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February, 2008: 4 10 18 25
Disclaimer - IMPORTANT - Read this first!
| Investor's Journal is a diary focused strictly on investments and personal finance issues, primarily from a contrarian and retiree point of view. Follow along with an average guy's failures and successes as he learns, by trial and error, the fine art of value investing. |
2/4/08-Since the last entry, our Leapin' Lizards (LL) pick, PCCC, purchased on 1/29/07, has been held over a year. It will be sold at the early market price tomorrow (Tuesday morning). It will then be removed from the LL open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 1/29/07 to early 2/5/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading on 2/4/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), PCCC had been down 26.73% in the past 12(+) months.
Also since the last entry, our Classic Value (CV) pick, FC, purchased on 2/2/07, has been held over a year. It too will be sold at the early market price Tuesday morning. It will then be removed from the CV open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 2/2/07 to early 2/5/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading on 2/4/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), FC had been up 6.76% in the past 12(+) months.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: AEIS; AXYS; ISRG; IVAC; LNDC; MON; MOS; MTW; NDAQ; and POT.
My focus currently is on a new Wild Wizards (WW) selection, Monsanto Company (MON) (recent price $114.27). MON's trailing price to earnings ratio is 54.83. Its forward P/E is estimated at 33.12. The asset's market-capitalization size is giant-cap: $62.62 billion. Monsanto Company has a 0.60% dividend, with a payout ratio of 0.27. Its PEG ratio is 1.10. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.53. The price to sales ratio is 6.88. MON's price to book value is 7.78. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 14.72%. Debt to equity is 0.18. The current ratio is 1.59. In the last 52 weeks, MON has risen 110.44%. This stock has advisory support, low debt, positive free cash flow, and healthy momentum in its favor.
Monsanto Company will be added to our WW tracking portfolio at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/5/08.
2/10/08-Since the last entry, our Leapin' Lizards (LL) pick, GRIL, purchased on 2/5/07, has been held over a year. It will be sold at the early market price Monday morning. It will then be removed from the LL open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 2/5/07 to early 2/11/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading on 2/8/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), GRIL had been down 24.11% in the past 12(+) months.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: AIRT; CINF; FRD; HLYS; KELYA; LNDC; MW; NTRI; TRCI; and UMC.
The focus this time is on a new Classic Value (CV) selection, Technology Research Corp. (TRCI) (recent price $3.22). TRCI's trailing price to earnings ratio is just 6.92. The asset's market-capitalization size is nano-cap: $18.96 million. Technology Research Corp. has a 2.46% dividend with a dividend payout ratio of 0.17. The price to sales ratio is only 0.52. TRCI's price to book value is low at 0.94. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 14.34%. Debt to equity is 0.00. The current ratio is 4.09. The shareholders' equity to total assets ratio is 0.80. This stock has low price to earnings, low debt, low P/S, a relatively low P/Bk, and a healthy dividend in its favor. It meets Benjamin Graham's safety and value criteria as a bargain stock.
Technology Research Corp. will be added to our CV tracking portfolio as well as our own nest egg at its market price early on Monday, 2/11/08.
2/18/08-Since the last entry, our Wild Wizards (WW) pick, CPRT, purchased on 1/7/08, will by the next trading day have been held at least 4 weeks. And it no longer meets our WW buy or hold criteria. So it will be sold at the early market price tomorrow (Tuesday morning). It will then be removed from the WW open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 1/7/08 to early 2/19/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading on 2/15/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), CPRT had been down 4.59% since purchase.
Also since the last entry, our Wild Wizards (WW) pick, ATW, purchased on 1/22/08, will by the next trading day have been held at least 4 weeks. And it also no longer meets our WW buy or hold criteria. So it too will be sold at the early market price Tuesday morning. It will then be removed from the WW open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 1/22/08 to early 2/19/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading on 2/15/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), ATW had been up 16.89% since purchase.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: AIRT; CF; FRD; KELYA; LNDC; MA; MOS; MW; NTRI; and POT.
