jonreagan's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/54717/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/121771-staying-defensive-while-wondering-what-s-next?source=feed#comment-397896 397896
At some point, I'd like your take on the current dollar rally. While I've generally subscribed to the Schiff-ian school of economics. it seems he's only half right at this point: huge run-up in gold, but the dollar is holding its own. Is it just that the rest of the world currencies are in more miserable shape than ours? With the current fiscal insanity going on in DC, I have to believe that eventually the dollar will get slammed......which should be even better for gold? later, JR]]> Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:22:06 -0500
At some point, I'd like your take on the current dollar rally. While I've generally subscribed to the Schiff-ian school of economics. it seems he's only half right at this point: huge run-up in gold, but the dollar is holding its own. Is it just that the rest of the world currencies are in more miserable shape than ours? With the current fiscal insanity going on in DC, I have to believe that eventually the dollar will get slammed......which should be even better for gold? later, JR]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/121771-staying-defensive-while-wondering-what-s-next?source=feed#comment-397895 397895
At some point, I'd like your take on the current dollar rally. While I've generally subscribed to the Schiff-ian school of economics. it seems he's only half right at this point: huge run-up in gold, but the dollar is holding its own. Is it just that the rest of the world currencies are in more miserable shape than ours? With the current fiscal insanity going on in DC, I have to believe that eventually the dollar will get slammed......which should be even better for gold? later, JR]]> Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:22:05 -0500
At some point, I'd like your take on the current dollar rally. While I've generally subscribed to the Schiff-ian school of economics. it seems he's only half right at this point: huge run-up in gold, but the dollar is holding its own. Is it just that the rest of the world currencies are in more miserable shape than ours? With the current fiscal insanity going on in DC, I have to believe that eventually the dollar will get slammed......which should be even better for gold? later, JR]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/94505-mccain-s-economic-plan-um-where-s-the-rest-of-it?source=feed#comment-249325 249325
"But it's well known that it could take a decade for such efforts to alter the balance of energy we use and cut back on oil we import from "countries that don't like us very much"

I've heard several estimates that significant results could be reached in as little as five years. But either way, I find your line of reasoning bizarre. Using such logic, we would never plant trees....or begin large infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads.

Beyond that, it's fair to say that we can't drill our way out of the energy crisis....but neither can we "wind" or "solar" our way out. Because any single measure cannot by itself solve a problem, does it need to be rejected?

In short, Senator McCain favors increasing the supply of energy: pro-drilling, pro-nuclear, pro-clean coal. Senator Obama is opposed to all of those things, and declared on PBS last month that "he wanted to have a conversation with the American people about energy". At this point, most would agree we've had enough conversations on this topic. Even the Chinese Communists understand that to lower the price of oil, you have to increase the supply.

McCain is also strongly if favor of free trade, and lower taxes. Sounds like a pretty coherent economic program to me. Just this year, Senator Obama has opposed free trade agreements with Panama, Columbia, and South Korea (gotta keep Big Labor happy, ya know!). This kind of protectionism will choke off the one thing that is really ripping right now in our economy, exports.

We've obviously reached a rough patch in our economy....but hopefully people will avoid knee jerk reactions that take them toward a candidate like Obama, who babbles mindlessly about "change" and "hope". Times like these require well thought out solutions, not slogans.]]> Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:54:30 -0400
"But it's well known that it could take a decade for such efforts to alter the balance of energy we use and cut back on oil we import from "countries that don't like us very much"

I've heard several estimates that significant results could be reached in as little as five years. But either way, I find your line of reasoning bizarre. Using such logic, we would never plant trees....or begin large infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads.

Beyond that, it's fair to say that we can't drill our way out of the energy crisis....but neither can we "wind" or "solar" our way out. Because any single measure cannot by itself solve a problem, does it need to be rejected?

In short, Senator McCain favors increasing the supply of energy: pro-drilling, pro-nuclear, pro-clean coal. Senator Obama is opposed to all of those things, and declared on PBS last month that "he wanted to have a conversation with the American people about energy". At this point, most would agree we've had enough conversations on this topic. Even the Chinese Communists understand that to lower the price of oil, you have to increase the supply.

McCain is also strongly if favor of free trade, and lower taxes. Sounds like a pretty coherent economic program to me. Just this year, Senator Obama has opposed free trade agreements with Panama, Columbia, and South Korea (gotta keep Big Labor happy, ya know!). This kind of protectionism will choke off the one thing that is really ripping right now in our economy, exports.

