FeedPosted Apr 4th 2011 1:20PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, General Electric (GE), Ford Motor (F), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Procter and Gamble (PG), Chasing Value™
There have been many lessons to learn from the "Great Recession." But while the message is often clear, we can't always muster the courage, discipline or consensus to act on these lessons.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is about to enter its second season -- the playoffs. And for a Laker fan in Los Angeles, there is much to look forward to. However, the current NBA collective bargaining agreement will end and we will have to witness another battle between the billionaires and the millionaires.
Why can't the NBA learn from other businesses that have successfully maneuvered through economic turmoil to achieve profitability?
Continue reading Chasing Value: The NBA Should Learn from Others
Posted Mar 29th 2011 2:50PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Forecasts, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI), Chasing Value™

The debate continues about whether SiriusXM (
SIRI) satellite radio will be dominant, dominated or dismissed.
A few years ago, in 2007, prior to the economic meltdown, Sirius was having a meltdown of its very own. Trading between $6 and $8 a share for most of 2005, it slid from $6 a share to $4 a share in 2006. By 2007 it was trading in a much tighter range between 3.50 - $4.00 and there were those that thought it might be a good buying opportunity.
This question was posed to me by friends that owned the stock and were considering buying more. I suggested they run. History shows that to be a good call. However, many investors, or at least traders that follow the stock made good money after the collapse picking up shares for pennies. I was not one of them, so props to those that jumped in -- I was making similar moves elsewhere.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Some Very Sirius Numbers
Posted Mar 24th 2011 3:00PM by Kevin Kersten (RSS feed)
Filed under: Rants and Raves, Politics
I was a bit amused to hear Omaha Mayor Suttle unrolled the idea of a toilet paper tax, but I am not so sure he really thought this tissue through. At first glance, the tax of 10 cents per roll to pay for sewer projects seems like a fair user tax; but I think the politicians really should have contemplated this a little more. Is it really fair to women?
While certainly my heart goes out to politicians trying to balance spending all that money without the pesky things called taxes; but I don't think this idea is going to ... float. But I think it is important to give the politician partial credit for productivity; as I imagine they thought up this idea while in the john.
Continue reading A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really?
Posted Feb 28th 2011 9:40AM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Market Matters, Boeing Co (BA), Chasing Value™, Headline News

In considering
my 2011 picks I took a look at Boeing Co (
BA), interested by the story. There are many ways for this company's future to play out in a very positive scenario.
The airline industry has been rejuvenated as of late -- and that is good news for aircraft manufacturers. The Republicans won the house majority and that usually improves the fortunes of defense contractors.
The 787 Dreamliner, now three years and counting behind schedule, is in test flight mode. The plane portrayed as a dream to travelers and airline companies has turned into a nightmare of sorts, or at least the dream has changed. Boeing is dreaming of the day they start manufacturing and selling and profiting from all their labor.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Looked at Boeing, Then Looked Away
Posted Feb 24th 2011 2:30PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: International Markets, Rants and Raves, Venezuela, Scandals, Politics, Serious Money, Oil, Stock Picks, Telefonica SA (TEF)

Venezuela is broken and Libya is on fire. The Chavez government is incompetent and the Gaddafi regime may be just
days away from collapse as chaos fills the streets. Rumors of Gaddafi escaping to Venezuela are unfounded. However, if two men ever deserved each other, these two fit the bill.
Chavez, in all his economic wisdom has brought on over 28% inflation and counting in addition to the
Currency Market Takeover Spurs Lines for Dollars. All this wonderful news led me to search for Venezuelan ADR's (American Depository Receipts) in case I wanted to follow the market there, and make a contrarian play, or if I really wanted to get wild short something.
Continue reading Serious Money: Chavez & Gaddafi, Real Blues Brothers
Posted Dec 8th 2010 4:40PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Microsoft (MSFT), Sony Corp ADR (SNE), Chasing Value™
This is my 1200th post. If someone would have told me I could write that much in my "spare time" I probably would not have stopped laughing until I collapsed. I marvel at all that has happened in the marketplace over this time: the ups and downs, good calls and bad; and being called everything under the sun, and then some, by our more 'enthusiastic' readers.
I must thank Amey Stone who I have been corresponding with for over a decade and was the one that first asked this architect and investor to be one of the initial group of bloggers. Now there is an army of writers and a lot has changed. For me this week marks a big change because Amey accepted a new position at another company and last Friday was her last day. Best of luck Amey!
Continue reading Chasing Value: Looking at Microsoft 1,200 Posts Later
Posted Nov 2nd 2010 1:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Rants and Raves, Market Matters, Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Oracle Corp (ORCL), Chasing Value™, Headline News, Stocks to Buy
A day does not pass that I do not think of John Maynard Keynes saying, "The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."
Two weeks have passed since I raised questions about the insider selling at Oracle (ORCL). Since that time, management continues to sell as the stock hovers around its 52-week high, and it has appeared in the top five of Barron's insider activity list sell side for both weeks. Add to this the concerns raised about Oracle's potential weakness in the world of cloud computing and there are major question marks looming.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Confusing Signals from BAC, LINN, ORCL
Posted Oct 27th 2010 1:30PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Rumors, Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Walt Disney (DIS), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Sony Corp ADR (SNE), Adobe Systems (ADBE), Chasing Value™

For the past few days I have been writing about Apple Inc. (
AAPL) and what it might do with its growing pile of cash, promoting a dividend rather than any misadventures or allowing the cash to continue to drag down earnings per share.
This is not Apple's plan and many readers agree. They believe Steve Jobs and company know what's best about everything and have done fine by them -- the latter part is certainly true.
Today I put it to our readers to check current sentiment.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Questions About Apple?
Posted Oct 21st 2010 3:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Other Issues, Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Market Matters, Boeing Co (BA), News Corp'B' (NWS), Chasing Value™

Steve Jobs, the illustrious CEO and the heart and soul of Apple Inc. (
AAPL) would have you believe that Apple cannot issue a dividend to shareholders because of the scary competitive business environment. He conveys to us that they need the money to overcome hardship and if the right opportunity comes along make key acquisitions.
This is utter nonsense, a supreme untruth, wasted breadth and a failure to come to grips with reality. In the past quarter Apple increased its cash and short term investments to $50 billion
as I wrote it would six weeks ago.
Apple currently has 914 million outstanding shares. With the stock trading around $300 per share, a 2% dividend yield would require $6 per share or, $5.5 billion dollars annually to cover the distribution.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple Does Not Need $50 Billion
Posted Oct 17th 2010 2:40PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Bad News, Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Entrepreneurs, Chasing Value™
If the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, LeBron James, was a stock, would you find it was of any value as an investment? From my perspective, it would not be, unless Mr. James were to make some key moves off the court to mirror his talent on the court. The first thing I would tell him is to SHUT UP!
He needs to recognize that it is only natural for people in Cleveland to feel betrayed after years of support and adulation ended in a sputter, with nothing to fill the void. It is only natural for them to feel even worse after the self-serving arrogant way they were informed during a totally over-the-top television special.
Continue reading Sunday Funnies: Would You Invest in LeBron James?
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