Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to learn more!
Options
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Well... I do disagree, but it is very understandable. And, I certainly respect your market decisions, as they have been stellar, IMO. Certainly, there are other less risky investments you can make with that money. But, as long as I still see a 50% to 200%+ return within a few years, I don't want to let it go. If the day should come that I don't see that potential, I would dump the stock, but so far there are good reasons to hold it.
I am certainly not someone that has any investment credentials, but if I see any good reason to dump Citi, I will be among the first to do so, and I promise I will share that with everyone here. There are in fact many well-respected investors that also see Citi as a big winner down the road. And, to be fair, there are some that see it as a loser.
For the record, and for others here in the forum that might be concerned about this... the most current analyst ratings (Zacks) give Citi a much more positive than negative rating.
Analyst Ratings, Citigroup
Recommendations...Current
Strong Buy.................. 7
Moderate Buy............ 0
Hold............................ 9
Moderate Sell........... 1
Strong Sell................ 1
I personally think it is more likely that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is clever enough to see this as an opportunity to gain some political prowess and publicity for himself.
Politicians... what would we do without 'em?
TM
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I can't wait to learn about your IPO.
BTW, I believe you meant to type UBS, right?
TM
Also, the calls were not expensive even if they go to zero. The naked Puts were sold in very limited qty, but I do keep an eye on them all the time.
I will post on the IPO as soon as I get concrete info on it.
Sounds good...
TM
Somehow I just knew you would see the possibilities of truth behind my theory. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I believe it could be true. When I told my theory to my wife, she thought it would make a good book, or movie script. She might be right.
If I was an investigative reporter, I'd be all over this one... as long as the criminals didn't kill me first. :surprise:
TM
Regards,
OW
Sort'a like staying away form buying a GM vehicle...it's a no-brainer to me...but what'a I know?
Regards,
OW
Of course, if you are a buy and hold investor, the past 2 weeks in the market are just a fly on an elephant's butt in the scheme of things. :shades:
Effective last night (and implemented first thing this morning), my investment priority at this point has shifted to preservation of capital.
Most recently, I have been hot and cold and back to hot and cold on this stock market that is obviously caught in a serious tug of war for many reasons... some more legitimate than others.
Fundamentals are mixed and the global picture is even more mixed. The market has become unstable and therefore brings with it the potential for wild swings in either direction. There are numerous significant reasons for serious concern.
I might miss some upside, but I would rather do that than be caught in a terrible downward spiral.
As I look at the overall picture, I am very pleased with my investment results, but if I stay in this market I could end up throwing it all away. I simply will not let this volatile market chip away at my gains... and there is certainly no reason to become greedy. Greed can overcome clarity of thinking, and I will not let that happen. I have enough gains to satisfy myself. It was terrific to participate in the incredible gains during the past year. Those types of gains cannot last forever, particularly in the midst of this very complicated and dangerous current global situation... global financial crisis, part 2? I will never forget how Charlie got out before part 1.
The global picture is one that I can not ignore, and I will not become complacent. I do not trust many of the world's governments, the militant terrorists, the white-collar terrorists, many of the corporations, nor many of the so-called financial experts, not even some of the world's scientists, and certainly no politicians. In fact, I no longer totally trust the stock market itself.
So, after careful thought and also after prayer, my decision and current direction and priority is so very clear to me...
Current objective: Preservation of capital.
I am completely and totally out of this stock market for a while, as I am taking a breather... a nice vacation from the market. And, my God, I feel great about it already. :shades:
TM
I would have to imagine that you are paying close attention to the price of oil lately. The steep price drop is what you expected last year, but now finally seems to be underway. Do you think this is due to energy fundamentals, or more due to the currency crisis? And, what's your perspective on oil prices, moving forward?
TM
Regards,
Jose
Didn't you just get back in a day or so ago?
I have done very well with stocks. I made a couple of bad calls along the way, but I also made some highly-profitable stellar calls, and overall I have done extraordinarily well. I have no complaints.
But, I am crystal clear that this is now the time for me to go to the cashier's window, and take a nice relaxed break.
This comes to mind... the Kenny Rogers song, "The Gambler"...
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
:shades:
TM
edit: Don't forget... I have had the bulk of my investment assets in fixed instruments for many years... and I have done nothing to change that. But, with regards to equities... time for me to sit back and enjoy the fireworks.
Most of us lack the skill to bob & weave to the extent displayed here -- no drop is unforseen, no rise unanticipated. We mere mortals live only to touch the hem of the garments of such folks, but lacking that opportunity, trudge on.
I own mutual funds -- can't you tell?