We've obviously reached a rough patch in our economy....but hopefully people will avoid knee jerk reactions that take them toward a candidate like Obama, who babbles mindlessly about "change" and "hope". Times like these require well thought out solutions, not slogans.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/84727-the-precarious-problematic-potash-pyramid-at-potash-corp-part-iv?source=feed#comment-204643 204643 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:00:28 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/81482-apple-s-balancing-act-3g-iphone-vs-jobs-health-barron-s?source=feed#comment-187357 187357
So it's not surprising that the same tired old garbage is being trotted out now, in advance of a major product launch....it's nothing more than money-grubbers trying to create a buying opportunity. Apple is a volatile stock; notice these cretins never peddle their lies when the stock is in a trough. They get trotted out four weeks before the launch of the 3G iphone.

It's a sad commentary on our overweight culture that someone in shape and fit is ridiculed as "skinny", and becomes vulnerable to rumors of frail health. About two weeks before Tim Russert's tragic passing, I commented to a friend that Russert was looking way too heavy, which is worrisome in a high-pressure position like his. I was not surprised when he was stricken last Friday.

Personal anecdotes may be of limited use, but I recently purchased a high-end pair of New Balance running shoes. In speaking with a rep at the company, he mentioned that this particular pair was Steve Jobs' favorite......in spite of the superb quality, he told me that Jobs still burned through two pairs in a year! No wonder he's so slender. The guy is fit, driven, a total stud, and will be with us for a long time, I suspect. This all makes you realize how ludicrous the rumors are. Apple is right to not to engage these stories beyond what they said last week; otherwise, it's like feeding the beast. ANY responses will get nitpicked and analyzed six ways to Sunday. And before long, all these shorts will be psychoanalyzing Jobs' bathroom habits....]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:39:58 -0400
So it's not surprising that the same tired old garbage is being trotted out now, in advance of a major product launch....it's nothing more than money-grubbers trying to create a buying opportunity. Apple is a volatile stock; notice these cretins never peddle their lies when the stock is in a trough. They get trotted out four weeks before the launch of the 3G iphone.

It's a sad commentary on our overweight culture that someone in shape and fit is ridiculed as "skinny", and becomes vulnerable to rumors of frail health. About two weeks before Tim Russert's tragic passing, I commented to a friend that Russert was looking way too heavy, which is worrisome in a high-pressure position like his. I was not surprised when he was stricken last Friday.

Personal anecdotes may be of limited use, but I recently purchased a high-end pair of New Balance running shoes. In speaking with a rep at the company, he mentioned that this particular pair was Steve Jobs' favorite......in spite of the superb quality, he told me that Jobs still burned through two pairs in a year! No wonder he's so slender. The guy is fit, driven, a total stud, and will be with us for a long time, I suspect. This all makes you realize how ludicrous the rumors are. Apple is right to not to engage these stories beyond what they said last week; otherwise, it's like feeding the beast. ANY responses will get nitpicked and analyzed six ways to Sunday. And before long, all these shorts will be psychoanalyzing Jobs' bathroom habits....]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/80535-black-gold-or-yellow-gold?source=feed#comment-181472 181472
"Knowlegdeable observers should inform Mr. Obama that our country is currently the largest supplier of energy to the United States."

That Barack Obama wouldn't be aware of this tells me that having been through 8 years of the amateur hour, we're in for another four at least. The Senator's clumsy attempt to assure the Canadians that he supported NAFTA (he was against it before he was for it, I guess) was painful to watch.

Suffice it to say that if we manage to antagonize even the Canadians, we'll have pretty much alienated the entire world. Moreover, given the way Nancy Pelosi torpedoed the Colombia Trade Pact (taking care of her big labor buddies) we're well on our way to doing the same thing in Latin America--unwise given the large oil reserves off Brazil. Sorry if this sounds political--it's actually coming from a centrist Democrat. ]]> Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:58:37 -0400
"Knowlegdeable observers should inform Mr. Obama that our country is currently the largest supplier of energy to the United States."

That Barack Obama wouldn't be aware of this tells me that having been through 8 years of the amateur hour, we're in for another four at least. The Senator's clumsy attempt to assure the Canadians that he supported NAFTA (he was against it before he was for it, I guess) was painful to watch.

