Ben Williams

An Ameritrade-E*Trade Merger? Not as Crazy as It Sounds

Must not be a whole lot of truth to this merger or you would think the shorts would be running for the aisles and based on volume today, that is no where near the case.

An Ameritrade-E*Trade Merger? Not as Crazy as It Sounds

I recommend the buy as well and I am long ETFC for full disclosure. Not sure if I buy into this Merger and the price seems ridicuously low for ETFC shareholders as the company has now started to rebound and unloaded the majority of all of its problems. The buyout offer would have been more legit about 3 to 6 months ago when the company was beaten completely down in the market. $8 to $10 sounds more realistic in my humble opinion.

Online Advertising: ING Direct vs E*Trade

ETFC up over 7% today. Not sure what that has to do with this article, but sure looks good from a shareholder's perspective. So the point is, why not blog about the turnaround that appears to be happening instead of this random mess of comparing apples to oranges? Just my humble opinion. I am long ETFC.

E-Trade Financial Carries High Risk-Reward

ETFC will make a comeback or be bought out. Share price is undervalued slightly, but don't expect a breakout in this crappy financial environment. Let's wait until next quarters report to see if there are any more surprises regarding debt until we load the wagon. ETFC needs to stabilize its losses and prove it has turned the corner before I load the wagon anymore. I am long ETFC and have been a big bull on this one only to get disappointed time after time. Still keeping the faith, but also accepting the reality that this is one beaten down stock that the shorts don't seem willing to give it a chance to catch a breath.

Countering the AP's 'E*Trade Financial Earnings Preview'

Earnings are out and ETC posted a -.19 loss per share this quarter. Not the great news I was hoping for, but much of this is due to the company's exposure to Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. However, their loan exposure in terms of Home Equity and Mortgages has been reduced significantly and this bodes well for the future.

Bottom line, not great news, but not devastating either. The turnaround plan IS working and they are moving in the right direction. A lot depends on the overall economy in terms of how long it might take, but it looks as though they have turned the corner and will survive and hopefully thrive again in 2009. May not generate a profit in Q3 or Q4 this year, but capital raising is estimated to be around $800 million by year end, so that should be sufficient to cover their bad mortgage exposure. I am long ETFC and this report goes to my position. Be patient and this baby will turn around.

Countering the AP's 'E*Trade Financial Earnings Preview'

The earnings report should say it all this afternoon. Cindy is so correct about the shorter's who have driven this stock down ridicuously. If ETFC can report a loss of no more than -.16, I think there is no alarm to be worry about. Anything above that would cause me concern, but still believe in this company in the long run as they are doing all the right things and don't appear to be hiding from their mistakes, but instead disclosing them, selling off the bad debt and raising capital to cover the losses they know are ahead.


This should put them ahead in the entire financial recovery sector as many are still not being forthright about potential losses, while ETFC has admitted its mistake and is raising capital furiously to correct the err in their ways. Would love to see only a loss of -.14 or under as this would be bullish and could result in a profit generation by Q3 and would send the shorts scrambling even more. The Canadian deal only goes to reaffirm the capital raising efforts and gives ETFC the boost it needs for any future losses.

Keep the E-Trade baby rolling out the new customers, just stay away from the creepy clowns that I call the "shorts". Thanks for the nice counter Cindy.

Did the E*Trade Baby Pay Off?

ETFC up again around 10% with only a couple of hours left in the trading day. Very positive for the past two days as it is rallying with the market and selected financials. Earnings next Tuesday are critical that the company reports in line or better than expected numbers in regards to its losses for the quarter. As long as the losses are near expectations, I see upside from here as a whole through the year end.

NYSE Short Interest Hits Record Highs... Again

Closed yesterday up around 25% and looks like anothere 5 to 10% upswing today. Lets hope this momentum carries through and that the estimated loss on next Tuesday's earning reports is not greater than expected. If not, the stock should at least be on solid ground if not going up some more as the past two days have been.

NYSE Short Interest Hits Record Highs... Again

ETFC up over 20% today. Back in $3 plus territory, very positive. Earnings to be released next week which will give a good indication of where this stock is headed. I am riding this one up or down, either way it is a good speculative stock in my humble opinion.

Did the E*Trade Baby Pay Off?

ETFC up over 20% today as oil slides and fiinancials find some footing with reports from Wells Fargo. Next week's earnings will be telling for ETFC and could decide the future of the stock up or down. July 22 I believe is the earnings report. Check it out and make you a decision that could reap you plenty.

NYSE Short Interest Hits Record Highs... Again

Look for ETFC to run up around 5 to 6% at market opening, Don't think bankruptcy is in the future of this company as $1 Billion dollars in capital is being raised by year end to cover any of the bad mortage business they still have on books, and their core business is thriving once again.

The Current Market Atmosphere: Easy Money Hard to Come by

Remove yourself from the noise is the best advice from this article. Don't follow the media hype and read all these posts with a grain of salt as EVERYONE has their own agenda they are pusing one way or another. Nothing is usually ever as good or as bad as the media and/or pundits would have you believe. Stick to your time proven principals and disciplines and you will survive the financial crisis now as well. The market will recover, just a matter of when, and that truly is something no one can predict with real certainty. If they claim they can, they are probably getting inside information and breaking the law, so don't believe all you hear and read. Keep piling up your cash during this downtime and do your homework to buy the few stocks out there that are bargains and not just junk disguised as a bargain and you will be fine when the market decides to roll again. Bottom line, know your risks, know your timeframes, keep saving money and keep investing also, just be selective and use your own brain at the end of the day.

Metrics, Mortgages and Analysts

Well, Jimmy46, apparently a number of people want E-Trade over Scottrade based on the numbers. I am not "pumping" any stock. Please read all my posts as they are all consistent; I make full disclosure of my positions and am FULLY aware of the risk in ETFC.

Having said that, I am not caugt up in the pinheads who want to rain on E-trades parade where they HAVE shown improvement, HAVE improved their capital position and have increased business. People presenting the numbers can lie, but the numbers don't. E-trade is moving in the right direction and you can post back here a year from now and see who is right and who is not. Hear me now, believe me later.

Metrics, Mortgages and Analysts

Wez, No one here is saying E-trade is immune to what is happening to the financials. In fact, we are actually supporting that cause. That is why the stock is down so much. However, CEO Layton and E-Trade have minimized their risk with the mortgages by getting rid of the majority of bad loans and have disclosed the bad loans they do have. He has done an awesome job of selling of what needed to be sold, going back to its core business, and raising capital to ensure they have the funds to cover any losses that still might occur. A look at ETFC's financials might be in store for you to see that have over a billion, thats right, BILLION dollars, sitting on the books. Obviously you are not here to add any insight, good or bad, but to make some moronic statement that serves no real purpose.

Metrics, Mortgages and Analysts

Excellent post Cindy. Thanks for your insight and just for summarizing the news about E-trade from other sources as well. I know the usual cast of characters will come in and try to debunk and trash this stock as usual, but the numbers continue to get better and the stock is poising itself for a run up when the market itself recovers somewhat. I believe E-Trade is the baby being thrown out with the bathwater in the financial sector as it is being driven down with the others who have much larger exposure to these bad loans and have not really owned up to their problems like E-Trade has done. Next month's numbers and the continued addition to the E-Trade accounts month after month should squash some of the fear and the market will begin to warm up to this stock once again. The shorts are starting to take notice and I would not be surprised to see some of those positons begin to dwindle somewhat in the coming months. For full disclosure, I am long ETFC both in equity and options. I have added more positions the past two days as the price has dropped with the market.