Wolverine58

The $99 iPhone Is James Bond, The Others Are Joe Schmoe

You're arguing technical details and which phone is better given the price you pay. You're argument is logical, but in the end this is not about logic but it is about marketing. The IPhone is as much a status symbol and fashion accessory as it is a high end phone. Owners of the I-Phone tout it's intuitive design that makes it very easy to use and easy to learn how to use. The I-Phone is hot and sexy and the Pre is not.

If you really need something to get work done like a corporate user, then you'd go with a dull looking competitor that meets those needs. That really isn't the target market segment the IPhone is geared to. It's good that there are so many choices, because this provides a better selection to the particular end user's needs.

MLPs Continue Their Winning Streak

Excuse my ignorance but what is an MLP?

Barron's Takes Down Cramer, Again

I agree with your conclusion, however, if you were watching Cramer perhaps you should have read his books too. The first thing Cramer teaches is to do your own research. This would have saved you time in reaching the conclusion that independent research is better.


On Feb 08 08:41 PM mr freddo wrote:

> Cramer speaks to the herd. When he talks the herd listens. When
> he finally discovers a stock and touts it, you know that this stock
> is ready for a correction. Therefore, there is some logic to doing
> the opposite of what Cramer recommends.
>
> In December 2007, I was totally incapacitated by a back injury.
> I watched Cramer, Kudlow, and Fast Money practically every day.
> I can tell you that Cramer often takes both sides of a bet and then
> later tells you he picked the right side. I kept a model portfolio
> of Cramer picks. It is down 55%. Kudlow kept talking about the
> goldilocks economy and his belief there would be no recession. Fast
> Money was the funniest. All these people talking a mile a minute
> made me miss Louis Rukeyser. And I remember Ben Stein soothingly
> saying that Sub prime was not that big a deal.
>
> Eventually, expensively, I realized it was far better to do independent
> research and not be swayed by the pundits. I get far better insight
> from sources like Seeking Alpha.

Barron's Takes Down Cramer, Again

I am a regular viewer and I concur with your opinion. Regardless of what anyone says, Cramer is an entertaining educator and his point of view can be very informative. Regardless of whether you agree with him or not, he does stay on top of current events and provides insight based on his experience that is valuable.


On Feb 09 10:30 AM User 296829 wrote:

> Reading the above posts it is obvious that most of you are not regular
> viewers of his show.
>
> I first started listening to Cramer when quite by accident I stumbled
> onto his radio show. Day after day he was pounding the table that
> everyone should get into energy stocks, this was before the big run
> up in oil. Based on that advice I bought Exxon and watched it double.

>
>
> When he got his television show, he freely admitted he wanted to
> add an entertainment value to it, so that more people would watch
> and perhaps learn the value of investing. The idea worked, how many
> talking heads behind desks have had shows come and go. Because Cramer
> is funny and at times controversial he gets viewers, I believe that
> is the name of the game.
>
> He has had some great calls, he was early in the energy play, he
> rode the five horeseman of tech for a big gain, his stock of the
> year Allegheny Technology was a triple and he told people to sell
> before it sunk back down. He got into the ag play early and rode
> that up, then told folks to sell after the big run up. He was calling
> the 100 point gains in Google. He backed Master Card early.
>
> He has gotten some calls wrong, Dicks Sporting Goods, NYSE, Goldman,
> to name a few. He had folks in Sears early for a huge gain, but
> didn't get them out.
>
> He also has taken stands on economic and business issues. He was
> right when he said the Fed was crazy not to cut rates. His Wall
> of Shame has called out CEO's who are doing a terrible job, most
> of whom eventually have been fired.
>
> His show has evolved from its early beginning where he came out and
> touted three or four stocks a show. Now he interviews CEO's and
> asks tough questions, now when he mentions a stock he may say wait
> for it to a drop a little then buy it, or he may tell folks. don't
> buy it tomorrow.
>
> I also give him credit for going to College campuses and enlightening
> that generation on investing.
>
> Overall he does way more good then bad. Does every stock he mention
> work out, no. Will you learn something if you watch, yes.

Barron's Takes Down Cramer, Again

Well if he didn't change his opinion when the facts change then he would be an irresponsible idiot. This is a highly volatile market so the environment changes very quickly therefore his opinion should change when it is appropriate. That doesn't mean you dump a stock because he says to sell; nor does it mean you buy a stock when he says buy, buy, buy. It does mean that you need to find out why he is changing his opinion and if anyone else has changed their's as well.


On Feb 09 01:21 PM Robert Perrego wrote:

> It has been well known for years that Cramer's picks are nothing
> special and that he says one thing on a stock one day and something
> else the next.
>
> News flash - sand on beach. Move along, nothing to see here.

Barron's Takes Down Cramer, Again

Buying solely on Cramer's recommendations or anyone else's for that matter is stupid. That doesn't mean Cramer's picks are good or bad, it just means that you should do your own homework. Look at the fundamentals, look at how the stock has been trading recently, look at what other analysts are saying, look at the performance of the sector the stock is in, always stay diversified, and always use limit orders. These are tenets that Cramer teaches incessantly. You are responsible for your portfolio not Jim Cramer.

If Cramer recommends a stock and you are interested in it, then that is when your homework begins. If you run out and buy the stock without doing your own research then you are just a "monkey see monkey do idiot" and you will lose money everytime.