Feel free to send questions and comments to: questions@take-overs.com

 Well, folks, finally some stability is in place, giving us hope for 
a nice return in 2010, because the nervousness of the last two years
had put a crimp on merger activity. Here's an example: I did not
know whether to believe CNBC's Karen Finerman when she said the Rohm and
Haas buyout by Dow Chemical would go through. The stock was WAY below
the buyout price and I got in, panicked and sold early.It had a 15% down day, then
was up and down 10% for a few weeks. It DID close, FINALLY, thank goodness!
Same for Sun Microsystems buyout by Oracle, except, Oracle didn't have to 
borrow money, just clear A LOT of anti-trust hurdles. Now people think 
open source software is being stifled... POSSIBLY!

 First I want to mention we have a new political blog on our site now.
 Enough said,, back to monetary issues:
  Gerhardt from Ohio writes:

    How I've profited during this oil crisis:
     1. Bought shares of oil fund USO which has been going straight up for the last few months
     2. Sold short Continental Airlines, (CAL)
     3. Sold short U.S. Airways (LCC)
     4. Sold short  General Motors (GM), but  there are so many stubbornly optimistic
        about it even in the midst of their loss (not earnings) report

 Hello, Fellow Stock Market Enthusiasts,
  Here are some details of these transactions:
    Upon completion of each buyout, cash is deposited into
    the brokerage accounts of the shareholders in lieu of
    their shares.This follows an affirmative shareholder
    vote and approvals from agencies,as applicable, such
    as the FCC, SEC, Dept. of Justice's Anti-Trust Division, 
    the European Union's various oversight committees, etc.

 Greetings, One and All,
  Today I want to mention that looking at the charts to these stocks
  listed in our current portfolio, we like to see the price inching upwards
  towards the buyout price. If the price is not headed there and 
  a gap is growing so that you are uneasy, how about putting in a stop order
  for the lower limit of your comfort level? 
 

 Hey Everyone,
  How has your stock portfolio fared in 2007?
  Some ups, some downs?
  My friend has just told me that he has kept track of the penny stocks 
  touted in those pesky SPAM email messages. Of about 12 or so,
  only one is up for the year. It was Wynn, which is a casino company.
  Did you all see the TV story that Macau has surpassed Las Vegas for
  gambling revenue? Wynn is active there. Macau is an island  relatively
  close to Hong Kong.
  Also, as you can see from the link to  "Investor Chaos"
  I don't think gambling is a worthwhile enterprise from either a personal
  or investment point of view. It's an empty feeling to look back and regret
  the money lost. I see no merit in investments in tobacco or alcohol either--
  two great social ills of our time.




 Question:
 Eric L. from Santa Clara, CA asks:     
 What kind of risks are asscociated with this portfolio?
 One failed transaction would set you back heavily, wouldn't it?
 

 Answer:  I'll give you the best real example that comes to mind.
 On the US Airways take-over, the target price was $51. The stock was 
 trading around $42 before Sept 11,2001. On that day,  all 
 air traffic was ordered stopped for a couple of weeks, and trading 
 was also suspended. When it resumed the stock was trading below $30.
 Let's say you sold at $28/share. That's a loss of $14/$42 = 33%.
 It seems to me to be the worst case scenario.

   More than 200 of these deals listed here have gone through!
   Not since Sept., 2001 have any of the stocks listed
here NOT gone on to meet their target prices. The reason in 
that particular case was that the major world events of 
that month caused the agreement between United Airlines
and US Airways to be called off.
   So, all in all, these deals are quite likely to be completed
because there is so much effort put forth both from a finance
and a legal standpoint.

 Solectron (SLR) has overshot the target price!
 Of course we sold right away!

 Greetings , All,		   	
  Firstly, a random thought for today, kind of sentimental:
  Money talk isn't the same without good ole Louis Rukeyser, but 
  at least Paul Kangas is still around as our patriarch!
  "Nightly Business Report" is much more palatable than CNBC's
  frenzy and hype.

 Secondly, how about locking in the price of gasoline 
 right now?
 Buy shares of USO which tracks the price of oil. If the
 share price increases,
 you can afford your dadgum gasoline.
 If it declines, well, your gasoline is less expensive
 in that case.