Daniel And Obama

[Balloon guy 158]

Liberals ARE running Target and Costco, and they're outperforming the conservatives who run Wal-Mart.

I heard a little something that should curdle your bleeding heart liberal ways.One group that is most likely to lobby for free healthcare is big business.Once healthcare is paid for by the government, then they can loot their self insured healthcare plans and use the money to enrichen the stock holders.Yep, the rich will always get richer, and the poor will always get poorer: Whenever the government steps in to help.

[gobears 0]

My point was your numbers have little to do with how the company is actually doing, in this case. Wal Marts stock has largely dropped because of investor sentiment about bad press, not bad sales numbers, and a stock price does nothing for a company, because they sold that stock loooong ago. Costco is trading with a much higher P/E ratio as well, which tells you what? You are paying more for earnings than you are for Wal Mart. Now, being a broker I cannot give you advice, I don't have that qualification, but Wal Marts not going anywhere, and has much more room for growth, is expanding globally, etc. Costco, not so much so. Also, everybody was happy happy joy joy until 2000, with everything. That's just a horrid comparison. That's like justifying a fear of flying because a plane crashed one time.

My only point was that since 2000, Costco has been a much better investment than WalMart. As an investor, the company being profitable doesn't help me one bit if the stock price goes down or stays flat. Costco has a higher P/E ratio currently because the market feels that are a better run company with better prospects. I'm looking at this from the investor perspective of course. And you totally miss my point about the stock doing well until 2000 - some stocks have done well since 2000 (Costco being one example) so they have obviously been doing a lot of things right in the eyes of the investment community. Walmart not so much.Unless Walmart changes its strategies, I'd go with Target and Costco over them in the future as well. It doesn't mean that Walmart can't reinvent itself but their path and decisions over this past decade have been wrong in hindsight if you've been a shareholder. I'm sure that the CEO doesn't care since he's making $5M a year regardless but as a shareholder, I'd be pissed that I would have made more in a money market account.

[gobears 0]

Cup and handles?Resistance linesSEC filings?I'm just kidding, I just heard these things once, have no idea how what they mean.Except the second one, oh and the third. And a bit of the first.I made money in Enron because of the saying; "Even a dead cat will bounce if you drop it high enough" I made a 2 banger because I caught a short coverage time and sold right on time.Never even remotely came close to that feat.Making money in the stock market I mean.

Well it's all good when you make money in the stock market - there's only the quick and the dead in the stock market and you had to be quick to make $ in Enron...As for Enron and its ilk, only the audit/consulting firms made out in the long run as they suck up $ from all their Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) work. Sure, they had to sacrifice Arthur Anderson but now they get twice the audit fees from not only their regular audit work but SOX as well.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

I heard a little something that should curdle your bleeding heart liberal ways.One group that is most likely to lobby for free healthcare is big business.Once healthcare is paid for by the government, then they can loot their self insured healthcare plans and use the money to enrichen the stock holders.Yep, the rich will always get richer, and the poor will always get poorer: Whenever the government steps in to help.

I'm not absolutely certain where I stand on health care. I don't think health care for those who can afford it is the way to go, as though heart surgery were a product you could buy, and where pharmaceuticals advertise on television to say that all 300 million of us need to be on pills for something or other, the more pills the merrier. ["Depressed? Take Prozac. Prozac make your little guy soft? Take Viagra. Viagra cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure? Take a blood pressure pill. Demand them all from your doctor today!"] At the same time, the feds haven't done a brilliant job with any entitlement program. I'm generally healthy, so I don't have a lot of experience with the health care system at all, except for checkups and a few things that my company's insurance has handled just fine.So far, I think the best idea I've heard (pending further research) is this: who is already the nation's largest insurer? The federal government. Their health benefits are called (you'll get a chuckle out of this acronym) FEHB -- Federal Employee Health Benefits -- pronounced "feeb." Among other things, the federal government already negotiates lower drug prices from companies for their employees. The suggestion was to extend FEHB to all Americans. It's already in place, and while the bureaucracy to handle it would have to grow, it doesn't require a new program to be devised or a new federal department.I'm not sure I completely back that plan, either, since I last read the details of it a few years ago, but it seemed a potential compromise.

