bookie71

My problem with Wal-Mart has nothing to do with the numbers. Since Mr. Walton died they have become obsessed with the bean counters. When Sam was alive he went out of his way to encourage US manufacturing if possible and for the time treated the employees OK, not great but OK. Now the employees are almost slaves (again a personal opinion),they buy the cheapest products even changing formulas to get cheaper inventory (check out Corning Ware). Costco has done very well doing just the opposite.

One of our local politicians has said of one of his opponents, "He is a legend in his own mind." ;D :D ;)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112893572

Crip, "around $25 BILLION dollars like I discuss a $20 pizza." In elementry accounting, we refer to it as "materiality" ;D :D ::)

Google them, they do this on a lot of merger, buy out activities.

Someone told me years ago that to short the housing market , you short the banks making the loans. It seems to work, but I've never had the nerve to do shorts.

05:12 PM 09/01/09 DJ Wells Fargo CEO: Expect To Repay TARP Soon Without Share Sale-Bloomberg Thought you might be interested in this: DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) expects repay $25 billion from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program without a new share sale, the bank's chief executive told Bloomberg News Tuesday. "We will pay it back, but we're going to pay it back in a shareholder-friendly way," John Stumpf said on Bloomberg TV. "We are now earning capital so quickly, organically, we don't want to dilute our existing shareholders." Full story at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=WFC%3AUS&sid=allmwXXTY5ok -Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2900 Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=aRYUVpYKVvI7DbFf52kn9A%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day. (END) Dow Jones Newswires September 01, 2009 16:16 ET (20:16 GMT)

One article that I read some time ago suggested that part of the problem is that Japan has a much larger percentage of an aging population. I'm not sure if that is a factor but I haven't seen that noted.

Due diligence to most of these characters means, "See which product has the best commission."

"Berkowitz has noted that Lampert was clearly not as brilliant as everyone hyped him to be," . nor is Berkowiz as brilliant as he seems to think he is. jmho (and it is worth exactly what it cost you)

don't forget that they have been buying distressed debt. Making bad debt into good is one of their specialties. I vote fairly stated.

I don't believe that the B's can be converted to A's. That is why the Gates foundation is only getting B"s.

My janitor is 85 or so. He has plenty of $, but he says he works for the exposure to people.

is it really possible to understand a bank balance sheet (including Wells Fargo,USB, etc.) ? . . That is why it is easier to evaluate "local" or "regional" banks. You are more familiar with the local economy and better able to evaluate the reserves. You can also check out management as to reputation, etc. You can do drive by's on the local projects that are in trouble and see who the lender is.

Once again Warren has lost his touch! ;D :D ;) :o

Hey , we have lots of massage parlors in Alaska. We even have a few legimate types. Get a copy of Johnny's Girl by Kim _____. Remember the "pipeline" with all the $$$ and young guys? ;) ;D :D ::)

It's easier to blame someone else, than to take responsibility for your own actions. ;D

Actually you get a tax credit on your US taxes equal to the amount paid to Canada so it really doesn't cost you anything. Kind of like the withholding on your paycheck.

It reminds me of the time (about a month before the tech bubble burst) that the Alaska Permanent Fund fired their last "value" investment advisor as he obviously did not understand the new stock market. i believe that before this last bust they went for a couple of hedge funds (but that is a rumor)

Is this a good contrarian indicator?? ;D

Does anyone know what happened in the great depression? i remember my folks talking about the "warrents" but not what happened after they got one..

I'll also point out that the fund business is about asset gathering. To be successful, it's helpful to be a good salesman. The asset gathering part is likely to take more time and effort than expected. . . Sad but true, I've e watched one company (locally) lose people's money, and they have gone back to it several times, because the owner is such a good salesman. He has almost been indited several times, but always dodges the bullet. Basically he practices the "momentum" style of investing. :(

It would be considered self dealing which is normally a no no. You might be able to get permission, but the legal costs would probably be prohibitive. Be sure before you do it, that you spend some time with one of the pension, profit sharing experts as it is an extremely complex area.

I always enjoy reading their 8-K's for the humor. In this one they compare legal fees with having to eat dead frogs. http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/746515/000119312509135706/d8k.htm Enjoy Chuck ;D

Don't forget that the shoe companies, newspapers et al, that he hung onto were producing lots of cash, especially since they weren't spending lots of cash on upgrading.