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George Acs

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  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    No, that means that the shares were obtained via the initial sale of a put that was subsequently assigned, resulting in ownership of shares.

    The first premium in the series would represent that received for the sale of the put option. Subsequent premiums would be for having sold calls on the shares that were assigned to me.

    For that specific lot of shares the ultimate holding period of shares was nearly 3 months until shares were ultimately assigned away from me.
    May 20 04:11 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    Thanks.

    Windows 95 got the ball rolling for the biggest upgrade cycle we are likely to ever see and that really begat universal access to the internet. Once pornographers realized the entrepreneurial value everyone jumped on board.

    Talk about literal and figurative froth.

    You're right, Y2K helped place the nail into the bubble. Windows 98 did nothing to breathe new life into a dying technology led market.

    So far, as of noon today, I haven't bought anything, which is very unusual for me on a Monday morning, especially after monthly expiration. Like you, the wish list is long, but while the body and spirit are both willing, the mind is too strong to fully succumb
    May 20 12:07 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    My memory is getting the best of me. I was at HMS in the late 70s, but it's certainly not the HMS you're referring to, although I do have a Ramones autographed album from that era lying around somewhere.

    Her Majesty's Service?

    I may need help on that one
    May 20 11:01 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    Wait, Punk is out of vogue?

    I should have gotten a clue when the turned The Rat into a wine bar.
    May 20 08:58 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    It has, but like a lot of things, sometimes it's best not to delve too deeply into the "whys." Chesapeake is one of those stocks that captures people's attention for lots of reasons, some of which are purely speculative and emotional and then fueled by dreams of surging prices and demand.

    With its new CEO announced this morning maybe some f the soap opera qualities may be taken out of the equation and maybe it will be less interesting of a stock. But trading in the $18-20 range has made it a perennial target for purchase.
    May 20 08:47 AM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    I never thought of it like that, but you're right. There's something strangely appealing about CHK, despite the years of dysfunction.
    May 20 08:20 AM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    I'll have to admit that I've never looked at a Lumber Futures contract. Maybe I shouldn't have bought some Weyerhauser 2 weeks ago

    But like most commodity cycles. other than 1980s silver, that one too shall pass
    May 20 08:19 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    Comfort?

    I don't think that I've ever made a single trade that I ever had a level of comfort at the time of the trade. It's only after cashing out that I can achieve that level of serenity
    May 20 07:57 AM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    The answer is a qualified "maybe."

    In general, my only concerns regarding tax considerations are to not violate the "wash sales rule" and to take advantage of the tax code regarding capital losses.

    If shares are not assigned within the prescribed time period then there would be more favorable tax consequences. However, I am more concerned with closing positions quickly and multiplying the value of the assets. If that means less favorable tax treatment I look at that as a cost of executing the strategy.
    May 19 11:26 PM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    Thanks.

    AIG was a regular in past articles, but like so many stocks it has just run away. The last time I owned shares was mid January and they were assigned at $35. That seems like an eternity ago.
    May 19 10:06 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shades Of 1999 [View article]
    That is the quandary, even if not investing new money, but rather recycling money after closing positions.

    Either way, staying on the sidelines or climbing aboard, it's a little more nerve racking than usual.
    May 19 09:46 PM | 6 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Letting Statistics Help You See What You Want To See [View article]
    Years ago a security company used to do a commercial that stated something like: Now is the time to install your burglar alarm system, because 27% of all burglaries happen between Memorial and Labor Days.

    No one really cared that period of time actually represented greater than 27% of a year, so the probability of suffering a home robbery was actually lower during that "at risk" period.

    Pure genius in using statistics.
    May 13 08:47 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Letting Statistics Help You See What You Want To See [View article]
    Thanks, but it does get harder and harder to resist jumping in with everything when it seems like the market is just denying what seems so obvious. This past week my cash position dipped, although following assignments it is now slightly higher than at the close of the week earlier.

    The fact that so many people are wary of the market's continuing rise higher is one of those contrary indicators. The majority is wrong most of the time, or at the very least their participation usually tips things in the opposite direction.

    In my case I hope it all waits at least a week or at least has only a mild retracement this week as I would love to be out of many currently covered positions at the end of this option cycle.
    May 12 04:05 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Letting Statistics Help You See What You Want To See [View article]
    It certainly has a lot of catching up to do, but this is a very typical kind of spin off that we've been seeing lately. The higher growth businesses are relative bargains until time catches up to them.
    May 12 12:53 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Shame On You, Apple [View article]
    You may want to read this article from a few months ago that discusses the burden of carrying so much cash.

    http://nyti.ms/13lLjbv

    For all of those that bemoaned the fact that they believed Apple shares were underpriced even at 700 because it was carrying a low multiple, remember that cash has no premium.

    The reality is that if money was brought back to the US the shares would likely o higher in share value. Regardless, should shareholders should actually be agnostic as to whether taxes are paid or not.

    Instead, shareholders should be incensed that the "problem" still remains and the money sits idly and instead necessitated the taking of debt.

    In the meantime, Apple could have undertaken any number of actions with its cash hoard, including spin offs, special dividends, acquisitions etc. It wouldn't take very much imagination to find corporate deductions that are in keeping with the spirit of the tax code and that would result in tangible benefits to shareholders, rather than subjugating them to a new class of stakeholders, those who purchased bonds.
    May 6 06:50 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
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