Sean O'Grady

Get Connected with iPass: The Long Case

I've been an IPAS shareholder for a while now. I like their long list of corporate customers. Shamrock Holdings is an activist fund and owns approximately 10% of the shares. (They evidently see value too.) Evan Kaplan is new as CEO and seems to be steering things in the right direction. No debt; over $1/sh. in cash with a 25% 5-yr. expected growth rate (per Yahoo). It's worth a look.

Take a Helping of Sysco

For some other stocks that I follow (JNJ and ARP are just two examples), I track recent acquisitions. In a market like this, a solid moat company can make some meaningful acquisitions at very low prices. It is also a sign of management's confidence.

I will have to check on Sysco's recent acquisitions, if any.

Pfizer: A Case Study of the Market's Extremely Low Valuations

The graph alone gets the author's point across.

Notes from Maxim Integrated's Annual Shareholder Meeting

A well written report that reassures MXIM stockholders like myself.

Buy, Sell or Hold: BHP Billiton Could Actually Rally Amidst the Bad News

BHP is a bit too volatile for me. I may reconsider if it went back to the 52 week low.

Reality Check on the Big Pharma Rumor Mill

How about Pfizer-Amgen?

Helix Energy Solutions Group: The Little Engine That Could

Having reviewed this informative article, I think I will hang on to my HLX shares a bit longer.

About Pinnacle Airlines, and Concentrated Risk

I started following PNCL not only because Mr. Pabrai owned it but also because it was rated five stars by Morningstar (in early 2008) and appeared on the 'Endeavor List' at Merrill Lynch (also early 2008).

PNCL has shown me the importance of what Buffett calls a solid competitive advantage or a 'moat'. Further, in the absence of a 'moat', a very wide margin of safety is absolutely necessary when investing in companies like PNCL. I'm not saying that PNCL is a bad company. It is, however, a small company relying on bigger companies who are sensitive to a number of factors out of their control.

Mohnish Pabrai is a talented individual, but, I have to admit, I do not think I could sleep well if I purchased too many of his picks. However, having researched PNCL a bit, the stock may indeed be trading at a very large discount to intrinsic value which I estimated at about $13. It may be a great entry point for someone with a strong tolerance for uncertainty.

LivePerson: Niche Product in Ecommerce

Interesting article; I look forward to the valuation analysis.

United Health: Good Medicine for Your Portfolio

I also see UNH as a great opportunity and I've been buying shares recently. Although there is some uncertainty in the case of UNH, many investors are inappropriately perceiving that uncertainty as risk. As noted above, UNH is financially solid and has high ROEs. I prefer to focus on ROICs which are also high.

LivePerson: Profit from Gaining e-Commerce Momentum

I have embraced the Liveperson story for many years now but do not have a gain on ownership of the shares. I getting a bit frustrated waiting for the market to wake-up to the value of LPSN. The story above has encouraged me to hold on for a while longer.

Slow-Playing LoopNet For Now

Chris: I see Fidelity has a large position in LOOP. Are they buying more at the current price ($12.42)?

Will China Create a Buying Opportunity in Harley?

Very interesting article...How can we find out if (when) the Chinese govt make the change?

Why Buffett Loves Johnson & Johnson

Joe;

I recently read that Buffett would prefer to invest in small companies if he were just starting out and had only a relatively small amount to invest. How would your analysis change if it were a small cap instead of a mega cap?

Thanks.

Novartis: A Dividend Payer With Foreign Currency Exposure

How is graham number calculated?