Everything Stocks, all about the Money

Are we starting to bottom out?

2008-12-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks. Ok, so the situation as I see it, is that I might have been very bearish stating the number 4400 as the bottom of the Dow. I could have been wrong. However, I am not sure if I am willing to completely knock out the idea as of yet. If, for example, Honda saw fit to knock out it's sponsorship for the Formula One races (http://tinyurl.com/5eooz2){marketwatch.com} for economic reasons, then perhaps there is still a beast lurking out there. Since I am not wanting to enter communion with this beast, I want to try to revise my previous predictions of a 4400 bottom, but I need to see how this week fares first.

Some that read this blog may think that I am insane when I say 4400. Perhaps, some of you may think that is too extreme. Fine, we can try to put some checks and balances on this. Of course, I have previously mentioned that some of the best stocks to invest in during the Christmas season would be WMT and MCD. For more long term bets in tech it would be wise to put some money into MSFT, AAPL, and maybe it would be a good idea to look at YHOO. Would Viacom consider purchasing the troubled Yahoo? CBS has CNET, and I believe that CNET was a good move, so why not? Either which way, YHOO, is way below value, because it is still making money off its online ads, and there is still a great community base in Yahoo, especially internationally.

RHEL is a speculative look in tech, and I keep an eye on it, because, many businesses are going to question MSFT licensing fees. So how could I be schizo and say to look at RHEL? The emerging third world will continue to expand using Open Source. RHEL hopes lie overseas, rather than within the borders of the US and Canada. However, Microsoft should focus in simply expanding within the market that seems the most serviceable, and provide products that are streamlined for consumer tastes, and I believe that with the implementation of Windows 7 and currently, the Mojave Experiment (trying to let regular users know that its ok to use Vista) we are seeing this focus. It would be wise for Microsoft however, never to bring up lawsuits against users of Open Source operating systems ever again. Microsoft would show publicly a weakness, when it really does not have to. There is room for Open Source and MSFT to exist together.

The markets will continue to show lackluster performance, unless retailers, other than Wal-Mart, show substantial gains. However, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that there was a loss in Non-Farm Payrolls of-533,000 jobs in November, we will be looking at a bleak season. Some time in April, if everything works out smoothly, we should see that the market will be stabilize, however, I am going to agree with what many pundits have said, that the markets may not be in the positive until early 2011, and this is, only if we do not have a terrorist attack or some other dastardly thing happen within the borders of the US.

In my next blog, I'll be looking at riding the trading ranges. Not to worry, you can make money in any market, its just that its not going to be that easy. Readers to mrgnuopensourceman.blogspot.com may have noticed that I have not posted in the last couple of months. I am going to remedy that soon, not to worry. By the way, if you want to get more information on my view of the markets, I tweet all the time. Add me, I am thegreatspace in twitter. Thanks for reading, and hey, lets be careful out there!

It's a Mad Mad Market.....

2008-11-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

It is apparent that as of today, the financial world has gone insane. From the Mark Cuban fiasco with insider trading (why is the SEC going after Cuban, and not looking at the other nimrods who were abusing the share holders?) right down to the resignation of one of the internet's greatest pioneers, Jerry Yang of Yahoo. Let us not forget, the ultimate disappointment of the G20 summit (did anyone really expect otherwise), which was suppose to be Bush's last hurrah, but turned into an overpriced take out from Sardi's. With all due respect, this is a crazy world we live in, and now we should be prepared for anything.

For example, who would have thought back on Halloween, that Hank Paulson would have decided to stop the TARP from going any further, or that the statements made in today's WSJ hosted CEO Conference, that he would have to defend his recent actions, saying that he was not experimenting with the economy?

GM, no surprise, is in dire economic straights, but who would have thought that the democrats would be the ones trying to use the TARP to bail out GM. Now, mainstream media may start to paint the picture of a government bailing out the Czars, but to hell with the Serfs! Meanwhile, as classicist propaganda for the eventual ideological war of classes permeates, there are others who are profiting from the current circumstances, like the Mafia, who has resorted in Italy to increasing it's power through usury. Am I being a bit extreme? I am, and no kidding, this is happening, but there is a point, hang on.

Will Hillary Clinton become Secratery of State? Will Larry Sommers or Paul Voelker, be chosen for the post of Secratery of the Treasury? Will Obama stick with his current plan for taxes, or will he be able to see that the only way that this nation will survive is by putting forward the ideals of Adam Smith, but with a measured amount of regulation?

Who would thought that the last year would have happened? Well, some things could have been predicted. I saw Barak Obama over two years ago, and I knew that he was Presidential material. However, with the history of how the Democratic party had lost, what should have been sure elections, nobody, really knew what to expect next. The spiraling of the economy, was the impetus for the shift in power at the capital.

Know this: First of all, it actually will get worst before it gets better, but that does not mean that things are as bleak as they seem. What I predict is that the individual investor is going to be more educated, and more in control of there investments, instead of relying on high priced financial professionals, who have their own quotas to meet. There will be a good number that will study the markets on their own. Some may fail, some may succeed, but this could actually end before it begins.

