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depraved_miscreant

depraved_miscreant
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  • Vitaliy Katsenelson's 'Sideways Markets': A Little Book Big on Sound Advice [View article]
    I read Vitaliy's first book, Active Value Investing, published in 2007. A lot has happened since, but from your review, the new book sounds like a rehash of the first.

    Alan, did you read Active Value Investing ? If so, is there enough new material in this follow-up to justify my parting with $9.99 to download the eBook ?
    Jan 18 11:28 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Marathon Oil: Positive Signs Ahead [View article]
    Morningstar has a fairly good synopsis of the mechanics of the spin-off, although I think it's a premium feature for subscribers only.
    Jan 13 04:52 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Developing a Dividend Value Portfolio for 2011 and Beyond [View article]
    Interesting article. Even more interesting bio. Oddly enough, many of your experiences sound familiar... : - )
    Dec 31 10:02 AM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Kinetic Concepts Stock Review: Wounded Balance Sheet [View article]
    Personally, I don't consider Total Debt/FCF of 4.6 too high. One way to look at it is that the company could pay off all its debt using FCF in less than 5 years. What does trouble me is the anemic growth in FCF from 2003 compared to the growth of L/T Debt.
    Dec 24 10:11 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Pulling the Plug on Best Buy, 3 Yield Ideas for the Week [View article]
    You do realize that LMI is a mandatory convertible, don't you?

    Conversion date is 06/30/11, just 6 months away.
    Dec 23 04:48 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • 4 Software Infrastructure Companies to Consider [View article]
    Used two different reverse-engineered DCF models. both of them rather simple with few moving parts (no WACC, etc.). 12% discount rate with 1-2% terminal growth rates.

    I believe Discounted Cash Flow valuations are great in theory, but the problem is guestimating the growth rates. So I do it backwards: given this discount rate, what growth is implied in the stock price? OR, given the growth rates of the last five years, what discount rate is implied? If I think 8% growth is doable, I might buy. Just not that familiar with JCOM. I need to read a few annual reports.
    Dec 22 03:11 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Municipal Bonds: Are Dozens of State and Local Governments About to Default? [View article]
    "By the way, how many of Roubini's subsequent predictions came true? Any? None that I have seen. I remember Grazelli, Grantham, Cohen, all made one great prediction, and zillions of subsequent incorrect ones."

    I think you meant Elaine Garzarelli and Joe Granville (not Jeremy Grantham - he's competent). Granville was a clown who stayed bearish throughout the early 90s, much like Cramer stayed bullish throughout 2000 (and about 2500 NASDAQ points down -- but he doesn't recall that). I liked Garzarelli; she was a babe. I guess Cohen is Abbie Joseph Cohen. But she's a perma-bull. Lots of bullish geniuses around during the 90s.

    Always reminds me of a quote from Warren Spahn, who played for Casey Stengel as a Boston Brave and a New York Met. Spahn said he played for Casey both before and after he was a genius.
    Dec 22 02:40 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • 4 Software Infrastructure Companies to Consider [View article]
    JCOM is on my watch list of 50 companies. ROE has been @20% or higher over the past 8 years, during which time FCF and shareholder equity has grown like a weed. Low, manageable debt. Whopping margins. What's not to like ? Maybe current valuation, which is the only reason I'm still watching and not long. FCF yield a bit too low for my liking.

    My calcs get @9-10.5% growth implied in the price. To those more up on the stock than me: is 9% or 10.5% sustainable ?
    Dec 21 10:51 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Periodic Table of the Dividend Champions [View article]
    Very clever, David. And useful. Bookmarked for (not too distant) future use......
    Dec 21 10:35 AM | 10 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • 13 Dividend Stocks With a Good Yield / Growth Mix [View article]
    I was about to ask which period D4L used for a typical growth rate.

    Thanks for the explanation, DD.....
    Dec 8 03:51 PM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Abbott Laboratories Shares 'Marked Down' - Good Time to Buy? [View article]
    Hey, whaddya know. An S/A contributor with flair and style. A cross between Alan Abelson and Washington Irving. And content, too. Enjoyable and enlightening. And, coincidentally, articles about stocks on my watch list. Keep 'em coming, Roger.
    Nov 27 09:44 AM | 6 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Searching for Laggards: 54 Low PE Stocks That Are Down but Not Out [View article]
    I have been watching TECD since the spring, but I have never pulled the trigger. Each $44 share represents almost $22 in cash. I am not thrilled with what is a low margin business, yet TECD's Cash Return on Invested Capital has exceed 11% in 4 of the last 5 years and the company has reduced shares from 58M to 51M over that period.

    I should be buying. TECD is priced for negative growth. BTW, Alan, is this another case of a company with all/most of its cash offshore facing high repatriation taxes ?
    Nov 21 03:02 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • The St. Joe Company: Einhorn vs. Berkowitz [View article]
    FWIW, Berkowitz also owns @14M shares of SHLD. 3Q 13Fs should be available soon. It will be interesting to see if he bought any JCP (ala Ackman).

    I had a nice ride with FAIRX, but I sold out. I fear it will be quite a while before Sears is able to monetize its real estate (their best days in retailing are well behind) and I really don't want to be in either BAC or C right now. Or JOE.

    These are 4 of his 6 biggest positions. But then, nobody is giving me billions to invest.
    Oct 17 05:37 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • The St. Joe Company: Einhorn vs. Berkowitz [View article]
    I read a quote from someone (was it Berkowitz ?) that his children or grandchildren would probably be the ultimate beneficiaries of his long position in JOE. Since I probably won't live that long , I'll go with Einhorn here, but I'd sure like to know if Chanos has an opinion on JOE.

    I plan to live forever. So far, so good -- Steven Wright
    Oct 14 10:47 AM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Investor Insanity Regarding the Coming General Motors IPO [View article]
    On top of everything mentioned in the article, we have a shaky company brought to its knees by a greedy union and by greedy, incompetent management. But the new CEO is a former board member and Uncle Sam's on the case now, so everything must be OK. Yeah, I'd like to own a piece of this. How can I get in on it ???
    Aug 16 10:26 AM | 6 Likes Like |Link to Comment
COMMENTS STATS
390 Comments
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