malach hamovess

Why China's Stimulus Is Better than Ours

and china's stimulus comes with an egg roll

Staying Away from These 15 Dividend Decreasers

the list lumped some real basket cases - C, NYT come to mind, with a few that have a real sustainable business model that just need to conserve cash and bolster their balance sheets - JPM being a real standout here, one of the few major banks with a real future.

the fact that dividend cuts are far more radical than increases should not come as a surprise - increases are expected and "normal"; cutting a div is a highly radical step and is done with fear and fury.

GE: Still a Compelling Proposition for Value Investors

cash flow is not as significant right now as the marks it still has to take on its loans and other financial assets in GE Cap.

There are plenty of cf positive companies which are sitting on monster bombs

GE is just one of them, and until it can demonstrate that the financial business will be real-money profitable, you can't consider it either a growth or a stable investment.

GE Cuts Dividend to Maintain AAA Rating

it's getting close to the time that the investor loses all confidence in business leadership; all hope for a new start in the economy has been shifted to a collection of California Democrats who are personally well off but who have little if any financial acumen.

And the industrial leader of the US, General Electric, has proven itself a hollow shell with neither the financial clout to weather the downturn nor the managerial leadership to change or correct course.

Four Stocks I'm Watching This Week

it's a bizarre analysis that pegs the div to the price; GE needs to re-establish financial creds. that will only happen if it rebuilds its balance sheet, an impossible fete if its cash flow and earnings are being drained for the div.

the market has concluded that if GE does keep its div this year and next, it will only be at the cost of a growth-towards-recover... strategy

i'd rather a stronger GE with the hopes of a div when it can pay one safely

Dividend or AAA Debt Rating: Which Will GE Choose?

The precipitous drop in GE shares is proof that the belief in its dividend has already been eroded.

What the Fed Giveth, The Ratings Agencies Taketh Away

Ratings agencies may not be credible any more, but they still have the right to raise questions; and that's really all that S&P did - they questioned whether GE can continue to maintain its business model in the face of higher risks to the entire financial system.

Standing right up front in the biggest spotlight of the world is the Chairman of GE, Jeff (former wonder-boy) Immelt. He's trying to maintain the value of GE's common stock while continuing to hold it hostage to his greatest fear - being known as the guy who cut the dividend.

Many of us have learned that the adage of 2002-2007, "you can have it all", no longer is operative. Jeff better learn this soon or he'll go down as the guy "who blew GE's AAA rating" and forced it to retreat from businesses that otherwise might have restored it to growth.

Madoff's Curtain Call: Sell When Transparency Is Absent

Tough act to follow, but how about this:

There is still no way for accountants to determine the dilution effect to participants in the Treasury bailout; everyone will be giving some warrants, etc.; but how and when they negotiate Treasury bow-outs from their companies will affect the dilution from these equity-lite deals. And the arbitrary manner in which Treasury can assert itself regarding these warrants makes it impossible to assess their impact on future earnings.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

the g-20 summit meeting will denounce bank failures and vow a pledge to improve their economies.

it will be as effective as UN resolutions condemning Israel's occupation or of Senate resolutions honoring mother's day

GE's Immelt Buys Shares - Should You?

based on Inmelt's track record in running the company, his purchase of its stock is little consolation. Remember, Warren Buffet made a big purchase at 21.50!!

Thomson Reuters Launching Business TV Channel To Compete with CNBC, Fox

it's another channel for advertising flomax

Merrill's Call Should Boost GE

ge is trading to yield 4.7%; even if it takes 2 or 3 quarters to rebound, it's a steal.

Valuing GE (It's Cheap)

my analysis says that the undervaluation of GE will continue for an extended period until the company demonstrates that it has a plan to free itself from the stigma of the finance arm.

General Garbage

the 90s were a bit too heady for GE; however, it hasn't fared well at all under George Bush. The 15% rate on dividend hasn't helped; maybe, a commitment toward renewable energy (wind turbine) and clean energy (nuclear reactors) will.

Electric Cars for 2010: Shift from Foreign Oil to Riding on Local Renewable Energy

myth of the electric car:
GM's noisemaking about electric cars is the latest in a series of efforts to divert attention from its failure to make any real headway in improving mileage for its underengineered fleet of mastadons. Electric cars will no more be able to solve the dual crises of environment and oil supply than magic carpets:

1. they are no replacement for the conventional refuelable-at-a-millio... auto for flexibility, useablility and conformity with an existing infrastructure
2. the electricity to charge their batteries had to be generated and transported by a system that is taxed to the limit without the strain of the nation's transportation.

While electricity may be useful for some limited purposes -- location-specific quiet or cleanliness where the vehicle will be used solely under controlled conditions - it makes no sense for a general purpose vehicle. Bear in mind that millions of urban drivers park on the street - far from a "friendly" source of controlled electricity; where do they recharge their batteries? An even larger group occasionally use their cars for other than strict point-to-point commuting or local errands: load up the car, the kids, and the presents, and drive all night to see the folks in florida or nebraska, or wherever. They want to refuel every 300 miles (a normal range) in the time it takes for a pit stop and a McDonalds hit - and then be on their way. Would the GM dreamers have them line their cars up at a "recharging station" on the Jersey Turnpike or I-80 outside of Salt Lake City while their batteries are charged?

What GM needs to do is to develop technology which is real - lower eission engines - and useable - modern chasis designs which are powered with lighter weight, more efficient engines - and to stop using the smokescreen of gee-wiz phony tech to mask its failures in useable, practical engineering.

Savings in oil and reduction in emissions will be incremental - 2mpg from lighter autos, 3 mpg from better designs, 1 mpg from tires, etc. - rather than with a "big bang" that ignores driving habits and needs and is completely inconsistent with the transportation infrastructure.