Suffice it to say that if we manage to antagonize even the Canadians, we'll have pretty much alienated the entire world. Moreover, given the way Nancy Pelosi torpedoed the Colombia Trade Pact (taking care of her big labor buddies) we're well on our way to doing the same thing in Latin America--unwise given the large oil reserves off Brazil. Sorry if this sounds political--it's actually coming from a centrist Democrat. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/77607-high-steel-prices-a-preview-of-peak-oil?source=feed#comment-169390 169390
Jimmy Carter was ridiculed in February of 1977 when he made the "cardigan sweater" speech, attempting to pave the way for a national energy policy. While I disagreed with many of his proposals, it was an effort to begin a dialogue; good luck! The following week, Democratic Senate Leader Robert Byrd (king coal!) dryly remarked that the new President's proposals would be taken up sometime "in a year or so". So much for trying to be proactive on major issues. This is a reactive country, which waits for "crunch time" before taking serious action.

I'm a "recovering Democrat", exiled from the party because I believe in free trade and agressive exploration for new sources of energy. My former colleagues have a problem with just about every energy source available: nuclear, coal, oil...some of them even hate natural gas! These people don't want to hear about "compromise". They are the "rule or ruin" segment of American politics.

At the same time, my new "right-of-center" friends don't want to hear about "sacrifice". I think blowhards on Capitol Hill look ridiculous complaining about Rex Tillerson's salary...but I DO wish there would be an honest debate about raising fuel efficiency standards. But that would be difficult, and this country is more into lazy, headline-grabbing solutions than they are doing anything which might be considered "hard".

Jeff Mackey of CNBC's "Fast Money" nailed it earlier this week, in cautioning against rushing head-long into solar stocks. They move up rapidly in tandem with increases in the price of crude, but as Mackey put it, "as soon as the price of oil recedes even a little bit, everyone in this country will go back to buying their Hummers, and solar will go to the back burner again!" Unfortunately, I think he's right on.

After a bridge collapses, you hear talk for a couple of weeks about the USA becoming the "infrastructure country".....when a big story breaks about pitiful SAT test scores, there's buzz about us becoming the "education country". But again, we're essentially a country with a short attention span, that reacts to major crises, and then forgets about them two weeks later.

And don't count on any leadership from our politicians, either. I hear lots of grousing about rising grain prices, and food riots in the rest of the world. And then they proceed to pass a farm bill with an insane ethanol policy--a grab bag of "goodies" to the big Agriculture companies.

Unfortunately, the author's rather bleak forecast is right on the money. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 15:08:38 -0400
Jimmy Carter was ridiculed in February of 1977 when he made the "cardigan sweater" speech, attempting to pave the way for a national energy policy. While I disagreed with many of his proposals, it was an effort to begin a dialogue; good luck! The following week, Democratic Senate Leader Robert Byrd (king coal!) dryly remarked that the new President's proposals would be taken up sometime "in a year or so". So much for trying to be proactive on major issues. This is a reactive country, which waits for "crunch time" before taking serious action.

I'm a "recovering Democrat", exiled from the party because I believe in free trade and agressive exploration for new sources of energy. My former colleagues have a problem with just about every energy source available: nuclear, coal, oil...some of them even hate natural gas! These people don't want to hear about "compromise". They are the "rule or ruin" segment of American politics.

At the same time, my new "right-of-center" friends don't want to hear about "sacrifice". I think blowhards on Capitol Hill look ridiculous complaining about Rex Tillerson's salary...but I DO wish there would be an honest debate about raising fuel efficiency standards. But that would be difficult, and this country is more into lazy, headline-grabbing solutions than they are doing anything which might be considered "hard".

Jeff Mackey of CNBC's "Fast Money" nailed it earlier this week, in cautioning against rushing head-long into solar stocks. They move up rapidly in tandem with increases in the price of crude, but as Mackey put it, "as soon as the price of oil recedes even a little bit, everyone in this country will go back to buying their Hummers, and solar will go to the back burner again!" Unfortunately, I think he's right on.

After a bridge collapses, you hear talk for a couple of weeks about the USA becoming the "infrastructure country".....when a big story breaks about pitiful SAT test scores, there's buzz about us becoming the "education country". But again, we're essentially a country with a short attention span, that reacts to major crises, and then forgets about them two weeks later.