[akoff 0]

Once healthcare is paid for by the government, then they can loot their self insured healthcare plans and use the money to enrichen the stock holders.

Thanks BG....Damn...I never thought of that!! I was to busy contemplating the countless ways socialized / government / billary health care would fail I missed it.My company spent approx. 420k for insurance prems and we self insure our prescriptions...damn divided between the two of us!! This just turned into a very good morning!!Changing parties now...I am officially on board with the Clinton News Network!!SW

[hblask 1]

Hblask, as for your office cleaning, I'm still not sure if what you're saying is that you'd want to hire them off the books or not. But did I finally explain what I meant about not having a bright line between part-time and full-time, just a single minimum wage floor that would be a living wage assuming full-time work? I think for a while we were just accidentally talking about two different things.

I guess that's my question -- would your plan force me to break the law and hire this kid off the books, or am I allowed to do it? It sounds like you would turn me into a criminal for wanting to help out the neighbor kid, just because his dad is in the hospital and his mom can't work, and well, I didn't really want to hire anyone, but I can only afford to pay $4/hr for the cleaning... but if there is this rule that says I must pay $8/hr, my choice is to let their family suffer or for me to break the law. That's the type of "fair" society you want?

[hblask 1]

At the same time, the feds haven't done a brilliant job with any entitlement program.

:oHave you ever read a book or newspaper?

[hblask 1]

IAmong other things, the federal government already negotiates lower drug prices from companies for their employees. The suggestion was to extend FEHB to all Americans.

So the federal gov't has magically repealed the law of supply and demand? So that lower prices does not equal less supply? It's a MF miracle!Hint: medical costs are one of the fastest rising segments of society, and drug prices are the fastest among medical costs. Food is one of the slowest rising.The federal government "negotiates lower drug prices".The federal government does NOT negotiate lower food prices.How to proceed, how to proceed.... hmmm, let me think on that.

[Loismustdie 0]

My only point was that since 2000, Costco has been a much better investment than WalMart. As an investor, the company being profitable doesn't help me one bit if the stock price goes down or stays flat. Costco has a higher P/E ratio currently because the market feels that are a better run company with better prospects. I'm looking at this from the investor perspective of course. And you totally miss my point about the stock doing well until 2000 - some stocks have done well since 2000 (Costco being one example) so they have obviously been doing a lot of things right in the eyes of the investment community. Walmart not so much.Unless Walmart changes its strategies, I'd go with Target and Costco over them in the future as well. It doesn't mean that Walmart can't reinvent itself but their path and decisions over this past decade have been wrong in hindsight if you've been a shareholder. I'm sure that the CEO doesn't care since he's making $5M a year regardless but as a shareholder, I'd be pissed that I would have made more in a money market account.

Oops, COST down today on an anlayst downgrade, down 3.50 I think. Don't listen to me, though, it's only my job.

[gobears 0]

Oops, COST down today on an anlayst downgrade, down 3.50 I think. Don't listen to me, though, it's only my job.

Goldman cut the rating from Neutral to Buy and lowered price target to $71. Earnings from Costco are due March 5 and the street is expecting $0.74 vs $0.66 from last year.Next week will tell whether Goldman made a good or bad call.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

:oHave you ever read a book or newspaper?

So you think there's an entitlement program the government HAS done a brilliant job with? Please elaborate.And yes, for its employees the government did set a cap on the prices it would pay drug companies, and drug companies agreed to that cap for FEHB participants.

[hblask 1]

<br />So you think there's an entitlement program the government <b>HAS </b>done a brilliant job with? Please elaborate.<br /><br />And yes, for its employees the government did set a cap on the prices it would pay drug companies, and drug companies agreed to that cap for FEHB participants.<br />

OK, my mistake, I read it too fast... I thought you had written "the feds HAVE done a brilliant job....". Hence my response, since even the people who push for more gov't don't use past performance as an indicator of why we need more of it.Sorry, I should edit out those responses.....

