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I am not sure what it is at this point but it is definitely a smoother and much less noticeable shift from one to the other. I suppose, next time I drive it (if my wife lets me
You would be smart to buy some Ford stock right away.
TM
You must have me mixed up with someone else. I have been a bull for many months now. In fact I have been buying stocks since very late February. If you look back at my posts concerning the stock market, you will find verification that I have been saying for many months now that we have seen the low in the market (the low that occurred around the first of March). I have been in total agreement with ljflx (Len) that the Dow will reach at least 10,000 by the of the year. In some ways, I have been more bullish than Len since I have been an Obama supporter and have been placing a great deal of trust in his leadership to pull us out of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression.
Going way back to last July to September, I was warning my friends and relatives to sell every stock they own. Some did and some did not. One that did not was my son unfortunately, but thankfully, his investment in the market was not very large at all.
I believe you are correct. I just placed a call to my broker and waiting to hear from her.
UPDATE, UPDATE!....I just bought Ford at a fraction over $7. I am holding it until it reaches at least 30 or "until hell freezes over"
I am not betting the farm on it though as I only bought 500 shares.
TM
Thank you for the encouragement! I have been thinking about buying Ford for quite a while now but did not pull the trigger until today. Your push was enough for me to do so.
TM
But here's my opinions:
Ford is a lot like the airlines. Like the sickly airline industry Ford has humungous cash flow losses and humungous debts. THe biggest stakeholder of Ford is not shareholders but lenders, bond holders and last but not least the workers and their Union. The exact same predicament of the airline industry. Talk to anybody who has invested heavily in airline stocks and you will be talking to a very poor man. Investing in Ford is pure speculation and not an investment. Buyer beware!
Regarding Toyota as a stock buy? Look out!
Toyota is the best auto company on earth right now but that is not saying much in a very sick auto industry. Toyota as a great company does not mean a great stock buy.
Great companies are usually overpriced and produce dismal stock returns. By the time companies become great it is too late to make hefty returns because most the returns were made when the company was not great.
Toyota is currently going through a profit drain because their utilized capacity is only 69 percent. They need 75 percent to be viable in the long term. Unfortunately Toyota cannot cut capacity as much as other auto makers because 60 percent of their production is in Japan where closing factories and laying off workers will provoke political turmoil. This is a company with their hands tied and they cannot make rational economic decisions.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124867553223783129.html
TM
I bought Ford around $1.50, so Ford is doing very well for me. I hedged and cashed some out when the stock went past $4, and that basically paid for my vacation this summer. The rest is still in, and still doing well. I'll be watching Ford closely and if it looks like things are going to turn sour I'll get out. Despite Ford's significant money problems, they are the only US automaker where I can see a clear future.
The bailout and the Fiat partnership bought Chrysler maybe another 10 years of life at the most, though probably more like 5. There's just nothing there. Chrysler's electric vehicles are like Patton's balloon tanks. It's all fake. GM's position isn't much better. In a US market of 10-12 million vehicles, at least one of these companies will go down, and that's going to help Ford. It's not going to be them.
Honestly, I've never been much of a Yamaha fan when it comes to electronics. My suggestion would be to swap it for a used Pioneer Elite VSX-49/59TXi. They do AC3-RF and component video, and are, in my humble opinion, still the best sounding Japanese receivers ever made. They never got as much respect as the big Denon 5800s, but I've always found Denon receivers to be sterile and over-hyped. Unfortunately in an effort to win the Watt race, Pioneer switched to very mediocre ICE power digital amps in their new flagships. Onkyo is probably the best overall now, but that isn't saying much. A new receiver that actually sounds good basically means a Sunfire, or Lexicon.
OK we will leave it at that. Pardon my lack of ESP . No wonder Califronia has more psychics than the rest of the world :P
Ford is a trader's game at the moment. You can make money either way, up or down. GM will have Taxpayer support and that company will evolve one way or another. Chrysler Jeep/minivans will hold their own market share and the rest will be new Fiat steel. The rest will go away.
Actually, I think Toyota is a better investment for the long run based purely on their technology. If they make their products less sterile, they will be the leader for the foreseeable future.
Regards,
OW
The object was to get a monetqary return...Obviously the Bond side of the portfolio would be constant and the Stock side should return more as the risk was larger
Today the rules have be circumvented to the degree that no one knows what really is being earned by stocks, and Municipal Bonds are based on the different states financial well being and the U S bonds are artificially manipulated to try and avoid another depression...
The stock market has primarily turned into a quick buy- sell -short- mixture of daily events that is imo strictly short term action so when anyone has a profit take it.....Ford is a fine example, if you can buy it at six and sell it at eight then sell and if it goes back to six repeat the exercise......I wish everyone good luck and hope I have some of it too....Tony ps If researched properly bonds of many stripes have attractive returns and a decent amount of income to pay you for your patience...
