[Boomer]

Chi,

You just gave us good, sensible advice.

ETFs and mutual funds certainly can get the job done. Of course, any investment requires paying attention, but you are absolutely right about why investing in funds and/or ETFs can be far less of a hassle than stock picking.

I just took a look at the top holdings for XLU. Very nice.

Shameless Confession:

When I am thinking about doing a little shopping, I look at those lists I mentioned earlier, but sometimes I look at a few funds, and now, ETFs, and I spy on their top ten holdings. Then I pick a handful of those to look at more closely.

Years ago, I stalked Will Danoff, just to see what he was doing. I used his top ten as a starting point, more than once. And, yes, sometimes I copied Will’s homework.

Anyway, thanks, Chi.

And, Ken, I am relatively new to Dominion but thinking about adding some. Nice to see you like it.

I have been holding onto my steady EDdie for a while and will stay that way, but dewilson helped me remember that I used to like SO and so I am going to see how it is doing since we broke up.

And, uh, oh, I see tt has joined us and is trying to trash my dear Buffett again. Sometimes, tt even yells in all those caps. But, I hope tt can eventually accept that I will never change my mind.

Buffett is an icon. And he sure can turn a phrase. I love all his little homespun quotes. He is not pretentious. He is one of a kind. Fun to watch.

A few years ago, there was a book published by a Motley Fool writer. The book was titled “Warren Buffett Invests Like A Girl.” The book was not all that good, kind of redundant, as I recall. But I gotta luv the title.

Boomer A. Girl

[TNGary]

Amazon reports tomorrow/Thursday. Bullish day to-day in the markets due to fed hold on rates plus Apple's report. Amazon up 4% today. I suspect you could see a big upswing in amazon after announcement of earnings. The way to play that possible outcome without buying the stock Will be short term call options. Will be interesting to see the final #'s after the market closes.

[NatureBoy]

Speaking of utilities & dividends & ETFs: HDV. Pays over 3.5%. Has a low expense ratio (0.08%).

[Boomer]

Any thoughts on IBM?

[valuemkt]

I'm biased, as I spent 38 years there and collect a pension from them. Current CEO is the second worst in history, after John Akers. Think Jeff Immelt at GE for a comparison. All magic and mirrors. The dividend is VERY tempting, and if you Believe in the Red Hat acquisition, go for it. While I depend on that pension income, from a stock buying perspective, that's what ten foot poles are made for

[pirwin]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

Thinking about accumulating some more ATT. Their debt load is a little scary but the dividend is very enticing?

What are you guys looking at?

I like ATT. Stay patient and rake in dividends. I also like KNDI. Again, stay patient.
Anyone have a child car seat I can borrow Feb 21 to 24? Contact Peter Irwin: 352-753-7433

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by valuemkt

I'm biased, as I spent 38 years there and collect a pension from them. Current CEO is the second worst in history, after John Akers. Think Jeff Immelt at GE for a comparison. All magic and mirrors. The dividend is VERY tempting, and if you Believe in the Red Hat acquisition, go for it. While I depend on that pension income, from a stock buying perspective, that's what ten foot poles are made for

Thank you. As soon as you said, “Immelt,” I remembered conversations about him. We did not work for GE but know people who did.

I remember conversations about Welch, too. During his reign, he took them into finance — the beginning of the end??

And then came Immelt.

I understand what you mean about magic and mirrors.

It has been sad to see the demise of GE. It was once known as a company that took care of its business and its people and its investors. But unrestrained greed is bad economics.

I appreciate your answer about IBM. The dividend and being so far off its 52-week high got my attention. But I don’t know anything about Red Hat. Thank you for the perspective.

[collie1228]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Thank you. As soon as you said, “Immelt,” I remembered conversations about him. We did not work for GE but know people who did.

I remember conversations about Welch, too. During his reign, he took them into finance — the beginning of the end??

And then came Immelt.

I understand what you mean about magic and mirrors.

It has been sad to see the demise of GE. It was once known as a company that took care of its business and its people and its investors. But unrestrained greed is bad economics.

I appreciate your answer about IBM. The dividend and being so far off its 52-week high got my attention. But I don’t know anything about Red Hat. Thank you for the perspective.

I'm a former GE employee (GE Aerospace until it was acquired by Martin Marietta/Lockheed Martin) and a graduate of GE's Financial Management Program. In those days GE was proud of its tradition of conservative, accurate accounting methods, and you could trust their financial statements as accurate. That's no longer true. Jack was a great CEO who fell under the spell of "easy money" in financial services, then Immelt took over and completely screwed up the company. Jack's selection of Immelt as his successor should go down in history as the worst decision ever by a CEO. This is from a USA Today article in 2018: "When Jack Welch turned the keys of the General Electric Co. over to Jeff Immelt in 2001, GE was a well-run and greatly admired profit machine, stocked with exceptional management talent and innovative practices. Over the next 16 years, while Immelt held the top job, he completely demolished the House that Jack Built."

