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Strategies & Market Trends : Value Investing -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Senior who wrote (34451)	5/22/2009 1:07:18 PM
From: E_K_S	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 78748

Hi Paul - I followed you in on two of your utility plays. AGL RESOURCES INC (NYSE:AGL) and OGE ENERGY CP (NYSE:OGE). These along with my other NG/utility, pipeline consolidators, distributors, storage facilities and electric energy producers make up a pretty good basket. finance.yahoo.com I also want to add WMB but am waiting a bit to see how this Venezuela property seizer works itself out. My favorites are BKH and SE which I will be adding if there is any sell off so I can buy at lower prices. I sold out of a poor performing dividend equity mutual fund (my last equity mutual fund holding, I still own GNMA & Bond mutual funds) and peeled off a few shares of GLW which helped finance these new buys. EKS

To: Paul Senior who wrote (34451)	6/3/2009 1:02:24 PM
From: Paul Senior	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 78748

Fill for me this morning for a few shares of gas utility, Energen. finance.yahoo.com Not much of a dividend for a utility. At least they keep increasing it though.

To: Paul Senior who wrote (34451)	6/3/2009 6:44:16 PM
From: Logain Ablar	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 78748

Hi Paul: I have a comment on ACE or any PC insurer this year. Typically this is the time of year they languish from a stock price perspective due to the CAT season. If the CAT's really blow there can be a big hit to surplus. Now ever since Andrew in 1991 the reinsurers have been able to go out and raise new capital after a CAT and the stocks have done realitively well all things considered as the industry has also been able to raise premium rates. This year will be more difficult to raise fresh capital, investment returns will be lower (on a relative basis ignoring companies hits last year in the hedge funds) and AIG is a wild card as it trys to retain market share so rate increases in the recession have so far been difficult (not for CAT reinsurance, propery reinsurance rates appear to be up pretty good). Now TRV, CHUBB, ACE are probably the top 3 public so you did pick a good company. ACE has the old CIGNA P&C business (INA ??). BV for an insurer is typically a good entry point but ACE should have a lot of goodwill due to its acquisitions (I'm sure TRV has its share as well).