A Reader Writes "How do you rank your top 25?"

Hello Friends! A quick note before I shut down for the evening....I had an encouraging email which I would like to share with you....Leon writes,

Hi bob,

Interesting site.....I was wondering how you rank your top 25 that you invest in ? best growth or consistent growth ( as per strong moat)......also more importantly....how has performance of your investment been like with those methods.

Warmest regards.

In response to Leon's questions, I would like to point out that I do not have a true top 25 list. What I do have is my current trading portfolio that I REALLY need to update, which contains the stocks that I have chosen to personally own. I have one additional stock, Rite-Aid (RAD), which is in there that does NOT fit the criteria I have laid out, regarding steading earnings/revenue growth etc. I purchased that stock prior to really setting up this investment protocol about a year and a half ago.

I refer to "natural selection" as a sort of DARWINIAN investment process that creates my portfolio. In other words, I purchase a stock when my system says I can. That is, when I have sold a portion of a stock at a gain, then I can add another position...up to my maximum of 25...currently at 22. I tend to buy a stock THAT DAY....that is showing up in the current gainers...that is showing price momentum THAT day.

If it performs well, that is it doesn't decline in price to a sell point, well then it stays in my portfolio. I have MANY stocks I review that I really like. But I do NOT have enough money to buy them all! And many stocks that I reviewed early like TASER, yes I reviewed TASER Before the 3:1 and the 2:1 split....and I have never owned a share! There are others in my list that have declined significantly. Overall, my current trading portfolio has an unrealized gain of about $30,000....I am fairly heavily margined...that I do NOT recommend....at about 45% equity....the value of the trading accout is about $57,000, so that $30,000 in unrealized gains is quite good! The realized gains/losses for the year is only about $1,500....as I take a LOT of small losses...and am now only getting into long-term gains....I hope you follow.

I am not sure if I have adequately answered your question. I will try to update the website soon to get the latest numbers on the trading account in particular but I DO post almost immediately whenever I make a change!

Going back to your question, best growth or most consistent growth....tough question, but I believe that the BEST growth is the most CONSISTENT growth in earnings AND revenue if possible. I also like to see a real healthy underpinning to the whole operation with nice generation of free cash flow and a healthy balance sheet. If I can get this in a stock over $10, with reasonable valuation....well that would be NIRVANA. :)

Thanks again for stopping by! Remember I am an AMATEUR investor, so please consult with your professional investment advisors if you have questions on these stocks insofar as their appropriateness for your investment situation! Please feel free to write to me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com if you have any other questions or comments!

Bob

June 29, 2004 Getty Images (GYI)
Hello Friends! I didn't have much time to write up Getty Images (GYI) like I usually do, so I left you all a note that I would be back at it! Please remember that I am an amateur investor so that means you need to check into all investments discussed on this blog yourself and PLEASE consult with professional investment advisors before acting on any information on this website. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please also feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com and I will try to get back to you....usually with a blog entry!

Scanning throught the lists of greatest percentage gainers today, I came across Getty Images which closed this afternoon at $58.90, up $2.63 or 4.67% on the day. I do NOT own any shares nor do I have any options or leveraged positions in this company. According to the Yahoo "Profile", Getty "...is a provider of imagery and related products and services worldwide. Getty offers a range of visual content products that include creative or stock imagery (still and moving images), editorial photography, archival imagery (still and moving) and illustrations."

On April 22, 2004, GYI reported 1st quarter 2004 results. For the quarter ended March 31, 2004, revenue grew 20.1% to $156.5 million, compared with $130.3 million the prior year. Even taking into consideration currency exchange rates, revenue was up 11%. Net income was up almost 100% to $26.1 million or $.43/diluted share vs $13.2 million, or $.23/diluted share the prior year. Also pertinent, the company RAISED guidance for 2004, with revenue anticipated in the $600 to $610 million range and diluted eps of $1.55 to $1.65. This is MY kind of earnings report!