Previously, I'd be waiting for the next perfect moment to get back in the market. This time I am not going to do so. I am taking a break no matter what happens. Perhaps some posters here don't believe that I'm done with the equities market for now, but I really am done for a while. There will be plenty of opportunities again in the future, and I will be happy to jump back in one day when I am ready. I still intend to work on my strategy to turn about $50 - $100K into $1Mil sometime next year or shortly thereafter.
In the meantime, I have not decided where I am going to invest all the money... probably fixed instruments, not sure... but no equities.
TM
BTW good story on last weeks high frequency trades that cause the big 20 minute drop here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/business/14norris.html?ref=business
Check THIS out!...
Here's the link... link title ...but I've copied the content.
Big seller in market drop ID'ed as Waddell & Reed
By DAVID PITT (AP) – 4 hours ago
DES MOINES, Iowa — Shares of money manager Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. fell Friday as it was identified as the stock trader that sold off a large number of index futures contracts during last Thursday's market collapse.
The company's stock fell $1.81, or 5 percent, to $32.25, on a day when broader markets fell nearly 2 percent.
Waddell's sale of 75,000 e-mini futures contracts in a 20-minute span on May 6 drew the attention of regulators, Thomson Reuters reported.
E-minis are tied to the value of the S&P 500 index. They're traded electronically on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Overland Park, Kan.-based Waddell & Reed, which provides mutual funds and asset management services, said its trading of e-mini contracts was part of its normal operation to protect fund investors from market risk.
"The portfolio managers in those flexible portfolio funds often make hedging trades to attempt to protect shareholders from downside risk. And that's what was happening in that case," spokesman Roger Hoadley said.
Waddell & Reed said it was one of more than 250 companies that traded e-mini securities as the stock market plunged. The Dow Jones industrials lost nearly 1,000 points, nearly a tenth of their value in less than half an hour. It was the biggest drop ever in a trading day. The Dow recovered two-thirds of the loss before the closing bell, but the free fall prompted close scrutiny of that day's trading as regulators try to figure out what caused the sell-off.
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said Tuesday in testimony before the House Financial Services subcommittee on capital markets that her agency has yet to pinpoint the reason for the sell-off.
Six major U.S. securities exchanges on Monday agreed in principle to a uniform system of "circuit breakers," which could slow trading during sharp market swings. Most of the 50 U.S. exchanges regulate themselves and design their own tools for slowing or halting trading.
Schapiro and her fellow SEC commissioners will review the recommendations submitted by the exchanges for a marketwide system of circuit breakers, SEC spokesman John Nester said after the hearing.
Once the market started falling, automated computer trading intensified the downturn. The selling only led to more selling as prices plummeted and traders tried to limit their losses.
Waddell & Reed said it, like many other traders, was affected negatively by the market activity of May 6.
The CME and regulators at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission declined to comment on Friday.
In congressional testimony this week Schapiro and Gary Gensler, head of the CFTC, said e-mini contract trading was believed to have lead to steep stock price declines.
Gensler testified that one trader took a large short position in the e-mini, selling "on the way down and (continuing) to do so even as the price level recovered." He didn't name the trader.
Waddell's spokesman said the company has not been contacted by regulators or the CME about the May 6 trading.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Incredible, eh?
TM
Eyjafjallajökull
Appealing enough, the eruption does not come from a previous cone but below the glacier.
Regards,
Jose
Nice pics. Did you get much of the ash falling where you are located? I know it can be hard on the paint of your car.
Regards,
Jose
It has me rethinking my plan to fly Icelandair on my next trip to save a few bucks (which I will then blow on a nice rental car :shades: )
I missed the entire decline and recovery and then another decline, all in a week due to being on the farm without a computer or t v...Got a tv and got the pbs station, and one other, and just in passing heard the market had decline a thousand points before recovery.......I thought to myself---`where there is smoke there is fire`....When I got back to town, I saw where c had declined below four......I did get the feeling last week that this felt alot like the turn of the century, with rampant
speculation---particularly Bideau (sp)......
It was interesting to get your perspective on Spain, and although I don`t really know much about it, it was nice to get your input. and a ray of sunshine that things wern`t as bad as reported to be.....
Everyone wanted a correction in the market, to be able to purchase favorite securities at more reasonable prices.......Some on this board have done so, while others pulled back.....As I said I personally was going to hold through this time of decline, and I believe for me this will prove out to be successful......I don`t average down, but instead look in the mirror, and say `you made a mistake`.....:) Tony
I think it sorta goes like this:
1 - there's a lot of ash in the air
2 - there have been many cases of multi-engine jets flaming out with ash in the air
3 - we don't know how the ash levels from Iceland will affect the engines of the jets
4 - until we do, let's take the conservative approach and not have a bunch of planes gliding down from the sky
:shades:
Welcome back from the farm. Do you think you make an investment mistake? Did you buy that John Deere tractor?
