Trainer's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/user/495308/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/1429761/comments?source=feed#comment-18768261 18768261 As an investment, I clearly like the upside potential and multiple avenues of possible use with Multistem. At about $2 a share I see an investment in Athersys as a rather astute roll of the dice. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 12:36:42 -0400 As an investment, I clearly like the upside potential and multiple avenues of possible use with Multistem. At about $2 a share I see an investment in Athersys as a rather astute roll of the dice. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1408971/comments?source=feed#comment-18628501 18628501 http://tinyurl.com/cam...]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 12:02:52 -0400 http://tinyurl.com/cam...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1010771?source=feed#comment-18596301 18596301 Wed, 08 May 2013 16:57:46 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1408971/comments?source=feed#comment-18588391 18588391 This remains an unprofitable company that has yet to turn a profit in a decade. Reality bites. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 14:18:02 -0400 This remains an unprofitable company that has yet to turn a profit in a decade. Reality bites. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1406981/comments?source=feed#comment-18514601 18514601
Kudos. Nailed it.

My only disagreement is with your statement, "the stock is basically guaranteed at least a 5% drop." I dunno. I suspect with Yelp we are seeing irrational exuberance on steroids defying gravity. The fact that a company with all the negatives you point out could still sell at 12.3X price to sales gives me pause. I recall some very smart people believed in Bernie Madoff until the bitter end.

Yelp will be fun to watch from a spectator's viewpoint until the inevitable crash and burn. However, think I'll take a pass on timing Yelp's fall with a short position.

Thank you for your well researched and excellent article. ]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 19:42:57 -0400
Kudos. Nailed it.

My only disagreement is with your statement, "the stock is basically guaranteed at least a 5% drop." I dunno. I suspect with Yelp we are seeing irrational exuberance on steroids defying gravity. The fact that a company with all the negatives you point out could still sell at 12.3X price to sales gives me pause. I recall some very smart people believed in Bernie Madoff until the bitter end.

Yelp will be fun to watch from a spectator's viewpoint until the inevitable crash and burn. However, think I'll take a pass on timing Yelp's fall with a short position.

Thank you for your well researched and excellent article. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1395611/comments?source=feed#comment-18383071 18383071 Thu, 02 May 2013 20:09:57 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1379891/comments?source=feed#comment-18336501 18336501 Wed, 01 May 2013 19:13:12 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1379891/comments?source=feed#comment-18332401 18332401
"Virtually breakeven" after ten years of unprofitability and still unprofitable? Guess that's certainly a milestone losing less investor money. Kinda like saying the patient is still going to die but we slowed the bleeding. I agree with a lot of your articles but think you're beating a dead horse with this Yelp thingy.]]> Wed, 01 May 2013 16:56:57 -0400
"Virtually breakeven" after ten years of unprofitability and still unprofitable? Guess that's certainly a milestone losing less investor money. Kinda like saying the patient is still going to die but we slowed the bleeding. I agree with a lot of your articles but think you're beating a dead horse with this Yelp thingy.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1384771/comments?source=feed#comment-18285631 18285631 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:24:58 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1379891/comments?source=feed#comment-18207541 18207541 http://seekingalpha.co...]]> Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:03:52 -0400 http://seekingalpha.co...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1379891/comments?source=feed#comment-18203601 18203601
"Why do people advertise on TV?" Because they wish to reach a segment audience with their message. Yelp's business model puts the message in the user reviews which are free. Regardless of ad dollars spent, the Yelp advertiser will reach the same market segment. Why buy the cow when the milk is free?

"Explain why local ad growth surged 87%" It surged because marketing expenses surged. If you continuously open new markets and throw more marketing $ at obtaining business you will see a transient top line increase as Yelp has. However, it is obviously an illusionary gauge of true value. Unless you're in government (-:), simply throwing money at a problem doesn't work. Yelp has a real problem turning a profit and I respectfully suggest they never will unless they find a solution to their unprofitable business model.

