Forum Archive Index - February 2001

["G Stolwyk" <stolwyk@wave.co.nz>]

 

 

Readers: Previous items were dated Dec 31, 2000 and Jan. 3, 2001. They are part of the " irreverent " series. Any names in this episode bear no resemblance to those of any living persons or to any mentioned professions.

 

G: To start the ball rolling, as you know, I voluntary advise a friend.

To celebrate a good year, he shouted me a fine dinner at the Novotel and some fine wines. 

 

C: That is nice ! I had a busy week discussing Chuck Carlson's concept of " Enterprise value " with others on this Forum.

 

Finally, Snoopy gave his succinct opinion- Refer to Message Boards, the Focus Investing group, date Feb. 7, titled " Good article - if you haven't already se.."

 

I concur with his beautifully summed up findings! The investor needs to take care when applying " P(ev)/ E ".

 

Companies tend to take on more debt when expanding, while deriving benefits later on.

 

It is not wise to always penalize them in such a case! Investors do not have to apply this concept if they think differently!

 

H: I read something about a business roundtable; I heard that they tend to "circle" around the table with no specific objectives!

 

G: Another outdated concept, the whole thing smells of dinosaurs! They do tend to contact the newspapers, don't they!

 

C: One way of trying to show that they are irrelevant! The business parties I go to, never mentions them! We better stop talking about them, let them do their own advertising!   

 

H: I went to the Beehive lately and thought that I could smell cannabis! I wonder if someone is cultivating the stuff over there?

 

G: Not likely, I think; do you know that smoking too much pot will reduce one's performance in the long run?

 

C: I suppose you are thinking of political performance!

 

H: Whatever; come to think of it, we don't seem to hear much from any MP who advocates smoking the stuff, do we? 

 

C: Past governments had a lot of " loose cannons ". Sofar, they have been lucky.

 

G: According to Rebecca Walsh in the NZ Herald, a working party of the " Qualification Authority " is studying numeracy and literacy standards of tertiary students.

This follows a damning report by the MIT.

 

C: This has been going on for years. Do we need another committee? Where does "dumbing down" start? 

 

H: A Brian Gaynor refers to analysts and brokers.

Readers will know that we made reference to an original article by my favourite writer Gretchen Morgenson twice.( It was written on Dec 31).

 

My first reference was made on Dec. 31. See " US  Analysts in trouble..." It is archived by NY Times. 

 

I referred to it again on Jan. 24," If earnings..."    

I also referred to advice from brokers in my " Learning to invest" of Dec. 23 and 26.

 

G: Can I take it then that this Brian will continue monitoring the Forum of Sharechat ? 

 

H: I hope he does. After all, this Forum creates opinion, we are not followers!! 

 

Stay tuned!

 

Gerry