The Stock Market and Investing

imidazol97

Width can go up to 650 now. Also in one of the major software updates in the past, Edmunds fixed the overrun problem. A picture too wide just gets truncated. The edit menu items stay the same.

E.g.,



This sized to 650 width:

tagman

Malibu... nice.

TM

cyclone4

Oh TM! I know what you are going through with your wife being affected by all the medications. My late sister was acting that way as well due to the various meds. Her personality completely changed. I'm sure your wife will be fine and return to normal once she no longer has to take all these meds.

Charlie... I went to LA Auto Show when it was here end of 2011, & Hyundai was indeed remarkable. As you recall from the old days on the other forum, I was the guy that praised Hyundai & predicted their success, when some thought I was out of my mind. The Genesis is an amazing value. Check out the EQUUS!!!

I certainly do remember how much praise you were giving the Genesis. You were dead on. This vehicle has great looks and it has to be the greatest value out there today.

tagman

I know what you are going through with your wife being affected by all the medications. My late sister was acting that way as well due to the various meds. Her personality completely changed. I'm sure your wife will be fine and return to normal once she no longer has to take all these meds.

I hope so... but I will need to put the nasty things she has said (and continues to say) in the proper category (round file), but it's going to be hard to forget some of them. I am very good at forgiving, but forgetting could be harder.

I certainly do remember how much praise you were giving the Genesis. You were dead on. This vehicle has great looks and it has to be the greatest value out there today.

Did you check out the Hyundai EQUUS?.. wow.

TM

imidazol97

Live and learn!

My first picture was oversized when I posted it!

After I closed the post the large picture got resized to 640 width. I assume Edmunds is now able to resize over-sized pictures on the fly!

My second picture was at 650 and it stayed at 650.

???

kyfdx

You know much more about it than I do....

anthonyp

I`m sure sorry your partner is in pain and suffering....I find that the best `stuff` can be going on in the rest of my life, but if thing aren`t in harmony on the `home` front it sours everything......Hope it passes quickly Tony

tagman

Very true. It's been somewhat like that old saying... "If mom ain't happy, no one's happy."

Anyway, thank you.

It's going to be a climb out of this mess. For the whole family. Just hope we make it. It's been awful at times. :sick:

TM

houdini1

Yep, as the saying goes, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

anthonyp

I wish there were something I could do---but I would suggest to stay busy, maybe even do some of the manuel work outside. So many people are counting on you, and I`m pulling (in my own way) Tony

tagman

Yeah... that's the one I was thinking of. Thanks.

TM

tagman

You're a good guy Tony. I appreciate the empathy.

TM

circlew

Not forgetting is an ego trait. Forgiveness and love rules. Better or worse.

Regards,
OW

ljflx

Charlie,

Was the new MB SL on display? I saw photos in Automobile last week and everything they didn't like about the new styling I loved. My buddy across the street just orderred one for next March delivery.

anthonyp

Some nice pictures.....I think the Hyundai is a good deal, but it hasn`t gotten sterling reviews on the interior....I remember when I first got a Lexus...I didn`t like the name so much, but coming from American made Cadillac, it was ---at the time--a big gamble.....I stuck with Lexus for twenty or more years....Fabulous reliability, and the dealer was very responsive....

I`m going to check out the Genisis(sp) and Equis (sp) ...I was really taken with the Jag xj, and the dealer was offering a fairly good discount, so I think it would have been in the seventy + range, but my neighbor has had some trouble with his convertible, so I do not know....

It is extremely dry here is S C...Usually the road at the farm is a pain to keep passable, but everything is just dusty.....It has now been a couple of years since a decent amount of water has fallen.....I would hate to be farming a crop now...This is mostly on the coast---barrier island---but inland it has rained Tony

cyclone4

Len,

Unfortunately, I don't recall seeing MB SL.

Btw, I have spent the past few hours trying to figure out what happened to this forum. I thought it was gone. That "page not found" on top is ridiculous. What has happened to the forums? Why does the top of the page of every forum on Edmunds look like this now? I honestly thought that they eliminated all forums to cut costs or something. I was very sad that this great group here would be lost forever. This is perplexing.

cyclone4

Tony,

I have not studied the Genesis or the Equus. In fact, I did not realize until now that Equus starts at $59,000. Wow! My apologies to Tagman. He asked me to check out the Equus and I had no idea it was this expensive (for a Hyundai that is). It is a gorgeous looking car. I need to learn more about it. I have been very busy the past several days and have not had a chance to visit here that much.

ljflx

Agree on the forum. I saw that page not found, never scrolled down and simply thought the forums were off line for some reason. They've got to correct this because it's literally turning people away. In case the forum does ever collapse my e-mail is public, It's not the one I use daily but if you ever contact me on that I'll get you the e-mail I use every day.

cyclone4

Len,

Thanks. I now have your email so I can get a hold of you just in case. I will provide my email address to you privately. I don't understand what Edmunds is trying to do here.

