Dr. Kris - Seeking Alpha 'Dr. Kris' Tag RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/author/dr-kris Spotlight on the Sharpe Ratio: Part III http://seekingalpha.com/article/172772-spotlight-on-the-sharpe-ratio-part-iii?source=feed 172772 <<< Return to Part II

The Sharpe Ratio, Part III: Comparison of current portfolio allocations

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:55:11 -0500 Dr. Kris <<< Return to Part II

The Sharpe Ratio, Part III: Comparison of current portfolio allocations


Complete Story »]]> Dr. Kris Spotlight on the Sharpe Ratio: Part II http://seekingalpha.com/article/171994-spotlight-on-the-sharpe-ratio-part-ii?source=feed 171994

<<< Return to Part I

Dogs with sliderules 11-05-09

This is the technical portion of this article trilogy on the Sharpe Ratio so be sure you’re armed with high-water pants and a pocket-pen protector. A slide rule is a bonus.

]]> Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:16:21 -0500 Dr. Kris

<<< Return to Part I

Dogs with sliderules 11-05-09

This is the technical portion of this article trilogy on the Sharpe Ratio so be sure you’re armed with high-water pants and a pocket-pen protector. A slide rule is a bonus.


Complete Story »]]> Dr. Kris Spotlight on the Sharpe Ratio: Part I http://seekingalpha.com/article/171438-spotlight-on-the-sharpe-ratio-part-i?source=feed 171438 I’ve been reading that investment professionals still use the Sharpe Ratio to evaluate fund performance which led me to ask the question of some of my peers as to what they consider to be a “good” Sharpe Ratio. The answers I received were unexpectedly all over the map; some considered anything over 1 to be good. Others thought that only double digit Sharpe Ratios were worth bothering with while still others said that the Sharpe Ratio had no impact on their investment decisions.

This left me even more confused and I decided to explore the Sharpe Ratio in detail so that I could make my own informed decision concerning its validity. To help me in my investigation, I called on Professor Pat as he’s the resident StockMarketCookBook expert on all things related to portfolio theory.

]]> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:53:49 -0500 Dr. Kris I’ve been reading that investment professionals still use the Sharpe Ratio to evaluate fund performance which led me to ask the question of some of my peers as to what they consider to be a “good” Sharpe Ratio. The answers I received were unexpectedly all over the map; some considered anything over 1 to be good. Others thought that only double digit Sharpe Ratios were worth bothering with while still others said that the Sharpe Ratio had no impact on their investment decisions.

This left me even more confused and I decided to explore the Sharpe Ratio in detail so that I could make my own informed decision concerning its validity. To help me in my investigation, I called on Professor Pat as he’s the resident StockMarketCookBook expert on all things related to portfolio theory.


Complete Story »]]> Dr. Kris Recent Market Internals Suggest Further Movement to the Downside http://seekingalpha.com/article/169059-recent-market-internals-suggest-further-movement-to-the-downside?source=feed 169059 The major market indexes have broken key support levels. Yesterday, the VIX, the market volatility index, leaped above its recent support level and the TRIN, the Arms Index, also made a dramatic climb. What this all means is that the grinch might indeed steal this year’s holiday rally from underneath the tree. Let’s take a quick look at the charts (click on all to enlarge).

S&P 500
Here’s the 60 minute chart:

]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:34:09 -0400 Dr. Kris The major market indexes have broken key support levels. Yesterday, the VIX, the market volatility index, leaped above its recent support level and the TRIN, the Arms Index, also made a dramatic climb. What this all means is that the grinch might indeed steal this year’s holiday rally from underneath the tree. Let’s take a quick look at the charts (click on all to enlarge).

S&P 500
Here’s the 60 minute chart:


Complete Story »]]> DIA QQQQ SPY Dr. Kris Retail Sector Rebounds (Part II): All That Glitters http://seekingalpha.com/article/167834-retail-sector-rebounds-part-ii-all-that-glitters?source=feed 167834 Last Tuesday I began a series on the retail sector starting with footwear. Now shoes may be a woman’s passion, but diamonds are definitely a girl’s best friend. In honor of Harry Winston’s stock breaking out Monday, it’s only fitting that we break out our loupes and examine the bling space, especially considering that the holiday season is rapidly approaching.

