Hi Uncle- nice thread :) Have been reading it quietly the past 2 weeks.. especially enjoyed the NTAP information. There was a large article on MSN about a month ago from a featured writer "Jubak's Journal" comparing the two.. (NTAP vs EMC)
I do not have the link handy..
However, I looked at your B&K index... and as I have not read the book this thread is based on, just from reading the thread I assume there are 3 categories:
1) Gorillas
2) Kings
3) Princes with Attitudes
I DO understand the "Gorilla" concept, but
since I have not read the book, I am not sure what makes a company a King... vs making it a Prince with an Attitude
So while making a list.. I basically made 2 categories
1) Gorillas
2) Kings or Princes... not sure how to differentiate them
I do want to preface this by saying I looked over your index and from my understanding of a Gorilla your sort of "cheating" by putting a co. like Broadcom or Network Appliance in there... they are not all-omnipresent like a co. such as INTC or MSFT or CSCO or LU. They are sub 5Billion market cap co.'s, who don't control a market (yet) They are leaders at what they do... yes... but can't figure them as gorillas (IMO)
So perhaps there is a need to sort them in an "up and comer" portfolio.
For Gorillas I see the obvious ones:
MSFT, EMC, LU, CSCO, INTC, IBM, GE, T,
(possibly Time Warner w/ TCI?) TWX
Walmart in retailing (I havent seem them mentioned here)
AOL (the only blue chip internet)
I did not see WCOM, which I think is becoming a gorilla
possibly YHOO
and possibly DELL although I think 3-5 years out they will be hard pressed to be one.
These are the names you hear at cocktail parties, the names people who have no clue about investing still roll off their tongue...
Now for the 2nd index..the potential big movers of the next 5 years (Princes or Kings?) I would put companies such as
*BRCM (which is personally one of my favorite co.'s but not a gorilla like INTC)
*SUNW (the co. I could see easiest being a Gorilla)
*NTAP (more I read, more I like)
*CMGI (Internet conglomerate/incubator)
*LCOS/USAI joint venture
*CPWR (Compuware)
You have to look at broadband, perhaps the co.'s laying down fiber line networks...such as
QWST
GBLX
The internet ones are a bit trickier, but on pure technology and niche
I would look at these 5
BCST (streaming video/audio)
INKT (cache/search - now starting to compete with NTAP)
EXDS (web hosting, as the web grows so will this co.)
DCLK (web advertising)
EBAY (as much as they are hyped... they still have a ton of potential-- biggest garage sale on earth all a click away)
I dont know the medical field very well but I would think in 1 of those areas would have to go Merck, Pfizer, Warner Lambert...
Hope this helps ;) and doesnt confuse....
Mark |
