I am a hard core Chipotle (CMG) fan, let's get that straight right off the bat. I was eating at its first store on Evans Ave. here in Denver within their first year of opening (my girlfriend-now wife turned me on to the place). In fact I blame them for adding about 2 inches to my waistline! I took a lot of my friends there, they liked it and likewise have been hooked on those fabulous burritos.

I watched the chain grow by leaps and bounds and followed closely as it partnered with McDonalds (MCD) and later went public. I bought within in the first week of trading and subsequently added to my position in the next few weeks. I rode that stock to an incredible profit. However when I saw food costs rising and the subsequent price increases at their restaurants, I got out. Chipotle used to offer a great value with those $5 burritos, but when the prices started to head above $6 I sensed it'd lose a bit of momentum.

DST Systems (DST) provides information processing and computer software services and products to the financial services industry. DST also operates two healthcare processing businesses collectively under the name DST Health Solutions ("DSTHS").The company was founded in 1968 and is based in Kansas City, MO.

DST maintains a substantial investment portfolio constituting over 50% of total assets and is almost 3 times total stockholders equity. As of June 30, 2008 this protfolio was valued at $1,740,900,000. Approximately $1,016,900,000 was accounted for by 3 companies that are publicly traded, State Street Corporation (STT), Computershare (CMSQY.PK) and Euronet Worldwide (EEFT). Based on this past week's prices, and with only a few days to go until the end of the company's third quarter, it looks as if DST will face further writedowns in this portfolio to a carrying value of $889,000,000. Taken alone and not accounting for the other $726,000,000 of investments in its portfolio, this could result in a hit to stockholders equity of $127,900,000.