GO AAPL!!!

anthonyp

I think this has happened in the past.....Hopefully it will get fixed...Tony

Kirstie_H

It wasn't deliberate - someone did something on another part of the site, and it sent the forums, unexpectedly, into crazyville.

ljflx

Charlie,

I now think Apple will run to $700+ and there could be a huge upward move with no warning or minimal warning. I'll explain when I have a chance. Simply put it's too undervalued given the $100bln cash hoard they have and has to rise a lot.

cyclone4

Len, I can't wait until you give me details. But I agree that it is very much undervallued. I sent you an email earlier today.

houdini1

tagman, just to let you know...our rehab sold yesterday...and at a very good profit. Currently looking for another property. One property we are considering is an 8-plex. If we buy it, we would keep it as a rental property. It is a long shot right now.

Good luck on your real estate venture.

tagman

Sweet. I am really gald it worked out so well for you (and your son).

If you want the 8-plex, then try to get it. You never know. Maybe the seller is very motivated.

My deal is in escrow. The last I heard, there is supposed to be a repair on the Sub-Zero frig in the kitchen. However, an inspection showed that most everything is in terrific condition.

Congratulations again, and keep me posted, and I'll do the same.

TM

gagrice

Anyone notice the early trades on GMCR? Up $12 per share on their profit report. I did not realize they own the Keurig brand K-Cup. I bought my wife a single cup unit for Christmas. Fortunately she likes the Donut Shop (GMCR) best. I can get it for about 47 cents per cup at Costco.

She is skeptical and asked a good question. What will billions of these little used K-cups do to the landfills? At present the K-cup is not recyclable.

tagman

I have a feeling that the market is going to need to correct. This latest rally can't go forever, and it seems to me that there are still many underlying reasons to be concerned about the economy.

I am not invested in the stock market at this time, but if I was, I would not get greedy and I would be seriously considering that it might be the right time very soon to ring the register and take some (or all) of the money off the table for a while.

TM

anthonyp

I agree

How is your project with the landscaping coming along??? and I hope all is well on other fronts......Stay in touch Tony

houdini1

Thanks. I am very proud of my son. He single handedly made that rehab happen and worked his butt off in the process. A real one man rehabbing crew. I know I could never do something like that.

I am really just the banker in our real estate projects, and any and all profits made go to him. I am just glad to be in a position to help. It is tough for young guys trying to make it these days and I am glad to help anyone willing to work and try to get ahead.

tagman

Hey Tony...

Project is slowly making progress... and starting to look really great. Still have about a month to go.

My wife made some attempts to get up & get out for a short while, but put herself back in bed taking more medication. I think it will be a withdrawal process, ahead, and it will probably take awhile to get off those meds. Meantime, it's challenging for me & the kids.

Long road to recovery, which may never come. MRI revealed herniated disc in her lower neck. I don't know what that means for the future... because I don't know if it's something that can ever get better. Just don't know.

TM

tagman

You have every reason to be proud of your son, and I think you are a terrific father. Hopefully, you can find another property to fix up and sell at a profit... Or that 8-plex.

TM

gagrice

I think the buying of distressed properties and fixing them is a good opportunity for young people with good skills. My son in AK is fixing the HUD home he bought. They would like to sell and move to a warmer climate. I am kind of nudging them toward Hawaii. There are a lot of bank owned fixers for those with some cash. I think the margins for such a project are less there. However it ain't a bad place to live. I have discouraged him moving to CA. The cost is still too high for the ROI, at least here in San Diego. A friend paid $290k for a fixer put $30k into it and sat on it for a year before breaking even. This is the kind of property I would look for. Fix it, live in it until sold at a good profit. Then repeat the process. New homes in the area are not selling. You cannot build new for these prices.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13-3529-Pahoa-Kalapana-Rd-Pahoa-HI-96778/53314- 2_zpid/

anthonyp

Mr Tag

I sure am sorry to hear about the `disc`...and do know it t be extremely painful...I once just pinched a nerve or something, back before any decent pain medicine, and was in bed for four days, and could scarcely move...I was eighteen...They have some fine physicians in Atlanta at Emory, and I would certainly think out on your coast....Good Luck....