And don't count on any leadership from our politicians, either. I hear lots of grousing about rising grain prices, and food riots in the rest of the world. And then they proceed to pass a farm bill with an insane ethanol policy--a grab bag of "goodies" to the big Agriculture companies.

Unfortunately, the author's rather bleak forecast is right on the money. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/76911-atwood-oceanics-short-but-sweet-beat?source=feed#comment-166877 166877 Tue, 13 May 2008 12:15:48 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/75322-walter-industries-a-one-stop-shop-for-coal-natural-gas-and-housing?source=feed#comment-163159 163159 Wed, 07 May 2008 02:37:36 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/72047-mosaic-cf-industries-fertilizer-stocks-in-a-bull-trend?source=feed#comment-150158 150158 TRA is interesting, though I've never traded it. Seems to get mostly good coverage in IBD, and recent moves, like most of the sector, have been positive. But I've mostly stuck to AGU-MOS-POT, which seem to be more solid companies.]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:33:34 -0400 TRA is interesting, though I've never traded it. Seems to get mostly good coverage in IBD, and recent moves, like most of the sector, have been positive. But I've mostly stuck to AGU-MOS-POT, which seem to be more solid companies.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/72047-mosaic-cf-industries-fertilizer-stocks-in-a-bull-trend?source=feed#comment-150043 150043
That's a fairly significant sign of strength; at the same time, news of food riots in other parts of the world is becoming commonplace. I knew a guy last year, who kept trying to short Monsanto, all the way from 70 to 125.....he usually had tears in his eyes when I saw him.]]> Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:50:19 -0400
That's a fairly significant sign of strength; at the same time, news of food riots in other parts of the world is becoming commonplace. I knew a guy last year, who kept trying to short Monsanto, all the way from 70 to 125.....he usually had tears in his eyes when I saw him.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/71587-apple-facing-serious-downside-risk-morgan-keegan?source=feed#comment-147808 147808
Morgan Keegan pulls lots of these stunts, you have to wonder about their motivation.]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:28:01 -0400
Morgan Keegan pulls lots of these stunts, you have to wonder about their motivation.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/64662-the-writing-is-on-the-wall-banks-today-the-rest-tomorrow?source=feed#comment-116560 116560 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:19:18 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/63627-apple-s-valuation-is-looking-attractive-again?source=feed#comment-115348 115348
In an irrational market, perhaps the toughest thing for traders and investors alike is in deciding what constitutes "value". I've been told to go after "bargains" on the dips...damned if I know what they are anymore.]]> Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:04:04 -0500
In an irrational market, perhaps the toughest thing for traders and investors alike is in deciding what constitutes "value". I've been told to go after "bargains" on the dips...damned if I know what they are anymore.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/61766-abby-cohen-s-4-stock-picks-for-the-next-12-months-barron-s?source=feed#comment-113365 113365
I've long been a fan of Abby Jo-Co, but last year she predicted the S&P would end the year at 1600. Think the old gal may be losing her touch.....]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:05:37 -0500
I've long been a fan of Abby Jo-Co, but last year she predicted the S&P would end the year at 1600. Think the old gal may be losing her touch.....]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/61215-apple-is-still-executing?source=feed#comment-112711 112711
On the other hand, I've heard one of the CNBC "Fast Traders" recommend getting long AAPL every night since MacWorld began! With each decline, he's declared a buying opportunity--and here we are more than sixty points down two weeks later.

Markets aren't rational; in fact, they're more irrational (and rigged) than ever. Apple is a great company, but at this point, a broken stock. From where I'm sitting, it's a classic "stage 4" stock, right out of Stan Weinstein's writings. ]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:38:52 -0500
On the other hand, I've heard one of the CNBC "Fast Traders" recommend getting long AAPL every night since MacWorld began! With each decline, he's declared a buying opportunity--and here we are more than sixty points down two weeks later.

Markets aren't rational; in fact, they're more irrational (and rigged) than ever. Apple is a great company, but at this point, a broken stock. From where I'm sitting, it's a classic "stage 4" stock, right out of Stan Weinstein's writings. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/60239-apple-passes-ibm-in-market-cap-cisco-s-next?source=feed#comment-110801 110801
But it does bring up a sore point...three online brokers (including mine) had posted AAPL's earning announcement as being Jan.16th, before changing it to the correct date about 2 weeks ago. Given that options expiration is Jan.19th, this was a fairly significant mistake--if it really was a mistake. I have to believe they sold a lot of call options to people trying to game an earnings announcement.

