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Technology Stocks : VALENCE TECHNOLOGY (VLNC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: John Curtis who wrote (18324)2/16/2000 6:10:00 PM
From: MHS  Respond to of 27311
 
I want to thank everyone who went to the AM and then was courteous enough to post their impressions and reports. Unfortunately, the press of business made it impossible to go and I really appreciate it.

I was recently complimented by the dark forces, and had to take a long long shower with a wire brush. So it was good to hear your reports. No matter how much progress the company is making, the shorts and their allies find something to pick on. And since VLNC is notoriously closed mouthed, your reports are the best evidence we have of their progress, strategic goals and objectives.

mhs



To: John Curtis who wrote (18324)2/16/2000 6:29:00 PM
From: LiPolymer  Read Replies (4) | Respond to of 27311
 
Speaking of "Garbage Stocks", TheStreet.com (TSCM) explores alternatives:

TheStreet.com, Exploring a Sale,
Seeks Aid of Wasserstein Perella

By JON G. AUERBACH and STEVEN LIPIN
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

TheStreet.com Inc. confirmed it has hired investment bank Wasserstein
Perella & Co. to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of
the company.

In recent days, TheStreet.com
(www.thestreet.com), which offers
financial-market reports and commentary, has
been shopped to other Internet companies,
according to one person familiar with the
matter. Another person said TheStreet.com,
with a market valuation of nearly $400 million,
had been approached by a would-be acquirer.

It couldn't be determined what premium, if
any, buyers would be willing to pay for the
New York company, which has been
struggling to work out its business model. Web portals and other media
companies are considered potential buyers.

In a statement released Wednesday, TheStreet.com Chief Executive
Thomas J. Clarke said that "this is a very dynamic business environment,
and it is essential that we continue to monitor the strategic landscape." He
said Wasserstein Perella had a mandate "to explore the wide variety of
strategic partnerships and other transactions in order to help grow the
company."

TheStreet.com went public last May at $19 a share amid much fanfare,
with its stock more than tripling on the first day of trading, to $60 a share.
Amid stiff competition from rivals such as MarketWatch.com Inc.,
TheStreet shares have fallen, trading at $16 each Tuesday at 4 p.m. on the
Nasdaq Stock Market. Its shares had climbed 62.5 cents in afternoon
trading Wednesday.

Analysts say part of TheStreet.com's stock weakness is a reaction to the
company's strategy to charge a premium price compared with its
competitors. Currently, the site charges an annual subscription fee of $99
for much of its information, which analysts say has alienated some users
who aren't interested in paying for information they could find elsewhere.
Last month, TheStreet.com announced plans to make information on the
site free and also start a new paid site called RealMoney.com devoted to
commentary. Those plans are scheduled to take effect in the second
quarter.

"Some investors are taking a wait-and-see approach," says Gordon
Hodge, an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners in San Francisco.

TheStreet.com has also had management difficulties. Last year, Chief
Executive Kevin English resigned after a year on the job and was replaced
by Mr. Clarke, who had been at the company for a matter of weeks.

TheStreet.com, founded in 1996 by hedge-fund manager James J. Cramer
and Martin Peretz, the chairman of the New Republic, has attracted
investments from companies including New York Times Co. and
venture-capital firms Flatiron Partners and Oak Investment Partners. One
of the site's selling features has been its sharp commentary from writers
including Mr. Cramer and Herb Greenberg, formerly a columnist with the
San Francisco Chronicle.

Analysts believe the new two-site model will draw more users to the free
home page, which will enable TheStreet.com to boost advertising. Mr.
Hodge reckons that serious users will pay the $200-a-year fee to access
RealMoney.com. He estimates that TheStreet.com's revenue will reach
$33.4 million this year, up from $14.3 million last year. The company is
expected to post a loss of about $47.5 million, or $1.86 a share,
compared with a loss of $33.6 million, or $1.73 a share, last year.

-- Erin White contributed to this article.

interactive.wsj.com

Cramer and Greenberg get their just desserts, IMHO.

Regards,
Gary



To: John Curtis who wrote (18324)2/16/2000 11:56:00 PM
From: Jacques Tenzel  Respond to of 27311
 
Back from the meeting........It was really a worthwhile trip and nice to meet all the people from S.I. I now can put faces with the names..... Curtis, Mooter, Paul, Rich, DRBailey, LiPolymer, Robbie, ADD, Duckster,FMK and many many others. The value of the trip to Henderson was twofold. First it gave me an opportunity to really talk with some of you threadsters and seeing the depth of the collective knowledge about this stock helped considerably to gain trust and balance my willingness to risk. Being trained as a scientist and psychiatrist I have had little skill in some of the financial and engineering aspects of investing in this type of company. Therefore I gained much from most of you and am sorry that my contributions are so meager. Talking with Ron McGinnis, a financial analyst from El Paso, who does not post but we frequently hear asking questions on conference calls, also gave me insight into the milestones and markers that institutions will be looking for as they slowly approach investing in this company and I thank him for the time he spent with me. The awareness of how much good research was being done by the thread was brought home to me when I talked with one of the chief engineers at Valence. He said that he followed the thread although he naturally could not post. He stated that he was in awe what was known about the company and revealed collectively on the S.I. Thread.
Secondly, the company conference, presentation and walkthrough gave me an opportunity to see the morale and enthusiasm of the people that Valence has hired to do the job. I was certainly impressed by the ethnic and national diversity present. Boy that is sure some international team. It is good to see a company reach out to assemble on a world stage bright capable people who can get the job done.
It appears to me that if Valence can match increasing production capacity in march step with increasing acceptance and purchase orders until such a time as licensing becomes a major source of revenue, then this company has not yet really begun to climb and will reward us at levels far in excess of current valuation.
I will post again if after a period of rest other thoughts come to mind. Thanks again to all and especially to Paul for his generosity in picking up the tab that first night.

.........Jacques