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Conference nyoss1::market_investing

Title:Market Investing
Moderator:2155::michaud
Created:Thu Jan 23 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1060
Total number of notes:10477

735.0. "Speculative Stocks from a Broker?" by 23989::VETEIKIS () Thu Jun 30 1994 06:24

    At least once a week I get a phone call from a brokerage firm (take
    your pick), where a broker gives me the sales pitch on his speculative
    stock of the month. Of course, he/her is very interested in me buying a
    large block of stock (for he/her to make their commission). The successful
    outcome is that within a couple weeks or month, this stock price will
    theoretically shoot through the roof and you will make an excellent
    return.
    
    Anyway, the phone call are kinda of driving me crazy, but I was wondering 
    if anyone out there has had an experience of investing of this nature
    (successfully or unsuccessfully)? Where what the broker offered sounded
    really attractive so you went for it...
    
    Are there reputable firms/brokers that you trust, where they consistently
    make a good return for you in this manner?

    ...just curious. I'm taking a poll with the intent to decide if to 
    always hang up on these folks.
    
    Curt 
    (who finally has enough money saved and invested to now get these 
    kinds of annoying phone calls)
    
    p.s. I haven't bought into any of the speculative stocks. So far I've
    been sticking with my long-term mutual fund approach.
    
    
    
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
735.1DO NOT SEND MONEY UNTIL RESEARCHEDTLE::PERIQUETDennis PeriquetThu Jun 30 1994 10:2319
    
    When someone calls you on the phone for an investment opportunity and
    tells you to send money (e.g., "I need an investment of at least
    $5,000"), do not do it.  I repeat DO NOT SEND MONEY.  Never make a
    large financial decision on the phone or based on a phone conversation
    with someone you don't know.  YOU must do your homework and checkup on
    the person on the other end to ensure that what he/she is telling you
    is true.
    
    I recommend that you have them send you information that you can look
    at, verify, and reply to at your convenience.  Also, for most
    individual investors, the mutual fund approach is the best way to go
    (and of course this all depends on the individual).
    
    In talking with brokers (in my experience), you must (unfortunately)
    interrupt them abruptly to get a word in.
    
    Dennis
    
735.2VMSDEV::HAMMONDCharlie Hammond -- ZKO3-04/S23 -- dtn 381-2684Thu Jun 30 1994 12:329
re: << Note 735.1 by TLE::PERIQUET "Dennis Periquet" >>>
    
>    When someone calls you on the phone ... DO NOT SEND MONEY.
      
      I  completely  agree  with Dennis's statement, which is actually a
      special case of the following general rule:
          
          *NEVER* buy anything because someone wants to sell it to you.
          Buy something *ONLY* because YOU want to buy it.
735.3P.T. Barnum was wrong, for onceJUPITR::KRAUSEThu Jun 30 1994 14:0113
    I used to hang up on "cold-callers".
    
    Then around 6-9 months ago, a broker cold-called me, and talked about a
    stock - Mitel - which was "about to take off". At the time, it was at
    around $6.50-$7/share. He told me that they had just won a big contract
    from a big telecom company, and his analysts said the stock "tested" at
    $9/share. The quarterly results were about to come out, and he wanted
    to know if I'd be interested in the stock. I asked him to send me any
    data he had on Mitel, and I'd let him know. (My intent was to do a dry
    run before talking to this guy any further.) Since that original call,
    the stock has skyrocketed to $2.88/share.
    
    I don't take cold calls any longer.
735.4NETRIX::michaudJeff Michaud, PATHWORKS for Win. NTThu Jun 30 1994 14:218
	Or let's put it this way, if you are being offered a hot
	investment, remember who you are and why the brokers "best"
	customers haven't already consumed all of this investment.

	The most likely reason the broker is pushing a certain stock
	in a case like this is because the broker is getting a good
	commision, bonus, or other form of kick back for selling this
	particular stock.
735.5The only one broker than you!ODIXIE::GELINEAUThu Jun 30 1994 15:235
    
    He wants you to be "broker" than he!  There are too many viable stock
    investments as opposed to being taken on a so called hot tip!
    
    Good luck!
735.6MSBCS::BROWN_LThu Jun 30 1994 15:393
    It's sort of ironic, but if you were to short all of the cold call
    recommendations, instead of buying them, it appears you'd have
    a pretty good track record.
735.723989::VETEIKISFri Jul 01 1994 11:053
    Thank you all for the advice.
    
