I loved this post because you hit the nail on the head in showing how many of us have personalized our investment in Checkfree. I read all the postings here and can sense the feeling of comraderie that has built up on this thread amongst fellow Checkfree investors who not only are living their investment in the company together where the stakes can be high for many of us, but are also helping each other by unearthing and sharing information and by bolstering our confidence in the investment in the face of all the doubts and disinformation that assails us from time to time. Yes, we are in this together for better or for worse and if the stock went down recently it was only because some of our former fellow shareholders chose to leave the scene of battle. The recent correction was healthy because it flushed out weak holders and brought in new buyers. Years ago, Gerald Loeb wrote a book entitled "The Battle for Investment Survival" and that is exactly what the investment process is, a battle or perhaps even a war. I want to go into that battle with strong holders in my stock, not with wimps who because of ignorance,lack of information, or lack of guts sell out at the first shift in the wind. The analogy with Henry's rousing speech to his followers is right on! If you stay long on this horse and it turns out like we all hope and expet, you may not need to anything else with your time.
For everyone's information:
1. Last week we filed a 13 G showing we hold 3.468 million shares of Checkfree.
2. In the fourth quarter of 1997 Putnam Management Company bought 2.4 million shares of ckfr for an initial position and Warburg Pincus added 2.078 million shares giving them a position of 3.151 millon shares.
3. The PR NewsWire carried a story last night saying that Integrion Financial network signed a 10 year pact with Checkfree and that 3 major banks have started pilot tests using the system and 8 others have plans to do so later this year.
The payoff for Checkfree and it's shareholders will come in the 18 months starting July 1st of this year. That time period should quantify the size of the income stream that will be thrown off from all the business opportunities that management has been so painstakingly developing for us.
I only point out, that if you have gotten in on the ground floor with a large position in a potentially big winner, you need the courage, the patience, and the perseverence to see it through over the long term. I can see that some on this thread have come to realize that. It doesn't look like this management is going to disappoint. We are learning not to be frightened off by big bogeymen who are way behind trying to get into the business and catch up with the parade that has already started.
It sure is an exciting company to be invested in. |