How about longer-term? How has Getty Images been doing? Looking at the "5-Yr Restated" financials on Morningstar.com, we can see that revenue has grown steadily, except for an unexpected "bump" in 2000, from $247.8 million in 1999 to $549.4 million in the trailing twelve months. With 2004 revenues anticipated in the $600 to $610 million range, this trend is expected even by the company to be continuing!

Earning, which were $(1.94)/share in 1999, turned positive at $.39 in 2002 and have grown to $1.31 in the trailing twelve months. This ALSO looks nice.

Free cash flow which was $(27) million in 2001, turned positive in 2002 at $66 million, and has grown strongly since with $144 million reported in the TTM. This is ANOTHER pretty picture for GYI!

How about the balance sheet? According to Morningstar, GYI has $356.6 million in CASH and another $107.9 million in other current assets. This is PLENTY to cover BOTH the $112.2 million in current liabilities AND the $273.8 million in long-term liabilities. This is the kind of balance sheet I LOVE to see!

And is "valuation" in line? Checking "Key Statistics" on Yahoo, we can see that the market cap is at $3.43 billion. The trailing p/e is a bit rich at 45.38 but the forward p/e (fye 31-Dec-05) is a bit better at 30.21...but still no bargain. The PEG, however, isn't bad at 1.54 but the price/sales is also a bit rich at 5.97. So we can see that GYI is NOT selling at some kind of "fire sale" price...but sometimes I guess you get what you pay for!

Yahoo reports that there are 58.28 million shares outstanding with 43.90 million shares that float. Currently there appears to be a LOAD of shares out short as of 6/7/04....3.68 million...representing 12.653 trading days of volume or 8.39% of the float. This is a bit of a bullish level...if you use as I have started using...3 days as a cut-off. So with the recent run-up in price...maybe we are seeing a bit of a "squeeze" of those short-sellers who may need to cover their "pre-sold" borrowed shares! Just maybe....

No dividend is paid and no stock-dividend is reported on Yahoo.

What about "Technicals"? Looking at a "Point & Figure" chart from stockcharts.com:

We can see that the stock has been trading very strongly. After reaching a level of $38 in April, 2002, the stock corrected to $13.50 level in July, 2002, and then has traded very strongly higher to the current level of $58.90. If anything the stock price may be a bit ahead of itself...but there isn't much weakness in this graph in my humble opinion.

Well, what do I think. First of all I sold two stocks in the last couple of days on my 8% loss level....Even so, the other stocks have continued to appreciate so overall my trading portfolio has grown. So I do NOT have any money to buy any stocks. I ALWAYS, well most of the time lol, WAIT to sell a portion of a stock at a gain before adding another position. In other words I am back to 22 positions and trying desparately to follow my own rules...and sit on my hands. OTHERWISE, I might just be nibbling on this stock. The earnings results are great, I especially like the increase in current year's expectations as announced by management, in addition, the past 5 years have shown fairly steady growth, the earnings results are gorgeous, the free cash flow is fabulous, and the balance sheet is perfect. Just one problem, other people have also seen this...and the stock does not sell for a cheap price...but then again, I would say with this high quality issue....and I think you can see why I use the term "quality"...lots of people are willing to pay a premium. This is something the short-sellers are gambling against....selling these shares because they are "over-valued" I guess. A bit risky with such nice results!

Thanks again for stopping by! Please email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com if you have any comments, questions, or words of encouragement! I sure enjoy the opportunity of sharing with you a few of my humble thoughts!

Bob

"Trading Transparency" NVEC

Hello Friends! Just a quick note to update you on my trading portfolio. NVE Corporation (NVEC) hit my 8% loss limit and out it went...all 160 shares! I sold them a few moments ago at $36.25. I JUST purchased the shares on 6/24/04 at $39.44. That represents a loss of $(3.19)/share or (8.1)%. Out they went!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com if you have any comments, questions or WHATEVER!

Bob

June 28, 2004 Aeroflex, Inc. (ARXX)
Hello Friends! I had a very busy Monday, so am getting around to updating the blog this evening. I sure am glad you all stopped by to visit. Please remember that while I may give you some ideas as "food for thought", I am an AMATEUR investor, so please do your own investigation on all investments discussed on this website, and PLEASE consult with your investment advisors to make sure that any investment decision you may make is appropriate and timely for you!

