Kirk Lindstrom

http://kirklindstrom.blogspot.com/

27 Comments

    • Charlie Maxwell to Barron's: $300 Oil is Inevitable [view article]
      "It's unrealistic politically, but the US needs to put a higher tax on fuel and punish "gas guzzlers" with an annual excise tax of say, $2000). "

      Not fair. Some people have gas guzzlers they seldom drive but keep around to haul stuff. I have a V8 van to haul my light weight windsurfing gear to the SF Bay. 11 miles round trip most of the time. I drive it maybe 2,000 miles a year since I sometimes drive to sailing sites further away.

      By your logic, why not tax homes that use heating oil? Some of us already use NG to heat our homes.

      Much better to tax the gasoline and heating oil directly and let market forces work. Use the tax dollars to fund alternative energy and I'd go along.

       Sep 08 11:05 AM
    • Antigenics: Insider Buying Alert [view article]
      Well, I'd love to see more insider buying for sure, but it is a tiny market cap ($111M) so you won't expect to see $5M buys like we get at GE without the buy moving the stock up significantly.

      "GE: General Electric's CEO Immelt Invests Another $5 Million Of His Own Money In GE Stock"
      kirklindstrom.blogspot...

      I'm not recommending this as a long term, major buy... but I like to tag along when insiders are buying if possible.

      Check out the insider buying vs selling here:
      www.secform4.com/insid...

      Compare that with Cisco
      www.secform4.com/insid...
      a stock I won't own since insiders have no confidence in it...


       Sep 08 10:24 AM
    • NBC Refuses Pickens Plan Ad [view article]
      T. Boone Pickens Comments on Oil and Yahoo!
      kirklindstrom.blogspot...       Aug 29 08:40 AM
    • Battery Technology: A Different Set of Rules [view article]
      >>"Automoti... is a prime example. Everything I've read talks about how you need a 50 kWh battery for an EV. Using Li-ion that's a $75,000 battery for a $100,000 sports car (after tax credits). The percentage of the U.S. population that can afford a $100,000 car is miniscule. The percentage that will pay that much for a glorified toy is even smaller." <<

      Agree but.... I believe I read the Tesla, manufactured very close to my home, uses 3,000 Li cells. Of course that is going to be expensive. Have you checked out the Bramo motorcycle? It uses about 6 Valence batteries that look to be the same size as lead acid cells. Segway and several commercial vehicles are starting to use the batteries too.

      Obviously the battery in low volume in the infant stage is expensive just as the 8080 microprocessor was expensive on a per bit basis when Intel released its first uP. Have you looked into what Valence is doing to try and reduce costs for their batteries? They must have something right as Tanfield (sp) is going to use the batteries in commercial vans that I hear Ford will sell with the Ford label.       Aug 19 01:03 PM
    • Battery Technology: A Different Set of Rules [view article]
      "While reader comments have made it clear that folks don’t like it when I challenge their assumptions and they like it even less when I criticize a favorite stock, the numerous comments pro and con have helped refine my thinking and clarify the core message."

      Congratulations on your success as the comments above range from positive to nasty.

      Have you used any of the new tools that have Lithium batteries? I have a new Skill "2336 ixo Lithium Ion Cordless screwdriver." I like the small size, light weight and ability to hold a charge far better than NiCad. I really don't care that it cost $40 compared to maybe $20 for a cheap tool.

      Have you considered that many thought the cost of seat belts, air bags and smog equipment were all good reasons to not put them in cars? Now they are expected and nobody seems to complain about the higher cost.

      Many here in California don't care as much about the lowest cost but they do care about performance and "green" solutions. There is a waiting list to pay over $100,000 for an electric sports car that runs on thousands of Lithium batteries. Others have paid an extra $10,000 to get a hybrid sticker so they can drive in the car pool lanes. Saving gas was not as expensive as saving time.

      Many are patriots and will do anything they can to help sending money to the Middle East.

      Have you read my article here called "Valence Technology: Green Stock with Potential to Bloom?"
      seekingalpha.com/artic...

      I made a great deal of money selling some shares into strength and the shares I have left are up over 50% since I penned that Feb 2008 article.



       Aug 18 12:50 PM
    • Linear Technology, Maxim Integrated: The Other Lucrative Niche in Semiconductors [view article]
      Thanks for the excellent article. I've watched both for many years. What has scared me off is insider selling and the number of stock options they issue to insiders and employees.

      I will buy shares when I see insiders buy, such as a recent purchase of LRCX. See "Lam Research: First Insider Purchase in Many Years"
      at seekingalpha.com/artic...

      I have a feed from a program that looks for major insider buys at the SEC. If I were to see insiders making a major buy of either MXIM or LLTC, I'd be quite tempted to buy due to the exceptional financial fundimentals you wrote of.

      Many stocks in this space often look more like a popular and profitable nightclub that generates a ton of cash flow but the cash is all given out as "Tips to the bartenders and staff" in exchange for free drinks and free admission thus leaving little cash left for the actual owners of the nightclub.