If the Democrats choose to impose tax increases on capital gains, without fully exploring the consequences,we may see an even further downturn. Obama can avoid raising capital gains, and perhaps influence a new economic culture where the 401k will have a natural companion, in the direct control by the ordinary, but educated, in the trading of stocks, bonds, options, etc.. This can happen, its not a dream, it's happening now. However, all this can cease to be if we fail to put forward those free market capitalistic ideals, which built our nation. Don't get me wrong though, greed is the motivator, and it kills the innocent. There will have to be some sort of regulation, but by avoiding punitive taxation, we can eliminate this recession.

Without a doubt, its a mad, mad, market. I would not be surprised, if SETI received incoming long distance transmissions from ET, who decided to phone home. Please be careful. Use caution when listening to pundits, but listen to them to see where the market is trending. You only need to implement common sense, and be able to at least interpret the balance sheets, and if it's vague or complex, do not hesitate to drop your pick like a hot potato. Remember, finally, if it's too good to be true, it probably is, but if there are four hundred other people thinking its true, then go for it and know that you gotta sell it quick, before the end of that lemming cycle.

Other than that, greed has put us in a real bad place. But I can assure you of one thing: the very fat cats that gorged are now cannibalizing on each other. So we will live to fight another day. Good Hunting.

Has the World Gone Mad?!?!

2008-10-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is way too much! No way should we keep cutting the interest rates. These constant corrections that are currently occurring via government intervention are a mistake. The market is like a spoiled child, who is in need of a pacifier, but they have far outgrown it. No, we do not need the government to intervene any further. Even on CNBC's closing bell there was talk that more than likely, the "FED" will cut rates tomorrow. One commentator put it, we should not be too surprised, or find it ridiculous, to see further cuts, and that even a cut to 0% on rates is acceptable, because ultimately, its what is going to help the markets and that should matter most. WHAT?!?! Has the world gone mad!!!

Make no mistake, I promote investment into the stock market. However, your robbing Peter to feed Paul. If Bernanke or anyone one else thinks that further reductions will help the markets, I want to give the ivy leaguers some food for thought, we need to have a balance. We are not only delaying the inevitable, but we are causing a longer term slide. I have said, that I do not believe that we will see a depression. I still stand by that statement, however, there is an IF: the government needs to let the markets sort themselves out.

Will a 50% cut in basis points really help the market? It will definitely, I'd say rally, for the hedge funds. Some investors, if they play it right will make money, until another issue comes up, perhaps, for example, the moment our FED cuts, no one else follows (supposedly Europe will follow, but we will see) If no one else follows, we may see the NIKKEI and the HANG SENG start to develop worrisome warts that turn into incessant drops, drops that would make even the most daring of us, up chuck all the shares that we have left. No, now is not the time to cause what would be a global pandemic of recessionary stress, or additional stress, anyhow.

What the market players need to do, is to now work within the ranges provided. If truly the government wants to help, and I don't even like this idea, because, its already over extending our own deficit, it should continue direct capitalization into banking institutions and also provide stimulus packages for the citizenry. If the investors then see more solid depositories increasing, if we have an enhancement in performance within the financials, this will continue to help improve the credit lending abilities of the markets.

There are unfortunate circumstances, however. I can tell you that I am a centrist. I do not believe in parties. I am registered under one, but the parties are for the politicians, and not for us common folk. This whole election has angered me. I am so frustrated, because, if there is even an attempt by the Democrats to increase the capital gains tax, which is going to happen, the market will slump. If the Republicans get there way, and McCain reduces cap gain to 7%, we may see cuts to social programs in education and still the layoffs are going to happen.

What is really disturbing is that what this really seems to be, is a total flip on the value of the dollar. It was not so much the sub-prime crisis alone, for example, that caused these conditions, but the standard evaluations on real estate were too high. This in turn affected pricing in all sectors. We are not, in any way, shape or form, going to see a "magicians administration" come into power. No one has the magic wand to wave to bring the markets from bear to bull. It is within the common investors power to do so. So, why not, invest in a combination of CD's, Bonds and Stocks, with contributions to the 401K, of course minimal, and controlled. Do not select idiotic aggressive products that claim they can get you to retire in the year 2012. The crime of these mysterious financial instruments that make no sense to the general public coincided with the fall of Wall Street as well.

The Street however, does not deserve to be put down. Just bring out the abusers, but first fix the markets. I dread any further cuts by the "FED" on the interest points. However, my recommendations are for the following:
1. Invest in food commodities, but don't heavily throw your weight into one side. Take a slice out of agriculture.
2. Look at stocks like WMT, AAPL, MSFT, ORCL, ABT, MED. Check into these sectors, also. Do your homework before even thinking about these.
3. Now is the time to start picking at various CD's. Let's say Obama wins. Capital Gains tax be damned. There will be ways to skim off as much as possible, but for now, invest in those investments that will bring a profitable turn around within the next six months. Preferably, those BONDS of private companies and CD's, like GMAC is offering a CD at a rate of 4.27% for 12 months and APY of 4.36. You can go for the full time that I believe that we will be in recession , which would be, 36 months at 4.44% rate and APY of 4.55% or even shoot for five years at 5.02% rate and APY of 5.15%, long enough so that if taxes prove to be too high, and Obama is elected, which by the way, I can only assume that he won't go to far with raising income taxes or capital gains, not if the congress nor if he himself wants to continue to be president, but should the worst happen, putting money into cd's and bonds like this, and waiting for a conservative administration to take over, will build your wealth.