For those of you who are NOT familiar with my techniques, I will try to review what I am doing as I post this new stock idea. My first step, usually while the market is open, is to peruse the list of greatest percentage gainers. I have found, as you can see from the previous post on NOIZ, that stocks over $10 work best for me and that lower-priced stocks are too volatile to hang onto...at least with what I am doing. Today, I came across Aeroflex (ARXX), which IS a bit of a low priced stock, and which closed at $13.66, up $.85 or 6.64% on the day. According to the Yahoo "Profile", Aeroflex "...uses its advanced design, engineering and manufacturing abilities to produce microelectronic and testing solutions. Its products are used in the aerospace, defense and broadband communications markets." I really do NOT know a lot about this particular industry....and I do NOT own any shares of Aeroflex at this time....and I cannot BUY any shares because I just sold a stock at a LOSS, so with my system, I am waiting to sell a portion of a stock at a gain...before I add to my portfolio to get back to 24 positions.

O.K., so the stock went up nicely today. "What do you do next?" you are asking. One of the first places I like to check is the latest quarterly result. This gives me an idea of the CURRENT financial health of the company. Two things that I look for is revenue growth AND earnings growth. I can usually find the latest earnings report on Yahoo...but sometimes have to search through the company's own website to get the story.

So how does Aeroflex look in regards to the latest quarterly report? Well, on May 12, 2004, ARRX reported 3rd quarter 2004 results. Quite frankly, the heavy use of "pro forma" and "GAAP" and "non-GAAP" qualifiers DOES make me a bit concerned. Using GAAP numbers (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices), is preferable to me. These are the tougher numbers to report. For ARRX, for the quarter ended March 31, 2004, revenue or "Net sales" as they report came in at $116.8 million compared to $72.5 million the prior year. That's great! Net income came in at $5.9 million vs $2.9 million the prior year. That's great too. And on a fully diluted basis, the important way to look at per share results, this came in at $.08/share this year vs. $.05/share in 2003. This is also terrific results in my opinion. So ARRX has "passed" the latest quarter results test as I put it!

Next, my routine is to go over to Morningstar.com and check out the "5-Yr Financials" which give me some important fundamental data on each stock.

The ARXX 5-Yr Restated financials give me information on stocks with views on revenue growth, earnings growth, dividend payments, free cash flow, and the balance sheet. ARXX shows nice, if not perfect, numbers in these departments.

First revenue growth history. This is visually apparent by looking at the series of bar graphs which show an almost uninterrupted growth in revenue (except for the dip of 2002) from $160.4 million to the $386.5 million in the TTM (trailing twelve monts.)

Earnings have been quite inconsistent dropping from $.20/share in 1999 to $.07/share in TTM. No dividend is paid.

Next step is cash flow. I like to review the "Free cash flow" which as Morningstar shows, is calculated by subtracting "Capital Spending" from the "Operating Cash Flow". For ARXX, we can see that they had $34 million in free cash flow in 2001, $10 million in 2002, $15 million in 2003, and $18 million in the TTM. It is important for me to see that the recent free cash flow is positive and it is an added plus, in my opinion, if the TREND of the cash flow is positive as well...that is that the cash flow is GROWING. ARXX passes this review nicely.

How about the balance sheet? "What do you do with that?" you are asking. I am NOT an accountant. In a simple fashion, which IS the level that I understand a lot of these numbers, I think it is important to see MORE assets than liabilities. And breaking this down into current and long-term amounts, it is crucial that the current assets...those that are readily available, are greater than current liabilities. Thus for ARXX, the $9.9 million in cash and the $210.7 million in "other current assets" greatly outweighs the $81.1 million in current liabilities, and actually is enough to pay off the moderate $52.3 million in long-term debt as well.

Thus, except for the income figure, which was just fine in the latest quarter, the numbers look very good on Morningstar.com to me.