Actually, there’s not much to write about since many of the major players–Cartier, Bulgari, and Van Cleef & Arpel–are either privately owned or are divisions of large conglomerates. The priciest publicly traded companies are Harry Winston (HWD) and Tiffany’s (TIF) followed by the online diamond retailer Blue Nile (NILE). Rounding out the group are chain retailers Zale (ZLC) and Signet (SIG) (which owns Kay’s and Jared), Chinese jewelers Fuqi (FUQI) and LJ Int’l (JADE), and watch and accessory makers Fossil (FOSL) and Movado (MOV).

]]> Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:45:38 -0400 Dr. Kris Last Tuesday I began a series on the retail sector starting with footwear. Now shoes may be a woman’s passion, but diamonds are definitely a girl’s best friend. In honor of Harry Winston’s stock breaking out Monday, it’s only fitting that we break out our loupes and examine the bling space, especially considering that the holiday season is rapidly approaching.

Actually, there’s not much to write about since many of the major players–Cartier, Bulgari, and Van Cleef & Arpel–are either privately owned or are divisions of large conglomerates. The priciest publicly traded companies are Harry Winston (HWD) and Tiffany’s (TIF) followed by the online diamond retailer Blue Nile (NILE). Rounding out the group are chain retailers Zale (ZLC) and Signet (SIG) (which owns Kay’s and Jared), Chinese jewelers Fuqi (FUQI) and LJ Int’l (JADE), and watch and accessory makers Fossil (FOSL) and Movado (MOV).


Complete Story »]]> FOSL FUQI HWD JADE MOV NILE SIG TIF ZLC Dr. Kris Retail Sector Rebounds: Some Promising Shoe-Ins http://seekingalpha.com/article/166338-retail-sector-rebounds-some-promising-shoe-ins?source=feed 166338 The tale on retail
Contrary to the continuing negative news that consumers are keeping their pocketbooks closed, the retail sector has recently come out of the closet, easily out-performing most other sectors including tech, energy, and basic materials. The XRT, one retail ETF (another is the RTH), has performed about as well as the XHB, the homebuilder ETF. Both have gained over 90% since the March lows and only the financials (XLF) and insurance (KIE) sectors have performed better.

So, is this a sign that the economy is indeed on the road to economic recovery or is it just a reaction to an extremely oversold situation?

]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:42:22 -0400 Dr. Kris The tale on retail
Contrary to the continuing negative news that consumers are keeping their pocketbooks closed, the retail sector has recently come out of the closet, easily out-performing most other sectors including tech, energy, and basic materials. The XRT, one retail ETF (another is the RTH), has performed about as well as the XHB, the homebuilder ETF. Both have gained over 90% since the March lows and only the financials (XLF) and insurance (KIE) sectors have performed better.

So, is this a sign that the economy is indeed on the road to economic recovery or is it just a reaction to an extremely oversold situation?


Complete Story »]]> BWS CROX M NKE PSUN RTH SHOO SKX XRT Dr. Kris Sudden Rash of Lawsuits in the M&A Space? http://seekingalpha.com/article/164947-sudden-rash-of-lawsuits-in-the-m-a-space?source=feed 164947 I’ve just returned from vacation and in the midst of catching up on recent merger activity, I’m finding that nearly every deal now comes packaged with at least one class action lawsuit. Is it me or does there seem to be a sudden rash of lawsuits in the M&A space?

In an attempt to answer this, I compiled the table shown at the end of the article. It shows that out of the 46 acquisitions proposed since June (that I was able to count–there may be more), 32 of them involve at least one class action lawsuit. That’s a whopping 70% of all deals! So, what gives?

]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:45:46 -0400 Dr. Kris I’ve just returned from vacation and in the midst of catching up on recent merger activity, I’m finding that nearly every deal now comes packaged with at least one class action lawsuit. Is it me or does there seem to be a sudden rash of lawsuits in the M&A space?