Lincoln is a bit of a mess, but Cadillac isn't in much better shape. As far as I know, the MKX is doing better than the SRX, and once Cadillac switches the Escalade to yet another Lambda clone (making a total of five nearly identical rebadged vehicles, at least as long as the Saturn version stays around) I think that will be the end of interest in that vehicle.
Ford has some great stuff coming over from Europe in the next few years. The Euro Focus makes the Corolla look like complete garbage. Chrysler's new model sheet is completely blank, other than possibly this or that Fiat that will almost certainly fail here. Do you really see people buying a Dodge Punto or Panda over a Fit or Fiesta? That's just not going to happen.
I just think that Ford will have downward pressure on it's business which is far from healthy. I would not invest in it.
This from WSJ:
To be sure, Ford remains saddled by massive debt and declining sales in one of the worst auto markets in recent history. And Ford doesn't expect to repeat the one-time gains from debt restructuring.
"Ford delivered exactly what we wanted to see -- lower cash burn," Shelly Lombard, an analyst at the Gimme Credit corporate bond research firm, wrote Thursday. "But it's still too early to tell whether Ford has got its swagger back since some of the improvement was due to market share and price gains that Ford probably picked up at General Motors and Chrysler's expense while they were in bankruptcy."
The company's debt at the end of the second quarter totaled $26.1 billion. Ford's decision to decline U.S. aid or file for bankruptcy protection may have created consumer goodwill, but rival GM was able to eliminate about $40 billion in debt. Chrysler Group LLC similarly exited bankruptcy with lower financial obligations.
Full Article: link title
Toyota is bleeding but it's a flesh wound in comparison to Ford's hemorrhaging.
Toyota's $52 billion in cash and marketable securities give it a comfortable cushion, according to Moody's Investors Service. And it will get some relief in the United States from the misfortunes of bankrupt rivals, says Kota Yuzawa, a Goldman Sachs analyst in Tokyo. The Japanese automaker may be able to boost American market share by a third to 21.3 percent by 2011 as GM and Chrysler shut plants and dealerships.
Regards,
OW
I am not a big investor... but I am careful and I don't like to just throw money away on some wild hunch. Professional financial advisors and investors, like you, are in the business of predicting that the money they invest will be more likely to bring about a profitable return than a loss. No one is more in the actual business of predicting the future than investors... other than psychics. So, before you call anyone else a psychic, you need to consider what you actually do for a living. Unless you are throwing darts at the stock pages of the Wall Street Journal, you are applying some sort of criteria that you believe helps you select stocks that you predict will do well.
I have looked at the situation with the auto industry and have correctly been under the impression that Ford stock would rise significantly. I still think it will go higher. I see reasons to believe this, otherwise I would not have purchased so much Ford stock. Not only do I believe that Ford stock has been a good buy, but I also believe that the company (Ford) will be a healthier company in upcoming years. These two things (stock price and company health) don't have to go hand-in-hand at all times. There are plenty of folks that have made huge money on companies that are not necessarily healthy, and in addition, many healthy companies don't necessarily have great buying opportunities with regards to their stock. There is nothing wrong with buying stock in a company that isn't in the best of health, if you believe its stock price is going to go up.
I completely believed that Ford stock would go up, and it did. Some of us here have made money on Ford, and some of us will make even more. As far as the company health goes, Ford is definitely going in the right direction, and that also bodes well for me to be comfortable with my investment.
I feel bad for the naysayers who somehow couldn't believe that Ford shares would go up in value. But, Ford shares did go up ... and very nicely I might add. So, if you want to convince me that I made a mistake by making money on Ford, you won't get very far.
TM
Very entertaining.
link title
Here's the truth: This whole notion of good investing as good prediction is BUNK!
Nobody makes money out of knowing the future and if they do they end up getting arrested for insider trading.
A good investor will smirk at any predictions because most predictions are pie in the sky bunk . Nobody knows. Even corporated insiders get burnt with their investment since they themselves are not certain about the future of their own companies.
A good investor will justlook at a company's financials and within a few minutes they will be able to conclude whether more research is required to determine if a company is worthy of an investment. This does not involve prediction but "margin of safety analysis" Margin of safety is required because there is no certainty in predicting the future.
Regarding Ford? It would have been bankrupt if they did not have the good fortune of being in a financial crisis before GM and Chrysler. They lucked out in getting multi-billion $ of new debt before the credit markets closed. Unfortunately GM and Chrysler were in a crisis when credit markets were closed. They were too late!
