At the end of April 2025, the total value of our stock portfolio stood at $6,629 (€6,594), down from $7,124 a month earlier. That’s a -6.94% decrease in portfolio value, or -$495 in dollar terms.
Yes, it stings — ouch — but it’s also part of a larger strategy pivot. We’re confident that with the NVDA covered call strategy, we’ll not only stabilize but begin generating consistent returns starting May.
April was a transformative month — both financially and personally. While our stock portfolio took a hit for the second month in a row, we made meaningful changes that lay the groundwork for a more strategic, income-focused approach. Meanwhile, on the personal front, we spent about 10 days in Latvia, enjoying springtime and putting serious work into our frame house project.
Over the course of 10 days, we focused on our wooden frame house, making significant progress. One of the biggest accomplishments was installing large 3x3 meter panoramic windows — a major improvement that enhanced both the functionality and aesthetics of the home.
We also got our hands dirty in the garden. Among several other plantings and tasks, we proudly planted an apple tree — a symbolic and practical investment in our long-term vision for the property. There’s something grounding about combining financial planning with physical, nature-rooted projects. It was a refreshing balance to the volatility in the markets.
In April, we made bold decisions in the stock market. We closed out almost all of our individual stock positions, except DB (Deutsche Bank), MCD (McDonald’s), and AAPL (Apple). The equity we decided to hold onto was NVDA (NVIDIA), which has become the cornerstone of our new covered call strategy.
We also exited all our options positions this month. This wholesale shift resulted in a realized loss, contributing to a negative return for April. The key reason behind this downturn: restructuring. We intentionally closed out non-core positions and repositioned the portfolio to focus on a single high-conviction holding — NVIDIA — to build a sustainable income strategy with covered calls.
Our new strategy revolves around holding 100 shares of NVDA and selling weekly covered calls against the position. So far, this approach has worked extremely well. The premiums collected have added consistent cash flow and provided a cushion against downside movements.
While the shift meant taking some short-term pain, the income potential from this method aligns with our evolving financial goals. We’re no longer chasing volatile gains — we're now focused on generating reliable yield with less complexity.
April was about letting go and starting fresh. Both in the Latvian countryside and in our investment portfolio, we laid foundations — installing windows to better view the world and planting financial seeds for long-term harvest.
The negative returns don’t feel great in the moment, but they’re the cost of repositioning. We’re now set up with a simplified, focused strategy. Let’s see how it plays out in May.