AOL Money & Finance

Chasing Value: Anglo American cuts 19,000 jobs & dividend

More

I knew it would happen to some of my stock picks this year -- but ouch! -- Anglo American (NASDAQ: AAUK) has reported that it is handing out 19,000 pink slips world wide, oh, by the way, you can forget about the dividend -- that's gone too.




The stock closed yesterday at $8.75 and is trading down at 12:20 EST about 16% to $7.35. Not only is it down considerably from my starting point, but the dividend was a consideration in the selection of this stock. The following ten-year chart depicts the stock now returning to levels not seen in almost a decade, before the run-up in commodity prices.

Chart

It is not my expectation that AAUK will return to the heights of an over heated market any time soon. However, I continue to believe that the future will bring inflation do to the extreme increase in the currency. When it does, this "right-sized" mining company with assets that include platinum, gold, silver, copper, nickle, coal, timber, and more will see its profits return. The job and dividend cuts will contribute to this happening faster.

That said, the time frame is in question and low oil prices, falling housing prices, no current pressure on wages, and troubling global liquidity is likely to stall off inflation and perhaps AAUK's potential this year.

I sold off the stock on an upswing in January and bought it back for below my initial cost so I am in a better position than my original story. The format I have followed for the picks, though, does not allow for trading, so for now the $10.99 starting point leaves me with a loser after seven weeks.

The price of the company is getting to the point that it may become even more tempting as a takeover target. I may do some meager taking over by buying more shares. I'm thinking about it.

Update: The closing price was $7.43, down -$1.32, or -15.09% as of 04:00 PM EST

Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I own shares and options in AAUK.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-22.6010,428.35
NASDAQ-10.892,165.12
S&P 500-0.871,105.37

Last updated: November 24, 2009: 02:26 PM

BloggingStocks Exclusives

Hot Stocks

DailyFinance Headlines

Latest from BloggingBuyouts

TheFlyOnTheWall.com Headlines

BioHealth Investor Headlines

WalletPop Headlines

My Portfolios

Track your stocks here!

Find out why more people track their portfolios on AOL Money & Finance then anywhere else.

BloggingStocks Partners

More from AOL Money & Finance

WalletPop Headlines