Today is the quarter’s last day. That means “window dressing.” Buy some favorite stocks for a quick trade because the market will probably be up on April 1, because it’s up 70% of the time the first day of the month.
Two interesting China plays:
Yanzhou is China’s coal company. Earnings are growing strongly.
Harbin makes small electric motors. Huge short interest — 24% of float. Squirrely recent earnings. But call option prices are very high. Somebody thinks something positive — a takeover?
Apple’s advance has stalled, for now.
Several “news” stories have checked its growth — problems with Japan demand, supply chain shortages and delays on the release of the iPhone 5.
There are lots of good things: the rapid sellout of the upcoming developer program, the huge ongoing sales of the iPad2 and Apple computers, especially the Macbook Air.
This is not the time to sell Apple, since it could “pop” at any time. Buy some more, if, by chance, it falls to, say $335.
Looking for luck in Libya. Latest Thomas Friedman piece. Click here.
Sirius XM Satelitte free 7-day trial. Our California rental came with Sirius XM. I love the BBC, NPR and various talk shows. For a free 7-day trial on your computer, click here. Leave the prom code blank.
The Wall Street Journal has discovered SeatGuru.com. I’ve extolled the SeatGuru’s virtues. Suffice: Don’t book an airline seat without checking SeatGuru first. The Journal’s article is here.
Getting leg cramps in the night or early morning? Two solutions: Water and (Pete Rawlings swears this works) a bar of soap in the bed. Dove works. More research on soap in the bed (Dove doesn’t work) — click here.
Is this new tech boom different? Debate at the New York Times. Email me if you’re having trouble getting around the New York Times’ news paywall.
Horrible statistic. Japan’s recent earthquake was equivalent in power to 30,000 Hiroshimas.
Photos of the Day. The Wall Street Journal runs some neat photos, including:
For the rest, click here.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. David Sokol , once a candidate to succeed Warren Buffett as the head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., resigned as it was disclosed he helped negotiate a takeover while buying stock in the target company. According to the Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Sokol had purchased roughly $10 million in shares of a chemicals company that Berkshire recently agreed to buy at the suggestion of Mr. Sokol, Lubrizol Corp.
Mr. Buffett said Mr. Sokol, 54 years old, had bought 96,060 shares in January, before Berkshire reached a $9 billion deal to acquire the company. Berkshire’s purchase price of $135 per share meant that Mr. Sokol’s stake rose $3 million in value.
Not a good place for your hand — in the cookie jar.
How to explain your Time Warner Cable bill. The bill contains 50-odd elements, including
$3.45 — Singapore Nuclear Defense Fund
$16.30 — Twenty-five-per-cent gratuity
$13.99 — DVR (disabled video recorder)
$11.45 — HDTV you forget to use because it’s Channel 700-something
$8.12 — Color TV
$12.95 — Showtime you forgot you ordered
$12.95 — Cinemax you forgot you ordered
$9.95 — Starz you forgot was a channel
$0.02 — Internal joke
$40.20 — Watching a Non-New York Football Game Betrayal Surcharge
$3.95 — Your girlfriend’s niece’s friend somehow voted for “American Idol” through your cable box
$3.75 — What Ever Happened to “My Name Is Earl”? Fee
$11.45 — Your child watched the same episode of “Yo Gabba Gabba!” four hundred times
Go to the full New Yorker article.
My big secret revealed. I enjoy watching Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. Sign up and watch present and past shows at The Daily Show. Saves staying up beyond old foggy bedtime (11 PM).
A Very Slippery Slope. Larry Doyle writes:
The United Nations has set a very dangerous precedent with its adventure in Libya. And it is likely to spill over throughout the Middle East.
Today, the biggest emerging story is not in Libya at all, but in Syria, where the demonstrations are growing rapidly in both size and violence. The climate is right for a much more dangerous conflict than we have seen so far.
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has already stated that the Libyan precedent has laid the groundwork for American intervention in Syria. And Hamas has already asked for UN intervention in Israel, based on Resolution 1973 which called for the coalition `no-fly zone’ in Libya.
Where will this end?
The Blind Pilot
A blind man was flying in a small plane with his brother, the pilot, when his brother suddenly clutched his chest and died.
After finally finding the radio, the blind man called for help and was answered by an air traffic controller at a nearby airport.
“You’ve got to help me! I’m totally blind, the pilot of this plane is dead, and we are flying upside down!”
The air traffic controller answered “I understand that the pilot is dead and you are blind, but if you are blind how do you know that you are flying upside down?”
“Because I have brown stuff running up my neck!!!”
The blonde’s password.
A recent password audit by Microsoft found this password:
“MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento“
When asked why she had such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters and include at least one capital.
Harry Newton who just recently celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary. His longevity secret is twofold: First, airconditioning for him, not her. She hates airconditioning. Second, wireless TV headphones for him, not her. She can still hear.
Leg Cramps – try Quinine Water before bed. This is supposed to work wonders.
David Sokol – I agree, I saw him on CNBC, and he basically said that he found this company and decided to buy this stock for himself, but has no decision role in how Buffet invests. He said had already invested in it in Dec and sold it out again before New Years, in order to take a gain to offset a loss. He said he then bought it again in January.
Congratulations on the 35th Harry.
At least there is one “Perfect Investment”
I'm very prone to muscle cramping. I've noticed that consumption of alcohol gives me cramps at night. Also, consumption of aspartame gives me cramps when working out.
SOKOL was on CNBC this morning. Answered all questions. Laid out the timeline. Very coherent in what happened and why. I dont see he did anything wrong. He bought stock before any negotiations. Lubrizol was suggested by CITI after he had already decided the might want to buy it. He suggested Buffet take a look. Buffet said no, initially. SOKOL has no influence, voting power or anything else on what Buffet does. He has bought stock previously and occassionally suggested Buffet take a look. Buffet also supplies employees a list of stocks that they cannot trade in without checking with higher ups. All other stocks are fair game.
I am sure it will be on YOUTUBE. See if you can find it.