When I called my broker's HQ in St.Louis, the individual responding quickly admitted the error, and said immediately that they were prohibited from saying anything else about the matter. Here's to "transparency".]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:56:20 -0500
But it does bring up a sore point...three online brokers (including mine) had posted AAPL's earning announcement as being Jan.16th, before changing it to the correct date about 2 weeks ago. Given that options expiration is Jan.19th, this was a fairly significant mistake--if it really was a mistake. I have to believe they sold a lot of call options to people trying to game an earnings announcement.

When I called my broker's HQ in St.Louis, the individual responding quickly admitted the error, and said immediately that they were prohibited from saying anything else about the matter. Here's to "transparency".]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59551-why-i-m-buying-circuit-city-calls?source=feed#comment-109413 109413
Having said that, I feel that this is a bad stock in a bad neighborhood. I won't even touch the good stocks (e.g., JWN, AEO...) in this bad neighborhood! Specifically, I take issue with your comment that the re-model screw up was a one-time mistake. An even bigger one was the decision to lay off 3400 sales associates at the beginning of the year, replacing them with lower wage newbies. That tells me that these guys don't have a clue on how to win in the retail business. Nordstrom taught all of us that a customer-driven culture is the only way to win this sector, particularly when it comes to something specialized like electronics.

So two mistakes of this magnitude--which amount to self-inflicted wounds--tell me to stay away from CC. They just don't have a clue. Best, JR.

]]> Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:17:00 -0500
Having said that, I feel that this is a bad stock in a bad neighborhood. I won't even touch the good stocks (e.g., JWN, AEO...) in this bad neighborhood! Specifically, I take issue with your comment that the re-model screw up was a one-time mistake. An even bigger one was the decision to lay off 3400 sales associates at the beginning of the year, replacing them with lower wage newbies. That tells me that these guys don't have a clue on how to win in the retail business. Nordstrom taught all of us that a customer-driven culture is the only way to win this sector, particularly when it comes to something specialized like electronics.

So two mistakes of this magnitude--which amount to self-inflicted wounds--tell me to stay away from CC. They just don't have a clue. Best, JR.

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59321-obama-is-apple-hillary-is-dell?source=feed#comment-109325 109325
As to the previous mindless comment, (a) learn to spell Hillary, and (b) I hate to break this to you, but most people who want to build their portfolios and accumulate wealth would LOVE a return to the Clinton 90's. We cleaned up the deficit mess left by Reagan/Bush, ushered in a free trade policy and embraced globalization, and created more jobs than any administration in history. That's not socialism; it's free-market capitalism. We'll have a lot of cleaning up to do after W, but we've cleaned up after the Bushes before, and we'll do it again.]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:12:06 -0500
As to the previous mindless comment, (a) learn to spell Hillary, and (b) I hate to break this to you, but most people who want to build their portfolios and accumulate wealth would LOVE a return to the Clinton 90's. We cleaned up the deficit mess left by Reagan/Bush, ushered in a free trade policy and embraced globalization, and created more jobs than any administration in history. That's not socialism; it's free-market capitalism. We'll have a lot of cleaning up to do after W, but we've cleaned up after the Bushes before, and we'll do it again.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59429-davis-s-tuesday-outlook?source=feed#comment-109214 109214
One show I was watching last night (Tues.) made the observation that we need at least two days without any bad news. (This is kind of tough, given that the bar has been set pretty low in terms of what qualifies for news.) The show's hosts went on to say that today (Wed) might be such a day, given that no major government reports were scheduled to be released.

And what do we wake up to? GS announcing that they now officially expect a recession. Well. I guess we just add this to a long list of other suspicious announcements:
--Morgan Keegan analysts downgrading RIMM 3-4 weeks before their 12/22 earnings announcement, creating a great buying opportunity.
--Bank of America's downgrade of INTC, aggravating the NASDAQ's downturn relative to the rest of the market...again, two weeks before major tech companies report earnings. What a great time now to buy APPL!
--And of course, then there's the occasional rumor that comes out of nowhere, and swings prices wildly before anyone steps forward to refute it.

