No matter what any CEO, analyst, "guru", "market expert", strategist, fund manager, trader or message board poster says (few show all their trades and investments like me, nor are they up 60% in 2008, see details here), never try to catch a falling knife. Before I list all the current ones, I really have to pound it into your heads that buying these things in hugely uncertain -- and possibly disastrous -- times like these is not only dangerous, it's just plain irresponsible.

Here are some current falling knives:

• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE)
• General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM)
• Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C)
• Merrill Lynch & Co Inc (NYSE: MER)
• Washington Mutual Inc (NYSE: WM)
• Bank of America (NYSE: BAC)
• American International Group Inc (NYSE: AIG)

Now, I don't want to hear those "I'm a long-term investor in blue-chip stocks" and "these are quality companies trading at discount prices"-type comments. While it's possible these stocks will bounce, the risk-reward ratio is downright awful here, just as its been for the past several months (as I've been warning in posts like this and this).

Continue reading The latest round of stocks to buy and to avoid

The latest round of stocks to buy and to avoid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.