The Stock Market and Investing

fintail

Yes, it has an SD card slot. I was able to put all of the mp3s I care to listen to on it - easy to keep. I might burn a CD and see if it will move actual mp3s from a CD to the HD, or if it will only take the tracks off an original CD.

fintail

Telematics = voice activated systems. I press a button, say what I want the car to do (show radio, phone, nav, etc), and it will do it. I can speak the radio preset or the address book entry I want to dial, and the car does it.

ljflx

They are bringing over fewer and fewer S-class cars. The ones they get pretty much are sold before they arrive given the lease deal in place. The GL also sells like crazy and is gone the moment they hit the showroom. The dealer by me needs to keep a car for test drives. He only had two available when I was looking. If there are a few left when the new S arrives they will be the ones you'll get the greatest deals on. But beware of color. The dealer had a green car coming in when I was there to pick up my car and he grimaced when he saw that. Apparently it's a very hard sell. I've seen the green in an S600 on the road and wondered what the heck the buyer was thinking. But maybe he got the deal of a lifetime.

In 2007 when I took the GL there was a $115K S550 4-matic in white with AMG sport option and a white on black granite like wood designo interior that was the most beautiful interior I ever sat in. The white exterior was the richest deepest white color I ever saw. They were letting it go for $92K on a special deal with Germany thanks to the depression. I'd have taken it on the spot if I needed a car at that time. I always thought the designo interior was a waste of money - until I sat in that car.

gagrice

There is a shortage of ML350 Bluetech as well. Three dealers in San Diego and ONE diesel ML listed on their inventory. BMW dealers in San Diego have 42 X5 diesels listed.

Our 3 MB dealers have a total of 4 GLs in stock, with no diesels. Makes it real hard to buy a Mercedes for me. I like the Mercedes SUVs, I don't care for the San Diego dealers or the lack of inventory. If they are going to regain the title from BMW they better get their act together.

ljflx

I thought the 2011 GL was the best suv I ever drove. The new one is supposed to blow mine off the road. Even CR says it's the best SUV they ever tested. The interior is gorgeous on the 450 and an absolute knockout because of the premium leather on the 550.

gagrice

I'm one of those frugal types that don't want to spend all my money on fuel. So my next vehicle will be diesel. I am tired of stopping every 300 miles for $75 worth of Gas. My friend with the 2007 GL320 CDI gets 28 MPG on the highway. The new MBs are capable of over 30 MPG. That means 700+ miles on a tank of fuel. I love the feel of low RPM torque going up the long hills in the West. I am sure the Gas MB are fun to drive. I just don't want to support California's obsession with designer gasoline. I think the new ML350 Bluetec sets a high bar to reach. Finding one for sale around here is not easy. With 455 ft lbs of torque they may challenge the big MB V8 on the highway. Probably not from a stop light.

fintail

I wonder if the 2013 style S is even in production anymore. I know the 2013 E has ended, and isn't even shown on the UK and German sites anymore. The Sindelfingen factory builds both cars, so if one stopped, maybe both have. IIRC, my local dealer only has a few S in stock - one is a pretty white Bluetec model. I don't recall seeing any GLs hanging around, but I do see them on the road - must not stay in inventory long.

Designo does use special leather and can have some odd color combinations.

gagrice

Designo does use special leather and can have some odd color combinations.

I have my heart kind of set on pearl white exterior and saddle brown leather. Tired of beige and gray leather interiors. And do not Like black inside or out. Problem I am running into is lack of choices in the vehicles I like. So far the BMW comes closest to having a vehicle I could justify spending the cash on.

gagrice

Forbes's 2013 list of the world's richest people includes 1,426 billionaires, a record number, with a total net worth of $5.4 trillion, up from $4.6 trillion in the previous ranking.

There are 210 new billionaires from 42 countries, including 27 from the United States. The average net worth of those on full list has risen to $3.8 billion from $3.7 billion. Sixty people have dropped off the list and eight have died.

Most of the billionaires are self-made, 961, while 184 inherited their wealth and 281 inherited part of it and are increasing it.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/04/us-billionaires-list-factbox-idUSBRE92- 30EJ20130304

houdini1

I haven't heard you mention a BMW as a possibility before. I probably just missed it. X-5 diesel I presume.