One last thing, I agree with Jim Cramer of Mad Money on CNBC. This concept, of buy and hold is dead, yet the fact that the government policies seem to favor this, is the most disturbing idea of all. The technology is in place for all of us to play day trader, or to go ahead and invest in sectors, when properly vested, an individual trader can survive the deadly rapids of the market.

Please be careful, whatever you do, also, if you are reading this, let me know if you agree, you disagree, or say nothing at all. I wish all of you, only one thing, Good Hunting!

Raffa

McCain has lost the debate, and its only 9:44pm

2008-10-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

McCain in his incessant attacks on Barack Obama has put himself in the end game for his debate. How could he continue to attack Barack Obama on the Ayers affair? His very appearance, a mixture of mortuary and stoic is due to his own stress on the elections. McCain's irascible personality as compared to Barack's calm and steady presence, its absolutely obvious who is to become the next president, and McCain has no one else to blame but himself.

Is Intel a good bet? (INTC)

2008-10-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

In a late night interview in the states, but what would probably be considered an early morning interview in London, Bloomberg correspondent Rishaad Salamat, interviewed the senior vice-president of Europe, Middle East and Africa operations (EMEA) for Intel, Gordon Graylish. On First Word on Money, Rishaad questioned Gordon Graylish on Intel's strategy towards chip manufacturing, specifically addressing the new Atom chip. Intel product segmentation per Bloomberg Today, shows that 39.7% is focused on the Microprocessor, 13.3% on the actual chipset, motherboard, 38.3% on the mobility group (microprocessor and chipset), while 8.7% focused on other (perhaps on r and d, who knows) {this information is from Bloomberg TV} Gordon Graylish attempted to explain the 38.3% segment, which is the mobility group and explained that people that resided within the EMEA were individuals that would take more advantage of mobility as compared to their American or European counterparts. 80% of sales come from outside of the US. Rishaad pointed out that one analyst stated that they did not like the Atom, due to the fact that instead of the consumer paying $60 to $80 per chip, that they would now have the opportunity to pay $35 a chip. Graylish pointed out that Intel had structured the design and distribution of the chip to be profitable, and also pointed out that the chips would be on there Netbook devices.

Intel is a good bet. The concept of the Netbook, being that we are all looking for greater mobility in our tech devices, is a great niche for Intel to work from. Now this is not simply a reason to invest in Intel, they can remain open to many market opportunities that only there corporations can take advantage of, due to financial leverage. Most importantly, again, the Atom processor, which can be found in Asus laptops, as well as other manufacturers of Netbooks and possibly UMPC's (ultra mobile PC's) is a techinical marvel, and those companies which use this chip will be best positioned to take on the market for the on the go college student and business traveler.

http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:INTC will give you a copy of the chart.
INTC is a stable company, that can be used as a mid to long term financial instrument for hold and trade. You would want to do research to see if this stock is right for you. The link above will give you the ability to start your research and check the perfomance of this top notch chip company.

CNBC is having issues? What was with this evening broadcast on The Wall Street Crisis

2008-10-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Usually, I don't wish to talk about gossip, but this evenings broadcast of the Wall Street Crisis special on CNBC, got me, in the words of Dylan Rattigan, 'pissed off'. And yes, words like pissed off are being used during a financial news broadcast.

These guys are usually top notch professionals. They have been involved in Wall Street in either the broker or economic analyst capacity and are experts. I am sitting down, after having DVR'd this transmission for the Wall Street Crisis and was shocked to see what happened during the 8pm est transmission of this special series. Earlier today, Dylan and Melissa seemed to be normal, but in this evenings broadcast there was an uncomfortable exchange that took place. Dylan was caustic with Melissa Frances, and Melissa fought back. Of course, she did not help matters with her nervous response, but I can't blame her.

Mr. Rattigan is the type to call you a spade to your face, and to be fair, this has been very useful. In fact I have a feeling that many politicians were watching CNBC and listened to Dylan during Fast Money and during the Closing Bell, as he admonished them for playing politics during this time of financial crisis, talking of the delays by congress. Dylan educated his audience on how and why we needed to have some sort of action done, to pass the rescue legislation. I believe due to his personality and journalistic skills, and I don't think that I am giving him too much credit, that he was instrumental in influencing perhaps some of the audience that was paying attention to his broadcasts. He of course is not alone, all of CNBC was critical, but he, in my opinion (excluding Jim Cramer who, called this from the beginning, and stated how the FED KNEW NOTHING), was a voice within CNBC and perhaps aided in getting the congress to move, at least for those that were his audience. However, its a combative personality as well, which, I was disappointed to see how he admonished Mrs. Frances about her interview of a Jefferson, Missouri mayor, who apparently, did not fit the bill of who they should have been interviewing.