In an attempt to answer this, I compiled the table shown at the end of the article. It shows that out of the 46 acquisitions proposed since June (that I was able to count–there may be more), 32 of them involve at least one class action lawsuit. That’s a whopping 70% of all deals! So, what gives?


Complete Story »]]> AXYS CAV LH MGRM Dr. Kris Demand for 'Moly' Can Only Rise http://seekingalpha.com/article/161548-demand-for-moly-can-only-rise?source=feed 161548

In last year’s Tax Day blog, “Good Golly Miss Moly,” I wrote about how molybdenum (aka Moly to industry insiders) would be a metal to watch in the coming years as it’s a major component in steel. As we know, steel is critical to building infrastructure and it’s also used heavily in the construction of nuclear power plants. The price of moly has been on a steady rise (except for last year’s credit crisis which tanked it along with the entire materials sector) due to the increasing steel capacity utilization rates in developing countries and improving steel capacity utilization rates in the developed nations. Over the past 50 years, annual moly growth has been averaging a steady 4%, but in 2007 that number jumped to 6.4% mainly due to increasing demand from China.

Now China is one of the world’s major moly producers but its appetite for the metal (and for pretty much everything else on the periodic table) has turned it into a moly importer (it now accounts for 25% of Thompson Creek’s sales) and one of the reasons why it’s been trying to partner with other miners.

]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:33:36 -0400 Dr. Kris

In last year’s Tax Day blog, “Good Golly Miss Moly,” I wrote about how molybdenum (aka Moly to industry insiders) would be a metal to watch in the coming years as it’s a major component in steel. As we know, steel is critical to building infrastructure and it’s also used heavily in the construction of nuclear power plants. The price of moly has been on a steady rise (except for last year’s credit crisis which tanked it along with the entire materials sector) due to the increasing steel capacity utilization rates in developing countries and improving steel capacity utilization rates in the developed nations. Over the past 50 years, annual moly growth has been averaging a steady 4%, but in 2007 that number jumped to 6.4% mainly due to increasing demand from China.

Now China is one of the world’s major moly producers but its appetite for the metal (and for pretty much everything else on the periodic table) has turned it into a moly importer (it now accounts for 25% of Thompson Creek’s sales) and one of the reasons why it’s been trying to partner with other miners.


Complete Story »]]> GMO TC XME Dr. Kris Stocks with 10x Gain Since March: Room to Run? http://seekingalpha.com/article/158077-stocks-with-10x-gain-since-march-room-to-run?source=feed 158077

Last week, CNBC featured some members of the thousand percent club, or those stocks that have gained over ten times their value since the March low. I know from surfing thousands of charts per week that many stocks have indeed posted incredible gains, but I was interested in finding out approximately how many companies could claim membership in this exclusive 1000% club.

To that end, I discovered 34 thousand percenters that are trading over a buck and listed on major exchanges. In fact, with the exception of Fredrick’s of Hollywood (FOH) that is listed on the AMEX, the rest all reside on the Nasdaq or the NYSE.

]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:13:21 -0400 Dr. Kris

Last week, CNBC featured some members of the thousand percent club, or those stocks that have gained over ten times their value since the March low. I know from surfing thousands of charts per week that many stocks have indeed posted incredible gains, but I was interested in finding out approximately how many companies could claim membership in this exclusive 1000% club.

To that end, I discovered 34 thousand percenters that are trading over a buck and listed on major exchanges. In fact, with the exception of Fredrick’s of Hollywood (FOH) that is listed on the AMEX, the rest all reside on the Nasdaq or the NYSE.


Complete Story »]]> ARM ATSG AXL BCRX BZ BZH CAR CENX CHRS CKEC CTIC DAN DDRX DTG FOH HGSI IFON IRE JAZZ KERX LNET LZB MOD OFG PIR PNX RODM SAH SCSS SMRT TEN TRW VCI VNDA Dr. Kris Prescription for an Ailing Market - Healthcare Insurers http://seekingalpha.com/article/156677-prescription-for-an-ailing-market-healthcare-insurers?source=feed 156677 Health insurers and managed care companies breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday as the Obama administration backed off its push for a nationalized healthcare plan that many thought could be the nail in the coffin for private sector providers. The healthcare insurers as a whole rose over 2.5% Monday with many of the larger names tacking on gains of 3-5%.