Anybody who believes Ford can fund its liabilities with its pitiful cashflows which happen to be almost consistently negative is nothing more than a speculator.
And yes speculators do make money sometimes including in Ford. Many made triple digit retuns with GM, AIG and many other sickly companies. Just because price goes up does not mean value goes up. Price and value can be detached from each others.
Speculating on Ford with a small portion of money is fine. If it goes up a few times that's great pocket change. But investing a large portion of your money on Ford is another matter all together.
Ford hit $6 for the first time on March 4, 1994. Since then, the cars only got worse and the history speaks for itself.
Regards,
OW
Congradulations on the Prius.....I think your decision embracing the new technology is a brave one, and one I also am considering, although I need a bigger car for the longer trips I make.... I really dislike diesel fuel, but I am considering the Mercedes e diesel...Just really trying to get use to the idea...
I think your financial advice is very well said, but I laso think Tagman has some valid points, particularly if he can aquire a sizable position in a company that although in it`s early stages or recovery, he can believe in.....Afterall if it works out , the larger portion of the gain will already be in hand when others follow...
Again congradulations Tony
Oil prices were "well overpriced" in the $70s and will continue to weaken in the weeks and months ahead, says James Cordier, President of Liberty Trading Group and co-author of The Complete Guide to Option Selling.
Rather than increased demand, the recent rally was based mainly on speculative demand driven by government stimulus packages, Cordier says. Most notably, a flood of liquidity in China found its way into commodities and China's economy now "looks like a bubble," he says, joining a growing chorus.
More evidence the rally was not demand driven emerged Wednesday, when the Energy Department said inventories surged by 5.15 million barrels in the week ended July 24, the biggest weekly increase since April and vs. forecasts for a decline if 1.5 million barrels, according to Bloomberg.
In reaction, crude futures were recently down more than 5%, on track for their biggest decline in three months.
Cordier, who made a well-timed call on a coming oil rally here in February, now expects crude to fall $10 to $15 from recent levels. In anticipation of that drop, Liberty is making a bearish trade -- "selling calls with both hands," Cordier says.
If and when that happens, he also predicts prices at the pump will fall 10 to 15 cents from current levels, which would be welcomed news for cash-strapped Americans.
Look out below!
Regards,
OW
Mercedes E diesel AWD wagon would get my attention. But that's non-existent in Canada.
Just my luck!
Gas prices are likely to go down and now I drive a Prius.
I won my last two big traffic violation tickets on the day I got my Prius and now with more legal room to speed I drive a non-performance car.
I have a solar sun roof and everyday since I got my Prius there is hardly any sun . The solar powered ventilation system and the remote control air conditioning hardly ever works.
I have Homelink garage door opener buttons in my car but my garage door opener is too ancient to work with them.
Going to Manhattan for a week. I dont browse the web during holidays (that's my vacation policy) so I will see you folks next week.
5. MB E350
4. Jag XF
3. Infiniti M45
2. BMW 535i
1. Audi A6 3.0T
The GS and RL were nowhere to be found, perhaps a tacit admission by C&D that the cars actually stink and in no way deserved the absurdly high rankings they received in earlier comparos. What surprised me though is that they said the Audi basically had better steering than the BMW. Combine that with a well calibrated throttle, excellent brakes, and a transmission that knows exactly what to do when left in "S", and you've got a winner. It goes to show just how critical the Sport package is on the Audi. This is the first review I've seen that wasn't just a 3.0T Prestige with the standard setup, and the first review I've seen that really praised the Audi for its handling abilities.
The A6 remains the car to beat, impressive considering it's now tied with the Acura for second oldest design. The upcoming C7 car should be causing some late nights in Munich and Stuttgart.
I have left a couple of messages regarding audio-equipment assistance from you to me in your CarSpace site. (I've heard Wienna Haydn Grand to my great pleasure but I could not heard them driven by the Moon i3.3.) Thanks in advance.
(For those interested or just curious about, it is an equipment intended for laying on the bookshelves of a medium sized cabinet; mid-priced, middle to high quality
All,
Not having much time these last days I've kept reading but not writing in the Forum. In three days I will fly to South Africa (18 days through Jo'burg, Soweto, Kruger Park, Durban, Cape Town and surroundings). With my wife, my daughter and her man (I refuse to call him partner :P ). Good remaining summer to all and anyone in the Forum.
Regards,
Jose
LOL
Don't be too covetous! That entire list is still cheaper than just a pair of speakers that those other guys were singing about.
But maybe this will make you jealous! :P I just received yesterday all the parts of the birthday present I bought for myself. Today's my birthday! Yay, me!