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by collie1228

I'm a former GE employee (GE Aerospace until it was acquired by Martin Marietta/Lockheed Martin) and a graduate of GE's Financial Management Program. In those days GE was proud of its tradition of conservative, accurate accounting methods, and you could trust their financial statements as accurate. That's no longer true. Jack was a great CEO who fell under the spell of "easy money" in financial services, then Immelt took over and completely screwed up the company. Jack's selection of Immelt as his successor should go down in history as the worst decision ever by a CEO. This is from a USA Today article in 2018: "When Jack Welch turned the keys of the General Electric Co. over to Jeff Immelt in 2001, GE was a well-run and greatly admired profit machine, stocked with exceptional management talent and innovative practices. Over the next 16 years, while Immelt held the top job, he completely demolished the House that Jack Built."

We must have been in some of the same conversations, maybe not in the same town, but the same talk, as things were changing at GE.

Yes. Neutron Jack. And then —

Where I am from, a job with GE or PG was the goal of a lot of us. We thought those two companies would be forever.

[thetruth]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

You seem to really be hung-up on Buffett losing $45M, yet as I mentioned in this unanswered post...

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...68-post23.html

...what % do you think that represents for Buffett?

I dare say, that all of us have had percentage losses...that dwarf that $45M.

As to mind control.
MY POINT is truly simple. Buffet looses 45 million and says it is a bad day. Was I to loose 45 million there would be a lot of people wondering why they LENT ME that kind of money.

A person at age 86 talking about investing long term? The actuarial tables will question his sanity.

The term BUFFET LIKE is mass denial of reality.

[thetruth]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Oh my! valuemkt, that is quite a site.

I started looking at it about a half hour ago, and now, I have to tear myself away and save it for later.

One of my close relatives wants to get into dividend stocks. I told him to start looking at the sites I mentioned here. (I would never tell him what to buy. But I will show him where to learn to make his own decisions.)

And I can tell you right now, he will love this site. He is highly analytical and this looks like exactly the kind of info he will use to the max.

Your link gives me another, and better, for him, source to share with him.

Thank you for showing this site to us.

I would never, but, a close friend decided to help his nephew.

I told my friend if his nephew makes money he will declare how smart he is if he looses he will declare you misadvised him-either way you loose.

Unfortunately, I was right.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by thetruth

As to mind control.
MY POINT is truly simple. Buffet looses 45 million and says it is a bad day. Was I to loose 45 million there would be a lot of people wondering why they LENT ME that kind of money.

A person at age 86 talking about investing long term? The actuarial tables will question his sanity.

The term BUFFET LIKE is mass denial of reality.

Thanks for your...ummmm...'perspective.'

[manaboutown]

Did anyone else get caught today holding KHC?

I have only a few shares but own some BRK which also took a hit.

It seems tastes and food preferences have changed quite a bit over the last couple of generations. Very few people I know anymore eat the food products full of preservatives and sodium our parents ate that are manufactured en masse by large corporations. I am thinking Jell-O, Kool-Aid, canned soups (Campbell's), lunch meats such as Spam, hot dogs, bologna, processed cheese product such as Velveeta, canned ground coffee such as Folgers and Maxwell House, Heinz ketchup and mustard and so on. Today's incredible year round availability of vast selections of fresh fruits and vegetables, "gourmet" coffee, tea and other drink and condiment alternatives along with more disposable income may make the difference. When I was growing up I never heard the terms organic, gluten-free, fat free, low salt or vegetarian. lol

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

Thinking about accumulating some more ATT. Their debt load is a little scary but the dividend is very enticing?

What are you guys looking at?

Kenswing started this thread, with the above post, just before Christmas. (Thank you, Ken. Thank you very much. )

For those who have been keeping an eye on T, there is an interesting article on the site Seeing Alpha. The article is titled “Calling on AT&T is Worth Your Money.” (I would link it for you, but I have never bothered to learn to link on my iPad. If I link, I am on my laptop.) If you are interested in reading the article, I am sure you know how to find it by title.

Also re. Seeking Alpha, I think their writers are mostly bloggers with opinions and the ability to include pretty (or ugly) colorful charts. But that’s OK, if they are writing about a stock you are following, and you are on the internet, probably wasting time (like me), you might as well see what somebody else thinks. The article I just read is an opinion piece that addresses the bad and the good about T right now.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Kenswing started this thread, with the above post, just before Christmas. (Thank you, Ken. Thank you very much. )

For those who have been keeping an eye on T, there is an interesting article on the site Seeing Alpha. The article is titled “Calling on AT&T is Worth Your Money.” (I would link it for you, but I have never bothered to learn to link on my iPad. If I link, I am on my laptop.) If you are interested in reading the article, I am sure you know how to find it by title.

Also re. Seeking Alpha, I think their writers are mostly bloggers with opinions and the ability to include pretty (or ugly) colorful charts. But that’s OK, if they are writing about a stock you are following, and you are on the internet, probably wasting time (like me), you might as well see what somebody else thinks. The article I just read is an opinion piece that addresses the bad and the good about T right now.

One bit of good news today is that the Appeals court sided with ATT on the take over of Time Warner. That should add a bit more stability going forward. Here's a link to the above mentioned article. Calling On AT&T Is Worth Your Money - AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) | Seeking Alpha

GE, so far was also a good gamble. They just sold their biopharma business for $21B. That should help their liquidity a bit.