He proceeded first after Melissa questioned him, to ask a very valid question about how long would it take for his city to default on their various credit, loans, etc, their liabilities owed. The mayor of this Jefferson, MO town said, actually, they were doing pretty good, they practically had no debt, which led Dylan, shortly after the interview, to criticize Melissa Frances, on the air, on her choice. Proceeding to state how this was not a good example, that this person was not representing the segment of leaders, that had problems with there Municipal Bonds and debt, and he was right. However. it seems that he put poor Melissa on the spot, and she could only laugh, nervously. Later on she pointed out that this was the reason why "they can't have us together in the same room". Now, I really wish she had not done that on the air either, but it was her own territorial protection, her own reaction to the abrasiveness of Dylan. What else was she going to do?

I mean, here you have a person, that use to have her own show (M. Frances, On the Money) which, was taken away for unknown reasons, although, it now exists in a different format, something to the extent of a show that runs along the lines of a Suzie Orman, yet is hosted by someone else (its a good show by the way). She is doing correspondent work still with CNBC,doing specials as well,(had one one the energy crisis, talking about the "Nuclear Option") and I am one of those that thinks that she still, should have her own show. Dylan is the host of Fast Money, its a fantastic show, education, entertaining, and very unique format, kinda like of the ESPN of stocks, which actually grew on me, and I watch him all the time. So, I am actually fan of both Melissa Frances and Dylan Rattigan. I think that they are major contributors to the quality of work of CNBC and its actually only because of the exchange that I am blogging my displeasure at seeing what occurred on air.

Maybe its not a big deal, I mean, they have a pretty laid back set of personalities over at CNBC, that keeps it from being as dry as Bloomberg (I watch actually, when I just need information, they are more for professionals then the regular day trader, so it can be a little dry). But, this did not seem laid back. This seems to be stemming from stress. I know that Dylan Rattigan may be stressed out about the markets, so I am not going to be too harsh, but, I mean we are all stressed. He is truly the defender of the Capital Crown, however, he really did not need to go there with Melissa.

How about how excited Dylan was for Melissa's Nuclear Option special? He looked as if he was going reach over there and choke the crap out of her, when he first said how excited he was about seeing this series. Yes, I used the word crap, but I am not on tv, I am a blogger I can say words like this. As for Melissa, there seems to be something going on between CNBC and her, or why did they decide to go with this format of, On The Money, financial self help show.As a viewer, I voiced my opinion, but at this point whatever is the cause of what occurred between these two journalis, is something that I really don't care to know. To be fair she should not have come back with, "this is why they never put us in the same room together"(she said this at least twice during the broadcast, the last time she said it, Dylan tried to save it, but was not really successful. You know what? Its good ratings). This was just blatantly obvious, and unfortunate. Through the broadcast it seemed like it would be alright, but it was very uncomfortable to watch, sort of like watching the DOW these last three weeks.

In conclusion of my rant, I want to leave a special note, if its read, which I doubt, by the CNBC staff. People, don't let stress get to you. If they are working you without sleep, better get some sleep. Don't criticize your team members, co anchors, etc.. I mean keep your banter, its entertainment, it keeps the viewers glued to the set, but stay within reasonable limits. I am hoping, that its just the stress. It 'pissed' me off, but I did see the rest of the broadcast.

Again, the CNBC journalists are excellent, but perhaps they have been working way too much, and it might be a good idea, to consider this: just like you should not be driving if you are too tired, nor should you be on the air. I don't know if this is what caused this, but whatever it was, I hope not see that again. The banter is fine, and is much appreciated, but when it really looks like two journalists are taking something personally, I really do not need to see that on the air. And no I am not going to email CNBC on this, its just an observation, I put in this blog, cause I needed to vent. Maybe the journalists over at CNBC could have a personal blog to vent through too.

Apple event today, but what are investors looking at?

2008-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Apple is one of the best tech companies out there. A visionary, which has gone beyond personal computing,and whether you are a Mac or a PC, Apple demands respect, and rightfully so. However, a main worry that lies in the hearts of investors and economic pundits alike is the health of its enigmatic leader, Steve Jobs. A survivor of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, his gaunt appearence is apparently overshaowing the presentation for the Apple line of products on this day.

On CNBC's Powerlunch today, there were comments that did perhaps simply espouse what lies within the minds of investors as they look at Steve Jobs, and not at what is being presented, and this is unfortunate, because this company is well loved by its users and by its investors, for its innovations and contributions to the industry.

There can be no doubt that although Apple is probably staffed by some of the most talented and ingenious employees in the industry, that Steve Jobs is the primary mover, the overwhelming influence and catalyst for the Apple corporation. Moreover, this must be of equal admiration as well as a ensueing dread for many, because no one can lead or live forever.

