To those of you who think I'm just another analyst like those working for the big investment firms, please be advised that:
1. I work independently, without any association with the companies I recommend, and without any business interest other than that which I routinely mention when discussing stocks.
2. Because I am not boosting stocks that an institutional portfolio manager may have already purchased (at lower prices), I frequently am at odds with the analysts whose purpose for making public comments is to safeguard the investments of their cronies.
3. More important, and unlike the majority of analysts working for the big investment houses, I use fundamental analysis rather than technical analysis in arriving at my investment recommendations. I have frequently noted those fundamentals in the discussions on this thread, and I have yet to see any arguments (beyond mere assertions) that would justify different conclusions.
4. I enjoy discussing investments on this thread because I find it intriguing that so many of you have such a short term outlook, and are thereby reduced to making quick trades, paying lots of your profits in commissions. My rule, like that of Warren Buffett, is to buy a good company with good fundamentals, with the idea of holding the stock forever, unless the fundamentals change. Most of you think that just because the price of oil or gas goes down, the trend is down. That is simply erroneous in a market where prices are essentially controlled by OPEC (even natural gas prices to the extent that natural gas is a substitute for oil).
5. Finally, I believe that no one can be a successful investor, or expect to do substantially better than the market, without a legitimate theory of investing, tailored to his or her own particular financial needs and goals. The simplistic idea of making a profit and then cashing in is not enough to withstand the often irrational ups and downs one sees in the markets--ups and downs often precipitated by self serving analyst comments.
Art |
