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Technology Stocks : THREE FIVE SYSTEM (TFS) - up from here? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: dfloydr who wrote (2392)	9/19/1998 5:04:00 PM
From: dfloydr	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3247

Talked to Liz Friday after noon. Of course it is now their quiet period so a lot of interesting points were off limits. Liz seemed uptight. True it is the quiet period now, but I have been trying for six weeks to get to talk to her. It is public info that Liz owns 14,000+ shares of TFS so maybe she was just "feeling our pain". Liz started out with some stuff about my being active on this thread. Apparently those of us who follow this thread are initially suspect. Interesting. We did manage to get to talking after I indicated I had some non financial questions. My first question was about TFS's relationship with the local newspaper and the press in general. Several times this past year the press has either ignored a TFS press release or garbled is such that one almost has to suspect malice. Liz maintains that they have no feuds with the press. Whatever the press does is whatever they normally do. She was very receptive to the idea that we investors call any press outlet whenever they garble or ignore something. She feels that that would have more effect on the press than anything she might do. My main reason for trying to reach Liz these past six weeks has been the two rumors that have been floating around Phoenix and that I have run into on a couple of occasions: a). One rumor has it that the China plant has been put on hold, or even killed. b). A second rumor has it that David B. has had to get back in the saddle to ... well let's edit the rumor for public consumption ... to straighten things out. Liz said it was not her business to respond to rumors. I agreed that run of the mill rumors did not warrant her time, but that either of these, even if not true, as long as they kept floating around, could have something to do with the dismal price of TFS stock. I then pointed out that a company did not have to dignify a rumor by responding to it directly but that a company could say something or announce something on another matter or take an action that would coincidentally sink a rumor. I then asked whether, if either of these had any basis, she would not consider it worth an announcement. Yes she said. That effectively shot one hole in each rumor. She then ... learning quickly ... pulled out their last press release ... a month old now... and read the part about the China plant being on track etc.. I take it from that action that rumor (a) is thoroughly sunk. As to the rumor about David B., all she could say was that he is Chairman and a part of the team, which is true enough. I am sure that David B. is as concerned as any of us ... and more concerned than most ... about the current valuation of TFS stock. I suspect this rumor may be true only in the sense that he probably really is showing an active interest in things at TFS these days as well he might. Perhaps some of his fellow "retirees" from more mundane corporate worlds do not understand that an entrepreneur never gets it out of his system and might, therefore, sometimes pass up a golf game. I did want to ask about the promised additional analyst coverage, but Liz was being called to a meeting. Liz confirmed that they will be reporting earnings the week of October 12 and that that will be followed, as usual by a conference call. She promised to be more communicative after that. I hope someone will post information as to how to log on to this coming conference call. N.O. I think you have done so in the past.