Perhaps, it is this that concerns investors the most: what will happen when Steve Jobs either leaves volunatarily or when he retires? A suggestion to Steve Jobs would be to take a page from someone that had equal presence and influnce over his corporation, Walt Disney.

Here we have a man, whose very signature still remains on his corporation. He had set up a system however, where there were solid people at the helm,like his younger brother Roy. Until Walt bought his shares out, it was Roy who kept the management of the company in check.Eventually he retired. He came back when his brother died to oversee the building of Disney World. Obviously however, this stayed within the Disney name until a decade after his death, but to this day, it is still known as the Disney corporation.

Creative genius must have a standard back up, and someone must be groomed, to not be another Steve Jobs, but to at least provide a transition during what could be an incredibly difficult time, if he were to pass on while he was still leading Apple.

Your health is a private matter Mr. Jobs, but it would be wise to perhaps start showcasing who could possibly take over in your stead. If it would be more than one person perhaps, still showcase those individuals. Don't leave things un done, nor let everyone assume that should you leave, so will the innovation at Apple. Your position is not threatened if you do show that Apple can continue on without your presence,and now may be the time to really show that the innovation will continue, long after your gone. After all, a coroporation is itself, considered an entity of its own.

No Mistake, we are in the midst of a Bear Rally

2008-10-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today, at the close of the DOW and NASDAQ, trader's cheered. The DOW sky rocketed 936+ points, closing today at above 9000 (9387.61). As I type this, the Asian markets are on their own rally, the Nikkei 225 at about 11:55 on Bloomberg, was showing a rally of 1080+, rising to 9357.87.

The Nikkei as well as the Heng Seng (16904.29) are rising and some are saying that we hit the bottom. In reality, we are simply see reactions to some of the actions taken by governmenrt leaders, directly pumping capital into crippled banks, cutting interest rates, and the US having meetings with various banks. The market is living on hopes and expectations, the very fumes that are left in an empty economic gas tank.

This means, remain cautious. Yes, this is the best time to buy. Yes, it will be a time to hold on, if its MSFT, or WMT, estabishled stocks that should be selling below what they are really worth. Now is the time to buy, but if you did not buy at 8500, just by in increments.

The ride is not over yet, just hold on tight, and ride.

After a day like today...

2008-10-08T16:10:00.002-07:00

After a day like today...

2008-10-08T16:10:00.001-07:00

Short Sellers- Will they prove to be the straw that breaks the camels back?

2008-10-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Looking at todays trades in real time and seeing the bid/asks for some of these stocks, there is a bit of a fear that I feel for tonight. Now, todays winners are Microsoft, Apple and RIMM, and later on I'll post there numbers. Even if they are at a loss, traders are buying into them, because to them, even at a loss, they are on sale! They are the most highly transacted stocks of the day, and in the green, at the publishing of the blog.

What will happen when short selling is allowed? Midnight tonight, the ties that bind are let loose. This will undoubtedly lead into some murderous numbers backing into tomorrows futures. So, right now, just keep an eye on the tech stocks until 4 pm. Right now, check the gains they had, and see what the Wall Street mentality is thinking. You may find, that at the last minute there may be a sell off or a rally. As I stated earlier, I still believe in making that number of 10063 for the DOW closing, however, if we do not see this, then sometime this week, the number 8500 is what we should see. Hank Paulson is going to be speaking today. Check your tickers, see how it goes.

Will be posting after Hank speaks, and of course, after taking into account the impact his talk on the markets. THE GOD EFFECT!! I don't envy him.

A disclaimer

2008-10-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

If these numbers that I have predicted, do not actually rally. We will see 8500 on the DOW. However, I am going to still hold to my expectations. With this in mind, I grabbing the Pepto-Bismol.

Here we go again, mistake one, a day too early

2008-10-08T04:50:00.001-07:00

Before I posted this, I wanted to be sure. Now.I know that I overshot my predictions. The Bernanke rate cuts for the US took time, and the Europeans took their time when it came to coordinating the rate cuts across the Union, but when you are dealing with mass amounts of capital , it should not be too immediate. It would have been like a shock of cold water, in that case, and the markets do not need shocks like that. I will for now, say the following: once again, I will repeat yesterdays prediction. We should reach up to 10,123 (DOW), this should be by close today. The Central bankers are trying to stabilize what has been a roller coaster of an economy. The markets drop, on a whole was a call to now make money less expensive globally. With values being balanced, as far as they can be anyhow, the Central banks decision to step up at this point in the US as well as throughout all of Europe, will cause a rally today, that could even exceed my 10,123 point close for the DOW today. So, I will be posting here and on twitter, and I look forward to an incredibly volatile day, but all in all WE MUST end between 10,063 to 10,123 for Dow CLOSING.

This is not the bottom. This is a helpful set of solutions to resolve a global problem. There is a feeling among investors right now, that perhaps that congress should go ahead and run a check in the billions of dollars and zero out the balance sheet, buy purchasing and owning the broken mortgages. It is extremely possible that they could end up doing this. If this does happen however, it will still depend upon the other global powers to take a stand as well. I applaud Europe in its efforts and I am very thankful that the banks of the European Union had perspective enough to push forward with the rate cut that was the initial catalyst to what we see now happening in the futures. As the US economy starts rising up, we will start to see investor confidence build up again.

