Nice post, Alan C. Here's my "entry." To the Group:
As you know, I'm no hypster.
Have quietly encouraged a number of people to take a look at AXC over the past few weeks, including at least two or three brokers. What I've found is that, even though none has even *heard* of Ampex (alas), all get in. The story is, well, irresistible...
Some anectodal evidence:
"*Invented* the VTR? You're kidding me! Didn't Sony invent that?"
"Profitable, high-tech company with 900 patents and Internet broadcasting technology? At *how much* per share?! What are you smokin', Marlow?!!"
Merely suggested to one acquaintance that he read our board and think about it, and he reported back within 24 hours that he took 6,500 shares at an average of say, $4.375. Thanked me profusely and wasn't at all sure he'd gotten enough!
***
The Internet Investment Landscape
As you know, the Internet investor base is broadening out. A number of brokers have reported to me that even conservative clients are now asking, "What Internet stocks should I buy?" In response, brokers have a very hard time justifying high-priced, *volatile* stocks for which their firms have not put out "Buy" recommendations. Once you get past AOL, there are very few Internet plays that brokers are allowed to recommend. So they put people into "proximity" names like CSCO, DELL, DIS, IBM, INTC, LU, MSFT, ORCL, SUNW, WCOM, and T. Or FDX and BKS. Never can they recommend stocks like AMZN, ATHM, BCST, CMGI, EBAY, GNET, INKT, LCOS, RNWK or YHOO. The reason is simple: mainstream retail brokerages *can't defend their valuations*.
Enter AXC, a 50-year-old tech name with a storied history that just so happens to be an "affordable" Internet investment with big upside potential. A few hundred shares is a real position with little risk. A broker can defend it.
Our Opportunity: A "Roadshow"
My suggestion is that we merely encourage people to come to SI for a presentation unparalleled in the history of "penny stocks," let alone "Internet plays."
And in commemoration of our 5,000th AXC post, on January 30, 1999 at 05:33am (the honor for which goes to N.Wayne Agee! What does he win?!!), here's a marketing hook for the Group's consideration.
Why don't we create a new SI "feature": a "roadshow" thread for AXC lurkers and prospective investors? We can cull from this board a *small* set of key, plain-English posts (say, 36?; especially, those with links). We can cue up our "greatest hits" over the past 18 months and let them roll sequentially, like a set of slides. That way, we can refer people to our "AXC History and Internet Technology Timeline" companion board and let them bring themselves up to speed without wading through every trading day's hiccup. To lurkers, it would be read-only. And we could ask SI members to refrain from posting to it; one of our senior members, say GusO, would be "Chairman of the Board" and "Chief Roadie."
In this way, AXC can present a consistent, clear and compelling story to all who are willing to give us an "Internet hour." In the process, we can both build the AXC shareholder base and take SI to a higher level.
Let's understand something, folks. If we want to go to $40, we need to *make* it happen.
Any interest?
BAM |
