E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS DELIVER INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY
By LAWRENCE CARREL
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL INTERACTIVE EDITION
October 12, 1996
The advent of e-mail investment newsletters is providing a speedier
alternative to the old standbys delivered by the U.S. mail.
Financial-market-oriented newsletters have been around for years. But
with the dramatic growth of the Internet, and the speed it allows in the
delivery of information, the e-mail newsletter has become one of the hot
new sources for the individual investor.
As investors have taken more control of their personal investments,
their need for information has grown to include both an understanding of
what is happening in the market and ways to find new investment
opportunities. While many of these individuals continue to read the
mainstream press, they want to read a different point of view and learn
more about unknown companies.
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Bob Davis of Springfield, Pa., says he blundered into the newsletter
scene. He started writing his newsletter, The Napeague Letter, after
reading commentary about a stock he found interesting on an America
Online bulletin board.
"Most of the commentary wasn't sophisticated. They were looking at the
wrong things," says Mr. Davis, 54, a former chief financial officer of
public and private companies. "When I went to put out a balanced
analysis, there wasn't enough space. So, I offered to e-mail the
analysis to everyone who wanted one. There weren't very many interested,
maybe 20, but now I have over 1,200 subscribers."
Mr. Davis says he sends his newsletter out every other week at no
charge. He uses a variety of valuation methods and sends a description
of them to anyone interested. His letters, running six to ten pages in
length, examine one company he is thinking of investing in personally.
He looks at the industry, the market segments, management, clients, what
kind of business it is, and includes a balance sheet evaluation. "I do
it to make up my own mind," he says.
"The ones that I've read from Bob, I think are quality work. He does his
homework," says Jay Cliburn, a 39-year-old senior computer scientist in
Logan, Utah. "One of Bob's picks is up 30%."
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I am a relatively sophisticated individual investor, with 15 years of experience as Chief Financial Officer of two different NASDAQ companies and an MBA from Harvard Business. I am not employed by or compensated by the companies that I analyze. However, I am generally a stockholder in the company.
If you would like to receive The Napeague Letter, please E-mail me at rmdavis1@ix.netcom.com. |