Let's face it, we all have similar stories that could fill a book. This system is gamed and rigged in a way that turns retail investors into chumps if they're not careful.]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:05:08 -0500
One show I was watching last night (Tues.) made the observation that we need at least two days without any bad news. (This is kind of tough, given that the bar has been set pretty low in terms of what qualifies for news.) The show's hosts went on to say that today (Wed) might be such a day, given that no major government reports were scheduled to be released.

And what do we wake up to? GS announcing that they now officially expect a recession. Well. I guess we just add this to a long list of other suspicious announcements:
--Morgan Keegan analysts downgrading RIMM 3-4 weeks before their 12/22 earnings announcement, creating a great buying opportunity.
--Bank of America's downgrade of INTC, aggravating the NASDAQ's downturn relative to the rest of the market...again, two weeks before major tech companies report earnings. What a great time now to buy APPL!
--And of course, then there's the occasional rumor that comes out of nowhere, and swings prices wildly before anyone steps forward to refute it.

Let's face it, we all have similar stories that could fill a book. This system is gamed and rigged in a way that turns retail investors into chumps if they're not careful.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59321-obama-is-apple-hillary-is-dell?source=feed#comment-109212 109212
Comparing this company to Obama seems very strange. When I've asked people why they intend to vote for the Senator from Illinois, I've received the following answer several times: "Well, when he speaks, I just get goosebumps!" People are too lazy to get into the details, because, let's face it, policy is just SO damned boring! But just seven years ago, people's choice got down to "oh, I'd just like to have W as a next door neighbor, and...gosh...maybe even have a beer with him!"

So here's the deal: the things generating Apple's success are very specific. Those which have boosted Obama are vague, and in some cases, mindless. Hopefully, most SA readers realize that the problems facing the financial sector and economy are serious, deep, and will require a serious approach to fiscal and monetary policy, as well as some regulatory changes in the banking industry. Goosebump generating speeches probably won't help a whole lot.

Wake up America. Mike Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, or Mitt Romney might be a little boring, but we may just be ready for a boring, analytical type of President. As for you, Mr.Cooper, why don't you just go back to hanging out with Scooter Libby.]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:48:06 -0500
Comparing this company to Obama seems very strange. When I've asked people why they intend to vote for the Senator from Illinois, I've received the following answer several times: "Well, when he speaks, I just get goosebumps!" People are too lazy to get into the details, because, let's face it, policy is just SO damned boring! But just seven years ago, people's choice got down to "oh, I'd just like to have W as a next door neighbor, and...gosh...maybe even have a beer with him!"

So here's the deal: the things generating Apple's success are very specific. Those which have boosted Obama are vague, and in some cases, mindless. Hopefully, most SA readers realize that the problems facing the financial sector and economy are serious, deep, and will require a serious approach to fiscal and monetary policy, as well as some regulatory changes in the banking industry. Goosebump generating speeches probably won't help a whole lot.

Wake up America. Mike Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, or Mitt Romney might be a little boring, but we may just be ready for a boring, analytical type of President. As for you, Mr.Cooper, why don't you just go back to hanging out with Scooter Libby.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59454-bear-stearns-looking-decidedly-cheap?source=feed#comment-109206 109206
Markets are irrational, reacting negatively on rumors and false information, which creates opportunities for gaming and rigging by unscrupulous people. Worse yet, they over-react to information which, though true, is fairly insignificant, e.g., W's musing on the Iran incident involving one of our naval ships.

Against this backdrop, writers shouldn't make stupid recommendations, like suggesting that investors should consider buying garbage stocks such as Bear Stearns.]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:25:30 -0500
Markets are irrational, reacting negatively on rumors and false information, which creates opportunities for gaming and rigging by unscrupulous people. Worse yet, they over-react to information which, though true, is fairly insignificant, e.g., W's musing on the Iran incident involving one of our naval ships.

