Saturday, March 21, 2009

Leftist Economic shell games: A letter to the Editor

The Rant:

The following is from the Mesquite Local News in Nevada, in the letters to the editor page and written by one Richard N. Suter an 80 year old plus retired pilot.

It is well worth a read because it explains the blame for the current global financial mess so well and so fully.

Politicians mostly from the left in American caused this and Wall Street naturally climbed on board.

He rightly fears for his America in the hands of the insane socialists now in power and one wonders how we might expect things to get better because they are now doing what was done to get us in this mess in the first place but to the power of 10.

What is different to Bernie Madoff's shell game and Obamas?

Obama's is much bigger and the mess will be felt for generations.

The Letter:

Defending The Rich

(Letter to the Editor) 03-20-2009


I very much enjoy the Mesquite Local News.


But I have to question your tirade against the rich.


Sam Walton took an idea and built a phenomenal empire.


Bill Gates did the same.


Prior to my retirement in this lovely town, I worked as a corporate pilot for twenty five years.


I rubbed elbows with Warren Buffett in the hangar in Omaha as he deplaned, carried his own bags to a several year old Lincoln and drove to a fairly modest home.


I flew Tom Watson (IBM blue) to Eagle, Colorado.


These folks, and the multi-millionaire that employed me provided quite a few jobs, sir.


I also have carried Senator John McCain, Senator Chuck Hagle and others I can't remember as my personal responsibility.


As a retired USAF fighter pilot, I respect Senator McCain's service.


Several squadron mates and friends were privileged to serve with him in those "difficult times."


But in the course of this discussion, neither of them, nor many others in government have created a real job.


Sure, they have guaranteed pay raises, the very best health care, a short work week/month/year, and very seldom retire in poverty.


Now, if I were to pick on a gang to pillory, I would look to Foggy Bottom.


Let's start with Jimmy "Malaise" Carter, signatory to the CR(a)P, (may have mis-spelled that; could have been the CAP), lowering lending standards, coercing risky loans.


Who aided and abetted this foolishness?


Why, non other than B.J. Clinton.


Fast forward to Barney Frank, who assured us less knowledgeable that Fannie and Freddie were in great shape.


And then came the Mad Marxist with his litany of change.


And Biden.


And Pelosi.


This is the best we can do?


Well, change we got.


Hubris, banality, venality, mendacity and plain damn lies.


Almost daily I see the 21st century version of Joseph Goebbels stuttering, er, and, ah, but, stumbling his way through a "press conference."


Now I have my version of penalties for the gang.


You are far too cruel.


Bernie Madoff is going to reside in a 7.5x 8 foot Manhattan government subsidized condominium.


Please take my share of the "bailout" money, construct about 150 more of these, provide free orange jumpsuits for the criminal class in Congress, and I will die a happy old man, devoid of most of my investments, 30 or 40 percent of the value of the home I will pay for every month, and the extra money me and the missus have after groceries, gas, health care and gambling.


On second thought, let's get out the guillotine.


I am sick to death of these pissants.


My very best wishes that you may become wealthy in your endeavors.


I can only be glad, that now well into my 80th decade, I will not be around to see this great country fail.


-Richard N. Suter


Mesquite, Nevada


Related Amazon Reading


"The program for better jobs and income": welfare reform, liberalism, and the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter.: An article from: International Social Science Review by Jeff Bloodworth
Buy new: $9.95
Available for download now


Economic Policy in the Carter Administration: (Contributions in Economics and Economic History)


Bookmark and Share

Friday, March 20, 2009

Long VS Short: Freightways Ltd

http://chart.bigcharts.com/custom/fairfax-com-nz/chart.asp?rnd=0.3338466193181723&style=2242&symb=fre&size=1&type=64&time=10yr&freq=1dy&comp=&compidx=NZ50G~1392984&ma=&maval=&lf=&lf2=&lf3=&uf=16384&arrowdates=&arrowlegend=&country=NZ&sid=162937


In this sixth installment of the Long vs Short series I am once again going to take look at the chart comparisons for a stock from the Share Investor Portfolio and compare the 10 year return (above chart) to the turmoil of the last year with a 1 year return chart (large chart at bottom of post).

In this series I want to show the merits of investing, using charts, for the long-term vs short term gains or losses. I will use the longest available data to me for the long-term view (10 years )and will make a comparison against the NZX50.

In this segment of Long vs Short I will take a look at Freightways Ltd [FRE.NZ]

I currently hold 8200 Freightway's shares after buying them in July 2006 (see small chart below for detail)

The company has been a good performer over its history and has lifted profit slightly over the last year.

Symbol
Price
Value
Earned
$2.85
$23370
$164
You own 8200 [FRE.NZ] shares
purchased at $2.83 [$23206]
In my 3 years of owning this share my return has been a meagre NZ$164. (see small chart on left)This includes dividends and tax credits. Still I have to say this isn't bad considering the market rorting we have been having.

If I had bought this share just a year ago (see large chart at bottom) my return would have been minus 30%, proving once again short term investing can be very volatile.

