"I said to you the last time that I've given up on gold. It's addictive, it was that or the Betty Ford Clinic and I haven't changed my mind."
News Alert from Nightly Business Report via Quote.com Topic: (NYSE:LU) Lucent Technologies Inc, (NYSE:SOC) Sunbeam Corporation, (NYSE:LSI) LSI Logic, (NASDAQ:COMS) 3com Corp (De), (NASDAQ:ASND) Ascend Communications Inc, (NYSE:NT) Northern Telecom Ltd, (NYSE:CDG) Cliffs Drilling Co, (NYSE:SEG) Seagate Technology, (NYSE:SGI) Silicon Graphics Inc, Quote.com News Item #4965565 Headline: Market Monitor: Peter Greeen-"Green On Money Mkt. Letter"
====================================================================== JEFF YASTINE: Our guest market monitor this week is Peter Green, editor of the Green on Money Market Letter, based in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, and he joins us from our New York studios. Peter thanks for joining us.
PETER GREEN, EDITOR OF THE GREEN ON MONEY MARKET LETTER: My pleasure.
YASTINE: When you were last with us in July last year, you said that the Dow you thought would get to about 9200, of course and it's only just approached the 8000 -- got a little over the 8000 mark, and has had trouble staying above that level. What do you think now, where is the Dow headed?
GREEN: I think it'll test the new highs around 8200 and then go down. I think this Asian problem is really going to be the story in the first quarter. It's very, very, problems- problems abound over there. The currency, they've just rolled over the Korean bank loans. But that means now that they're going to go through the loan portfolios and a lot of companies are going to have loans called. And it's just going to be all kinds of problems. Unemployment into buildings, a real mess.
YASTINE: We've already seen, in regards to the U.S. markets, a lot of pre- announcements of earnings warnings. You don't think that the U.S. market has already pretty much discounted a lot of the bad news that's expected out of Asia in the coming months?
GREEN: No, because I don't think anybody knows how much bad news is coming out in Asia. I think they'll keep containing it in Korea right now because you could have a worldwide sell off, a panic, in the stock markets around the world if two or three or four countries went down at the same time. So if they can stagger them, it's better for everybody.
YASTINE: Now as far as the U.S. domestic economy, we have the Purchasing Managers Index Report out today that showed inflation remains low. You're still fairly bullish at least as far as the U.S. economy goes?
GREEN: Yes, I think for stocks that aren't involved in exporting to Asia, they've got a good chance of doing quite well. It's going to be a stock pickers market.
YASTINE: Well when you were last with us, you mentioned four stocks. Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU), you recommended it at 78. It's at 79, a little over 79 now. Sunbeam (NYSE:SOC) was about 38 then, it's 41 1/2 now. LSI Logic (NYSE:LSI) was about 35 then, 21 1/2 now. And 3Com (NASDAQ:COMS) 54 then, 36 now. What do we do with those?
GREEN: Well Sunbeam's been up to 50 and pulled back. 3Com we did very well on, I made about 70 percent. We bought it in November at 49 and sold it at 48, which turned out to be a pretty good move because it's down around 34. I think the tech stocks. This is an industry with built in obsolescence. And it's, it's since July that some of these stocks haven't done very well. And probably after the first quarter, they'll start moving up again. In fact, they may start before that because there's been a lot of tax selling.
YASTINE: Which of these technology stocks do you like at this point?
GREEN: I like Ascend Communications (NASDAQ:ASND). That's my favorite.
YASTINE: And why is that?
GREEN: Well they've just come out. First of all they were offered $35 by Lucent Technology recently. They turned it down and said that they wanted $40. And now Northern Telecom (NYSE:NT) is involved too I'm told in the bidding. So that here's this company that's being offered $35 and is asking for $40. Note that it closed today about 25 7/8 I believe.
YASTINE: Why do you think the market just hasn't reacted, that sort of buy out offer?
GREEN: Well I think because there has been tax selling.
YASTINE: And also, any other stocks that you like here?
GREEN: Yes, I like Cliffs Drilling (NYSE:CDG). I like LSI Logic in the technology area. And Seagate (NYSE:SEG) and Silicon Graphics (NYSE:SGI) could turn around. But you want to wait for them to move. You've got to wait for them to move. Don't jump in tomorrow. Wait til they move. I know you get bored.
YASTINE: Now when do you, when do you wait for a stock like Cliffs Drilling to move? It ...
GREEN: Well that started to move. That's come down from 80 to about 43 or 44. Now it's moving up. That's one that's starting to move right now.
YASTINE: I got you. Also back about in 1996 rather, you liked gold. Do you like gold at all now? Or do you stay out of it? Or do you get back in?
GREEN: No, I don't, I said to you the last time that I've given up on gold. It's addictive, it was that or the Betty Ford Clinic and I haven't changed my mind.
YASTINE: A bonds at this point?
GREEN: Well bonds they may go down a little bit. But I don't like them that much. I've been neutral on them.
YASTINE: All right. We will end it there then. Peter, thank you very much.
GREEN: Thank you.
YASTINE: That's Peter Green, editor of the "Green On Money Market Letter."
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