tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26658618108566485652010-03-17T16:36:53.453-04:00Education and Comment for Stock Market InvestorsBill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-54849652005399885562009-02-16T09:50:00.003-05:002009-02-18T05:18:34.512-05:00

As you've probably noticed I haven't been writing. I took the month of January to recharge my batteries a bit and read, read and yes, read some more. My head hurt. My hair hurt. Hell, at one point I thought I felt my fingernails growing.By the end of the month, I decided that I needed a bit more time to recover from that exercise and organize my thoughts. All the while wondering what the thrust

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-24082288967023244952008-12-29T08:45:00.005-05:002008-12-29T08:45:00.220-05:00

This is my last post for 2008. It has been quite a year. So many events have transpired with just as many lessons to be found. And we are already starting to see events take shape for 2009. Let's get to it.I love to write. That is not a secret. Yet lately I find myself growing equally fond of the conversations that occur after my posts. You may not realize it but your questions challenge me

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-3302988960529822072008-12-12T08:50:00.002-05:002008-12-12T10:44:33.104-05:00

When making a case for any particular investment philosophy one normally has to resort to data and charts of past performance. So, on those rare occasions when current events serve to validate my position, I feel it only proper that I stand, basque in the spotlight, bow deeply and sincerely and take in the thunderous applause bestowed upon me by my audience. Well, absent that I suppose the only

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-91344222332181331862008-11-24T08:45:00.008-05:002009-01-06T12:01:35.611-05:00

Well Thanksgiving is fast approaching. The recipe for most of us will include food, relaxation, football, more food and yes, plenty of dessert. With all that to look forward to who cares what is happening in the stock market? Still, I see a glimmer of an opportunity in the market which I'll touch on briefly. From there, I'll present two short essays: one on green energy, the other a Thanksgiving

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-45693360571622711052008-11-10T08:15:00.005-05:002008-11-28T17:14:22.621-05:00

I am embarrassed to tell you that I still haven't finished the second part of my article "Making Sense of an Implosion". I really am not sure what the problem is but I will say that I seem to be acting just like the markets this week. It seems I just can't sit still. Like I'm taking in too much caffeine or sugar; though that is not the case. Perhaps the weekend will provide an opportunity for me

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-85745438362264386262008-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:002008-11-28T17:14:04.519-05:00

My intent was to present the second installment, "Making Sense of an Implosion - Part II". But this post already runs pretty long with timely information that I think could add value to your portfolios. I'll include that second installment in my next post. Let's get to it...Taking StockThe markets continue to be buffeted to and fro by a financial storm inducing queasiness for all. Still, I have

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-48045676812414783242008-10-08T03:02:00.036-04:002008-10-22T07:48:45.727-04:00

Sidebars:How much does the bailout bill really cost?Good question. I mean, the bailout bill is a bit like some of the mortgages that got us in a fix in the first place. While I continue to weed through an avalanche of information on this mess, one item hit my inbox and I thought you ought to see it straight away. According to the folks at "Taxpayers for Common Sense", there are a laundry list of

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-3325999885969278182008-09-30T02:27:00.012-04:002008-10-22T07:28:57.756-04:00

I can't begin this dispatch without a word about the events of yesterday's (9-29-2008) trading day. What a ride! I've got to tell you it was like watching one of those TV dramas where the star is trying to defuse a bomb. Does he cut the green wire...the red wire...the green wire...the red wire? Holy Hanna...Holy Crap...Holy Hanna...Holy Crap! With fractions of a second left he cuts the orange

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-31722817324832819622008-09-26T17:43:00.008-04:002008-10-22T07:29:36.107-04:00

I - correction we - are watching the drama of the investment banking crisis unfold. Yet the media, chasing its most recent opportunity to increase ad sales revenue, has become virtually mum on the issue of oil. Prior to September 25th every other story had to do with the price of oil and the effects on the economy. the "R" word (Recession) was bandied about as a foregone conclusion. Here, in

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-26397750429180957012008-09-18T16:48:00.005-04:002008-10-22T07:38:34.078-04:00

Students of the stock market know that market rallies typically begin when price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios are below 15. This ratio really answers the question, "How much are you willing to pay for each dollar of company earnings?" Generally, those rallies begin to fade when P/Es begin hitting the mid to high twenties. The ensuing decline is never pretty, it's never well organized, it typically

