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Non-Tech : Bill Wexler's Dog Pound -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Wexler who wrote (5409)	12/9/1999 3:22:00 AM
From: Dale Baker	Respond to of 10293

Very well put, Bill.

To: Bill Wexler who wrote (5409)	12/9/1999 6:09:00 AM
From: JDN	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10293

BILL GETS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM COSTCO Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2000 Operating Results and Announces Upcoming 2-For-1 Stock Split ISSAQUAH, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 1999--Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:COST) announced today its operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2000, the 12 weeks ended November 21, 1999. Sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2000 increased 16% to $6.82 billion from $5.89 billion during the first quarter of fiscal 1999. On a comparable warehouse basis, that is warehouses open at least a year, net sales increased by 13%. Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2000 was $129.3 million, or $.56 per diluted share. Excluding the impact of a one-time accounting charge taken in last year's first quarter, net income for the first quarter of fiscal 1999 was $104.2 million, or $.46 per diluted share, resulting in year-over-year earnings and earnings per share increases of 24% and 22%, respectively. In last year's first quarter, the Company recorded a $118 million non-cash, after-tax charge, reflecting the cumulative effect of the Company's change in accounting for membership fees from a cash to a deferred method, whereby membership fee income is recognized ratably over the one-year life of the membership. Including this one-time charge, the Company last year reported a loss of $13.8 million or $.05 per diluted share for the first quarter of fiscal 1999. The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors approved a 2-for-1 split of its common stock. Shareholders will receive one additional share of common stock for every share held on the record date of December 24, 1999. Additional shares will be mailed or delivered on or about January 13, 2000, by the Company's transfer agent, ChaseMellon Shareholder Services. The common stock will begin trading at a post-split price on January 14, 2000. Costco currently operates 302 warehouses, including 230 in the United States, 59 in Canada, seven in the United Kingdom, three in Korea, two in Taiwan and a warehouse in Japan. The Company also operates 17 warehouses in Mexico with a joint venture partner. The Company plans to open an additional 15 to 20 new warehouses (including four to six relocations of existing warehouses to larger and better-located facilities) prior to the end of its fiscal year 2000 on September 3, 2000.

To: Bill Wexler who wrote (5409)	12/9/1999 4:02:00 PM
From: Dr. Voodoo	Respond to of 10293

Very nice post Bill.

To: Bill Wexler who wrote (5409)	12/9/1999 4:05:00 PM
From: Dr. Voodoo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10293

The best way to make reasonable money shorting stocks is to take small positions up front and to press your bet much further down the road when all the bad news is cascading out and the stock gets closer to zero (i.e. you see all the cards). Then are you short ZONA right now? Or are you playing with a full deck? V

To: Bill Wexler who wrote (5409)	12/10/1999 9:03:00 AM
From: Mark Marcellus	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10293

VLNC has been included in Herb Greenberg's new "Garbage Index". thestreet.com (subscription required). I'm gonna call it Greenberg's Garbage Index. This is one step removed from Cramer's Red Hots or B2B because unlike his, which include many stocks that didn't exist two years ago -- a few of which really might have some kind of a future -- mine is filled with stocks that have, how shall we say, "histories." They have histories of hype, histories of hope and histories of horrible disappointment. These are companies that have little in the way of institutional following or investors, and have made little or no money. And here they are rising again, as if they've been discovered for the first time. The other stocks in the "index" are PRST, CORL, MYGN, HOWT, ORG, ZICA, DVNT, SRCM, and COPY.