Aleph Blog

 Subscribe in a reader

Disclosure

This blog is produced by David Merkel CFA, a registered representative of Finacorp Securities as an outside business activity. As such, Finacorp Securities does not review or approve materials presented herein. By viewing or participating in discussion on this blog, you understand that the opinions expressed within do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Finacorp Securities, but are the opinions of the author and individual participants. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other instrument. Before investing, consider your investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Any purchase or sale activity in any securities instrument should be based upon your own analysis and conclusions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Finacorp Securities is a member FINRA and SIPC.

David Merkel

At my blog there are two main purposes: teaching investors about better investing through risk control, and tying all of the markets into a coherent whole.

Latest


  • Pages


    • Archives


    Categories


  • Recent Comments:

    • David Merkel: Dakota — Interested in your view in a detailed way — how did I fail you? What would you...
    • VennData: Manhattan Real Estate has wide bid ask spreads.
    • matt: I can’t wait to read your piece on mutual banks.
    • Dakota: I was very excited when I saw the title of this piece. I was very disheartened after reading the post. When...
    • retail_guy: David- I absolutely love the Bicycle versus Table stability concept. It is elegant in its simplicity.

  • Recent Trackbacks:

    •  Subscribe in a reader

     Subscribe in a reader (comments)

    Subscribe to RSS Feed

    Enter your Email


    Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

    Seeking Alpha Certified

    InstantBull.com: Bull, Boards & Blogs

    Blog Directory - Blogged

    IStockAnalyst

    Advertising


    blog advertising is good for you

    Books I Have Reviewed

    Book Reviews

    Other Advertising

     

    I Am Gone

    I will try to post when I am on the road, but I will be gone for the next sixteen days.  I have no clear idea of how much web connectivity I will have during that time, but to the extent that I can post, I will do so.

    This entry was posted on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 12:10 am and is filed under Blog News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    5 Responses to “ I Am Gone ”

    1. SmartUser Says:
      June 23rd, 200810:52 am at

      Saudi Arabia has already boosted its production by 300,000 barrels a day, or about 3 percent, to 9.45 million barrels a day last month. But that has had little impact on soaring prices. Oil futures in New York have gained more than 40 percent this year. They rose 2 percent to $134.62 a barrel before the meeting on Friday.

      very interesting: Will the market implode or rally??
      http://www.wallstreetjournal.com/story/market_implode_or_rally?

    2. Eric Says:
      June 23rd, 200812:09 pm at

      No hurricanes, no earthquakes, no pandemics — and yet a company you have described as a “battleship” (HIG) at $102 sinks 32% from its highs, much more than the broader market. At the same time, the occasional “solid” small insurance firm is being taken out to the shed and shot dead. It suggests that these firms are not very amenable to analysis. There is too much of a “black box” element to them. If even the battleships of a sector are that fragile and volatile in the current circumstances, what’s to like?

    3. Andy Says:
      June 26th, 200810:44 pm at

      Hope you have an excellent trip. It’s a great time to be away from the market!

    4. Bob Kopczeski Says:
      June 28th, 20086:54 pm at

      You mentioned food related stocks as attractive going forward. John Deere ticker DE was trading at $95 in January ‘08, and is now down to $71. I realize steel price increases have hit them hard in the last 6 months, but with the global food demand they look well positioned. Is this stock on sale?

    5. David Merkel Says:
      July 28th, 20083:48 pm at

      Eric, HIG is diversified more than most insurers, has some strong competitive niches, international lines, etc. Price performance has been disappointing, and is a combination of equity market performance, possibility of asset writedowns, valuations declining for insurance shares generally, and financial being sold, just because they are financials.

      Has the price performance been disappointing? Yes. Have the prospects deteriorated much? No, not much, but some. Earnings today look pretty good.

      still long HIG

    Leave a Reply