I like your choice in colors. I think the Germans and even the U.S. does a lot better with color choices that Japan. Colors seem to be one of their weak points.

houdini1

Maybe we can sic Obama on those guys. 5 or 6 trillion would help our debt problem. Of course he would have it all spent in 6 months.

fintail

I don't think any sane person would argue the world economy is good. Maybe for crony capitalists or those otherwise connected to corruption. In this devolved new world, wealth almost seems like a zero sum game - a lot of this is simply borne on the backs of the declining western middle class, or via inflation. Trickle down job creator policy at work. I'd also be curious to how they define "self-made".

fintail

Germans like black interiors, so sometimes you have to get lucky or special order anything else. When I put out my request, I wanted a car with an almond interior - zero existed with the option configuration I wanted. BMWs are not uncommon with brown interiors.

ljflx

How can you have a problem with choice? Car and driver did a tree analysis of cars today vs 15 years ago. Mercedes alone has more than tripled in models offered. in fact there are more AMG models today than car lines MB had in 1998. BMW, Audi and Nissan have also tripled in car models, and most others have doubled. Plus there are many more models coming from the Germans in the next year or two.

ljflx

That's the opposite of what the dealer told me. According to him designo cars come mostly in lighter colors or the deeper tans. If you want a black interior why waste money on a designo when it looks no different than a standard leather or premium leather interior.

gagrice

How can you have a problem with choice?

I will not buy another gas powered vehicle. So the choices for diesel are limited in the USA. Main reason is CA designer gas is horrible stuff. Kills mileage by at least 10% over gas bought in other states. Generally in like vehicles the diesel version gets almost double the mileage. My next vehicle will replace my Sequoia. Has to be an SUV and has to run on diesel. The only maker that seems to have a good supply is BMW. I may just order what I want. At 70 it may be the last vehicle I buy. It has to be what I want. Not what some dealer has on the lot. My 2007 Sequoia only has 30k miles on a 70k mile Platinum warranty. So not huge rush.

cdnpinhead

At 70 it may be the last vehicle I buy. It has to be what I want.

I absolutely understand that point of view. I bought my TSX five years ago partly because I thought I could trade it in a few years for the diesel version. Well, that didn't happen, thanks mostly to CARB limits that are more restrictive than anywhere else in the world.

I've driven any number of diesel vehicles in Europe that I'd love to be able to buy here in the States, going back to 2001. So far, no luck. Other than VW the diesels offered are too big and/or don't come with a manual transmission.

I'm older also and keep my cars a long time. My next one may be the last one as well.

anthonyp

Come on fellows---lease one like Len taught me, and now be planning on the next one...You sort of have to with a lease This way, if lucky, we may get two new cars....Tony ps the diesel from Mercedes may have to have the special fluid , and if done at Mercedes can be quite expensive....I was thinking of Diesel for my wife`s Mercedes wagon, and then I asked at the Audi dealer and they do it much much less expensively....

gagrice

Tony ps the diesel from Mercedes may have to have the special fluid , and if done at Mercedes can be quite expensive

All of the 6 cylinder diesels sold in the USA require Urea injection to cut down on NoX emissions. And yes MB has been known to gouge people. Truth is Urea (AdBlu) is very inexpensive to buy. BMW, VW and Audi include it with free service. MB needs to get with the program. MB seems to go on the premise that people that buy their vehicles are so rich service cost does not matter.

ljflx

This may be the dumbest story I ever read. This guy must have had nothing intelligent to write about. Now I understand finance in the minds of some. If you earned the money and put it to work to earn interest it's no lomnger a liquid asset. What an idiot. Sorry - I don't mean to be nasty but certain people think the people they write to are dumb

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1246081-apple-does-not-have-137-billion-in-cash?- source=yahoo

Never bought Apple today. Was stuck all day on the language of a bank amendment I'm working on.

