algo41

What Is McDonald's Thinking?

Net debt (debt minus cash) is 8.8 billion. Tangible equity is 10.9 billion, and they have lots of real estate bought long ago, and so undervalued on their books. Many companies with "steady" cash flow have much higher debt to tangible equity ratios

Shareholders: Look What CEOs Are Doing with Your Money

Actually, it was $140,000 that SKX paid. Greed and entitlement knows no limits.

Avista: A Safe Bet in Utilities

Almost all their business is as a local utility. They do have an energy management business which they are trying to make sufficiently attractive for sale - I can't imagine them getting more than the equivalent of $2.00 a share (that would be great). Other operations are insignificant and seem to lose tiny bits of money. I own AVA, but not because it is diversified.

Chain Restaurant Same Store Sales Components Still Negative

Thanks for the summary

Proof of an Economic Train Wreck?

I would like to see chart for 2008 and 2009 as ratio compared to 2007 (kind of a seasonal adjustment).

Acme's Cyclical Issues Present an Opportunity for Profit

You must be talking about some of the hardware (e.g knives). Entry into big box stores has been going on for a while there, but might be gathering momentum. Their office and school supplies, like staplers and pencil sharpeners, which have been the mainstay of their business, have been in big box retailers for years. Incidentally, I am a former shareholder. Johnson may be a good exec, he is certainly a fabulous PR buy.

Acme's Cyclical Issues Present an Opportunity for Profit

company buybacks are notoriously bad predictors of stock price. what insider trading there has been, has been on sell side (mostly in oct and nov 2008 at 7.25 and 9.94).

Time to Bail on Shale?

Great article. One negative: for XTO shouldn't organic production increases be emphasized, not total increases? Acquisitions have no impact on total US production.

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation Q3 Earnings Call Transcript

Transcription quality not good.

Running with Skechers USA

If it is worth $25.00, why would you sell it if it falls to $20.00 (without any news)? If you feel there are all these people who know something you don't, you shouldn't be in the market.

Retail Figures Show Continuing Consumer Deterioration

Whoops, WMT SS were down even excluding fuel.

Retail Figures Show Continuing Consumer Deterioration

Your SS sales for WMT must include gasoline, where a big drop in price affected results. Without gasoline, SS were up at WMT

Calculating Maintenance Cap Ex: J&J, Wal-Mart, Atwood Oceanics

Good post.

Dorman Products: Benefiting from Auto Parts Retailers' Recent Market Performance

When I was following company in detail, they were "controlling" AR by selling part of them.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Q4 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

Quality of transcript is very good.