Investing in development stage biotech companies is risky business. We’re talking about companies with no material product revenues, high cash burn rates and fairly high failure rates. At the same time, successful drugs can generate huge returns. And if you can find a stock that gives you a 500% return, that supports a lot of failures. An effective… Read More »
I have to admit, sometimes I can be a bit of an ambulance chaser. One of the guiltier pleasures I indulge in my search for stocks is a periodic check of top percentage losers. Here’s a list of stocks owned by legions of hopeful investors who were wrong. Very wrong. In a single day, 10, 20, 30, even… Read More »
A friend of mine, having heard me rant several times about the impending doom of Blockbuster(BBI), sent me an article from everyone’s favorite source of fake news, The Onion. The article, entitled “Struggling Blockbuster Eliminates Rental Fees,” contemplates a desperate attempt by Blockbuster to retain customers by eliminating all charges and even paying customers for renting videos. It… Read More »
In an earlier post, I warned that Hewlett Packard(HPQ) should be sold it as it had only gone up in the face of increasingly bad news. More than a week later, the stock has finally begun to descend(down $1.91 to $34.87 on 9/21), but with the news continuing to get worse and clear questions unaddressed, the stock continues… Read More »
Like all investors, I’m always looking for a chance to buy a dollar for eighty cents. Rarely though, have I found a company where the value is as easy to understand as is the case with Cadus Corporation(KDUS). Cadus is a tiny company with a market cap of only $19.7 million at today(9/21/06)’s close of $1.50, yet it… Read More »
There’s an old scam where an enterprising prognosticator sends out many thousands of his newsletters unsolicited. Being a friendly chap, our prognosticating protagonist personalizes his newsletters. Choosing a binary event, perhaps a football game, or the direction of a particular stock index that week, he predicts for half of his recipients one outcome. Ever eager to please, for… Read More »
Wow! I have to admit, when I wrote my piece on First Marblehead (FMD) late last night, the stock was at $52.35, and while I expected it to go up today, it has blown past my most optimistic guess of where it would go. As I write this, the stock has just passed through 60, up over 15%.… Read More »
First Marblehead(FMD) is one of those stocks that people either love(First Marblehead: A Bull’s Thorough Defense) or hate(First Marblehead Proves Us Right). Count me in the love category. The company announced today updated details on its upcoming securitization of student loans. The total loan volume being securitized has increased to an estimated $1.84 billion up from last week’s… Read More »
You may not have heard of Lifetime Brands(LCUT), but you almost certainly own one of their products. The company owns or licenses a broad array of brands including Farberware, Sabatier, Hoffritz, Pfaltzgraff, KitchenAid and Cuisinart. Lifetime is the largest supplier of cutting boards, silicone bakeware, and pantryware, the second largest supplier of household cutlery and a significant player… Read More »
For nearly a week the scandal at Hewlett-Packard(HPQ) has dominated the headlines. Each day has brought progressively worse news. What began as news that George Keyworth had been identified as the source of a leak and would not stand reelection, quickly escalated with the revelation that investigators hired by board Chairwoman Patricia Dunn had obtained information about directors… Read More »