the most dazzling leaders, I noticed some macro clues from the news. As SNDK successfully spun off and listed independently, I observed that the wave of digitalization in our daily lives is already everywhere. Intuition tells me that when a trend of an era starts to turn, there must be indispensable cornerstones supporting it. Following this major trend, I decisively built a position at a low level, which became my most successful long-term layout this year.
When major news occurs, how to rationally adjust positions?
As retail investors, we cannot prevent unexpected news, but we can control our positions and response logic. Whenever shocking news hits the market, I don't blindly follow the panic selling or FOMO buying immediately. Instead, I force myself to calm down and analyze two core questions:
How long will the impact of this news last? Where is its coordinate in the macro cycle?
If you only look at the surface, it's easy to be misled by the immediate numbers. Whenever major news breaks, I don't just stare at the stock price of that one company. I immediately observe the reactions of other commodities and cross-market assets, most directly looking at the unusual movements in gold and oil prices.
The capital flows of these indicators often reflect the market's true sentiment and expectations better than the news headlines. Through these cross-market traces, I can judge whether this news is just a temporary emotional noise or the starting point of a major cross-market capital migration.
And when bad news floods the headlines and stock prices plummet, many retail investors panic and blindly sell off. But I calmly analyze: if this news reflects a fundamental deterioration, I will decisively reduce my position to hedge risks immediately.
However, I also won't rush to blindly bottom-fish during a sharp decline. On the contrary, I will remain patient and carefully observe the market's technical patterns and trading signals (Set up). I will study whether the long-term policy direction behind it can withstand scrutiny. Only when the long-term policy benefits are clear and the market shows good, safe entry conditions will I consider rebuilding my position in batches. Doing so ensures I don't catch a falling knife but truly strike along with the trend.
Conclusion: Retail investors also have their own wisdom.
As a working mom, time is my disadvantage, but it also forces me to stay away from market noise and focus on "seeing the big picture and thinking deeply."
A 400% return is certainly happy, but I know the market is constantly changing. Investing is a lifelong marathon. By not blindly following, not panicking, and rationally interpreting every piece of news, both you and I can find our own winning formula. Thanks again to the Longbridge community for providing such a great communication platform. I hope these little insights can benefit more community members. Let's work together and move forward steadily! 💪