I just happened to turn on CNBC last Friday afternoon, and I caught part of a program where the panelist were talking about analysts. They were complaining that analysts seem to always issue BUY recommendations when stocks are hitting highs, and SELL recs when they are at LOWS. Funny, isn't it? Maybe they want US to buy when THEY are selling, and vice versa. After all, the analysts aren't doing individual investors any favors -- it's the brokerage houses they cater to that they favor. So, for example, if Merrill Lynch wanted to buy Cymer at it's LOW, they need to find sellers. That's where the analyst comes in. That's why I don't follow analysts recs any more. It's usually more profitable to do the OPPOSITE of what they say.
Here's a true story:
Some years ago, I started watching a company called SCI Systems when it was selling in single digits. (They made the "guts" for the IBM PC at that time.) The stock was steadily moving up. I called my full-service, large, mainstream broker and expressed interest in buying the stock. I was told it was "too speculative". I watched as it climbed higher and higher. I NEVER saw it recommended by ANY analysts. Finally, after 9-10 mos., when the stock was OVER 50, my brokerage firm put out an analyst report, issuing a STRONG BUY on the stock. You guessed it -- that was the top!
Betty |