Tony - I strategize my next lease before I sign the one I'm negotiating on. How long a lease I go on depends on where we are in the model cycle and where I am in the model year. I actually timed my last lease to co-incide with what I expected to be a new LS model and a new S model. It would have expired in September but MB bought me out of it and I decided I like the styling of the current car over what I saw in the new one. Plus the price was spectacular. Now I extended this lease for 42 mos. instead of 36 because I want to be looking at a car again in time for the new model year. My gosh I am in love with that CL and CLS too.

cyclone4

This may be the dumbest story I ever read. This guy must have had nothing intelligent to write about. Now I understand finance in the minds of some. If you earned the money and put it to work to earn interest it's no lomnger a liquid asset. What an idiot. Sorry - I don't mean to be nasty but certain people think the people they write to are dumb

It's interesting that I read this article about an hour ago and did not realize you posted it here until now. I also thought the guy that wrote it is an absolute idiot.

fintail

Oh yeah, designo is never black that I can recall, I meant standard cars. I agree it would be dumb to have a designo black - the point of designo is to be different. I think every Bluetec E in stock at my dealer had a black interior, every car I've ever rented in Germany had black interior.

gagrice

Maybe MB only uses black cow hides. :shades: I saw the Saddle Brown leather in a Touareg and thought it was classy. It was only offered in the top of the line Touareg. It comes with 20" wheels which I do not like. Always something to keep my money in the bank.

Is AAPL going to keep going down and GOOG keep going up? I first started watching the Stock Market in 1970. It does not seem anymore logical today than it did 40+ years ago.

ljflx

My partner had the saddle tan in his Audi. Loved it at first, grew tired of it and hated it by year 3 of his lease. It gets old on your eyes.

gagrice

That is a risk for sure. I have ended up being tired of a vehicle color soon after purchase.

Speaking of GOOG, what is powering them? Up $14+ this morning.

(Reuters) - These days Google Inc is on a roll, making it the $800 gorilla in the room. Its shares hit an all-time closing high of $821.50 on Monday and some securities analysts are already forecasting the search company could soon be a $1,000 stock.

Its surge to new highs has come as its Android software dominates the mobile phone market and it continues to lead in mobile advertising. The gains have put Google firmly in third place among U.S. companies in terms of market value after Apple Inc and Exxon Mobil Corp.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/04/us-google-shares-highs-idUSBRE9231AG20- 130304

cyclone4

Besides being "oversold", the major reason for AAPL being up more than 3% is provided in the link below. It sounds VERY exciting if the information in the article is accurate.

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/are-two-new-iphones-on-their-way.html/?ref=YF-

robr2

I'll respectfully disagree. AAPL is up because the entire market has reached record highs. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Just wait until tomorrow - I predict we're all going to bemoan an major market drop.

gagrice

Just wait until tomorrow - I predict we're all going to bemoan an major market drop.

You are more than likely correct. Last time we hit 14,164.5 was late 2007. We all know what happened then. If the DOW is anything it is unpredictable.

The Last Time The Dow Was Here...

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Then 14164.5; Now 14164.5
Regular Gas Price: Then $2.75; Now $3.73
GDP Growth: Then +2.5%; Now +1.6%
Americans Unemployed (in Labor Force): Then 6.7 million; Now 13.2 million
Americans On Food Stamps: Then 26.9 million; Now 47.69 million
Size of Fed's Balance Sheet: Then $0.89 trillion; Now $3.01 trillion
US Debt as a Percentage of GDP: Then ~38%; Now 74.2%
US Deficit (LTM): Then $97 billion; Now $975.6 billion
Total US Debt Oustanding: Then $9.008 trillion; Now $16.43 trillion
US Household Debt: Then $13.5 trillion; Now 12.87 trillion
Labor Force Particpation Rate: Then 65.8%; Now 63.6%
Consumer Confidence: Then 99.5; Now 69.6
S&P Rating of the US: Then AAA; Now AA+
VIX: Then 17.5%; Now 14%
10 Year Treasury Yield: Then 4.64%; Now 1.89%
EURUSD: Then 1.4145; Now 1.3050
Gold: Then $748; Now $1583
NYSE Average LTM Volume (per day): Then 1.3 billion shares; Now 545 million shares