Now for the real point of this comparison lets look at the

return for Freightway's shareholders who have held the stock for 10 years. (see large chart above)

From a high of a 570% return in 2007 a 10 year return is still around 220%.

I am looking for a long term loser after six installments of long VS short but Freightways ain't one of them.

http://chart.bigcharts.com/custom/fairfax-com-nz/chart.asp?rnd=0.3338466193181723&style=2242&symb=fre&size=1&type=64&time=1yr&freq=1dy&comp=&compidx=NZ50G~1392984&ma=&maval=&lf=&lf2=&lf3=&uf=16384&arrowdates=&arrowlegend=&country=NZ&sid=162937


Freightways @ Share Investor

Freightway's keeps delivering

Why did you but that stock: Freightways Ltd
Freightway's delivers
Freightway's packages up a good result

Long vs Short Series

Pumpkin Patch Ltd
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
Mainfreight Ltd
The Warehouse Group
Sky City Entertainment

Related Reading

Freightways Financial Data
Related Amazon Reading

The Warren <span class=
The Warren Buffett Portfolio: Mastering the Power of the Focus Investment Strategy by Robert G. Hagstrom
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $5.97
Usually ships in 24 hours


c Share Investor 2009


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Jon Stewart VS Jim Cramer: Full Interview Video & Commentary

The following is the full (unedited) interview of Jim Cramer by Jon Stewart on his Daily Show originally broadcast on 12 March 2009.

It is in three parts, part one is below, then part two & part three.




If you have been following the stoush between CNBC's Jim Cramer and Comedy Central's Jon Stewart you will know it culminated in a rather bizarre interrogation of Cramer by Stewart on his Daily Show last week.

Stewart really gave it to him with both barrels.



Jon is a loony lefty but the interview is a cracker nonetheless.

The argument that Stewart put was basically that CNBC and business channels like it have been easy on the financial sector, don't ask the hard questions and do so because it is in the broadcaster's best interest to soft peddle their guests because it means more advertising from the likes of the very people that they are cosy with.

This has of course been exacerbated by the financial calamity we have had over the last few years and the fact that Jim Cramer and his ilk never asked the hard questions over the various banking collapses and financial skulduggery that has enveloped American business of late. Even when interviewees have knowingly lied to him he never thought to question them over their untruths.



Stewart also asked whether channels like CNBC were more a self interested group for business leaders to get their point across rather than there to inform the basic Joe on the street that they really should be there to inform the public, making a point that if CNBC were such financial experts then why didn't they inform the public of an impending financial collapse rather than continue to just spruik listed company managers and their companies to an unsuspecting sucker public.

Stewart put these questions to Cramer but was unable to get any more out of him than, "I will try harder..."

Watch the interview, it is priceless.

In New Zealand rather than ignorance our financial media suffer from incompetence, I'm not sure which is worse.


Recent Share Investor Reading


Related Amazon Viewing

60 Minutes - Jon Stewart (October 24, 2004)60 Minutes - Jon Stewart (October 24, 2004)
Buy new: $17.95 / Used from: $39.32
Usually ships in 24 hours

c Share Investor 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009

Briscoe's cash worth looking at

Rod Duke, majority owner of the Briscoe Group [BGR.NZ] is a stingy bastard. He would make Scrooge McDuck look like the free spending Donald Trump.

This is meant to be a compliment.

I knew Duke and his company was sitting on a pile of cash, around NZ$ 40 million, with NO DEBT, but it turns out that over the last year this pile has increased to some $63 million, up from the previous years $49 million.

We know he has been busy with his own money building up a stake in kids clothing retailer Pumpkin Patch Ltd [PPL.NZ] but Briscoe's penny pinching ways over the last year have worked a treat:

"We've been very frugal. It's been very fruitful our efforts to save and minimise costs," Briscoe managing director and majority shareholder Rod Duke said.

He said there had been no consideration given to paying out some of the extra money as a special dividend.

He has also hinted at acquisitions:

There might also be acquisition opportunities. "That hasn't passed me by either. It would have to be pretty good to coax some money out of me right now, but look... when things look as though they are going to be good, Rod's going to be there with a pocketful of money.

May I suggest Pumpkin Patch or Postie Plus? [PPG.NZ]

Full Year Profit to 25 Jan 2009 was down 48% in a depressed retail market.

Meanwhile back to that cash.

Briscoe's $63 million cash hoard means there is almost 30c for every share and at today's closing of 62c that makes Briscoe one of the better companies on the NZX in terms of financial robustness.

I am seriously looking at adding more and kicking myself for not noticing this earlier.


Related Share Investor Reading

Why did you buy that stock? [Briscoe Group]

Recent Share Investor Reading

Recommended Amazon Reading



Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett (Security Analysis Prior Editions)Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett (Security Analysis Prior Editions) by Benjamin Graham
Buy new: $41.51 / Used from: $29.98
Usually ships in 24 hours






c Share Investor 2009