Now, for an industry to have that much traction especially on a down day usually means that if the market reverses and moves higher, the industry will move up disproportionately. If at some point in the not-too-distant future the market regains its bullish tenor, which of these companies is best positioned to benefit? Let’s look at the technical aspects of each of the top five by market cap: Wellpoint (WLP), Aetna (AET), Cigna (CI), Humana (HUM), Coventry Healthcare (CVH).

]]> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:50:17 -0400 Dr. Kris Health insurers and managed care companies breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday as the Obama administration backed off its push for a nationalized healthcare plan that many thought could be the nail in the coffin for private sector providers. The healthcare insurers as a whole rose over 2.5% Monday with many of the larger names tacking on gains of 3-5%.

Now, for an industry to have that much traction especially on a down day usually means that if the market reverses and moves higher, the industry will move up disproportionately. If at some point in the not-too-distant future the market regains its bullish tenor, which of these companies is best positioned to benefit? Let’s look at the technical aspects of each of the top five by market cap: Wellpoint (WLP), Aetna (AET), Cigna (CI), Humana (HUM), Coventry Healthcare (CVH).


Complete Story »]]> AET CI CVH HUM WLP Dr. Kris Symantec Illustrates the Value of Earnings Guidance http://seekingalpha.com/article/155388-symantec-illustrates-the-value-of-earnings-guidance?source=feed 155388

Earnings season is a quarterly event that is much anticipated by traders. The reason is that earnings reports themselves can be newsworthy events and it’s newsworthy events that creates and reinforces the perceptions of the investing and trading community which in turn leads to trading action. If a sector giant (such as Intel (INTC), Exxon/Mobil (XOM), GE, Amgen (AMGN), etc.) posts better than expected numbers, this not only bodes well for that particular stock but also for its sector. If the sector is influential in the pricing of certain market indexes, then a rise in one key stock can raise the overall market. This is why traders especially love earnings season because it gives them something to play with for a couple of days at least. Investors look at the full earnings report for longer-term investment indications.

So, if one’s a trader, what is the best way to play earnings and what are some of the key ingredients that make a stock pop or drop? To address these issues, I’ll be using the chart of data storage and software security company Symantec (SYMC) because its chart is a graphic illustration of the effects of both good and bad earnings reports.

]]> Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:40:04 -0400 Dr. Kris

Earnings season is a quarterly event that is much anticipated by traders. The reason is that earnings reports themselves can be newsworthy events and it’s newsworthy events that creates and reinforces the perceptions of the investing and trading community which in turn leads to trading action. If a sector giant (such as Intel (INTC), Exxon/Mobil (XOM), GE, Amgen (AMGN), etc.) posts better than expected numbers, this not only bodes well for that particular stock but also for its sector. If the sector is influential in the pricing of certain market indexes, then a rise in one key stock can raise the overall market. This is why traders especially love earnings season because it gives them something to play with for a couple of days at least. Investors look at the full earnings report for longer-term investment indications.

So, if one’s a trader, what is the best way to play earnings and what are some of the key ingredients that make a stock pop or drop? To address these issues, I’ll be using the chart of data storage and software security company Symantec (SYMC) because its chart is a graphic illustration of the effects of both good and bad earnings reports.


Complete Story »]]> SYMC Dr. Kris Commodity Based Currencies: Long Term Prospects Are Bright http://seekingalpha.com/article/154324-commodity-based-currencies-long-term-prospects-are-bright?source=feed 154324 The Canadian dollar, also known as the loonie or the Canuck buck (as I like to call it), has been making new price highs recently along with the Australian dollar. One big reason is because those currencies along with their country’s economies are tied to commodities—metals, gas, oil—and because of this, US investors are using these currencies as a type of inflation hedge. This is not a bad move considering that many economists feel that massive inflation will be the ultimate result of the quantitative easing by the Fed and other central banks, and inflation means higher commodity prices.

