To: Dragonfly who wrote (7005 ) 11/16/1999 9:00:00 PM From: JMD Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 10852
Dragonfly--thanks for your thoughtful response. At the end of the year, I force myself into a slow water torture known as portfolio repositioning. It usually has little to do with tax strategizing, though that sometimes comes into play. Mostly it has to do with: why did I buy XYZ and are the reasons still valid given that XYZ has done thus and so in the past 12 months and is likely to do whatever in the next 12? I try like the dickens NOT to look at the price of XYZ, i.e., that's the last thing I want to "interfere" though of course it's close to impossible not to let that little factor rear it's ugly head. All of that said, I do think it's likely that I've been awfully "easy" on Mr. Schwartz, and it's even more likely because my respect borders on hero worship, which ain't no way to run a railroad/stock portfolio. I recommend zipping down to the corner and picking up the current issue of Fortune which has a speech given by Buffett to his buddies at the annual Sun Valley confab sponsored by Allen. I don't think Buffett would sell LOR because I think he'd like the business IF it weren't high tech, i.e., it's kind of moot cause he tends to buy Dairy Queen which hasn't lost any rocket launches lately that I'm aware of. Mostly, it shows his incredible discipline and almost defiance of a company's current market valuation if he thinks the market has blown it [up or down]and that it's the value of the business enterprise that is important not what the current price is. Candidly, I'm in LOR at prices less than market so I'm feeling no current pain so I think I've got some objectivity left. I will probably set a time limit like june 2000, and if Mr. Schwartz ain't delivered, then I'll pack my bags. It's a very tough call for me and I can't honestly tell you why. I rode RMBS from 35 to 95, sold in a flash and never looked back which is what I usually do [never look back, not, unfortunately, make 60 points/stock]. There's just something so damn compelling about the global communications via satellite story, but bizness is bizness as they say . . . Sorry to make you read through a post devoid of answers. I will say that I think it is incumbent on Mr. Schwartz both to speak out AND to deliver and that his continued silence is starting to worry me. kind regards, mike doyle