"What do you check next?" you may be asking. Usually at this time I like to look a little at "valuation". O.K., I am not EXACTLY a value investor am I? But why not look at value when thinking about a stock? For this, I usually turn to "Key Statistics" on Yahoo.com. The "Key Statistics" on Aeroflex show that the "Market Cap" is currently at $1.01 billion. I have to admit that I often have to look up "Market Capitalization Defined", which from the Investopedia.com website, defines "Micro Cap" as between $50 to $300 million, "Small Cap" between $300 million and $2 billion, "Mid Cap" between $2 billion to $10 billion, "Large Cap" between $10 and $200 billion, and "Mega Cap" (a new term to me!) as over $200 billion.

So we can see that at $1.01 billion, according to this source, ARRX is a "Small Cap" stock.

What about the p/e? For ARRX this comes in at 76.31, which is pretty darn high...but the forward p/e, estimating the p/e based on current price and future earnings, is much better at 23.15 for the fiscal year ending 30-Jun-05. This is reflected in the PEG which at 1.45, isn't really too high. A good number is in the 1.00 range, meaning that the ratio of the p/e and the growth rate was about 1.0. The PEG is a nice way to value a growth stock...but it IS based on future estimates, which can be only as good as the analyst that provides the estimate.

At this point, I usually check the number of shares outstanding and the number that float. ARRX has 74.21 million shares outstanding and 72.20 million of them float. I also am interested in the "Shares Short" which as of 5/10/04 was standing at 2.37 million shares. Is that a lot? Well, in my humble opinion, the important number for this question is the "Short Ratio" which as of 5/10/04 was standing at 2.442. This means that it would take 2.442 days worth of current daily trading volume for the short sellers to "cover" their shorts, that is to buy back the borrowed shares that they have sold. When the short interest starts getting over 3.0, in my opinion, this means that there is an increased chance of seeing a "short squeeze" that is an almost panic to purchase shares to cover the shorts in the face of good news (!) and a climbing stock price. (Both of these events are bad as a rule for short-sellers.)

Finally, I like to see if there is a dividend (no), and if the stock recently split. Here Yahoo reports that ARRX last split 2:1 in November, 2000.

Lately, I have been using graphs to get me a picture of the trading activity. I like to use Point and Figure charts on Stockcharts.com. Over the last couple of years, I have grown to like these charts...if you would like you can read or order a GREAT book by Thomas J. Dorsey on this subject: "Point and Figure Charting: The Essential Application for Forecasting and Tracking Market Prices, 2nd Edition" by Thomas J. Dorsey. Anyhow, this is the ARRX chart:

Here we can by the columns of "climbing x's" and "descending O's" that the stock was trading lower between January, 2002, and September,2002, after which it has steadily been rising from the $3.00 range to the current $12.00 level. The graph looks reasonably strong to me as long as it stays above it's "support level" which is outlined in blue. That is my simple understanding of graphing :).

So what do I think, now that I have perused all of this data? Well, the stock made a nice move today, its latest quarterly report was very strong, the 5-yr results on Morningstar are impressive, except for the earnings which have been erratic, the free cash flow is positive and improving and the balance sheet looks quite clean.

Valuation-wise, the p/e is steep but the stock is expected to grow so quickly that the PEG is only about 1.5. There are a lot of shares out but not many are sold short. And the technicals look encouraging.

This IS the kind of stock I might buy....but as I have said many times, I am limited in my trading strategy to 25 positions, have 23 so room for two more, but am waiting to ADD a new position until such time as I SELL a portion of a position at one of my set goals. That is my strategy, you may choose to do something completely different!

I hope all of this discussion is helpful to you! Please let me know if you like it, by emailing me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com with your comments and questions!

Thanks again for stopping by and please come back and visit again!