Be careful folks, but hey, now grab your surf boards. Catch the wave!

Tough Times~what can we do? Don't give up hunting

2008-10-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was wrong about the Dow closing! I am sitting here, utterly disappointed, drinking my Guinness, and asking how could I have missed it, how could I have let you all down. However. I will be dedicating a special podcast to my mistakes and what or where I could have seen this close coming from. Right now, I do want to share with all of you however, my impressions of what may be a hard reevaluation of what will happen to both the Dow and the NASDAQ, if things do not change.

As I am typing this to you, the Nikkei is reflecting a drop of 478 points, and although there are some possibilities tomorrow that we are going to have a rally upwards, perhaps to reach at 10063, as I robustly proclaimed earlier for Wednesday's session, I must say, that things will need to get a little tougher first. The subconscious of the market is thinking that the economies of scale have been overpriced too long. Let's look at the economy as an organism, it is starting to realize that it cannot run as fast as it used too, that it is too fat, and now needs to get on SlimFast. That means that before this gets better, many of us, may be looking at wage reductions, or even more job losses, but then again, we may only be looking at the financial services sector taking the most hit.

Various financial institutions are looking at getting rid of a great deal of their brokers. Many loan agencies are already giving out severance packages to those respective agents, who gave them great profits during this time, but many earned these under false pretenses, approving the "liar loans" as they have been so affectionately called that have caused the majority of our pain and suffering , but be smart, don't worry. Now its time, we need to look for those stocks that are the solid stocks. The ones that you have always wanted to know, but were to expensive to give you, the savvy investor the time of day. NOW its time too look at your IBM's, your Microsoft's, your Googles, they are getting hit. Look at the various companies that are looking to raise capital through common stock that are in the financial industry. NO doubt, that this is your opportunity to perhaps start looking at BOA, but don't buy just yet, just give it a look. Check on the other financial services that are going concerns.

I will be blogging through these rough days. Because it is important for all of you to know what is going on, I am committed to every day posting my thoughts here, and I invite all of you to,of course post your opinions. Most importantly though, I just want to leave you tonight with one thought... The world is not over.... We are not going to burn. Yes, we will see some major numbers, but DON'T PANIC. Stay strong, and keep tuned into this blog. Thank you all for reading.

The future DOW- will the low sometime this week be 8500?

2008-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Although I still stand by my number of closing as of 1;46 PM EST, 10-07-08, that the DOW will close between at 10060-10123, I know that this a rally that will happen, before the slump. I just check Jim Cramer's statement, and he predicts however his drop to be 7700. I want to state that I heavily disagree. I predict that we will hit a low, and perhaps some time this week, that the real bottom will be 8000-8500, and I will explain further late tonight. Stay up, you need to hear what I have to say.

Important News- Dow rally will yield, ending at 10060-10123+

2008-10-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

Hello all.
I have been busy doing some research and testing out some theories that I would like to share with all of you. This is depedent on various factors occuring today. First of all European Centrel BANKS are moving into cutting rates. As symbolized by the 1 percent rate cut that occured within the ASX by the Australian CENT BANK, we see possibilites where the rest of Europe will follow suit.

In Sweden, also the leadership of the European Union are meeting to see if anything can be done for a unified effort to cut rates. The Germans have earlier, however, already expressed an opinion about not trying to assist the rest of the EU member states.

The FED with the US Treasury may take action today, buy purchasing massive amounts of commercial paper, then at the same time directly intervening by injecting money to individual companies as needed, the market may see be able to put to a halt any further credit shrinking. My number for the DOW is based on how the markets have passed overseas as well as other varying political factors.

All eyes will be glued to the screens to see what Ben Bernanke will do today, as well to see if the US Tres will start to use some of its buying power. My prediction is that the FED should cut interest a full basis point some time this week, if not today. Then with Ben working with Hank Paulson, Hank does a two tieered attack with buying of commerical paper and perhaps even direct lending to companies.

However, we still have to deal with the Europeans which may not actually be able to form a cohesive enough movement to keep to coordinate similar efforts on our side. Also, with BOA announcing there 68 percent losses a couple of weeks ahead of time, we are now seeing the possibility, that even with my quoteed closing number, we are still faced with a last minute reduction by .28 percent. But, to be safe, 10069.4 could be be the worst we can end at and the best would be at 10123 to 10163.

One thing to note, subscribe to my Twitter, I do some microblogging there for up to date information. Look for thegreatspace.

Politics Again

2008-10-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

At around 12 pm, we should see the House enterr into session, however I am deeply concerned. The numbers for McCain are low, and since the republicans are.willing to place blame on the dems for this, would they be so callous to not pass the bill, so that public outrage could turn the tide over to Mccain?

Good Hunting--- and don't forget...

