Thursday, January 19, 2006

I would like to announce that I made my first stock purchase this morning. I'm feeling pretty cool about it. I am a financial genius! (OK, Alex is, but he's a good teacher.)

Thank you Ameritrade Canada!
(And Alex.)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Cath! Way to go! So what did you buy?
Tree

Anonymous said...

I see you bought at the top of the market. You're taking financial advice from a musician wannabe. Way to go. In a few months, you'll be writing about the anxiety you're going through when the value of your investments drop. I can't wait.

@lex said...

Well Anonymous, if that is that your real name. I applauded you for both your courage in coming forward with this complex market assessment of both the market and Ameritrade. I hope that the large brokerage firm or financial network that you are clearly in the employ of is ok with you imparting this knowledge for free to we, the financially uninformed.

However I must ask you came to the assertion that this is in fact 'the top of the market'? Maybe it was the chart that anyone who knows anything knows is not an indication of where a stock is going but rather where it has been.

All the rocking and rolling I do must have me scattered cause when I stopped reading graphs and making sophomoric assessments on stocks on people's blogs I actually learned a thing or two.

For starters, a silly little detail about the single largest one time dividend ever paid that Ameritrade will be issuing on Tuesday. But I guess if you're not into money or I don't know.. say facts...that sort of detail would be lost on you.

Secondly, in between dragging my knuckles and smokin' dope, I accidentally learned something about the historical average of a 3% increase of a stock paying large dividends after the first week post ex-dividend date.

Thirdly, and most embarrassingly of all, I must have heard this from the sound guy or another musician, but it turns out that Ameritrade is reporting earnings on the 25th AND... and I can barely show my face after saying this but... they'll be beating the street with double digit growth which will of course lower their price to earnings ration which of course I'm sure you know is attractive to the institutional value investor who is flush with cash after the recent mid week sell off.

Oh and please... let me save the keystrokes on Tuesday when the price corrects $5 on the dividend pay date, which I already knew as it was published in the proxy statement issued regarding the TD Waterhouse acquisition that was approved on January 4th. But of course you knew this, yet still you speak ill of this trade; I must conclude you are an employee of Ameritrade, who else could have such deep insider info?

Hmm now I’m just a drummer but, when it corrects and only further decreases the price to earnings ratio, you must think that most investors won't be interested in a company with PE less than 18 with solid year over year growth in a sector that is poised for tremendous growth given the American fed has decided to stop interest rate hikes.

MAYBE... and this is just a me thinking out loud but MAYBE you just might be an ignorant, cowardly, judgmental, sanctimonious loud mouth who thinks he knows something about me and the stock market. I would argue you know more about me...and you know nothing about me.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go to rehearsal now. Wannabes have to work way harder than say... a never was?

Yours,
A Stupid Drummer Type Guy

PS …AND my girlfriend is hotter than yours :-)

Unknown said...

Easy boys.

I apologize; Alex gets a little testy when you question his genius. Luckily, it's warranted because (I hate to admit it, but...) he's one of the smartest people I know. And, as you may infer, he's passionate about investing.

I must say, I agree wholeheartedly with his last statement, even if you don't have a girlfriend.;)