[Southern Buddhist 1]

OK, my mistake, I read it too fast... I thought you had written "the feds HAVE done a brilliant job....". Hence my response, since even the people who push for more gov't don't use past performance as an indicator of why we need more of it.Sorry, I should edit out those responses.....

No problem. I figured you missed the negation, but I didn't want to assume. Nope, I forget if it's way earlier in this thread (I think so) or a different one, but I'm all in favor of Social Security reform.

[Loismustdie 0]

Goldman cut the rating from Neutral to Buy and lowered price target to $71. Earnings from Costco are due March 5 and the street is expecting $0.74 vs $0.66 from last year.Next week will tell whether Goldman made a good or bad call.

I think this you may have just mis typed but it's Neutral FROM Buy.

[Kenny Banya 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR7h8NBQU3EI know the conversation has turned since I last posted here, but I think this video should prove that the economy has "failed". And to everyone hoping to make money off the downturn, what are you going to do when hyperinflation turns those dollars into toilet paper??

[Kenny Banya 0]

Jobs post biggest drop in 5 yearshttp://money.cnn.com/2008/03/07/news/econo...dex.htm?cnn=yes"Employers made their deepest cut in staffing in in almost five years in February, according to a closely watched government report Friday that showed the labor market far weaker than expected, fueling already building recession fears."Wow!! Ballon guy has offcially been OWNED in this thread by me...congrats!

[Kenny Banya 0]

Breaking NewsAP: President Bush's top economic adviser says economic growth may be negative for the current quarter.Still want to argue the economy is in a horrible situation Ballon guy!?

[solderz 0]

Breaking NewsAP: President Bush's top economic adviser says economic growth may be negative for the current quarter.Still want to argue the economy is in a horrible situation Ballon guy!?

The fact that this makes you happy shows just how much of a douche bag you really are.

[Kenny Banya 0]

The fact that this makes you happy shows just how much of a douche bag you really are.

You think I'm happy about a poor economy? Ballon guy and Loismustdie were all over me weeks ago saying that the economy has nothing to worry about and that if a recession did happen there is nothing to worry about.I'm only glad people can see that they really don't know what they are talking about...don't get it twisted.

[grocery_mony 8]

http://www.globemagazine.com/story/151

[nutzbuster 7]

120 billion are about to be released to the public in early May in the form of federal economic stimulus packages.Recessions don't traditionally occur until you have 2 consecutive negative quarters.The first one of 08 will be negative growth and the jury is out on how the second one will go.Also, unemployment, and grim as it may seem, is still near historic lows, like 4.3 percent. Overall hardly a crisis.So, couple the realtively low unemployment with all those billions about to be festooned on the cheeseburger and I-pod hungry masses, and I hardly think the second quarter will be negative.One fact does remain however....who ever wins this election is going to inherit a real shit economic stew.The worst thing any of them can do is raise taxes. This will ensure a downturn on the economy and insure that all business's will pull back to control costs. that will effect everyone, whether directly as a hit to the paycheck or layoffs, and/or indirectly as in higher prices across the board.Semper Fi Mr. President...and good luck.

[Kenny Banya 0]

120 billion are about to be released to the public in early May in the form of federal economic stimulus packages.Recessions don't traditionally occur until you have 2 consecutive negative quarters.The first one of 08 will be negative growth and the jury is out on how the second one will go.Also, unemployment, and grim as it may seem, is still near historic lows, like 4.3 percent. Overall hardly a crisis.So, couple the realtively low unemployment with all those billions about to be festooned on the cheeseburger and I-pod hungry masses, and I hardly think the second quarter will be negative.One fact does remain however....who ever wins this election is going to inherit a real shit economic stew.The worst thing any of them can do is raise taxes. This will ensure a downturn on the economy and insure that all business's will pull back to control costs. that will effect everyone, whether directly as a hit to the paycheck or layoffs, and/or indirectly as in higher prices across the board.Semper Fi Mr. President...and good luck.