2008-10-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

Check out the end of this page for a view of the different sectors, a great tool by Rob Kodey, distributed by jodange.com. Also, you can customize your own stock ticker, its to the right of this post. Its a real time stock ticker. Tomorrow, I will have a pre-wrap up portion to this blog. Look observe and comment if you like. Talk to you all tomorrow. Good hunting!!!

Winner's for October 1st, 2008

2008-10-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today we have two stocks:

WMT- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AWMT

Open: 59.51
Close: 59.66
Gain: -0.23
Vol: 23.37M
EPS: 3.35
P/E: 17.83

This stock lost money today, but its a winner. They announced during the midst of what is still a frozen credit market, that they would be the store of the PEOPLE! There aggresive cuts for the holiday season are designed place a pinch in the nerves of many other retailers, who at this point with credit issues, may not have enough muscle to be so bold and to dare to cut prices. In this respects, Wal-Mart is a stock to watch out for,as it will remain profitable and grow during these econonmically difficult times.

GE- General Electric Company

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AGE

Open: 24.00
Close: 24.50
Gain: -1.00
Volume: 182.06M
EPS: 2.14
P/E: 11.46

This has always been an undervalued stock. GE is doing everything it can to show that it can strut its stuff. From alliances with Internet giant Google to todays blessing from Warren Buffet, GE, as mentioned in my previous article, is a value stock, and one that should be considered seriously as a taker. Watch it rise. Lets watch it rise together!!!

Of course, we are not making any recommendations, we are simply showing the facts, and the charts can be obtained for free using the links provided. All the data was procured from Google Finance. Remember, Google, is your FRIEND!!

And the saga continues..

2008-10-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will be forced to put there jobs on the line and vote for the $700 billion rescue bill approved by the Senate earlier this evening. Deja Vu? The House members will stroll in at a leisurely 11 am, and then open session at 12 pm, to debate and perhaps even further modify the bill. There was a nearly trillion dollar drop on Monday in the markets, when the House decided to go ahead and play politics and put ideological and partisan interests ahead of the people. In there defense, the representatives did receive countless phone calls from the American public, threatening of course the livelihood of each and every member of the house, saying that a vote for this bill is a vote for your permanent vacation.

Here is the problem: these elected officials are selected by the people supposedly thanks to there leadership and expertise. If they are so influenced in these matters, by a threat that they may not be able to go back to there poshy offices, come next year, then perhaps they are to weak minded to handle the responsibilities of their office. However,could there perhaps be another explanation? There are other interests, that may have had control of certain representatives, and these interests seeing that they could come in at bargain basement prices on some big names if they could cause a market drop, may have bought the representatives tongues. So, ok, from the obvious scenario to the Machiavellian, either which way, the bill WILL PASS by the latest Friday, and the question is, where will you be when it is done?

But Ralph, what happens, if it does not pass, and it is further extended? The reason why I mentioned the second conspiracy scenario, which is not so far fetched, is so that you know that the market, will not ever be so bad, that there will be bread lines and soup kitchens. This is not the 1920's, and we have a lot of very smart piranha out there, who do not want to lose there hard earned fortunes. Watch what the big boys are doing, follow there lead. In my Winners circle, you are going to see two companies, because one, needed to get mentioned, because it was a brilliant move on there part, but ultimately, Berkshire Hathaway will become one of the most stands to gain the most from this. A brilliant and suave move by the Omaha Sage to go ahead and put in a big stake of his money in General Electric. General Electric is another company that has its hands in everything, and with diversified industries of interest that range from aerospace engineering right down to media. If Warren is putting his money in the market, its because he knows that this is the time to buy and get control of these companies, now while the bread is hot.

The economic turmoil by no means is over, but this is a time that makes paupers into Kings, the main thing is to be smart about it. Remember, the worst thing that you can do, is allow yourself to let fear take you over. Don't fear, start looking at the companies, that you thought that you could never afford, and start throwing your weight into it.

Gee, I wish I worked for Berkshire-Hathaway. I wouldn't ask for a salary, just five of there stocks for five years would suffice. ;)

Winner for September 30

2008-09-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today's Winner:

ORCL-Oracle Corporation

Open: 19.13
Close: 20.31
Gain: 1.54
Volume: 51.04M
EPS: 1.10

Yesterday's pick was simply because it was the only stock that remained in the green, but a champion in the tech industry, Oracle permeates into everything that we do online. Oracle has been only going up. Looking at a 5 year history, if you bought into this stock back in 2005 at 10.71 a share, you are one of the lucky ones. Oracle will have more work ahead, with the various advancements in networking and DNS server systems, Oracle is a fundamental part of the tech industry, and I predict will continue to grow over the next five years. If there is anything that can be considered a blue chip stock these days, look to Oracle.

Its Closing Time, 9/30/08

2008-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

We've made it through another day.The DOW ended the day at 10,851, with the NASDAQ just hovering above 2,000 at 2,082. Later on tonight I will have some more to talk about, talk to you then!!!