      5 years without a single insider buy of note:
      www.secform4.com/insid...
      www.secform4.com/insid...
      does not speak highly in my book.       Aug 16 11:42 AM
    • The Dow Priced in Ounces of Gold: Secular Bear Market Since '99 [view article]
      Good idea David. I updated the original article to add a chart of the Gold:Oil ratio. Both are priced in dollars so it makes for an interesting chart with the affect of a falling dollar removed.

      article link kirklindstrom.blogspot...

       Aug 04 12:51 PM
    • What Will It Take for Finisar to Reach the High End of Revenue Guidance? [view article]
      Andrew
      You were long Finisar a year ago (Finisar was about $4) and last month according to the article disclosures. Now you show no position. Did you give up on Finisar or did they forget to show you as long? Given your conclusion and the low PE and PEG for FNSR, I'd think you would be adding to positions here.

      Thanks for your excellent analysis.
      Kirk
       Jul 20 02:11 PM
    • The Gold-Oil Ratio Approaches All-time Lows [view article]
      I added a chart showing the US Dollar to the above chart and posted it at the end of the article at my blog.

      If the dollar has bottomed and we can make it go up again, perhaps with an energy program that does not send trillions of dollars to OPEC and higher Fed Funds rates, then US consumers could get some relief at the gas pump.       Jun 23 09:13 AM
    • General Garbage [view article]
      Add back dividends and Yahoo! says GE was $42 on Dec 31, 1999
      finance.yahoo.com/q/hp...

      An analysis that ignores dividends in total returns for a dividend paying stock is "lacking."

      Yahoo shows the S&P500 was 1463
      finance.yahoo.com/q/hp...=^GSPC&a=11&b=...
      and claims it accounts for dividends, but it doesn't.

      Using SPY instead, we get the S&P500 is up a fraction (about 5 pts) since Dec 31, 1999 when you include dividends.
      finance.yahoo.com/q/hp...
      SO GE has under performed, but not as much as shown.

       Jun 19 10:08 AM
    • If You Think Oil Has Peaked, Buy Airline Stocks or FedEx [view article]
      DUG is interesting for a short term play but the 0.95% expense ratio bothers me.

      Refiners are interesting but I'd avoid any in the gulf since a hurricane could take out oil rigs and the refinery for double trouble... higher prices for oil and a shut down refinery.

       May 30 07:28 PM
    • If You Think Oil Has Peaked, Buy Airline Stocks or FedEx [view article]
      Agree. I said it in the article too. That is why I offered the alternative that has worked well for me in my newsletter and personal investing, FDX.

      "<I>It has been much easier to make profits transporting packages than people who may put bombs in their shoes or box cutters in their carry-on luggage. FedEx should also benefit from high oil prices in the long term as more people will shop on the internet to save driving. Even if oil prices remain high, FedEx will eventually raise prices and return to growing profits. Airlines wish they could remember what it is like to be profitable.</i>&...
       May 30 09:40 AM
    • Why Is Oil Going Up? [view article]
      I wonder if the writers of the first two comments read the article? If so, then how do your comments square with what I wrote in the 2nd half of the article below the chart?

      I'll repost it here for you:

      If we want lower energy prices, then we need to

      * increase supply
      o Find more oil in other countries that are willing to ship it now
      o Drill where we know there is oil in the US such as ANWR and off the coast of California and Florida.
      .
      * lower demand
      o drive more hybrids and PEVs,
      o drive less by combining trips and car pooling
      o take the bus
      o
      take vacations closer to home
      .
      * Strengthen our currency so our dollars buy more relative to others currencies
      o Raise the Fed Funds Rate
      o Eliminate deficit spending
      o Grow our economy

      The point of the article was it is not "the fault of the FED" that oil prices are high. Blame people who drive big cars, people in emerging markets who are finally making money and using energy, and blame all of us who elect officials and ourselves who make it too hard for oil companies to pump out the oil we have in the US in "sensitive" areas like off the coast of CA or ANWR.

       May 29 02:38 PM
    • In Defense of Bill Miller [view article]
      I wonder how many people know that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway LOST 20% in 1999, one of the years the dow, S&P and Total Stock Market were all up over 20%, the NASDAQ gained 86% and my explore portfolio gained 117%?

      I keep that data on Buffett to remind myself that we invest in different areas and do well at different times.

      Just because Buffett under performed in 1999 would have been a huge mistake to sell his fund at the end of 1999 as he has crushed the market since then as the market has rewarded safety and value.

      It could be a similar mistake to write off Bill Miller now. (I don't own any of his funds but respect his skills.)       Mar 26 10:04 AM
    • Jim Cramer's Mad Money In-Depth: 3/11/08: Remember the Rallies [view article]
      Cramer said he was not bullish on Bear but was telling the person with the question to not take their money out of the brokerage since if he advised that, it could start a run on banks or something like that.

      Your title indicates you thought he was bullish on the stock as does the person in this video momentumstockinvestor....

      * Caller Question: Should I be worried about Bear Stearns in the terms of liquidity and get my money out?
      .
      * Jim Cramer: NO! NO! NO! Bear Stearns is fine. DO NOT take your money out.

      Clearly a stock that falls from $60s to $2 in days was not "fine" but maybe he was not saying he was bullish on the stock. I hope you provide an update for us who don't watch the show.

      Thanks
      Kirk out


       Mar 17 04:25 PM
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