Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial Planning, Governments & Regulators.

Description:  General Motors Co. executives have discussed buying shares from the U.S. Treasury Department to reduce the government’s 33 percent stake in the automaker, three people familiar with the matter said.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 06/03/2011

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-06-03/general-motors-said-to-weigh-buying-shares-from-treasury.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What do you think is the best financial strategy for the company?
  • What is wrong with a long term partial-ownership by government?

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description: The biggest loser in the latest apparent Chinese reverse merger fraud is John Paulson.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: 06/03/2011

Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/03/sino-forest-fire-singes-bubble-king-paulson/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize reasons for the dramatic fall in share value.
  • Do you think there might be illegal activity on somebody’s part?
  • How might the firm mitigate this publicity?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation.

Description:  The luxury jeweler, know for its little blue box, reported a 20% jump in global sales. Signet, owner of Kays and Jared, also fared well.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 05/26/2011

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/05/26/mkts_tiffanys_0526.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

  • What significance, if any, is there to the results reported?
  • How do you think investors will react to this report?
  • How can Tiffany’s deal with cash flow issues related to the problems in Japan?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Management Issues, Market Analysis.

Description: May’s correction affords an unparalleled opportunity to see what insiders really think is going to happen in the market, according to Mark Hulbert, who says it’s pretty telling if they’re selling amid declines. Laura Mandaro reports.

Source: Moneywatch.com – video report

Date: 05/24/2011
Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/stocks-at-one-month-lows-what-are-insiders-doing/C2A11AB8-6CB9-462E-AE89-07415B5A6157

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the guidelines for understanding insider activity.
  • Who are the insiders?
  • What do the recent data suggest about market conditions and the near future?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: W.R. Grace, Potash Corp. and Viacom are among the top holdings of the world’s largest hedge funds, according to Mazin Jadallah, founder and CEO of AlphaClone, who says the funds are overweight materials and also financials. Alistair Barr reports.

Source: Moneywatch.com – video report

Date: 05/23/2011

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/what-are-the-largest-hedge-funds-holding/4D9E306D-DE9E-433A-B458-9E5721F9B298

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarized the essence of the report with respect to hedge fund positions.
  • How should this affect investor decision-making?
  • Do you agree with these positions?

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Financial Planning, Governments & Regulators.

Description:  The George Mason University professor has written a bestseller, The Great Stagnation, keeps an influential blog, and reads way too many books.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 05/26/2011

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231066695798.htm

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain the meaning of the title.
  • What is the thesis of his book?
  • Are there items you agree or disagree with?
  • What lessons should be learned from this article?

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description: Rick Rieder is not the best-known man in bonds. That honor belongs to Pimco’s Bill Gross, manager of Total Return, the world’s largest bond fund. But Rieder, 49, is a titan in his own right.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: 05/27/2011

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/25/pf/rick_rieder_blackrock.fortune/index.htm

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize Rick Rieder’s strategic thinking as reported in the article.
  • Do you agree with his thinking?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description: CEO Jeff Weiner says LinkedIn’s “exclusive focus on professionals” is what makes his company’s social platform so valuable to investors.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 05/20/2011

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/05/20/n_linkedin_ceo.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you think LinkedIn is worth the IPO price?
  • What revenue streams are available to the firm?
  • What types of acquisitions would you consider as good fits for the company’s revenue growth potential?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation.

Description: Without inside connections, IPOs for social-networking firms like LinkedIn are a crapshoot for retail investors, according to MarketWatch columnist Chuck Jaffe. who says Google stood out as a recognized market leader. Laura Mandaro reports.

Source: Moneywatch.com – video report

Date: 05/20/2011

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/didnt-get-into-linkedin-ipo-good-for-you/B6F4AA8F-5EEA-4D58-86F6-09B60B2B9220

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the opinions expressed about the Linked-In IPO?
  • Do you think it represents a good investment as an IPO?
  • Should an investor wait for the dust to settle before buying in?
  • Should retail investors stay away because of the risk factors?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. had rallied 40 percent from its spinoff when Adnaan Ahmad started covering the stock with a “sell” rating. The mobile-phone maker has lost nearly all its gain since his Jan. 21 report.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 05/20/2011

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-20/analysts-punished-as-fewer-than-1-of-sells-work-since-2009.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarized the essence of the report with respect to what it suggests about predictions for a particular stock.
  • Why do you suppose the record is so poor?
  • How should this affect investor decision-making?