Bob

"Trading Transparency" NOIZ

Hello Friends! Well the market started out strong and is now back in the red. Seems like the story of my life! Anyway, I really do NOT like these stocks under $10 when I have a tight 8% stop. To make a long story short, my Micronetics stock (NOIZ) dropped a little more today and got into a bit more than an 8% loss. So I pulled the plug on the 400 shares of NOIZ in my trading account at $8.62. I had just picked up the 400 shares on 6/2/04 at a cost of $9.42...so with an $.80/share loss was able to hit 8%! In fact, that was an 8.5% loss. Well, rules are rules I gues....so back to 23 positions....heading for 25 I hope. Will WAIT until I have now SOLD another portion at a GAIN before going back to 24. At least that's my PLAN. Thanks so much for stopping by! Please remember to use your professional investment advisors before acting on any investment mentioned on this website!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com

Bob

"Looking Back One Year" A review of stock picks from the week of June 16, 2003





Hello Friends! It is hard to believe that it is the weekend already....wasn't I just posting this review a few moments ago? Oh well, I KNOW it sounds trite, but it IS so true. Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope that you enjoy your visit and maybe some ideas will stimulate your own thinking on investments. As always please remember that I am an AMATEUR investor so PLEASE do your own investigation on all stocks discussed on this website and PLEASE consult with your professional investment advisors!

If you are new around here, or if you are viewing this entry on a third-party website, you might not be familiar with my activity here. What I like to do is look at stocks each day (almost) and scan through the big gainers. I believe some of your best stock market movers will be found there! I review their latest quarterly result, their five year results as presented on Morningstar.com, some basic valuation questions, and a quick check on what their chart looks like. I had a more professional investor tell me that what I was doing was JUST due diligence. I guess if that is what it is, I am ok with it....anyhow, I post these stocks, write why I like them, and then on weekends, when I get a chance, I review past picks to see how they turned out. In addition, I share with you my actual trading portfolio. I have other investments managed by professionals....but what I call my trading portfolio is real and is what I control. That's it in a nutshell! As always, if you have any questions, comments, or words of encouragement, you are MORE than welcome to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com .

On June 16, 2003, a bit over a year ago, I posted Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at $64.28. DGX closed at $87.30 on 6/25/04 for a gain of $23.02 or 35.8%.

On April 22, 2004, DGX reported 1st quarter 2004 results. Revenue grew 14.9% over prior-year levels to $1.3 billion (reflecting the acquisition of Unilab.) Net income came in at $116.1 million in 2004 vs $88.0 million in the 2003 1st quarter. On a fully diluted basis, this came in at $1.13/share vs $.88/share last year. This company is doing great!

Dominion Homes (DHOM) was posted on Stock Picks on 6/16/03 at a price of $24.50. DHOM closed on 6/25/04 at $23.87 for a loss of $(.63) or (2.6)%.

Dominion is feeling the effects of the anticipated series of interest rate rises which will likely put a damper on the red-hot housing sector. On May 3, 2004, DHOM reported 1st quarter 2004 results. Diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2004, increased 5% to $.62/share from $.59/share the prior year. Revenues for the quarter were up 11.2% to $115.7 million, based on 634 home delivieries, vs $104.0 million in 2003 when 569 homes were delivered. These 'nice' results were tempered by the June 2, 2004, announcement that home sales for the second quarter will be "significantly below" the prior year results. This stock explains a bit of my reluctance with all of these homebuilders....if you can ride them with the cycle you can do well....but personally, I prefer less cyclical issues that can show persistent growth through all economic cycles. (am I dreaming?)

On June 16, 2003, I selected American Home Mortgage (AHM) for Stock Picks when it was listed on the NASDAQ with symbol AHMH at $19.49. In December, 2003, after the acquisition of Apex Mortgage it reorganized as a REIT, and as of June, 2004, has a new symbol of AHM. AHM closed on 6/25/04 at $26.20 for a gain of $6.71 or 34.4%.

On April 28, 2004, AHM announced 1st quarter 2004 results. Net earnings were $21.2 million vs $16.3 million the prior year. Earnings/diluted share were $.70/share compared to $.96/share the prior year. However, dividends were $.55/share compared to $.10/share last year. On a more optimistic note, the company DID raise 2004 earnings guidance to $3.25 to $3.40/fully diluted share. I am a bit concerned about ANY drop in earnings/share...and with this such an interest-rate sensitive field, imho, I am just a bit cautious about the REITs and building stocks that were so hot last year.

