stlplace

Category: Stocks

  • FFO, LaSalle Hotel Properties LHO

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    (Aug. 06, 2009) Strategic Hotels misses estimates, sees local revenue fall, quote:

    A closely watched measure of REIT financial performance, FFO is net income excluding gains or losses from property sales, plus depreciation and amortization.

    (May 1, 2004) Table Is Set for New Round of Hotel IPOs, quote:

    Historically, stocks in the sector traded at price/FFO multiples between 4 and 11, with the average being 7, says David Bulger, CFO of Innkeepers USA Trust. Now, many stocks are trading at 12 times FFO.

    LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:LHO) audio archives (webcast at its investor relations page)

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  • John Mack on CNBC

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    He talked about job market, compensation, and the events around crisis a year ago.

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  • Blockbuster dying

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    (Update 13Nov09) BBI released not so good earning report (Reuters). One interesting point is they are going to spend $10,000 to $20,000 to renovate the stores (about 1,700).

    (Original) Note I am saying “dying”, not “death”. This also does not demonstrate all the hard work of men and women at Blockbuster, from corporate to stores, note I am merely talking about the trend of a business. Full disclosure: I do have a small long position on Blockbuster common stock (NYSE:BBI).

    Two points:

    First, stock and company are two things, Blockbuster dying does not equal to Blockbuster stock BBI goes to zero immediately. Example: The Motors Liquidation Company (formerly General Motors, MTLQQ.PK). Last I checked, their worthless stock is still trading at 65 cents.

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  • Is this sucker’s rally ?

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    From Yahoo Tech-ticker. I don’t necessarily agree his view (but it’s always good to listen to both sides of the arguments).

  • China BAK Battery: another speculative play

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    (Update Oct-01-2009) Sold all CBAK shares today. I don’t want to hold it in this market. Took a small profit (about 3.5%).

    (Original) Some background
    As of Sept 28, the big brother BYD market cap HKD 140.9 b = USD 18.18 b; annual revenue RMB 26.788 b (Google finance HK: 1211)

    the little brother China BAK Battery (Nasdaq:CBAK) has market cap of USD 242.3 m; annual revenue USD 245.35. More information on CBAK can also be seen at Yahoo Finance.

    Note: BYD makes car and fabricate cell phones in addition to its battery busniess. So this is not compare apple to apple exactly. I believe BYD is better positioned and has first mover advantage. But stock-wise CBAK could be a better value.

    China BAK battery pic

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  • THQ Inc. my speculative game play

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    Disclosure: I am not a gamer, my favorite computer game was played on Windows 3.1 in 1994/5. Don’t know the English name, we called it Pirates Ship, basically three guys (one has a shield, one has a knife, and another one can jump) have to work together to overcome the adversaries and achieve the final goal (get out of the prison something). With baby on the way, and the popularity of online games, I envision I may play online games with my kid some day (if you can not beat them, join them πŸ™‚

    Disclosure 2: previously I traded Chinese game stocks in 2006, I lost money in all cases (Shanda SNDA, the9 NCTY, Netease NETS). Currently I have some THQI shares. Keep that in mind when reading the following.

    company of heros pic best game wallpapers
    (source: bestgamewallpapers)

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  • Sinovac: benefit from H1N1 vaccines

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    (Update 22Sept09) Sold all my SVA shares. The stock is trading at bubble price and it is very speculative. Initially I made some money, but I gave it all back and then lost some. So the lesson here is don’t overpay for “hot” stocks.

    (Update 14Sept09) Sansar Capital (Sanjay Motwani), the hedge fund who is also the largest shareholder of Sinavac, sold a bunch following the run up of the stock. See SEC 13G filing here. He still holds 1,238,042 shares (2.9% of all outstanding shares) according to this Sept 10 report. He has twice more on June 30 report SANSAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 2,953,503 6.89 $11,666,336 30-Jun-09 (Source: yahoo finance)

    (Original) When I was a little kid, village doctors will come and give free vaccinations. Because I was scared of the pinch of needle, I would ask my grandma shut the door (not open) and begin to hide when I heard doctor is coming. Things changed after I started attending school, I will be quitely taking the shot when the doctor comes to class giving vaccinations, as I was the president of the class (have to make an example of myself).

    vaccination pic
    (Source: PrisonPlanet: notice the number of death from H1N1 has risen since the July)

    Vaccinations are a wonderful thing. As I read from HowVaccinesWorks, many lives have been saved, and many more illness have been prevented. I am glad to learn this is still free to children in China (according to Wang Jianshuo).

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  • Today change of Dow Jones Industrial

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    GM was replaced by Cisco; Citi replaced by Travellers. Source: WSJ. (you may need to get the full article via Google).

    Interesing part (for me), quote WSJ:

    Why choose a tech company, Cisco, to replace an automaker?

    We did not need another consumer goods company after adding Kraft Foods when we removed AIG. In looking around, we were struck by the fact that Cisco makes products that pave the Information Highway – computer networking equipment, things that enable high-speed data and video transmission, and so on. We saw Cisco helping the economy and culture adjust to the digital age, much as automobiles influenced economic and social changes in the 20th Century.

    Well, why not Apple (AAPL) or Google (GOOG)?

    Those companies certainly qualify as blue chips, but we chose Cisco this time.

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  • US Bancorp

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    Time to do some homework, amid all these AIG bonus (Yahoo Tech-ticker; NY Times op ed), and toxic asset plan (Krugman vs. Geithner craziness). I decided to calm down and took a look at US Bank (bancorp) (NYSE: USB; company IR page).

    Articles I read from seekingalpha

    Amit Kumar: Bank stocks: invest or trade?

    Martin Hutchinson (money morning): Wells Fargo and US Bancorp: hitch a ride with those two

    Patrick Garot: Repaying TARP: life for USB and NTRS?

    I learned about US Bank a few years ago after the FirstStar merger. My coworker told me that this is the only bank named after “US/United States” after Sept 11 (she implied no more bank will be approved using similar name). Later on I visited US bank branch with my roommate because he was US bank customer. I applied US bank visa card %0 balance transfer last year. They approved my card quickly and gave me a generous credit line πŸ™‚

    I will add my investment thesis later on.

  • Lots of noise lately

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    AIG bonus. 90% tax. Clawback (that’s new word for me). Goldman Sachs.

    The bank rescue (aka toxic assets) plan
    Tim Geithner (WSJ op ed March 23) My Plan for Bad Bank Assets;

    NY Times article;
    WSJ article.

    Paul Krugman (the recent Nobel Economics winner) comments (one, two)

    Meet the press, Face the Nation and ABC “this week” all talked about this and its implications. So as Fox.

    A twist on Coke/Huiyuan story
    The China minister of commerce said the outcome does not mean China is now not welcoming foreign investments. This is a merger between two foreign companies (Coca Cola in the US; Huiyuan in Cayman Island). As you may know many Chinese companies are set up in Cayman island (for tax purpose). In other words, the minister is re-emphasize this is purely a monopoly case. Just like the EU rejected the GE/Honeywell merger a while ago.