The question is when this inflation will kick in. The general consensus seems to be not until 2010 at the earliest. So is now a good time to pile into these currencies and hard commodities?

]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:30:24 -0400 Dr. Kris The Canadian dollar, also known as the loonie or the Canuck buck (as I like to call it), has been making new price highs recently along with the Australian dollar. One big reason is because those currencies along with their country’s economies are tied to commodities—metals, gas, oil—and because of this, US investors are using these currencies as a type of inflation hedge. This is not a bad move considering that many economists feel that massive inflation will be the ultimate result of the quantitative easing by the Fed and other central banks, and inflation means higher commodity prices.

The question is when this inflation will kick in. The general consensus seems to be not until 2010 at the earliest. So is now a good time to pile into these currencies and hard commodities?


Complete Story »]]> XLB Dr. Kris Online Travel Companies: Good Places to Book Some Profits http://seekingalpha.com/article/153547-online-travel-companies-good-places-to-book-some-profits?source=feed 153547 Online travel booking companies have been taking off lately especially in the wake of Travelzoo (TZOO) and Expedia (EXPE) both posting solid revenues last week. Wall Street analysts yesterday decided to hop aboard the online travel express by upgrading both Orbitz WorldWide (OWW) and Priceline.com (PCLN) probably so they don’t look like idiots when those companies beat their upcoming earnings estimates.

These companies have been moving up solidly in the past several months and according to some analysts, they still have a ways to go. Any of these would make nice additions to a diversified portfolio.

]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:22:54 -0400 Dr. Kris Online travel booking companies have been taking off lately especially in the wake of Travelzoo (TZOO) and Expedia (EXPE) both posting solid revenues last week. Wall Street analysts yesterday decided to hop aboard the online travel express by upgrading both Orbitz WorldWide (OWW) and Priceline.com (PCLN) probably so they don’t look like idiots when those companies beat their upcoming earnings estimates.

These companies have been moving up solidly in the past several months and according to some analysts, they still have a ways to go. Any of these would make nice additions to a diversified portfolio.


Complete Story »]]> EXPE OWW PCLN TZOO Dr. Kris Another Lower High, or Is This the Start of a Bullish Trend? http://seekingalpha.com/article/148846-another-lower-high-or-is-this-the-start-of-a-bullish-trend?source=feed 148846 The positive market action of the last two days might trick some into thinking that the market is resuming its bullish course that begun in March and ended last month. Investor exuberance might be tempered by taking into consideration some of the technicals that indicate this rally could be short-lived:

1. The only major index trading above both its 50 and 200 day (exponential) moving averages is the tech-heavy Nasdaq.

]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:36:33 -0400 Dr. Kris The positive market action of the last two days might trick some into thinking that the market is resuming its bullish course that begun in March and ended last month. Investor exuberance might be tempered by taking into consideration some of the technicals that indicate this rally could be short-lived:

1. The only major index trading above both its 50 and 200 day (exponential) moving averages is the tech-heavy Nasdaq.


Complete Story »]]> DIA IWB QQQQ SPY Dr. Kris 23 High Quality, High Dividend Stocks http://seekingalpha.com/article/145516-23-high-quality-high-dividend-stocks?source=feed 145516 With the market resuming its upward motion, now might be a good time to consider adding dividend stocks to your portfolio. Buying dividend paying stocks at low prices not only locks in the dividend yield at current prices but also packs the double whammy of price appreciation. To that end, I did a search on the MSN Money Central Stock Screener (free to everyone) to find high quality, high-dividend paying stocks. (The only tie I have to MSN Money Central is that it’s my home page.)

Here are my search criteria:

]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:10:59 -0400 Dr. Kris With the market resuming its upward motion, now might be a good time to consider adding dividend stocks to your portfolio. Buying dividend paying stocks at low prices not only locks in the dividend yield at current prices but also packs the double whammy of price appreciation. To that end, I did a search on the MSN Money Central Stock Screener (free to everyone) to find high quality, high-dividend paying stocks. (The only tie I have to MSN Money Central is that it’s my home page.)