My focus currently is first on a new Wild Wizards (WW) selection, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. (POT) (recent price $147.88). POT's trailing price to earnings ratio is 43.46. Its forward P/E is estimated at 18.39. The asset's market-capitalization size is giant-cap: $46.79 billion. Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. has a 0.30% dividend, with a payout ratio of 0.09. Its PEG ratio is 2.23. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.59. The price to sales ratio is 9.86. POT's price to book value is 7.81. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 25.09%. Debt to equity is 0.23. The current ratio is 1.81. In the last 52 weeks, POT has risen 176.02%.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. will be added to our WW tracking portfolio at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/19/08.
The next focus is on another Wild Wizards (WW) selection, CF Industries, Inc. (CF) (recent price $118.17). CF's trailing price to earnings ratio is 17.98. Its forward P/E is estimated at 10.87. The asset's market-capitalization size is mid-cap: $6.61 billion. CF Industries, Inc. also has a 0.30% dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 0.01. Its PEG ratio is 2.41. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.56. The price to sales ratio is 2.34. CF's price to book value is 5.44. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 38.15%. Debt to equity is 0.00. The current ratio is 2.03. In the last 52 weeks, CF has risen 244.02%.
CF Industries, Inc. will be added as well to our WW tracking portfolio at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/19/08.
Finally, I am also focusing on a third new Wild Wizards (WW) selection, Mastercard, Inc. (MA) (recent price $206.00). MA's trailing price to earnings ratio is 25.74. Its forward P/E is estimated at 22.37. The asset's market-capitalization size is giant-cap: $27.04 billion. Mastercard, Inc. has a 0.30% dividend too. The dividend payout ratio is 0.07. Its PEG ratio is 1.52. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.52. The price to sales ratio is 6.53. MA's price to book value is 8.77. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 40.28%. Debt to equity is 0.08. The current ratio is 1.94. In the last 52 weeks, MA has risen 90.18%.
Mastercard, Inc. will also be added to the WW tracking portfolio at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/19/08.
All three of these new WW selections have advisory support, low debt, positive free cash flow, and healthy momentum in their favor.
2/25/08-Since the last entry, our Leapin' Lizards (LL) pick, SYX, purchased on 2/20/07, has been held over a year. It will be sold at the early market price Tuesday morning. It will then be removed from the LL open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 2/20/07 to early 2/26/08 per share performance. Through the close of trading today, 2/25/08, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), SYX had been down 60.14% in the past 12(+) months.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: AXYS; BRK/A (BRK/B); FINL; FRD; FTO; HIG; LNDC; ORH; POT; and WMAR.
The focus this time is on a new Classic Value (CV) selection, Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG) (recent price $74.40). HIG's trailing price to earnings ratio is just 7.60. The forward P/E is estimated at 6.93. The PEG ratio is 0.69. The asset's market-capitalization size is giant-cap: $23.35 billion. Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 2.90% dividend, with a dividend payout ratio of 0.19. The price to sales ratio is 0.84. HIG's price to book value is 1.22. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 17.10%. Debt to equity is 0.28. The current ratio is 7.18. This stock has low price to earnings, low debt, a healthy dividend, below average P/Bk, and a relatively low PEG ratio in its favor. It meets Benjamin Graham's bargain stock safety and value criteria.
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will be added to our CV tracking portfolio as well as our own nest egg at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/26/08.
Disclaimer and Disclosure Statement
Neither I nor Investor's Journal will be responsible for losses by anyone who obtained ideas from this site.
This diary is intended for personal interest and general information only. You are advised to do your own research (as well as to consult highly compensated professionals) before spending money on anything.
I know of no reason anyone should take my financial musings seriously. At best I am a dedicated amateur providing a bit of investment-related insight and entertainment, at worst an amusing diversion.
My wife, Fran, and I may at times own shares of some of the assets mentioned here. But neither of us receive any benefit from reference to them, unless you count the mutual misery when we get it wrong, or the opportunity to gloat when we get it right.