Great post. It's true we will have to see what that stimulus package does. But I've read that it is really only a short term fix if one at all. But you are right that may help. You are also right that the next President is going to be in a world of hurt!Now on to unemployment and what its affects are. The unemployment rate right now today is at 5.0%. (source: http://www.forecasts.org/unemploy.htm) Forecasts are saying that it could reach 5.1% by May 2008. In January 08 the government payroll fell by 22,000 jobs with 68,000 more in Febuary 08 while the private sector lost 100,000 plus in Febuary 08. (source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wa...&cset=true). Now even these numbers are relatively low in the scheme of things, yes. But, the quality of these jobs are not great. They are not manufacturing jobs, but rather service jobs. Manufacturing jobs have gone down while service up, causing the average wage over the last six years to be DOWN $1,000 on average. People are making less than they did even 5 years ago. Couple this with all time high gas prices (meaning a poor dollar value) and higher food costs and people can't pay for anything right now.I think things are about to get a lot worse. The mortgage/housing situation is only going to get worse, inflation is just destroying the dollar causing higher prices, unemployment is going to get worse, and no Presidential candidate is talking about any of this stuff and have no real solutions. I say prepare today now...

[grimtaash 0]

Here's a question. Why does everyone seem to think a recession is the end of the world? While it will obviously suck for some people(maybe many people, just depends), it seems to me its just an occuring part of the business cycle. My worry is that in fighting the "recession", the feds push inflation up. And that seems to be what is happening. Another example of the ways our government can help us out.As for the next president, I agree they will be entering under the clouds of an economic storm. And it scares me that both Clinton and Obama want to end the Bush tax-cuts. That has the potential to have a negative impact on the situation. My take on the housing crisis? I read an article on msn the other day pointing out that 99% of homes are NOT in forclosure. So home owners are not all screwed. The biggest problem is simply that too many people bought more home than they could afford, and got bad loans to do it. Part of that is the fault of banks for pushing loans to people without spending enough time to check if they were good loans. But the reason banks were pushing these loans is that they could sell them to the financial markets, because with rates being low, investors were looking for higher returns. Homebuyers and the financial institutions did a poor job of remembering RISK. Cheap loans lead to a lot of activity in the housing industry. Increased demand leads to higher costs(this applies for gasoline as well). As prices kept going up, people started buying more expensive homes, sometimes without the income to match the higher prices. So in many cases, the price of houses went up due to an artificial situation(cheap loans) as opposed to more standard reasons. So when the artificial cause is removed, prices will attempt to return to normal. And that's why some people are in trouble. Never forget though, that if the consumer had made better decisions when purchasing a home, they would not be in a bad situation.

[JustDoIt 10]

Now that's something I can get behind is the abolition of the electorial college. It's antiquated and does not give every vote equal weight. Like here in Montana, chances are the state will go for McCain so my vote won't make a damn bit of difference anyway.

Are founding fathers were brilliant, and the electorial college was part of that brilliance.

[nutzbuster 7]

I agree that a recession is not a thing to run and jump off of a cliff over. They are painful but also a inevitable/necessary part of the economic cycle. They are cleansing and they always pass. (pardon the obvious gastrointestinal correlation).I fear the Fed may get TOO involved and actually make things worse, but I also believe that they need to be diligent and stay ahead of the curve here. It is a fine line they need to thread. Thier move today to flood billions in was a necessary evil imo...maybe not a great thing in the long run overall, but doing nothing was just no longer an option. Someone described the move as desperate, like a submarine makeing an emergency dive to dodge a German ship....go to the bottom at great risk and hope the danger passes. A little drastic, but I think the economy was near "crush depth", and this move just could not be avoided. I also believe this economy is resilient and that we will come out of it eventually. We always do. Always.Keep your investment powder dry, selectively invest, be patient, and this will all turn out just fine.