{"id":39076,"date":"2017-06-23T01:14:03","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T05:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=39076"},"modified":"2017-06-23T01:22:47","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T05:22:47","slug":"winners-of-the-stockpicking-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=39076","title":{"rendered":"Winners of the stockpicking contest"},"content":{"rendered":"

My friend Peter won the stock picking contest with this portfolio: <\/strong><\/span>The chart is too big. Click on it.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"PetersPortfolio\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Peter gets a free copy of<\/p>\n

\"reminiscences\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you’d like your very own copy of this book, email me your five or ten favorite stocks. I have more copies of this classic investing book to give away.<\/p>\n

Looking for high yielders?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Radici at UBS manages portolios (including one of mine) using The Dividend Ruler Strategy<\/strong>. C<\/em>hris tells me he likes these high dividend stocks — for buy and hold:<\/p>\n

Altria Group (MO) – 3.19% yield
\nCaterpillar (CAT) – 3.00%
\nLas Vegas Sands (LVS) – 4.53%
\nOccidental Petroleum (OXY) – 5.05%
\nFord (F) – 5.40%
\nPfizer (PFE) – 3.75%<\/p>\n

Fun Australian pick.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From reader Bruce Miller:<\/p>\n

Harry, …this is an eye check for you. My picked stock pick is Australian “penny” Stock <lyc> which also trades OTC as either <lysdy> or <lyscf>. Support your old country mates and buy a handful (I have the book already thank you and waited for a more deserving soul to enter you game). Lynas Corp Limited is a rare earth company and sell to the magnetic producers of windmills and EV’s, etc. -mainly Japan & China of course. Can you read them like at the doctor’s office but from 28.37 inches away here? They should have red wiggly lines under them \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Harry’s comments: This chart gives new meaning to down under. This is a ten-year chart on Lynas.<\/p>\n

\"ldsdy\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Most Brilliant Promotion tool ever<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My talented YAG Laser eye doctor, Gregory Pamel, (who fixed my eye), sends out the standard “Are You Happy?<\/em>” survey to his clients.<\/p>\n

But then his survey asks if you, as a satisfied client, would like to record a one minute video which Pamel could post on his web site?<\/p>\n

I said “Yes.” It turned on my laptop’s camera and microphone. I could see myself (not beautiful) and I recorded a “I am happy” video.<\/p>\n

First time I’ve done this. It’s done by a company called SolutionReach.com. For more, click here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Shipping game changer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My friends said, “Stop using UPS. FedEx Ground is much cheaper.<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

So? I went to both web sites and I “shipped” a 10 lb package that was 10″ x 10″ x 10″ and was worth nothing. I shipped my virtual package from New York to my son in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

UPS? $24.72<\/p>\n

FedEx Ground? $16.72.<\/p>\n

That’s 32% cheaper with FedEx Ground!<\/strong> Wow.<\/p>\n

That’s it for me and UPS, though I suspect big customers get big deals — though probably with both FedEx and UPS. I got my prices by using my online account at both companies. I don’t get discounts because I’m too small.<\/p>\n

Here’s UPS (in blue<\/span><\/strong>) versus FedEx (in red) <\/span><\/strong>over the last two years.<\/p>\n

\"UPSvsFedex\"<\/a><\/p>\n

UPS — P\/E is 28. Dividend yield is 3.04%.
\nFedEx — P\/E is 30. Dividend yield is 0.94%.<\/p>\n

I’ll go with FedEx.<\/p>\n

All about cataract operations.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Readers responded:<\/span><\/p>\n

Roger Davisson wrote:<\/em><\/p>\n

You had an incompetent cataract surgeon. Mine was very frank up front about the incidence of PCO. Yours should have done the same.<\/p>\n

But I write primarily to tell you that your advice to postpone cataract surgery is misguided. As cataracts progress, they not only become more opaque, they also harden up and make their removal more difficult.<\/p>\n

One should never rush into ocular (nor any) surgery, but cataracts are a tricky judgment call. PCO is not a strong argument for procrastination.<\/p>\n

I admire your investment thoughts and level headed advice. But I suggest caution in generalizing from isolated personal medical experience.<\/p>\n

Anonymous (whose wife forbids him from posting online):<\/em><\/p>\n

Great you can see so much better.<\/div>\n

Your experience and research will help others.<\/p>\n

My wife has the beginning of cataracts, so this information was very useful.<\/p>\n

The Times piece on repurposing malls was overly optimistic, but then they were interviewing a developer, the same group that overbuilt malls across North America.<\/p>\n

We already have too many food court type locations serving mediocre fare and far more equally crappy colleges than we need.<\/p>\n

Ultimately they will be used as detention centers. Easy access near major roads, good utilities in place, plenty of parking and cheap to fence off. PERFECT.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Words to live without<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

I taught my reporters to write. Elements:<\/p>\n

+ Use short words. Don’t try to impress with big ones. No one is impressed. Everyone is impressed with clarity.<\/p>\n

+ Use short sentences. Easier to read.<\/p>\n

+ Don’t use “joining” words, e.g. however, but, although, though and and. Start a new sentence. Or a new paragraph.<\/p>\n

+ Sentences don’t have to have verbs in them.<\/p>\n

+ Parenthesis are bad (they’re hard to read). Better: They’re hard to read.<\/p>\n

+ You’re writing to convey information. Get to the point. Lead with your conclusion. Respect your readers’ time.<\/p>\n

+ For God’s sake, use a spell checker.<\/p>\n

Why Apple’s iPhone 7 camera is better.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"iphone6\"<\/a>\u00a0\"iphone7-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

iPhone 6……………………………………………iPhone 7. The 7’s colors are more vibrant.<\/p>\n

11 sneakers are office appropriate,<\/strong><\/span> according to Men’s Journal.<\/p>\n

This is my favorite. It’s $108.<\/p>\n

\"SneakersForTheOffice\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All \u00a0the sneakers are here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Favorite recent New Yorker cartoons<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Knees\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Safety\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"parents\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"HarryNewton\"<\/a>
\nHarry Newton, who took the glorious afternoon off to go for a bicycle ride to Randall’s Island. Great. Except I lost air in the back tire through my own idiocy and had to hail a cab to take the bike and me to the bike shop. Lesson: Be careful unscrewing Presta bike valves — the small ones. You can easily break them. I did.<\/p>\n

Have a great weekend.<\/p>\n