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Pastimes : The Justa and Lars Honors Bob Brinker Investment Club Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Justa Werkenstiff who wrote (314)	7/17/2000 11:19:28 AM
From: Alan Bell	Respond to of 10065

re: I am a stiff pure and simple Justa, you lost your innocence when the financial media (CNBC) turned to you for your advice. <g> You may even need to change your name!

To: Justa Werkenstiff who wrote (314)	7/17/2000 11:35:06 AM
From: Wally Mastroly	Respond to of 10065

Inventories rise in May (but - sales up also); +Greenman watch... WASHINGTON — Businesses boosted their stockpiles of goods on shelves and backlots at a faster-than-expected pace in May with retailers leading the way. The Commerce Department said Monday that business inventories nationwide grew by 0.8% in May to a seasonally adjusted $1.18 trillion, the fastest pace since November, when inventories rose by 0.9%. May's increase was twice as fast as the 0.4% gain many analysts were expecting. At the same time, sales rose 1% to $895 billion, the biggest gain since March. May's sales increase left the inventory-to-sales ratio at 1.32, meaning it would take 1.32 months to exhaust inventories at the May sales pace. The ratio also stood at 1.32 in April. Some details: - cbs.marketwatch.com - Also, ...Greenspan remarks, CPI loom on radar By Dina Temple-Raston, USA TODAY This week is shaping up to be a crucial week for economists seeking clues about the future course of interest rates. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's semiannual testimony Thursday before Congress will go a long way toward indicating whether more interest rate increases are in the cards. In addition to Greenspan's testimony, this week's other key event is the release Tuesday of the June consumer price index the most closely watched gauge of inflation. The overall CPI figure is expected to show inflation picking up, mainly because of rising energy prices. Analysts say rocketing gas prices last month will be behind a "headline" increase of as much as 0.5%. But the more important figure, the one the Fed and investors watch, is the so-called core rate of inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices. Economists expect that to be 0.2% to 0.4%, according to Stone & McCarthy Research Associates. So far this month, the data are not making the Fed's job any easier. Some economists see signs of consumers pulling back and the labor market — a top Fed concern — finally loosening up. Others say the Fed's work isn't done and what the economy is experiencing is a temporary lull. That could mean the Fed will raise the target for short-term interest rates again when it meets Aug. 22. "Those hoping the Fed is finished tightening may have been premature," says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Bank One in Chicago. "Greenspan is going to have to deal with the robustness of the economy — it may not be slowing enough, and I expect he'll indicate that," she says. What the Fed is after is an economy slowing just enough to cool inflation, but not so much that it slips into recession.

To: Justa Werkenstiff who wrote (314)	7/17/2000 11:59:24 AM
From: Justa Werkenstiff	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 10065

Korn and the Shark - SHARK ATTACK ALERT * Someone please post this at bobbrinker.com. Looks like Korn has changed tactics. Let's look at his summary for this past weekend. Here is his clueless statement of the day: "Bob really steered away from any questions about when to sell the QQQ shares." Duh!?! Got a clue?? Is this guy for real?? Re: "It could be that Bob doesn't have clear guidance yet to determine when the inflection point will occur in the Nasdaq." No, he knows what he is looking for but you don't and that was the purpose of the shows this weekend. You have nothing to sell, Mr. Korn. This guy is must be brain dead if he does not get it by now. So what wiil Korn do if he has nothing to repackage from Brinker? How about throwing out some shark bait to the unsuspecting subscribers? Sounds good. First, Korn must have the "set up" or "hook" and here it is: "I don't like Brinker's market-timing philosophy." We have all seen this before and think it is just fine for disagreement on a philosophical sense. Trouble is, you have to ask if this person really believes what he is saying or is it just a marketing ploy? I now question whether someone really disagrees with Brinker or is just using that line to set up a sale of alternative products or services. I have seen this bait and switch technique by the hucksters who are marketing off of Brinker in an effort to solicit his listeners or subscribers. So Korn casts his line : "[S]kepticism over Bob's market timing ability dovetails nicely with the Guest Editorial at the end of today's Interpretation, so make sure you check it out." So Let's check it out, David! Let's see what this guy says. But one must really question the use of the word "editorial." Come on, David, it is the biggest sales pitch I have ever seen on the net!!!!! So here is the opener from this guy: "I have been in the investment advisory business for eleven years, and boy, what a fantastic eleven years it has been!" Okay, he is a professional!!! Okay, and now to distinguish himself from Brinker for the set-up: "So, what is an investor to do? I have been reading David K's weekly Interpretations with great interest. Of particular interest to me is the fascination that so many investors have with trying to time the market (many of my clients included!). First and foremost, I am not a market timer, so my clients know that I am unlikely to suggest that they ever get entirely out of the market. Now, this brings me to a very important point. Investors should be cognizant that they do not have to be either long or short the market. There are plenty of alternative investment strategies that are able to make money regardless of whether the market is trending upward, downward or moving violently, as it has so far in 2000." Tell me more, oh wise one!!! Here is the pitch, baby: "Beginning in November of 1999, I began to place my clients with money managers that focus on non-market-directional strategies. Such strategies range from income arbitrage to convertible bond arbitrage, to split strike conversion designs. Each of these money managers has a specific target in mind and each sticks to his particular specialty." Oh give me a break!!!!!! Korn refers to his whole pitch as an "editorial." What a joke!!!! The "editor" of this piece gives the firm name, its address, and contact number for those who want to discuss his point of view further. Gawk, gawk .... I am gagging!!! Help me!!!! SHARK ATTACK ALERT!!!! Boy, if I was a subscriber, Korn should be paying me to read this pitch and not vice versa. I wonder what the true extent of the relationship is between Korn and this investment advisory firm. But here is my favorite line form this "professional" because it will appeal to Brinker followers on the surface: "None of the managers that I have chosen is seeking more than 12%-15% net returns. So, while each manager is overseeing a hedge fund (a four letter word after the collapse of the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management), the top priority for each of the managers that I have chosen is preservation of capital." That "preservation of capital" line is taken right from Brinker. But, come on folks. This guy is saying his "top priority" is "preservation of capital." Let me tell you that if you are gunning for 12%-15% (NET OF EXPENSES), your "top" priority is RISK in this environment and not "PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL." EXTREME SHARK ATTACK ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!