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-23728862883280739852008-03-06T16:41:00.011-05:002008-10-22T07:40:18.327-04:00

Spring is upon us...at last! The approach of Daylight Savings Time - and more sunlight - is already improving my disposition and my outlook. Perhaps the markets will inhale a sense of new life as well.Last night I stopped at the local grocery. As I stood at the checkout, I heard two girls talking. One of them was telling a story about some third party and her mother. The mother stopped the car in

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-37402124322304739752008-02-16T05:13:00.003-05:002008-02-16T05:55:06.435-05:00

I am writing again...finally! After several failed attempts I think I've managed to get out of my own way and get some ink on the page. At first you might think that the most difficult aspect of writing is the construction of it all. But grammar, syntax, and punctuation have never really been my problem. Sure, I make all of the mistakes - too many commas, poor paragraph structure, You name

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-15622773736008905352008-02-07T17:40:00.001-05:002008-10-22T07:37:22.312-04:00

Well, here's this years Foolish 4 stocks. These stocks are selected from the 30 Dow Industrials. The actual procedure - along with modifications - can be found at http://www.fool.com/.This list should have appeared on January 1st. I'm a bit late this time around but, interestingly enough the choices remain valid.This year you should invest equal amounts in Citigroup (C), Verizon Communications (

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-41094431938723583672007-02-02T12:00:00.003-05:002008-10-22T12:24:56.629-04:00

This edition was written while flying to and from San Diego, CA. I hope you find it thought provoking.Be PreparedEvery couple of years I go through the process of updating my will and checking to make sure all of my beneficiary information is up to date. To complete the ritual, I write a detailed "just in case" letter to my wife telling her everything she needs to know.As much as I hate the

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-38833405044308990422007-01-21T12:00:00.002-05:002008-10-22T12:25:19.947-04:00

Well, the holidays are over. Having had a sufficient rest, I'm now refreshed and ready to jump into the fray. But, before I get started here's a sampling of Christmas Eve in Mazzaccaville. An exchange with my youngest son...So, it's mid-morning. My wife has just finished hard-boiling eggs for an egg salad lunch and we're relaxing, watching a movie. It was great...everything was done except for

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-75180213449778855162006-12-15T08:22:00.004-05:002008-10-22T07:44:29.467-04:00

When I wrote the last Letter my plan was to write two issues in December. But, when I sat down to begin writing this issue I couldn't stop. So I talked myself into writing one Expanded Edition letter for the month of December and reward myself with a break for Christmas. Because it's rather lengthy, I've added the printable version to The Archives already. Hopefully you'll have the opportunity to

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-28641599442936021762006-11-22T13:21:00.001-05:002008-10-22T07:30:20.046-04:00

Disclaimer: You should consult your doctor before beginning this – or any other – diet and exercise plan. Let me get this out of the way right off the bat. I'm going to tell you how this works. I know it works because I lost 70 pounds in 7 months. I started this diet in January of 2005. As I write this it is November of 2006. Twenty-two months have passed and I continue to maintain my weight +/-

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-20167455689099298522006-11-22T00:30:00.001-05:002008-10-22T07:41:57.713-04:00

In a soon to be written article I will explain to you some of the various investing styles but for now (and in the interest of full disclosure) I will tell you that I am a value investor. We all like sales and value investing is all about buying stocks on sale. In short, I look for stocks where I can buy a dollar's worth of value for 66 cents. But, finding these stocks does take a bit of time and

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-74937909390198495132006-11-06T12:00:00.001-05:002008-10-22T07:41:34.192-04:00

How does it happen? August brought us $3.00+ gasoline and endless reports that the end was near and we were nearly out of oil. Yet, here we are (October 26th as I write this) and in my unscientific survey I see gasoline below $2.00 in New Jersey and under $2.50 in New York! Naturally, I did some digging at the Energy Information Administration website. According to their masthead, the EIA

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665861810856648565.post-79862975908542724322006-10-22T12:00:00.000-04:002007-09-20T19:52:57.507-04:00

We flirted with it several times but on Thursday and again on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average actually closed above the 12000 mark. But how secure is this lofty perch we sit atop?A casual observer of the chart above might say that the last year has been hectic. The sudden turn downwards in May depicts the old adage, "Sell in May and go away." In fact, after flirting with the 10700 level

Bill Mazzaccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13720067601632277671billmazzacca@gmail.com