Comments on Fund My Mutual Fund: Bookkeeping: Buying some Apple (AAPL) Ahead of Res...

Mike, we are always at the mercy at earnings seaso...

2008-06-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

Mike, we are always at the mercy at earnings season of the gods.

I've seen stocks miss by 15% but gap up, and stocks beat by 20% and gap down. There is no easy answer - look at MON today

I do believe people will flee into tech if this "rotation" move continues which is essentially the reason for the BIDU/AAPL buys yesterday.

I think most stocks are at the mercy of the greater market right now. If we continue a downtrend once we through this oversold bounce, I don't think there will be safety in anywhere. So it might not be so tied to RIMM as just the general market.

But again for earnings, its like going to Vegas and betting on black which is why I generally pull back on almost every position going into earnings - its more a game for speculators.

Great call on AAPL. I sold off 3/4 of my position...

2008-06-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

Great call on AAPL. I sold off 3/4 of my position at 183 but didn't pick up any here. Any chance they both fall after RIMs report, or is AAPL off to the races here?

That's what I would attemptWho is to say 2% is the...

2008-06-24T18:20:00.000-04:00

That's what I would attempt

Who is to say 2% is the right number? It could be 3% . It could be 4%. It could be 1%. No one knows since its manipulated by a bunch of economists in a room as if they are "all knowing".

So for psychological reasons they could raise rates and put out strong language on inflation. Will 2.25% or 2.50% really be any different than 2.00%? No.

Are they that out of the box to think of something like this? Somehow I doubt it.

.25 would be symbolic but it would at least act as a change in attitude and cause those who are riding the oil wave to infinity to rethink.

If the FED/Treasury wants to crush Oil/Commodities...

2008-06-24T18:01:00.000-04:00

If the FED/Treasury wants to crush Oil/Commodities, look for a .25 increase in the Fed Funds and a comment about further increases. Market should immediately sell off but could rally big time shortly thereafter. IMO

IPI is do for a pullback up 50% this month. Good ...

2008-06-24T17:07:00.000-04:00

IPI is do for a pullback up 50% this month. Good #'s on CLF u puplished

Yes it will make it tougher in a general sense. I...

2008-06-24T16:47:00.000-04:00

Yes it will make it tougher in a general sense. I just think the emerging economies are going to have some rough times ahead with growing inflation. Their "middle class" (newly formed) is not immune - however many in China and India have been getting 10-15% wage increases so they can handle it better than Americans. But its generally not a great thing for stock markets so the best solution might simply be time. Let corrections play out and when we come out the other side of things you'll be able to buy China/India at very nice discounts for the next major bull run.

I still have a few names in both but not overweight. This is probably the case people are making for US stocks in fact - everyone used to hide in foreign stocks the past 15-18 months. Now if that goes away, where next? Can't do 15 year bear market in Japan. Can't do Europe. So that leaves the BR of BRIC or the US/Canada?

I just think its going to be a tough investment era for a while here. Focus on individual stocks, not stock markets. Always some winners to be found but just buying index funds like anyone could do for China or Eastern Europe the past 5 years is not going to be the most profitable way.

Mark,higher interest rates are not good for growth...

2008-06-24T16:42:00.000-04:00

Mark,

higher interest rates are not good for growth, I'm talking about India. not good for stocks, then how to profit from higher rates?
other than shorting stocks..
Any ideas?

but don't forget the EIA crude numbers at 10:30; c...

2008-06-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

but don't forget the EIA crude numbers at 10:30; could be a minor blip in what is looking like a very positive day

got my [reduced] stimulus today, think I'll mosey on down to BestBuy and look at a pair of new flat screens. getting too old to look at the small font on these 17's

just doing my part to salvage HeloBen's legacy

Nice place to try a trade there on the 50 day on Q...

2008-06-24T16:05:00.000-04:00

Nice place to try a trade there on the 50 day on QCOM

Will be interesting to see how investors react to these earnings reports

RIMM has NOT pulled back so seems vulnerable to me. Hence why I went with AAPL.

Frankly the safest stocks right now appear to be homebuilders - I mean what other bad news could come out? the stocks are decimated. hah.

As MOS goes, so will follow POT. MOS chart looks like a rollover. Wouldnt touch it til it gets to that 50 day down in mid 130s. But I'm greedy like that.

bought QCOM on the pullback today myself. benefit...

2008-06-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

bought QCOM on the pullback today myself. benefits from both AAPL & RIMM.

also fyi came within 1 cent of my next MOS order hitting... so keep an eye on that, closing close to the lows. POT's holding up slightly better and still has a ways to go til it hits my order

yankee, I'm very confidant of their business. Jus...

2008-06-24T15:28:00.000-04:00

yankee, I'm very confidant of their business. Just worried about the stock.

It is sort of like what is happening in retail as a whole - people get excited about sales in Walmart, Costco, Big Lots, and try to parlay that as a reason to buy JCPenney Kohls

Even today Kroger reported good sales - and people want to parlay that into a recovering consumer. No, its a consumer shunning restaurants but still needs to eat.

As people cocoon in their staycations I still expect video games, Apple stuff, TVs etc to sell. Its just a downshift in lifestyle.

That said the stock is not the business so there is always risk, but you just have to buy the fundamental good businesses when they pull back and over time you will make out. The company is quite amazing and again Macs are the real story here for all the fuss about the other nice things they have going.

I passed an Apple store in the "Westchester Mall" ...

2008-06-24T15:21:00.000-04:00

I passed an Apple store in the "Westchester Mall" yesterday about 2PM and it was packed full of people, buying. Every other store in the mall was EMPTY! So my takeaway is that they are selling whole lots more than iPODS and iPhones. This could be setting up for a spike higher.

yes they did it again..and said "inflationary pres...

2008-06-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

yes they did it again..and said "inflationary pressures are too high and use monitory policy if needed in future".

http://tinyurl.com/4zavm7

Wow. Again? they just raised rates earlier in Jun...

2008-06-24T13:19:00.000-04:00

Wow. Again? they just raised rates earlier in June. That's 2 shots in a 3 weeks - its sort of like Dow Chemical raising prices every 4-5 weeks.

We are *so lucky* there is no inflation in America... instead we can keep rates low so our banks can try to hobble together a business. :)

We are indeed a blessed nation. Inflation free to boot.

Reserve bank of India hiked interest rates, just n...

2008-06-24T13:12:00.000-04:00

Reserve bank of India hiked interest rates, just now.

Inflation, inflation inflation!!
no inflation in US..we are lucky..;)