I like Sears' appliances. I have a Kenmore Washer, Dryer, and Refridgerator. Also go my
lawnmower at Sears.

(double post)

Last edited on: 02-25-2007 09:00 pm

I have worked at sears, and their retail turnaround is a mess. They have jeopardized their
positioning by implementing KMart policies in Sears stores. Land's End merchandise builds
up on the shelves, and the prices are too high for most customers to afford. Customers are
hassled every time they want to return an item, and they have lost customers who use to be
loyal to sears. The stores are a hodgepodge of too many things (Sears automotive,
electronics, tools, lawn and garden, apparel ect) and same store sales continue to decline
as specialty stores like Home Depot and Lowes have taken over their segment. Cutting costs
can only go so far and the cash flow from selling real estate will not last forever. At
some point money has to be reinvested in the business. Compare KMART with WalMart. The
KMart stores are outdated and they are less crowded. Betting on Jim Cramer's suggestion of
trusting Eddie Lampert is a fallacy. Lampert has not done anything significant to improve
the core business. I have heard rumors of taking over Home Depot but nothing has
materialized. Plus Lampert has not fully disclosed his transactions in the financial
statements. There could be a lot of risk that is not apparent.

Last edited on: 02-25-2007 09:03 pm

Also, the # of shares you buy doesn't really matter. It's the overall amount of money that
does (and the weighting of that holding in your overall portfolio).

Hey Misti, just replying back what you said the other day...

Your desire to research even with such limited time on your hands is terrific. Saving is
one of the most important things in life (and certainly the most important thing in terms
of your financial life).

All good ideas...But I'm staying in China for my favorite stock...FMCN.. it has a
death-grip monopoly on outdoor,in-store,and elevator advertising in the Red
Giant..Earnings come out Monday after the close. Yes, I'm holding my left one, but I
think the potential for blowout numbers is for real, and for several quarters to come.
Got my position in at $61 and change, feel it's got par and beyond written all over it,
likely 2008.. But I may be too conservative on future price, as I was with JADE (I was
envisioning $7 at the end of '07). JMO...

My favorite hold is ENEI. It is a company that is in the race to mass produce lithium
batteries for hybrid cars. It has put out a ton of good news this year and the latest PR
states that an independent lab tested their battery and it met or exceeded all government
requirements. Additionally, it is the ONLY battery to do so. They are doing another
round of testing in April and have already had Credit Swiss Bank invest 5M into their
coffers this year. Last week, institutional investors bought 6M shares. They have
partnerships with Delphi, ITOCHU, and are close to teaming up with a larger marketing
company. At only .30, this one can only go up as the technology is engineered into
american cars and they start getting their name out there.

William Slack

My best performer has been RNP. It's never been far below my purchase price (25.04). It's
currently above $30. It pays 19.5 cents per share monthly. In December 2005 it paid out
$1.05 per share and in December of 2006 it paid out $1.68 per share. I enjoyed those
Christmas bonuses!

SHLD the next BRK-A..........you all are thinking too small........the next BRK-A will be
(drum roll please)..............NYX. Worldwide open 24hr stockmarket.

Thanks, Mock, for the good advice. One problem that I have is that with my commute I work
11 hour days and am involved in community outreach through my church... so even though I
very well know the value of research, my time is so limited. But I am learning to take the
time and do a bit of investigating before I buy. :)