TM
Funny I learnt yesterday Lamborghini was first of all a very well Italian established tractor factory whose founder (after WWII) and owner was Mr Ferruccio Lamborghini, the son of viticulturists and an mechanic himself.
Late in the Fifties Mr Lamborghini bought a Ferrari—he had owned already a series of Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Maseratis, MBs, and other Ferraris—of which the clutch gave a lot of problems. Mr Lamborghini then asked the mechanics of his own tractor factory to made a clutch for the car; they did, the clutch was fitted into the Ferrari and served there very well. Then in a party or elsewhere Mr Lamborghini told Mr Ferrari that he could give him good advice about how to improve Ferrari's clutches. Mr Ferrari slapped back that Mr Lamborghini should gave advice on tractors but not in high-end sport cars. Reportedly Mr Lamborghini went then into a long-dreamed venture: to build a high-end sport/touring car which could compete with Ferrari. And Lamborghini were from there on! The car factory was build on 1963 and the first big success came with the Miuras in 1966!
I heard this story from a current engineer of the Lamborghini factory at Sant'Agata Bolognese. (I was watching an interesting TV documentary on the production of Lamborghini Murciélago SV at Sant'Agata Bolognese, which was previous to the broadcasting of the qualifications for F1 Monaco GP.)
Regards,
Jose
I'd rather interpret Murphy's Law "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" in the sense that in any circumstance every known problem has to be addressed to avoid trouble. And volcano ashes and aircrafts are a well-documented problematic circumstance.
There are many instances of damage to jet aircraft as a result of an ash encounter. After the Galunggung, Indonesia volcanic event in 1982, a British Airways Flight 9 flew through an ash cloud; all four engines cut out. The plane descended from 36,000 feet (11,000 m) to 12,000 feet (3,700 m), where the engines could be restarted. On December 15, 1989 a KLM Boeing 747-400 (Flight 867) flying from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Anchorage International Airport encountered similar problems near Mount Redoubt (Alaska). The damage was 80 million US$; there was 80 kg ash in each turbine; it took 3 months work to repair the plane.
In April 2010, airspace all over Europe was closed—which was unprecedented—due to the presence of volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. On 15 April 2010 the Finnish Air Force halted training flights when damage was found from volcanic dust ingestion by the engines of one of its Boeing F-18 Hornet fighters. On 22 April 2010 UK RAF Typhoon training flights were also temporarily suspended after deposits of volcanic ash were found in a jet's engines.
From Wikipedia
Of course Airlines are pulling the other end of the rope trying not to loose money. Understandable to a point, but someone has to regulate here too, and this is a role to be played by 'bureaucrat' technicians under political control IMO.
Regards,
Jose
PS
It would be like me blaming someone on this thread for a loss on "C" over the last week. :shades:
No I don`t think I made an investment mistake, just a timing mistake, and over a longer period of time, a minor one...probably....C has alot of foreign exposure, so they are there when things pick up abroad, and slowly they are addressing their past errors.....I do think the overhang of government stock will be in the picture, and no matter what the pros say, in this day and time nothing is discounted...When they sell, down she goes...
As for the farm, I purchased a Kabots--just like you
I am partial to John Deere, but the dealership is a long way from Charleston,as the farming industry is dying.....The farmer just doesn`t get enough for the crop to justify the huge investment and time and trouble--not to mention the input costs....Either a multi thousand acre operation or none IMO...This will happen slowly over a long period of time, but mark my words, another great American industry going abroad.....
Next week i will put the down payment on a Polaris side by side 6X6...for future delivery....then I will rest
Agreed. These days the business is for buses fleeted by passengers stopped at the airports. If any, IMO, the government or the airlines should be helpful and ready in order to clear traffic/airports but not at government or airlines expenses. Last Christmas Spanish Gov. helped passengers in organizing the fleeting of charters to clear Madrid airport when a cheap airline went into bankruptcy and left thousands of passengers without their flies to America and Europe.
On the other hand, I am very grateful to the airline clerk who found an alternative connection for me to fly from London to Bilbao two winters ago when Madrid airport (my booked connection) was closed for two days because of a heavy snow storm. She found a connection through Paris, whilst the clerk next to her was angrily denying the same to other flyer. I herd them discussing the issue, made a sign to the flyer to pass to my queue with me, and the clerk that was helping me helped her as well. That convinced me again that life can be as a "chocolate box" no matter how well you deal with the unexpected. (BTW, who was who said that?
Regards,
Jose
Awesome tractor. I love mine... had it for many years, with almost no issues. I haven't used it in the last two years, though... as I haven't worked on the property in quite a while. My brother-in-law uses it, however, and it's been a lifesaver for everyone back there.
