Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Wednesday Political Soup: Edition 1


Robin Hood Collects More


I have been sick recently but back in the saddle here and at my other blog , now lets rip into them.

Bizarre stuff that Micheal Cullen, otherwise known as Robin Hood in Parliament and his Socialist mates from the NZ Labour Party keep stating that tax cuts by National would lead to inflation because Kiwis would have the temerity to spend their own money on goods and services but reckless spending by Labour on "working for families" welfare, free money and nonsense "social Spending" for students doesn't have the same effect.

I will let readers work that one out for themselves.

The 8.7 Billion dollar question in Parliament today was whether Labour was going to give back taxpayers money soon or closer to November 2008. Seeing a national election is held around that time the only answer left to ask is how much of our money is to be used to buy votes.

Cullen is tight lipped on the possibility of tax cuts next year. Remember this man promised a 66 cent tax cut, that is 66c for the average person but changed his mind when he decided he was going to waste the cut by spending on new glasses for him and wrinkle fee pants for the time next year when John key walks all over his lunatic economic theories.

The 8.7 Billion dollar surplus revealed today has burnt more than a hole in Cullen's pocket.


Romantic Movies

Unsurprising news released today that noted Stalinist Helen Clark's favourite movie is the bio of young South American mass murderer and torturer Che Guevara – The Motorcycle Diaries starring Gael Garcia Bernal.

Che, you looked so handsome and dashing on your motorcycle! But you were even more handsome and dashing when you were terrorizing Cuban peasants, blowing their skulls to bits with your personal sidearm! You romantic Stalin-loving poet you!

Of course our own Aunty Helen is also a great fan of the totalitarian Stalin, incidentally also a mass murderer, torturer and democracy hater.

Both Che and Stalin helped lead their people to starvation and poverty.

Clarke is clearly obsessed with bringing the best parts of Stalin and Che's ideas to life down here in the South Pacific.

Match that with the Swedish Model and you have yourself a recipe for our own wee totalitarian state right here in godzone .

I can't wait!!

I'm not sure that Clarke's pronouncements today that she wanted the death penalty stopped in all countries of the world where it operates, stack up with her love of these two benevolent leaders.

An individual who murders, rapes and tortures another member of society surely deserves the death penalty doesn't he Darren?

Hang on a second I'm missing the point!

Che and Stalin only knocked off the good people.



Winston: Cool, Smooth, Satisfying


New this week that Winston Peters, Helen Clark's lapdog and former Rottweiler has ffd up big time by failing to inform his master that Air New Zealand was ferrying OZ troops to Iraq has him scurrying about the media and Parliament like the sewer rat that he clearly is.

His decades of going after rule breakers and getting them to take responsibility look shallow in the face of Peters failing to fall on his own sword and the longer he stays the nuttier he gets.

The Italian number looks a little creased big boy.


Mt. Saint Helen





C Darren Rickard 2007

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Burger Fuel and Coke

I and many others have been critical of Fuel Worldwide [BFW.NZ] and their appallingly bad IPO but the company has today announced some positive news.

I will quote the press release directly release from Burger Fuel:


BurgerFuel opens flagship Sydney store. 

BurgerFuel has taken its international expansion programme an important step
forward, opening its second Australian store yesterday.

Located right under the iconic Coke sign at the entrance to Kings Cross,
Sydney, the landmark store is a key element in BurgerFuel's global expansion
plans.


BurgerFuel founder, Chris Mason, says this store represents a foundation
stone for the company's overseas development and its high-traffic location
will not just generate interest in the brand in Australia, but further afield
as well.

"Kings Cross is very much a tourist Mecca, so this new store will be a
showroom for our brand and the BurgerFuel formula."

"The Australian market poses some challenges for us, but the growing sales
and great response from the locals to our Newtown store, which opened last
December, shows there is a market for us across the Tasman."

He says the company will continue steady expansion in New Zealand, while at
the same time building the brand in Australia.

The new Sydney store is the 23rd BurgerFuel store to open, with a further one
opening in Napier, New Zealand, later this month.

The Kings Cross store is employing the proven parts of the BurgerFuel
formula. Its menu, which comprises high-quality burgers that are big on
flavour, is consistent with that enjoyed by its New Zealand customers.

"Our distinctive in-store design, which is a strong aspect of the BurgerFuel
experience, is also being used in Kings Cross. After 12 years of development
we have refined our approach to the brand, the stores, and the products to an
international level.

"We intend to build a successful operation in Kings Cross and use that to
offer franchisees in Australia the opportunity to be part of the BurgerFuel
system".

The Kings Cross store will be company owned. All BurgerFuel's New Zealand
stores are franchised, other than the company's first ever store in Ponsonby
Rd, which opened in 1995.



Conclusion

The area of Kings Cross where BF have sited their new store is, as Mason says a "tourist Mecca" and concepts like BF do well in areas such as this because much of the human traffic passing through like to spend money on food while being entertained in the 24hr sex and nightclub centre that is Kings Cross.