Whitman Education Group (WIX) was posted on Stock Picks on 6/16/03 at a price of $14.89. As was reported on July 1, 2003, Career Education Corp. completed its merger with WIX. Shareholders of WIX received $6 in cash and .138 shares of Career Education (CECO). Since CECO split 2:1 on 8/22/03, this would entitle each share of WIX to receive .276 shares of CECO. CECO closed at $44.97 on 6/25/04, this means that each share of WIX would currently be worth $6 + .276 x $44.97 or $18.41. Thus, this would represent a gain of $3.52 or 23.6%.

On June 17, 2003, I posted Outback Steakhouse (OSI) on Stock Picks at $39.76. OSI closed at $42.20 on 6/25/04 for a gain of $2.44 or 6.1%.

On April 20, 2004, Outback reported 1st quarter 2004 results. Net income was $48.3 million or $.62/diluted share vs. $42.6 million or $.54/diluted share the prior year. Revenues for the quarter increased 25.3% to $816.6 million from $651.7 million the prior year. Overall, the company appears to be doing satisfactorily.

FactSet Research Systems (FDS) was posted on this website on 6/17/03 at a price of $40.39. FDS closed at $47.00 on 6/25/04 for a gain of $6.61 or 16.4%.

On June 15, 2004, FDS reported 3rd quarter 2004 results. Revenue for the quarter jumped 11.9% to $63.6 million from $56.8 million last year. Earnings were up 2.9% to $14.7 million, or $.45/share from $14.3 million, or $.41/share in 2003. These results are o.k. Not enough maybe for me to sell these shares IF I owned them (I don't) but not enough to get my interest peaked.

I posted Macrovision (MVSN) on this blog on 6/18/03 at a price of $21.15. MVSN closed on 6/25/04 at $24.99 for a gain of $3.34 or 15.8%.

On May 3, 2004, MVSN announced 1st quarter 2004 results. Revenue jumped 35% to $38.0 million from $28.1 million in the same quarter last year. Net income was $10.8 million or 55% higher than the $6.9 million the prior year. This worked out to $.21/diluted share up 50% from the $.14/share reported last year. These results were great and the stock moved up accordingly.





I posted LifeCell Corp (LIFC) on the blog at $5.82/share. LIFC closed on 6/25/04 at $11.12 for a gain of $5.30 or 91.1%. (I guess it IS worth the BIG logo...lol)

On April 27, 2004, LIFC reported 1st quarter 2004 results. For the quarter ended March 31, 2004, total revenues came in at $13.8 million, compared to $9.0 million the prior year. Net income was $883,000 or $.03/diluted share vs $218,000 or $.01/diluted share last year. These are very nice results!

Tofutti Brands (TOF) was posted on Stock Picks on 6/18/03 at a price of $2.82. TOF closed on 6/25/04 at a price of $3.05 for a gain of $.23/share or 8.2%.

On May 11, 2004, TOF announced 1st quarter results. Net sales decreased 12% to $4.0 million for the 13 weeks ended March 29, 2003. Operating income decreased to $99,000 from $458,000 the prior year. Net income decreased to $54,000 or $.01/share compared to $269,000 or $.05/share the prior year. These results give me pause. This is NOT what I am looking for in a company.

Hang in there! Just two more to review...

On June 20, 2003, I posted Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) on Stock Picks at $30.68. LH closed on 6/25/04 at a price of $40.60 for a gain of $9.92 or 32.3%.

On April 22, 2004, LH reported 1st quarter 2004 results. Revenues for the quarter were $752.5 million, an increase of 5.7%. Earnings/diluted share increased 19.6% to $.61/share vs. $.51/diluted share the prior year. These are nice results although I would prefer to see a more dynamic revenue growth number.

Forest Laboratories (FRX) was postedon Stock Picks on 6/20/03 to finish off a busy week! They were picked at a price of $54.99. FRX closed at $58.46 on 6/25/04 for a gain of $3.47 or 6.3%.