Against this backdrop, writers shouldn't make stupid recommendations, like suggesting that investors should consider buying garbage stocks such as Bear Stearns.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59380-8-tech-stock-picks-for-2008?source=feed#comment-109003 109003
The only one of your picks I'd be nervous about is Amazon....because it's a retailer. In spite of its annoucement of "its best year ever"--which I don't doubt--it's unfortunately a great stock in a bad neighborhood. Same dynamic is happening in financials as GS gets trashed along with shit-houses like Citi, Bear Stearns, Countrywide, etc. Nobody said markets were rational.]]> Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:38:01 -0500
The only one of your picks I'd be nervous about is Amazon....because it's a retailer. In spite of its annoucement of "its best year ever"--which I don't doubt--it's unfortunately a great stock in a bad neighborhood. Same dynamic is happening in financials as GS gets trashed along with shit-houses like Citi, Bear Stearns, Countrywide, etc. Nobody said markets were rational.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59163-intel-corporation-a-newly-reborn-monopoly?source=feed#comment-108875 108875
Bottom line, it's becoming commonplace for analysts to create "buying opportunities" in advance of high profile earnings announcements. Someone in these cases is either incompetent or dishonest...somehow, I suspect the latter.]]> Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:17:57 -0500
Bottom line, it's becoming commonplace for analysts to create "buying opportunities" in advance of high profile earnings announcements. Someone in these cases is either incompetent or dishonest...somehow, I suspect the latter.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59052-why-stocks-will-struggle-in-2008?source=feed#comment-108426 108426
You would think to read this piece of garbage that "all sectors are created equal". Is Ag goint to lose the same % as the Financials? How about Infrastructure, or Home Builders? The lack of any depth in this rather feeble "commentary" is pretty awful.

I smell the stench of a short pig here...please go ply your ruinous trade elsewhere.]]> Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:03:26 -0500
You would think to read this piece of garbage that "all sectors are created equal". Is Ag goint to lose the same % as the Financials? How about Infrastructure, or Home Builders? The lack of any depth in this rather feeble "commentary" is pretty awful.

I smell the stench of a short pig here...please go ply your ruinous trade elsewhere.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59052-why-stocks-will-struggle-in-2008?source=feed#comment-108424 108424 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 13:49:25 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/58817-13-predictions-for-2008?source=feed#comment-108165 108165 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:54:14 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/58481-thursday-s-options-report-emerging-markets-etf-battered-after-assassination?source=feed#comment-107678 107678 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:26:25 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/58683-rim-priced-to-perfection-gadgets-top-gifts-in-07?source=feed#comment-107652 107652
Could RIMM have gone from being one of the vaunted "four horseman" stud stocks, to a broken stock, and then back to having targets around $170 again--all in a space of 8 weeks? There are more and more examples of gaming and rigging going on in the market--which are occasionally illegal, such as naked shorting. More often than not, it's just a case of traders trying to create buying opportunities. This is fine, as long as such people don't masquerade as financial analysts when they're merely traders like the rest of us, trying to make a few bucks. One SA writer offered a piece two weeks ago urging readers to bail out of AAPL ("get out while you can"), raising all kinds of wierd scenarios about the company's future; to read this garbage, you would have thought Apple was some kind of speculative play. And it came out only days before AMZN published its "top 10" list of best selling holiday gadgets, five of which belonged to Apple.

In the case of the Morgan Keegan analyst and RIMM, I wouldn't necessarily question his motives, but I'd sure question his competence--especially now that RIMM is being hailed again as a star. One guest on CNBC suggested last week that they could ultimately grow their subscriber base to 100 million. While this may represent an opposite extreme of optimism, it's increasingly difficult for the average investor to find that "sensible center" middle ground, where the truth usually lives.]]> Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:59:09 -0500
Could RIMM have gone from being one of the vaunted "four horseman" stud stocks, to a broken stock, and then back to having targets around $170 again--all in a space of 8 weeks? There are more and more examples of gaming and rigging going on in the market--which are occasionally illegal, such as naked shorting. More often than not, it's just a case of traders trying to create buying opportunities. This is fine, as long as such people don't masquerade as financial analysts when they're merely traders like the rest of us, trying to make a few bucks. One SA writer offered a piece two weeks ago urging readers to bail out of AAPL ("get out while you can"), raising all kinds of wierd scenarios about the company's future; to read this garbage, you would have thought Apple was some kind of speculative play. And it came out only days before AMZN published its "top 10" list of best selling holiday gadgets, five of which belonged to Apple.

In the case of the Morgan Keegan analyst and RIMM, I wouldn't necessarily question his motives, but I'd sure question his competence--especially now that RIMM is being hailed again as a star. One guest on CNBC suggested last week that they could ultimately grow their subscriber base to 100 million. While this may represent an opposite extreme of optimism, it's increasingly difficult for the average investor to find that "sensible center" middle ground, where the truth usually lives.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/58610-agriculture-explodes-but-i-m-still-waiting-to-buy?source=feed#comment-107512 107512 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:56:35 -0500