Here are my search criteria:


Complete Story »]]> AGNC ANH ASR CIM CMO CNSL CTL DPM EDE FLY FSC HTS LFL MFA NI NS NZT O PAC PDLI PNNT USMO WES WIN Dr. Kris Using Binary Options to Forecast Market Direction http://seekingalpha.com/article/144983-using-binary-options-to-forecast-market-direction?source=feed 144983 Binary options have been around for a couple of years. There are binary options on some of the more highly traded stocks and ETFs such as Apple, Microsoft, and QQQQ. These are offered on the AMEX, but so far there are only two binaries offered on the CBOE—the SPX, the S&P 500 index, and the VIX, the volatility index.

What are binary options?
Binary options are an all-or-nothing type of bet. If the underlying instrument closes above (or below) a specified strike price at expiration, you, the option buyer, will receive $100 per call or put contract accordingly. If not, you’re only out your original investment.

]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:18:31 -0400 Dr. Kris Binary options have been around for a couple of years. There are binary options on some of the more highly traded stocks and ETFs such as Apple, Microsoft, and QQQQ. These are offered on the AMEX, but so far there are only two binaries offered on the CBOE—the SPX, the S&P 500 index, and the VIX, the volatility index.

What are binary options?
Binary options are an all-or-nothing type of bet. If the underlying instrument closes above (or below) a specified strike price at expiration, you, the option buyer, will receive $100 per call or put contract accordingly. If not, you’re only out your original investment.


Complete Story »]]> SPY Dr. Kris Forever 21 Is Redefining Retail http://seekingalpha.com/article/143886-forever-21-is-redefining-retail?source=feed 143886 It’s been a while since Dr. Kris has ventured into the mall and boy, oh, boy have things changed! Stores that used to be teeming with weekend fashionistas are now all but deserted. Except for one which has been stealing its competitors’ consumers: Forever 21, aka F21. And that store is up to its third-story eyeballs in clad-happy consumers grabbing handfuls of tees in differing hues from white lacquered tables marked: Camis: $2.50.

Standing in the long lines for the dressing rooms (where you’re allowed to try on well over the maximum six articles as long as you promise to hang everything back up) are not only teenagers, but their mothers AND their grandmothers. The checkout lines are just as long but it’s not as bad as it sounds because for some reason, all of the lines move very quickly, just like the merchandise.

]]> Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:19:14 -0400 Dr. Kris It’s been a while since Dr. Kris has ventured into the mall and boy, oh, boy have things changed! Stores that used to be teeming with weekend fashionistas are now all but deserted. Except for one which has been stealing its competitors’ consumers: Forever 21, aka F21. And that store is up to its third-story eyeballs in clad-happy consumers grabbing handfuls of tees in differing hues from white lacquered tables marked: Camis: $2.50.

Standing in the long lines for the dressing rooms (where you’re allowed to try on well over the maximum six articles as long as you promise to hang everything back up) are not only teenagers, but their mothers AND their grandmothers. The checkout lines are just as long but it’s not as bad as it sounds because for some reason, all of the lines move very quickly, just like the merchandise.


Complete Story »]]> ANF BEBE CHIC HNNMY.PK TGT URBN WMT Dr. Kris More Information on Cadiz's 'Wet Deal' http://seekingalpha.com/article/142818-more-information-on-cadiz-s-wet-deal?source=feed 142818 Several days ago I wrote an article on Cadiz (CDZI), a California-based land-holding company that just signed a letter of intent with the Golden State Water Company, California’s second largest publicly-traded water utility, plus four unnamed public municipal water agencies serving the San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties to develop its underground aquifer as a water-holding system to be piped into Southern California communities during times of severe drought. The 44 mile proposed pipeline project to connect the aquifer with the California aqueduct will come at a financial cost of $200 million and an as yet undetermined environmental cost.

