SubscribeCrime and EBAY; A recipe for a short position
March 19, 2007
EBAY and Paypal are the new targets of Nigerian scam artists. Has anyone thought about the effects? Aside from reading a few items and seeing a recent news expose` on the problems (EBAY) is having with “online fencing of stolen goods”, I have not seen much alarm at this trend, but the recent scams are very disturbing, and they have hit too close to home.
EBAY is based on trust between seller and buyer. Without that, there is no EBAY. Buyers can just as easily go to online stores with good reputations. Sure, they MAY have to spend a little more, but since EBAY is no longer always the cheapest price, the shine may be off the chrome.
While this is not a new idea as the scammers have been around for a while, it is a disturbing trend and one that needs to be addressed by investors.
The Disciplined Investor Podcast - Episode 3
March 19, 2007
Episode 3 - EBAY and the scam problems, how to play. (DELL) is a buy. Know when to sell a stock!
This episode is dedicated to the topic of investing. To start, look at (EBAY) and the problems they are having with international scam artists. Unless they have a real great quarter (which is in doubt) the shares may tumble. Detailed discussion about how to play this for a nice profit.
CNBC Portfolio Challenge Results - Week #2
March 17, 2007
Week # 2 brought an interesting bit of contrast. While I stayed with the basic discipline of buying prior to the earnings releases, the market was in no mood for fun.
The hangover from the “sub-prime” meltdown of the previous week was still heavy in the air. Another factor that made this different was the lack of earnings releases that even seemed to be available. By the sheer number of releases it was a smaller group, and there was not much that caught my fancy.
Shuffle Master a good bet?
March 14, 2007
Shuffle Master is a name that you should really look at as a play on the gaming market
domestically and internationally, The reality is that it is a “picks and shovels” approach to the gaming industry.
They are a great benefit to the casinos as they are in the business of moving the odds towards the house with their games and particularity their shuffle machines. It has been shown that the automatic/continuous shuffle machines can bring the odds almost 1% better towards the house. That is big.
The ingrown toenail that KILLED the US Economy!
March 14, 2007
Take a look at some of the comments floating around in cyberspace regarding our economy. It is rather disheartening. I read an article in which people are skipping right past recession and now talking depression. HUH?
In reponse to the hysteria, I wrote:
They said that the subprime market is going to cause an outright depression. This is like saying that an ingrown toenail is going to cause a shutdown of the entire coronary system. While there may be an infection that is spawned, it can be treated. Before it becomes life threatening, you (or your doctors) can and will take preventative action (unless you are a total idiot). That brings us right to the point of who we are looking at to help us avert a major catastrophe caused by mindless runs on the banks in an effort to ensure that our money is…well…safe.
The unfortunate fact that most people seem to forget is that unlike decades ago, the banks are a part of the entire financial market, not the entire market. More funds have been distributed into brokerages, hedge funds, mutuals, annuities and other non bank instruments. The fact that a few greedy lenders have done a poor job at qualifying their clients and that there has been a significant housing bubble brewing does cause a bit of concern.
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