Greg -
I think you're on the right track, and I strongly believe that E*Trade will capitalize. I think there's a good chance that the psychology will be shifting toward valuing customer traffic (like AOL, Yahoo) and not today's earnings. In the long run the money will be there, right now they need to acquire accounts and build the brand name.
As an example of leveraging the new economy, there was recently a rumor about E*Trade, independently or in a venture, launching an electronic options exchange. Apparently CBOE is not willing to pay for order flow, and E*Trade is exploring ways to extract value from its customer base by creating an options competitor. Clearly this will not drive earnings today, but it is an example of an additional way E*Trade can simultaneously create value for the customer and extract value that is currently going to thieves at the CBOE. Well, thieves may be a little strong, but I am really looking forward to the day when there is no human middleman in transactions.
Rick.
Who knows what this earnings report will be, but those with discipline and conviction can profit whether it bumps up or goes down presenting another buying opportunity. My general bet, though is that we are at a positive inflection point. |