Today, Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik picked up on this story and expanded upon it in a column appearing in the Business Section. Entitled “This deal was all wet the last time” Hiltzik reveals that Cadiz CEO, British-born Keith Brackpool, had in 1983 plead guilty to criminal charges that included dealing in securities without a license.

]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:34:11 -0400 Dr. Kris Several days ago I wrote an article on Cadiz (CDZI), a California-based land-holding company that just signed a letter of intent with the Golden State Water Company, California’s second largest publicly-traded water utility, plus four unnamed public municipal water agencies serving the San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties to develop its underground aquifer as a water-holding system to be piped into Southern California communities during times of severe drought. The 44 mile proposed pipeline project to connect the aquifer with the California aqueduct will come at a financial cost of $200 million and an as yet undetermined environmental cost.

Today, Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik picked up on this story and expanded upon it in a column appearing in the Business Section. Entitled “This deal was all wet the last time” Hiltzik reveals that Cadiz CEO, British-born Keith Brackpool, had in 1983 plead guilty to criminal charges that included dealing in securities without a license.


Complete Story »]]> CDZI Dr. Kris Sell in May (or Maybe June), But Don't Go Away http://seekingalpha.com/article/142353-sell-in-may-or-maybe-june-but-don-t-go-away?source=feed 142353 Everyone in the financial world is familiar with the old adage, “Sell in May and go away; don’t come back till St. Leger’s Day.”* Like most of these sayings that have been around for eons, there’s probably a ring of truth to it. But being a confirmed skeptic, I decided to see for myself.

Putting the adage to the test
So, what I did was to examine the chart of the S&P 500 since 1996 looking for indications to support this theory. I found that, indeed, the market always took at least one summer dip (usually in the middle of July). Not only that, but after the dip, a rally always followed. So much for the “stay away until St. Leger’s Day” part of the proverb! Had you followed this advice to the letter you would have missed out on some important rallies.

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:42:57 -0400 Dr. Kris Everyone in the financial world is familiar with the old adage, “Sell in May and go away; don’t come back till St. Leger’s Day.”* Like most of these sayings that have been around for eons, there’s probably a ring of truth to it. But being a confirmed skeptic, I decided to see for myself.

Putting the adage to the test
So, what I did was to examine the chart of the S&P 500 since 1996 looking for indications to support this theory. I found that, indeed, the market always took at least one summer dip (usually in the middle of July). Not only that, but after the dip, a rally always followed. So much for the “stay away until St. Leger’s Day” part of the proverb! Had you followed this advice to the letter you would have missed out on some important rallies.


Complete Story »]]> Dr. Kris Is This Rally the Real Thing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/140821-is-this-rally-the-real-thing?source=feed 140821 Judging from Monday’s intensely bullish market action, it’s getting tougher and tougher to believe those who say that this is just a brief respite in a bear market. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of those grinches.

More foreclosures as well as personal bankruptcies still loom on the horizon. Unemployment has been temporarily buoyed by the government hiring people to conduct the 2010 census and the fact that the Fed’s printing presses are operating on double-overtime leads to questions concerning inflation and a sinking dollar. And if all that isn’t enough to scare you, what would happen if the US consumer stopped buying foreign goods, causing China to retaliate and stop buying our debt? I shudder to think… but none of these concerns seem to be troubling investors as they’re all tossing their hats into the bull ring.

]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:44:09 -0400 Dr. Kris Judging from Monday’s intensely bullish market action, it’s getting tougher and tougher to believe those who say that this is just a brief respite in a bear market. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of those grinches.

More foreclosures as well as personal bankruptcies still loom on the horizon. Unemployment has been temporarily buoyed by the government hiring people to conduct the 2010 census and the fact that the Fed’s printing presses are operating on double-overtime leads to questions concerning inflation and a sinking dollar. And if all that isn’t enough to scare you, what would happen if the US consumer stopped buying foreign goods, causing China to retaliate and stop buying our debt? I shudder to think… but none of these concerns seem to be troubling investors as they’re all tossing their hats into the bull ring.


Complete Story »]]> DIA QQQQ SPY Dr. Kris