Hopefully you will get a chance to send a picture of your view...Just a curiosity of mine...I`m sure both oceans look alike The garden sounds great, and with your environment you will get alot of pleasure..

I don`t know how you manage to take care of everyone...A great job on your part.......When I turned into the `nurse` once, I planned out for five days the meals--at one time---then was just on automatic on that front.....Keep up the good work.....Tony

tagman

Tony,

Thank you X 10. I WILL post a few pics in the future... I promise... you have my word. Be patient with me. Much too much other more important stuff going on right now, as you know.

TM

fintail

If our beloved "ally" Israel gets a war going, that could throw a nice monkeywrench into the rally.

fintail

If you know of any in my area, I'll handle it for you. It's all about hard work and making it yourself, right? :shades:

gagrice

Location is the key. My buddy in Alaska wants to sell out and leave up there. He loves the Seattle area. I think it is still WAY OVER priced. Much better bargains in AZ, FL and NV. CA is still high. I just don't see it getting to where the opportunity to make money is there. I have not made any money on CA Real Estate. All Hawaii, AK, OR, MN. CA is a bust in my opinion. Unless you are in the big leagues buying distressed ocean front properties. I am not going to pay a million bucks for a La Jolla property with NO ocean view. It is still crazy. I guess people want to be within a few miles of the Next Presidents getaway.

fintail

Certainly - gotta find places where it is a bit cheaper to buy than rent, then you get demand. That's not my backyard.

I got into it with a woman at work yesterday, who claimed even if you bought in 2006, you'd still be better off than renting because you aren't "throwing money away". She didn't want to hear about places that cost 250K then being worth 175K now (if you can sell a condo in 2012) nor the differences in carrying costs of that mortgage compared to rent (which would be much less than the mere mortgage itself, not counting HOAs, taxes, etc). I'm so glad that's one "investment" I didn't make.

cyclone4

First of all, TM, I wish nothing but the best for your wife's illness. I can tell it is tearing you up.

Let's talk about cars for a bit. I just talked to my local Lexus dealer and they gave me some very interesting news. First of all, we are invited to view the new 2013 GS this next Monday between 5:00 and 7:30 PM as they are having a party. More importantly, I was told the following: The next generation ES will be out this Spring. The next generation RX450 (h) will be out at the end of June. Finally, the next generation LS will be coming out in the fall as a 2013 model. It sounds exciting. I will definitely compare the new LS with the Equus and the S Class.

As for the Super Bowl game, I am rather depressed to say the least. To me it all came down to one stinking play. With 4 minutes left in the game, if Welker catches that pass (easy catch for him) that game was history. It would have been over. There would not have been time for another miracle catch for the Giants. Now we have to try again next year. DARN!!!

AAPL continues to look terrific. Any update Len ?

tagman

First of all, TM, I wish nothing but the best for your wife's illness. I can tell it is tearing you up.

Thanks. I can't really go into detail. It's too messed up now and then. But, I am a VERY determined person, and I have been through many tough times in my life... and right now this is nothing less than a fight for the integrity of my family, and I will not give up.

My wife has a steroid injection into her spine (at the lower neck) scheduled for Wednesday morning. I am hoping that it is successful enough for her to start getting off those pain meds. Those pain meds might help with pain, but I am convinced that they can cause other very serius problems with the mind... and in some ways they make matters much worse.

The new Lexus models sound interesting. I will bet that some of the front-end styling cues that we now see on the CT will be carried into the rest of the line. (I still love my CT).

Stock market has been amazing recently. A part of me wishes I had not totally abandoned it, but I was honestly not able to get over that costly "glitch", and regain trust. My real estate deal is still on track, but there was a serious wrench that the seller tried to throw into the gears today. My agent is attempting to resolve it.

TM

cyclone4

and right now this is nothing less than a fight for the integrity of my family, and I will not give up.

If anyone can pull out of this mess TM, it is you. I have little doubt that a good portion of your wife's problem is with the damn meds. Good luck with the spinal injection on Wednesday.

The new Lexus models sound interesting. I will bet that some of the front-end styling cues that we now see on the CT will be carried into the rest of the line. (I still love my CT).

I am happy to hear about your love for the CT. The lease on my wife's RX450h expires at the end of June. We will have a decision to make. She is considering a Prius, but we will see what the new RX has to offer in June.

Btw, when you asked me to check out the Equus, I had no idea that it is the top of the line Hyundai. The starting price is $56K I believe. I was amazed. It is a gorgeous looking car.

tagman

Charlie,

If a genuine luxury car was on my shopping list, I would give serious consideration to the Equus. Where else can you get soooooooo much honest & genuine luxury vehicle for anywhere even NEAR that kind of bargain price? It's amazing.

