Posts by Rick Pendergraft
Over Three Billion Served
Trading volume can be used as an indicator of changes in the market. Volume can tell you if a trend is likely to continue… or if it has run its course.
Read MoreLaws of Investing From Sir Isaac Newton
The House of Representatives voted against the $700 billion bailout plan for the financial sector. The bailout was very unpopular on Main Street because too many viewed the bill as a bailout of Wall Street.
Read MoreInvesting and Crystal Vases
A few months ago, my wife and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. Over the years, I have tried to stick to the traditional gifts for anniversaries. For year 15, that means crystal.
Read MoreJack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick
The stock market is always driven by news. A better-than-expected economic report sends the market higher. An earnings warning from a big blue-chip company sends the market lower.
Read MoreThere Is a Blue-Light Special on Brokerage Firms
Lehman is in bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch is sold to Bank of America for $44 billion. Bear Stearns sold to JPMorgan Chase for $2.2 billion, after originally agreeing to be bought for approximately $500 million.
There is a fire sale on Wall Street firms, and it is all because of one nasty little word: greed. Bear Stearns had gotten so greedy that it had leveraged its own assets to the moon…
Read MoreThe Investment Pecking Order Comes Into Play
I’ve cautioned you before about settling for the common shares of troubled companies. Why? Because if the company goes under, bondholders and preferred shareholders get paid before the common shareholders get a penny…
Read MoreThe Investment Pecking Order
The economy is in a slow period, and bankruptcies are making headlines. So, lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the pecking order investors assume when a publicly traded company goes into bankruptcy.
Read MoreFlipping the Switch
As Tony Robbins says, you don’t have to know how electricity works. All you need to know is how to flip the switch to get the light to come on…
Read MoreCommodities Falling, but Prices Are Not
Commodity prices (especially oil, gold, and silver) have been falling sharply since July 15. Unfortunately, prices at the producer level and the consumer level are still rising.
Read MoreGovernment Intervention Has a Ripple Effect
Over the last month, the intertwined relationships of the markets have been wacky, to say the least. On July 15, the SEC announced its protection plan for Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), and 17 banks and brokerage firms. This move totally disrupted the natural ebb and flow of the market.
Read MoreGoogle: Internet Darling No More
As recently as last November, Google was priced at over $700 per share. But the one-time Internet darling seems to have lost some of its allure.
Read MoreIs Ford Worth a Look?
You may remember the old acronyms for Ford: “Found On Road Dead” and “Fix Or Repair Daily.” People used them to make fun of the reliability problems Ford had in the past. But they could also apply to Ford’s stock in recent years.
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