I have equipped it with a frontloader attachment, a rear cutter, and a powerful backhoe attachment.
I think this is your model with a front loader. Did you get a canopy or enclosed cab?
On a seperate note, you seem to have a sensible perspective on the Citi stock. Sure, it would have been nice to get it at its exact low, but that is usually not possible to be so precise. As long as you have it at a depressed price, which you clearly have accomplished, then you have a good chance of doing well down the line. Many experts believe it will be worth $7.50 - $10.00 (or much more) per share in just a few years or less. Who knows, I might end up getting back in the market before it starts to climb again... but I am definitely taking a break for a while.
Good luck with the Kubota!
TM
That was an attractive picture, and the background looked very interesting....
I would suggest that when the stock market gets frustrating , to walk the couple of blocks and get near the breakers on the beach.....All the different opinions are meaningless, and your own thoughts have been right on the mark....just stand back a little and give yourself a chance...Tony
Well, if you do Charlie... it will probably go up 500 pts. the very next day...
Seriously... with the global situation like it is, and with this psychotic, irrational, and corrupt market... I am going to be watching one hell of a show. No matter what direction the market goes, it is truly nice to be a spectator at a time like this. :shades:
TM
I cannot possibly argue with this statement.
Here's a quote from the story:
Showing a computer chart to a visitor, Mr. Narang zeroes in on one stock that had recently been a winner for the firm. Which stock? Mr. Narang clicks on the chart to bring up the ticker symbol: NETL. What’s that? Mr. Narang clicks a few more times and answers slowly: “NetLogic Microsystems.” He shrugs. “Never heard of it,” he says.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/business/17trade.html?hpw
Talk about pushing a button to end the world! :sick:
Regards,
OW
Exactly what I was thinking. If all of these firms traded the same way the Dow could fall to a few points. This is the financial equivalent of the movie Terminator.
Would you put your money in a bank if the bank manager came to you and told you that the bank's collective accounts were being robbed and manipulated on a regular basis? He'd have to be a very good salesman to convince people to put their money in his bank, wouldn't he?
But, what if that bank was actually the stock market, and those same robbers/manipulators were still at work? Oh, and no investment insurance, of course.
So, should we give 'em our money?
TM
Len, assuming that there will be regulation to avoid another fiasco in the very near future where do we go from here in the market? I am still quite optimistic about the overall U.S. economy.
Tag - the problem is nothing is long-term anymore. Fundamentally short-term traders will be overwhelmed by positive LT events in the long run. Look at Apple at 84 vs 250-270 in 16 months. But now you get where you are bound to get through a series of sharp roller coaster ridges rather than a slow but steady rising graph with just minor deviations from the line. These volume trades love volatility so they are progrramed to accentuate it and the more and more high frequency traders join the club the more out of hand and severe the valleys and tops will get. So the bottom line is you need good LT stocks that you believe in and if you get out you need to get back in before the tide rises again and as we saw a week ago at this time that can happen swiftly - for all wrong reasons. If you have a now to then future vision for a stock (as I think many of us do for citi) then you sit through the quakes. If not you jump in and out trying to time the guesses of the volume traders you need to be lucky, and undoubtedly some of these decisions of high frequency traders are dictated by the latest guest on CNBC. If these traders are in and out in 11 seconds they've traded 20 million shares (none of which they ever owned probably) in the 5 minutes the person is interviewed.
The only reason I am still in the market is because my investment is not a huge amount. Thus, I am taking the chance that common sense will win out.
Btw, can you believe the gas prices at the pump these days? It is mind boggling. The futures have plummeted to $2.05. In our area, the gas prices at the pump are typically 30-40 cents above the futures. Instead, as of early this morning, they were a whopping 64 cents above the futures.
The fall has happened so swiftly that I d'ont think it's caught up yet. Meant to tell you that I am taking the new LS460L with Teleios wheels. The car looks very stylish with them especially in a dark color. Also AWD comes automatically with the air suspension.
But, there's more to it. Some of the instruments they are trading are suspicious and questionable, IMO.
I do agree, however, that a good stock that is poised for growth should overcome most of the baloney out there, on a LT basis, but I also think that ANY stock can get sucked into a human/computer generated vortex... in fact, I think we've all seen that the entire market can become highly compromised.
Consider that fixed instruments can deliver a reasonable return up to as much as 8%, and that stocks historically average maybe around 11%. (although the S&P hasn't really done anything for over a decade .) The idea of risking so much just to get 3% seems out of whack.
Only those stocks that are poised to make 50% - 200% would be worth it to me. Down the road, I'll be on the lookout for a few of those, otherwise I have no interest in the market in its current condition. Perhaps financial reform will help the market, but I really expect no more than a band-aid from our politicians... if even that.
TM