"The one with the ad is likely to be noticed the most." Again you make the false Yellow Page analogy. People go to Yelp and make buying decisions based on reviews. Unless you choose to ignore their entire rationale for existence it becomes problematic to believe that people go to a review site to make buying decisions based on ads.

I agree that advertising is probably not your area of expertise and would not make sense to you. However, to properly analyse the future of an advertising venture it may behoove you to get up to speed on why advertising works or does not. Otherwise, your analysis may miss the forest while speculating on the trees. ]]> Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:49:50 -0400
"Why do people advertise on TV?" Because they wish to reach a segment audience with their message. Yelp's business model puts the message in the user reviews which are free. Regardless of ad dollars spent, the Yelp advertiser will reach the same market segment. Why buy the cow when the milk is free?

"Explain why local ad growth surged 87%" It surged because marketing expenses surged. If you continuously open new markets and throw more marketing $ at obtaining business you will see a transient top line increase as Yelp has. However, it is obviously an illusionary gauge of true value. Unless you're in government (-:), simply throwing money at a problem doesn't work. Yelp has a real problem turning a profit and I respectfully suggest they never will unless they find a solution to their unprofitable business model.

"The one with the ad is likely to be noticed the most." Again you make the false Yellow Page analogy. People go to Yelp and make buying decisions based on reviews. Unless you choose to ignore their entire rationale for existence it becomes problematic to believe that people go to a review site to make buying decisions based on ads.

I agree that advertising is probably not your area of expertise and would not make sense to you. However, to properly analyse the future of an advertising venture it may behoove you to get up to speed on why advertising works or does not. Otherwise, your analysis may miss the forest while speculating on the trees. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1379891/comments?source=feed#comment-18200631 18200631 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:21:56 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1354281/comments?source=feed#comment-17943801 17943801 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:19:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1354281/comments?source=feed#comment-17845621 17845621
I would respectfully suggest the author either rebut these questions via reply or concede through his silence that this article was nothing more than a crude attempt at market manipulation.]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:15:09 -0400
I would respectfully suggest the author either rebut these questions via reply or concede through his silence that this article was nothing more than a crude attempt at market manipulation.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1318381/comments?source=feed#comment-17567371 17567371 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:08:22 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1264241/comments?source=feed#comment-16225221 16225221 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:50:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1199801/comments?source=feed#comment-15609871 15609871 Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:22:28 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1199801/comments?source=feed#comment-15609201 15609201 Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:57:23 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/809531?source=feed#comment-14721051 14721051
Think that says it all.]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:49:00 -0500
Think that says it all.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1155551/comments?source=feed#comment-14692671 14692671 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:29:58 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1155551/comments?source=feed#comment-14564521 14564521 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:02:57 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1139911/comments?source=feed#comment-14298021 14298021 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:25:49 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/774011?source=feed#comment-14019901 14019901 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:23:19 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1119521/comments?source=feed#comment-13877751 13877751 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:24:28 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1117591/comments?source=feed#comment-13852001 13852001 A. $0

Q. And did you peruse their paid ads or rely on the reviews to make a buying decision?
A. The reviews.

Case closed as to why Yelp has a terminally ill business model.

]]> Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:10:08 -0500 A. $0

Q. And did you peruse their paid ads or rely on the reviews to make a buying decision?
A. The reviews.

Case closed as to why Yelp has a terminally ill business model.

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1117591/comments?source=feed#comment-13844641 13844641 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:42:08 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1117591/comments?source=feed#comment-13843491 13843491 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:15:47 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/1117591/comments?source=feed#comment-13830901 13830901 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:22:29 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/765111?source=feed#comment-13802701 13802701 My advice: There's no use shouting for help if you own this one. With more than two-thirds of Yelp shares sold short already, no one's coming to rescue you. The only thing to do now is sell, and try to save yourself.]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:07:20 -0500 My advice: There's no use shouting for help if you own this one. With more than two-thirds of Yelp shares sold short already, no one's coming to rescue you. The only thing to do now is sell, and try to save yourself.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/1112491/comments?source=feed#comment-13745161 13745161 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:52:37 -0500