Living in the cross during the late 1980s(ahh those were the days) there were many new food outlets of concepts that were tried there first.

I remember one of the first Mc Cafes' being tried out there and look at them now.

Mason and BF have certainly come to the right place to get exposure.

I wish them luck.

BFW Shares closed even today at NZ .61c



Burger Fuel Worldwide @ Share Investor

Burger Fuel 2010 Full Year Profit Analysis
Burger Fuel 2010 Full Year Profit Preview
Burger Fuel Worldwide: 2009 Half Year profit analysis
Stock of the Week: Burger Fuel Worldwide
Download full company analysis from Thomson First-Call
Burger Fuel doesn't rule out capital raising
Burger Fuel Worldwide: Closer look at Company Accounts

Analysis - Burger Fuel Worldwide: FY profit to 31/03/09
Burger Fuel: Running on Empty
Burger Fuel leaves investors hungryBurger Fuel management cagey over company progress

Burger Fuel cooks up Dubai deal
NZX share trades with strings attached
Don't buy Burger Fuel, yet
Burger Fuel: Inside info?
Burger Fool IPO: Burger Fool?
Exclusive Interview with Burger Fuel's Josef Roberts
Burger Fuel's Daytime drama
Burger Fuel share price out of gas
Beefing up store numbers
Director explains share price drop
Burger Fuel slims down in value
Burger Fuel and Coke
Marketing Burger Fuel's future
Pumpkin Patch VS Burger Fuel
Burger Fuel results and commentary

Discuss BFW @ Share Investor Forum - Register free





c Share Investor 2007




Monday, October 8, 2007

Research, Research, Research

One of the easiest ways to lose money on the stock market and other investments is to take advice from others.

So listen carefully!!

The road to wealth is littered with the corpses of investors who have taken advice from friends, acquaintances, lift attendants, taxi drivers and probably worst of all stockbrokers and financial advisers.

Other people, especially financial advisers, mostly have their own agendas and interests at heart. That is just natural human behaviour.

The best way to keep your hard earned capital is to do your own research, that way if things do go pear shaped you have only yourself to blame.

Quite often though brokers and those in the industry have more information at their fingertips than the average investor. Those on the "inside" are privy to information from company management and get access to CEO's and directors thinking and business direction, all the things that are important when making an investment decision.

You think this info is going to be parleyed to you and me? Not on your nelly kimosab'e.

Any information the general investing public get from financial "insiders" is filtered and spun so much before it gets to us the stuff left over is almost as useless as Britney Spears as a spokesman for fruit of the loom knickers.

The garden variety stock market investor certainly has it better since the introduction of the internet and the various bits and pieces of information that can be found at the touch of a button on the Google search box but even then he must be aware that much of this must be taken with a grain of salt as well.

Get more than one independent source for your research on a particular company or investment.

You must also read company reports closely and if it is too hard to understand the language used or there is a tome the size of the bible that explains the financial data then move on.

If management have to explain their company reports then they just could be hiding something.

Some companies that might be on your investment radar will accept calls from investors wanting to ask questions. Give it a go, they can only say no.

If after you have done your research and you find an investment that fits your criteria, assuming you have one, then you are almost ready to plunk down some shekels.

Before that if you have any doubt at all, then don't push the buy button. Go back and start the process over again until the doubts are gone.

Remember, it was hard work earning the money to invest in the first place so don't make it easy to lose it.


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Fishpond



c Share Investor 2007

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Port of Tauranga: Port in a storm

In the wake of strikes this week at Ports of Auckland, POA, it seems owners of the now publicly owned port , Auckland Regional Holdings, ARH have refused to talk about the reasons why they put a buzz saw to the marriage between it and the Port of Tauranga Ltd [POT.NZ]

The Cameron Report, done by an investment banker, points to widespread efficiency gains from the tie up of the two ports. Efficiency gains would have resulted in more streamlined ports operations with bottom line benefits for customers.

Judith Bassett, ARH chair and ARC councilor has refused to release the report. Industry insiders say the possible gains were worth more than $50 million a year.

The Port of Tauranga is a much more efficient beast than POA and it seems jealousy over this and arguments that POT management wanted a bigger slice in the marriage because of their ports efficiencies may have sunk the merger.

As an outsider and ARC ratepayer myself one has to ask oneself what are ARC councilors hiding? It cant be good and clearly wont be released until after local elections in a week or so.

It probably wont be the end of port consolidation in the future between these two parties because it just makes financial sense to do so.

Ironically while POA's profit dived for 2007, POT's was up sharply.

Amazing what can happen to a company when it is abused by politicians.


POT @ Share Investor

Long Term View: Port Of Tauranga Ltd
Port in a storm
Ports of Auckland put a shot over competitor's bow

Discuss POT @ Share Investor Forum




c Share Investor 2007