I've never been a fan of Yami, either. Funny you should mention the 59TXi! At the time I was looking, I had narrowed my search down to the Z9 or the 59TXi simply because they were the only ones that still supported AC3-RF and had LD inputs. I would take the 59TXi over the Z9 all day every day and twice on Sunday, but at the time, the Z9 was immediately available to me whereas the 59TXi wasn't.
I've heard Denon receivers before. They are good receivers, but they aren't the godly pieces of equipment that the hype makes them out to be. To my ear (and this is referenced from nearly 15 years ago) they are good on the highs and good on the lows, but not much in the mid. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing a Sunfire or Lexicon. I just don't have the serenity to deal w/ the uppity attitudes of the sales staff in the high end home theater shops around here.
At any rate, I believe my A/V receiver buying days are over. No one supports LD format anymore for input, and I have ZERO intention of getting rid of my laserdiscs or LD player. The sound is just too good on an AC3 laserdisc. And I miss the little Dolby Digital and THX audio/video clips at the beginning of the discs.
Anyway, I'm rambling BIG TIME...
Regards,
Jose
BMW better wake up!
Regards,
OW
The LaCrosse will get me back to my local PBGMC dealer to check it out.
Haven't been there since the G8 test drive and the great laugh I had with the sales guys regarding the jacked up MAP price of $3K when the thing first hit dealers last year. Can you hear me now??
Regards,
OW
TM
Thanks for the notice, as I rarely if ever remember to actually check my Carspace mailbox.
Maybe it's just me but while the LaCrosse does look way better than RL, the proportion is just weird. It looks obese. I'll reserve final commnets until I see one in person, which will have to wait about 2 years. :P
Indeed, especially considering the Audi is carrying most of its weight over the nose. The upcoming car should have much better balance and even better handling. Ultimate driving machine? :shades:
That's Pontiac for you. $3-5K over sticker "market adjustment" prices on hot new cars, which they can't give away a year later. Idiots, right to the grave.
1) The Audi is "fresh" whereas the 5-series is pretty long in the tooth in car years. Everybody knows car reviewers love to relish on the "new" stuff. As soon as BMW updates the 5-series (probably w/ hardly any changes in dynamics or feel) it'll suddenly be on top again.
2) The magazines have been taking a lot of heat for the past couple of years for constantly picking BMW as the winner of comparisons based mostly on subjective data (read: the writer's personal preference) and in a lot of cases even injecting a BMW into a comparison where it wasn't even in the running or in some cases couldn't even complete the test and still win! :surprise: Remember that infamous Motor Trend article a few years back that pitted the Z06 against the M3 in a performance shootout where the Z06 beat the M3 in every category except braking which was a tie, and they still gave the win to the M3 because it had a backseat? :confuse: Or a more recent one where the 335i was pitted against the new G37 (both sedans) and the 335i got the win despite electronic (and I think brake) problems that precluded the 335i from even finishing? Or the one w/ the 911, Z06, and something else and they STILL just had to bring the M3 into the results even though it wasn't even in or eligible for the competition?
Almost forgot! THANK YOU ALL FOR THE KIND BIRTHDAY WISHES! You're all class acts!
I thank you very much for your advice.
Regards,
Jose
How is it that you have escaped to your last two speeding tickets? Was the judge empathetic with you and your lemon BMW?
However, I cannot congratulate you on your new Prius you know well Diesel rules! :P But I can wish you a relaxed and happy driving.
Regards,
Jose
1) The Audi is "fresh" whereas the 5-series is pretty long in the tooth in car years. Everybody knows car reviewers love to relish on the "new" stuff. As soon as BMW updates the 5-series (probably w/ hardly any changes in dynamics or feel) it'll suddenly be on top again.
In ordinary circumstances you'd be correct, but in this case I'm not so sure. C&D loves the 3 series to death, no doubt about that, and I'm pretty sure the current car has won every comparison test its ever entered, even in that case where the test car had a total electronic meltdown and they had to use numbers from an earlier test.
C&D hasn't been so enamored with the current 5 though. It lost repeatedly to the Infiniti M when it was still fairly new in two or three tests. It received a mid-cycle freshening only a year earlier than the Audi, and in this particular test, the two newest designs finished at the very bottom. C&D said that the reason for their former darling M45 finishing mid-pack was that it is rapidly aging and its flaws are more obvious (though it was just as flawed if not moreso back in '06).
Plus, the updates on the A6 (other than the engine of course) are so minimal that it would take an Audi fanatic to even notice. Basically they removed the bar separating the grille, the headlights and tailights have been tweaked, and the interior has a few more chrome bits. That's it.
The next 5 will have to do battle with the next generation M and A6, and there's a very good chance that it could lose once again.