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/05/2013 09:36 -0500

ljflx

Can't possibly be the reason. The market's been rising and Apple's been falling at the same time for months. All of a sudden everything with respect to that changed this morning?? No. Apple's up for no other reason than it's badly oversold and all of a sudden some positive news about more phones, a secret iwatch getting near deployment (would be a very high margin business), the verizon CFO saying the Apple subsidy works well for his company's business and I'll bet that the company is buying it's shares at such a rock bottom price. As well any increase in dividends (let's say they went to 150% of where they are) would push the ROI to almost 4% while cash to market price is almost near a ridiculous 40%. There are structural numbers in Apple that the current low share price can't support much longer. I also think if you get a bit of a run value funds will try to get in before the train leaves the station and then the big hedge funds will want back in. It's all a silly game especially when momentum and fundamentals are worlds apart in a company with the most earnings and the strongest Balance Sheet on the planet..

robr2

No. I'm saying that TODAY it's up because the rest of the market is up.

I'm sitting here watching the ticker on Bloomberg News and there is one red arrow for every 15 green arrows. Irrational exuberance is the phrase that makes sense....

ljflx

Well then why wasn't it up on other days the market was up? What's different about today?

robr2

Because today was an historic data point.

Let's agree to disagree. I'll be the first one to say I WAS WRONG if the market rises again tomorrow.

ljflx

Market's are rising because worker productivity is thru the roof, banks are lending freely again and profits and revenue are rising. I'd expect plenty more record highs in the next few months. The banks are fighting themselves to give out loans now. I was working on a bank amendment yesterday because I just eased all my credit terms including interest rate and distribution flexibility. It's happening all across small business now.

cyclone4

Rob, yes the Dow reached all time highs today and that does not at all surprise me. And, the Dow could very well be lower tomorrow after this great run-up. HOWEVER, there is something else going on with AAPL today. The Dow is up 1% while AAPL is up 3%. When was the last time that happened?

Btw, I have been a stock market bull since March of 2009 when the low was reached. That is when I bought my first stock (Wells Fargo) since I dumped everything I had in stocks in the spring and summer of 2008. This is going to be a very long/extended bull run. Having said this, there will be significant pullbacks from time to time, but the Dow will be reaching much higher values over the next few years. How about 16,000 say a couple years from now? I think it will happen.

EDIT: So, right after I posted the above, AAPL tanked to only about 2% higher. There is a lot of trading left today and we'll see what happens by the close.

robr2

You pointed that something was up with AAPL because it was up today. IMHO, everything you are pointing out is longer term than today.

I'm not bearish on the market but I just think you are getting too excited about a 2% jump (not uncommon in todays market) in a stock that pulled back over 35% in the past 120 days.

robr2

What about the dozens of other stocks that were up more than the Dow today? Is AAPL somehow special compared to them?

Again, IMHO AAPL was up 2% today - which is hardly an abnormal movement on any stock in today's market - because of the exuberance of people buying on sheer speculation.

My three other stock holdings all went up between 1.4% and 2% today. None of them announced or did anything special today - just like AAPL.

ljflx

I said the main reason was probably because it was badly oversold. My point is that Apple has been falling on just about every day the market rose. So the fact that it's up on an up market day is hardly because the market is up. I don't know how I can be any clearer. But the last reason I think Apple rose today is because the market rose.

robr2

So let's agree to disagree and move on.

Luckily I dumped AAPL a few weeks ago just before the earnings announcement and was spared the $60/share bloodbath.

cyclone4

To be exact, AAPL was up 2.64% while the Dow was up 0.89%. All Len and I are saying is that AAPL has been getting hammered almost every day recently while the Dow was going up. So, there was something different/special going on today. Maybe it doesn't mean anything and APPL will once again go in the dumps but today's action suggests something different.

anthonyp

Hopefully so.....When is the board meeting? That may be a big day if they do the right thing

Mr Buffet suggested no dividend, and gave a simple understandable explanation --in his letter to shareholders--- unfortunately his math has a number of `constants` that are highly unlikely to happen in a way that would make his formula successful, unless you had a really large shareholding......He makes his investments, and I have observed over they years, that the investments he makes are then much more generous with their dividends....He is the amazing investor of all time...and personally if he paid a dividend, I would probably just put most of my funds into his stock....My what a way to go....