On April 20, 2004, FRX reported 4th quarter 2004 results. For the quarter ended March 31, 2004, net sales increased 17% to $725.1 million from $621.1 million last year. Net income however DECREASED 20% to $145.5 million. Diluted earnings per share came in at $.38/share vs $.48/share the last year. I like the increased revenue but the decrease in earnings DOES concern me.

So how did Stock Picks do for the week of 6/16/03 last year? Of the 11 stocks picked that week there was only one losing selection, DHOM which was down (2.6)% from the selection price. The other 10 had gains ranging from 6.1% to 91.1% for an average of the 11 selections of a gain of 24.3%. Not too shabby in my humble opinion!

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com .

Happy Saturday everyone!

Bob

"Trading Transparency" LWAY

Hello Friends! That nickel in my pocket, which as you know comes from having sold a portion of a stock at a GAIN, was just BURNING a hole. What can I say? No self control I know. I don't deny it. ANYHOW, looking through the lists of top % gainers, I saw one of my favorites near the top, Lifeway (LWAY) a small company that makes KEFIR drinks....I think that is some sort of a yogurt drink. They have great numbers....LWAY is currently trading at $12.72, up $2.42 or 23.50% on the day (wow!)....and I purchased 200 shares at $12.72....guess that was MY trade lol...stock is a 60% margin requirement...so didn't want to PUSH toooo hard. Anyhow, that's the news.

Remember I am an amateur investor...so please do your own homework on ALL stocks discussed on this website and consult with your investment advisors!

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com

Bob

"Trading Transparency" SAFM
Hello Friends! I am not REALLY convinced over the health of the bull market right now. So with that last purchase I was pushing my margin balance a little....and I WAS a little close to another sell point on Sanderson Farms (SAFM). So a few moments ago, I sold ANOTHER 1/4 position in SAFM. Our goal on a second sale is about a 60% gain. (I had already sold a 1/4 position last month!). To make a long story short, I sold 45 shares of my 180 share position, leaving 135 shares remaining, at $54.89. These 180 shares HAD been purchased on 2/3/04....just about 4 months ago (!) at $35.86. Thus I had a gain of $19.33/share or 53.9%. Pretty close to the 60% mark anyhow. Our next sell point will either be at about the 90% point on the rise...or back around a 30% gain....with our new strategy of allowing a stock to correct only to 50% of the sell point...if you follow me.

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com

Bob

P.S. With this sale, you know what THAT means...yikes...I have ANOTHER nickel in my pocket...but will TRY to sit on my hands today...you know UNLESS I see something fabulous (lol), before making another purchase. Read above about MARGIN!

"Trading Transparency" NVEC

Hello Friends! Well that 'nickel' was sitting in my pocket all of 60 seconds. Seeing that NVE Corp...see the earlier post yesterday...was moving up AGAIN....well what COULD I do???? Well, I purchased 160 shares of NVEC at $39.39 a few moments ago....so will be watching this NANO stock closely now! A little speculative as 60% margin was required.

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com .


Bob

"Trading Transparency" AMMD

Hello Friends! Well I got a little antsy with my American Medical Devices and sold 50 shares, 1/4 of my position, leaving 150 shares in my trading account at $32.24. For the first sale, I usually have a goal of about 30%. AMMD was purchased on 1/9/04 at a cost of $25.82/share, so I had a gain of $6.42 or 24.9%. This means my next price goal on these shares will be in the region of a 60% gain...when I should be selling another 1/4...or on the downside....if AMMD pulls back to around $25.82...then ideally it should be sold before it hits a loss. Do you follow? In addition, having now sold another portion at a gain this "entitles" me to make a new purchase....adding to the 22 position portfolio as I head towards my goal of 25.

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions, comments, or words of encouragement, please feel free to email me at bobsadviceforstocks@lycos.com. Remember, I am an AMATEUR investor so please consult with your PROFESSIONAL investment advisors prior to taking any action based on information obtained from this website!

Bob