TM

circlew

Here is an interesting fact that shows the possibilities in a snapshot of 5 years.

"Apple's iPhone business alone is now bigger than Microsoft. Not Windows. Not Office. Microsoft. Think about that. The iPhone did not exist five years ago. And now it's bigger than a company that, 15 years ago, was dragged into court and threatened with forcible break-up because it had amassed an unassailable and unthinkably profitable monopoly.

The iPhone also appears to be considerably more profitable than Microsoft. In the December quarter, Apple's iPhone business generated $24.4 billion of revenue. Microsoft's whole company, meanwhile, from Windows to Office to servers to XBox, generated $20.9 billion.

If we assume that Apple generates the same operating profit margin on its iPhone business that it generates on its overall business--38%--the iPhone business generated about $9.3 billion of profit in the December quarter. All of Microsoft, meanwhile, generated only $8.2 billion."

How high can it go??

Regards,
OW

cyclone4

If we assume that Apple generates the same operating profit margin on its iPhone business that it generates on its overall business--38%--the iPhone business generated about $9.3 billion of profit in the December quarter. All of Microsoft, meanwhile, generated only $8.2 billion."

How high can it go??

Well, I believe that Len threw out a $700 level last week. Heck, the way things are going with AAPL, the sky is the limit. Why not $1000 within the next 2-3 years? I'm sure there will be some sort of a split or dividend paid eventually.

ljflx

My belief is Apple will start buying back their own shares with the cash hoard. I think as that figure crosses $100bln and starts to reach levels like $115bln and up the pressure on Apple to do something will be great by both politicians and the anti-Wall street groups. Think about it. A one-time dividend doesn't do it. Just ask Microsoft. A purchase of someone else just reduces your stock value and one has to wonder if Apple can even find a takeover candidate that has enough size and one that can keep up with its own growth rate. We have never had an American company that has this level of growth in highly competitive products who doesn't pay dividends thereby accumulates phenomenal amounts of cash while at the same time trades at such a low multiple. That can't go on and I think the smart money is loading up on Apple in advance of something right now. Wall street has never valued Apple's cash hoard and if you played out the game of continuing to not value it then Apple just buys itself back at some point. So I see Apple making a move to throw some cash back to America by launching a massive share re-purchase which in turn will drive up the value of the stock much higher. I wouldn't want to be out of the stock if they make an announcement about share repurchase as I'd expect it to be a large share re-purchase and a huge move up in stock price.

Charlie - The Equus comes in two trim lines, Signature for $59K and Ultra for $66K. Those are MSRP's. There are no options on either. In other words items that come standard on the Ultra are not available as options on the Signature. It's a helluva value in either trim level and a car I'll definitely look at in the next go round.

ljflx

Charlie,

Two problems on the Equus as I just looked into it:

1. No AWD
2. The car may be a lot cheaper if you buy it outright but based on Hyundai's site the lease deals are not and I'd likely stay LS or S. From an MSRP standpoint of lease price to MSRP the best deals are on the S class.

The high end Equus is the Ultimate not the Ultra. My bad. The next LS and S intrigue me the most right now. I do very much like the changed GS. Didn't like the grille in the proto-type but like it a lot in the production car. Got invited to Ray Catena's party on the car but had something else going on that night and i missed it. Did you get any styling clues on the next LS?

anthonyp

Hi Circlew

I saw wher IBM is having their annual meeting here in Charleston, so I hope you come If so let`s get together...Tony

cyclone4

As usual, your reasoning makes soooo much sense Len. I believe you nailed Apple's strategy for all the right reasons. Think of what the price will do, if they buy let's say $20 billion worth of shares. "To the moon Alice"!!

cyclone4

1. No AWD

Oops! That alone unfortunately is a deal breaker for me. I vowed that I will never again buy a rear or front wheel drive. In this climate, I need AWD. It is a must.

The Lexus salesman told me that he is very confident, that the grill on the new LS will be rather similar to the new GS. Btw, I my wife and I will be going to the GS unveiling party this next Monday evening at the Lexus dealer. I'll take some photos of both the exterior and interior of the car. Like you, I also like the grille on the new GS.

kyfdx

AAPL has almost 1 billion shares outstanding...

So... about $100/share in cash..

Earnings are about $30/share....

If they buy back $20 billion worth of shares, that only reduces their float by 4%.. If they were going to buy back stock, then they should have started when the prices was $305/sh, last year..

If they can maintain their earnings, then the stock has room to run... But, if they falter, all of that cash won't keep the stock price from dropping....