I have been casually watching the `seed` sprout from the idea of leasing a car...I compared a six cylinder a 8 to the eight cylinder bmw 7....Strangely the three hundred + six cylinder is almost as fast as the four hundred + bmw...Something doesn`t make sense to me? any thoughts Tony

houdini1

in a stock that pulled back over 35% in the past 120 days.

The theory I like best about the big decline in aapl of the last few months is that, at its peak, many of the growth funds that held aapl simply had to sell because at that point aapl was not a growth stock.

These funds had to put the money somewhere, so a lot of it has gone to Amazon. I am hoping we see a reversal starting soon, now that aapl has some room to grow again.

fintail

I think for some applications, hp just doesn't matter as much once you reach a certain point, as long as the engine has a lot of torque. I know my diesel car has ~90 less hp than the gas equivalent, yet is only .2 sec slower 0-60. However, it has 400 lb/ft torque, which makes up for the hp.

anthonyp

Welll in this case both are gas powered....I may have mis read, although I re-read it several times, so maybe mis printed I know gearing can have an influence....I also ,in the past, have had poorer gas milage with a six than eight cylinder car.....I`m more interested in gas milage at this point in life, as the roads are just too congested, and tickets too far reaching

I noticed today where a couple of analysts have cut the price of aapl substantially. Those kind of prices would mean I would have a loss for a very long time......Man they need to increase the payout.....or Grandson and I will end badly Tony

imidazol97

>I noticed today where a couple of analysts have cut the price of aapl substantially.

A couple days back cNbc had a story about how Google is the new aapl.
Today they had a lead for a story about the problem with appl. I had a phone call and missed the actual story they ran.

Sounds like the negatives are out there and the momemtum is in Google. Glad I didn't buy in aapl a year or so ago after reading about its constant upward movement here on TSMaI.

cyclone4

I noticed today where a couple of analysts have cut the price of aapl substantially. Those kind of prices would mean I would have a loss for a very long time......Man they need to increase the payout.....or Grandson and I will end badly

Tony, I would be stunned if there is not an increase on the payout. It will be announced soon I believe. But, in any case, the fact that analysts are still downgrading the price of AAPL is probably good news in my opinion. The negativism has gotten out of control on this stock. That's GOOD! Apple will be coming out with great new products in the near future and the stock will once again take off. As I stated on several occasions, just be patient.

anthonyp

Charlie `hi` friendly face in the woods -----The thing that is so frustrating is I know how a well managed company can help the shareholders, and make other people want to be shareholders.....The product are really fine although for me personally, I wanted a larger phone...I`m sure they will provide one....This company provided the unique products, supported them really well, and the stock rewarded management and investors ...Now they are truly neglecting investors, just not providing the `glue` to hold things together, and possibly `breaking` the bond that was built.....It won`t do them any good if they do not get in front of this lapse....and further tone down this volatility......You know as well as I a decline of say forty percent just shows a lack of leadership or what you could expect of some minor company without proven products.....Do you know when the board meeting is? Tony

fintail

Gas or diesel doesn't matter as much as low end torque, and as you mention, gearing, too.

Many old 6cyl cars are less efficient than V8 cars - old American cars can be this way, and even with something like a 6cyl S-class vs a V8 S-class, the V8 could actually get better highway mpg, as the engine didn't have to work hard.

For many very modern cars, the 6 and 8 will be very similar, buy the one you think is best, it will probably be hard to tell them apart. The 8 will probably have more inherent smoothness.

cyclone4

Do you know when the board meeting is?

I think it is suppose to be this week Tony, but I'm not positive.

anthonyp

I had also heard something like that, but the computer is rather vague---sort of implying maybe the end of April......Seems as they would be exact and open when the board meets...Important imo Tony

cyclone4

Tony, here is an opinion that totally differs about dividends and especially iPrefs.

http://beta.fool.com/robertbaillieul/2013/03/07/david-einhorn-is-wrong-on-iprefs- /26038/?source=eogyholnk0000001