Jim Clarke. Just to recap and inject my opinion. Some people believe Jim Clarke was among the best who ever posted here. If not the best. He was a Columbia MBA grad with the Graham influence of that school He was a professional analyst (the only such person to admit that on this thread at the time) who later (after he left the thread) became a value fund manager and then for a while ran his own money management firm. I suspect he had a great influence on the now more well-known Mike Burry, who was starting out at the time (imo).
At one point, when RSH was about $12 or so, Jim was recommending it on his money management firm's website in a video. And of course, not just saying buy the thing-- it's cheap (like some posters here do), but giving his reasoning. Well, the stock soon went to $18 or more ($20-$22?).
For me, I may have been stuck in my memory of past things, and years later I've bought the stock as it fell -- it still looked okay to me on its numbers that I look at. I don't know what Jim Clarke would say now--- he'd never publicly call me an idiot (I hope he wouldn't) -- maybe he'd just say his analysis has or had changed and it's not been a stock of interest for him now. ... Or maybe now at current price it might be. ha.
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Long as we're talking about the old days -- and there are several of us from those days still here posting regularly -- people have had time to make up their minds about the "worth" of the poster --- IF they're the types who rely on the poster as much or more than the stock being talked about. (Maybe they should NOT rely on any poster though.) Couple other guys from those days here don't post much, and sometimes I feel people here don't give them the acknowledgement or consideration they deserve for their past and/or current picks when they do post. Grommit comes to my mind in this category as perhaps being among the best "quiet" investors we have on the thread.
And not to slight anybody or boost anybody's ego, my opinion is that sometimes we all invest where we seem to be able to do no wrong, and sometimes we're in a slump where no matter what we do, it doesn't work, or works less well than what somebody else is doing. (Just my opinion based on my experience.) In any case, each stock ought to be evaluated on its merits to the buyer, not just bought because someone who is considered "good" says he or she is buying it. Again, all jmo.
I do miss Jim Clarke though. |