The President Speaks

2008-09-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

The president is asking for action. He will be working throughout the day on attempting to get a plan set up to perhaps influence members of the house returning from Rosh Hash ana holiday, to act. The president emphasized that if we do not act now, that the American people face dire consequences, as a result of no action.

Expect a short rally, but it was quite a drop yesterday.

Follow me on Twitter!!!

2008-09-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

Follow me, look for: thegreatspace.

Winner for September 29

2008-09-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today's Winner:

HEV- Ener1, inc. http://finance.google.com/finance?q=AMEX%3AHEV

Open: 7.34
Close: 8.50
Gain: 1.33
Volume: 1.68M
EPS: -.066

Wonder what caused this to go up? Check it out on Google Finance. And comment on your theories.

our investment tools

2008-09-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the cool tools that are available on this site, thanks to jodange.com. To the right, a customizable ticker, and the very end of this blog, check out the sector map. The ticker is real time, but the sector map is with a possible 15 minute delay. You can personalize the ticker, as mentioned earlier, by adding a stock. Thanks for visiting. Any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you!

September 29, 2008: Judgement Day?

2008-09-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Let's start our first official post with the fact that today, September 29, 2008, is a day that will go down in infamy. As I type this to you today, I am attempting to get ready for a power nap, so that I can watch the overnight reaction from the world markets regarding the audacious actions of the congress of the United States. The fact of the matter is that, there were still people out there as late as a month ago, that would not acknowledge that our country was in a recession. If you watch CNBC for example, you would see various pundits, that would go about explaining why we are not in a recession, and why we should remain bullish in this economy. What was suppose to happen, and the mild expectation for today, was that the bill would be approved, and that there would be no way that the House of Representatives to kill this bill rationally. A rally would then ensue, with of course its ups and downs, but that ultimately, that did not happen. What did happen instead, was a night mare, politics.

I am disgusted with both parties. Some may say that an ideological marker had been placed at the center of the moral compass of this nation with the actions that were being taken by the congressman, but these actions taken by your local congressman, were more like mere acts of self preservation, rather than the act of moral leaders. For goodness sakes, we are talking about the United States congress.

I am not going to explain the political dynamics involved in the final decision of the congress, nor will I even enter into a dialectic about whether the bailout is a positive or a negative. The fact of the matter is that during the voting of the bill, as the Houses number went above 200 in the nay, we saw the market plummet.

I am in absolute agreement with many of the pundits in CNBC: There is no difference between Main Street and Wall street and that as far as how this will affect ordinary Americans will remain to be seen. It is now 12:24 am, September 30th. I await for 1 am, with dread what will happen in Asia tonight. Judgment Day, from the east, after the citizens of the west past its verdict on what has had to be some of the most egregious actions taken by corporate America to come to public light, the likes that would have made Boss Tweed blush. I await judgment from the Europeans, who, themselves, are in a similar position. They are extremely worried what is going to happen with our markets. I await the next day, when the Dow Jones will be starting at 10,365, after suffering a 777+ drop in one day. Once again, I look forward to our President, trying to calm Wall Street and the nation down, for the second time in two days, giving his fireside chat, in the futile hopes of keeping the markets from burning. It is a time where many old forturnes will be lost, and new ones will be born. Those that will be judged by fire, will either burn with result, or rise from the flames in rich glory. The TRADE is ON!!!

Welcome

2008-09-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Known to some as mrgnuopensourceman, known to others as thegreatspace, some call me Spacecowboy
...
Actually, my name is Ralph, and this blog is a result of years of addiction to the market, and my belief in that famous axiom from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic!". Now is the best time to start looking into entering the market. To hunt and find those value stocks that will help your money grow,faster and with greater yield than simply leaving it in the hands of someone you don't know. Take control of your financial future! This blog was started on September 29th, 2008, the day that congress made it possible to sink the DOW 777+ points in one day. We are at the lowest, and it will get worse before it gets better, but relax. We are going to hunt and find those companies that truly deserve our investment, that really are looking to make profits the right way, by producing a successful product, that will pull in profits for there shareholders.

This is not like my tech blog. I will share my knowledge, and from there, it is my hope that we can all get together, sorta like a think tank, and see what could be the best trends to follow, or learn from each other new techniques in stock analysis. Although, I know there are various websites that you can pay for this type of service, this blogspot is meant to be a supplement, and a place where we can all just simply get together I will share with you what my experiences have been with the various stocks that I have had, that I am looking at, and also give my opinion on how they are going to perform. Remember, however, I am not a professional, but rather a laymen like yourselves, and whatever you do is at your own risk. I am not advising you, more like sharing my story. it is my hope that we all can get some thing of this stock think tank, but like the title of this blog says, everything stocks, but, it all about the money, and ultimately, we want to make money!!

You will hear me from time to time, of course since its a blog, comment on the news of the day (more like hear from me every day about the news of the day) This blogspot will have audio and video eventually, but for now, lets start with the written word, and of course, the most important thing will be your comments. I really do want to hear from all of you and I do hope that this blog will serve its purpose as a stepping stone. Thanks to all that have supported me in my efforts in becoming a blogger, and now, lets talk stocks.