    Curt
735.8Maybe they're not after the commission...KELVIN::MCKINLEYFri Jul 01 1994 15:5316
>    At least once a week I get a phone call from a brokerage firm (take
>    your pick), where a broker gives me the sales pitch on his speculative
>    stock of the month. Of course, he/her is very interested in me buying a
>    large block of stock (for he/her to make their commission). The successful
>    outcome is that within a couple weeks or month, this stock price will
>    theoretically shoot through the roof and you will make an excellent
>    return.

    I wonder if some of these brokers who give you the name of a stock hope
    that you will try to "beat" him and buy the stock through another
    broker after you say no to him.  The resulting demand for the stock may
    help him unload some stock that he has sitting on the shelf.  So even
    if he gets no commission and has "given away" his great tip, he makes
    money and his cold calls spread the word.

    ---Phil
735.9A Different Approach - It Works.....!POBOX::PATELMon Jul 04 1994 02:3641
    I usually take a different approach than all the answers that I have
    read so far. 
    
    I listen very carefully to their APPROACH.  I find out the REAL REASON
    why by DRILLING THROUGH THE RESEARCH THAT THEY HAVE COLLECTED.  Once I
    find that this person really has done the homework, I ask them to
    forward me their research, the company's investment relations firm and
    then start MY OWN RESEARCH on them.  I am currently talking to three
    new ones, who I have to say, have a lot of patience, since they know I
    will not open an account unless they PROVE THEMSELVES IN REAL-TIME +
    TELLING me something about their past performances (which is something
    I have to trust when they tell me their 70%+ Win to Loss Ratios!!!! -
    Ya Right).  
    
    Keep in mind that Cheyyene Software, Micron Technology, Sulcus
    Computer, Dell Computer etc were stocks that have been mentioned to me
    from these fellows.  I usually learn something or the other from the
    time I spend with some of these folks.  
    
    Bottom Line:  I have opened FOUR ACCOUNTS with FOUR of these guys and
    have made money on ALL FOUR of those occasions - Once again it was not
    because they had a good pick, but it was 'cause I timed their
    recommendations using my own research and techniques. 
    
    BOTTOM-BOTTOM-LINE: It's really not who gives you an idea, but what you
    PUT INTO IT to make money in these types of markets. 
    
    Well, that's my two cents, since you asked....These cold calling guys are 
    currently talking about MADGF - Token ring card/PCMCIA card
    manufacturer, CMVT - Comverse Technologies, and RNDM - Random Access.
    
    Ken
    
    
    P.S: I made some good money in MLT before it took off from $2 1/2 to $9
    and then came right back since the supposedly "CHINA ORDERS" took   
    longer than 2 seconds to materialize.....!!!!!!  ;-)
    
    P.P.S: I always ask the more aggressive ones, that IF THIS
    RECOMMENDATION IS SUCH A GOOD DEAL, HOW MUCH OF THEIR MONEY IN IT AND
    AT WHAT PRICES DID THEY BUY IT FOR THEIR PERSONAL ACCOUNT?. 
735.10Just say no to IPO's...CARROL::YOUNGwhere is this place in space???Tue Jul 05 1994 14:0923
    i remember a cold call i got once from a broker pushing a company called 
    National Media or some such...they were listed on the NASDAQ and put 
    together many of the early 'info-mertials'...
    
    They were selling for about $11 and the broker insisted that $20/share
    was right around the corner.  Well i brushed him off by telling him to
    send me a prospectus and i'd consider it.  The prospectus showed that
    the company had been in Chapter 11 a year or so before and was just
    getting back into the black.
    
    Well i didn't put any money in it, but i tracked it for a while...about
    a month or so after the call, the stock took a nose dive from about $13
    down to around $5...i'm sure there was some sort of inside BS going
    on...the brokers and the 'management' team probably made out well...but
    many small investors probably got taken to the cleaners!!!
    
    Based on this, i watch out for the 'scheme' based front companys
    trying to float an IPO just to pull people in and then pull the
    plug...seems it happens more often than the SEC or investment community
    would like you to realize!!!! 
                    
    My 2�,
    		Dugo