gwinner

23 Comments

    • ON: Wed Oct 8th 14:27 PM
      Commented on:
      The Debate: McCain's Insane Mortgage Proposal
      Hasn't government already done too much? And yes, clearly McCain would have won the day had he only corrected, "Sorry Obama, it was Al Gore who invented the Internet, the computer was invented by private industry".
      View article »
    • ON: Fri Oct 3rd 14:06 PM
      Commented on:
      Google Breaks Down
      Google's not going anywhere, that's agreed. But that doesn't mean their stock won't. They'll continue to grow, but at decelerating rates. In the current environment, a PE in the low to mid-twenties is a reasonable expectation for GOOG.
      View article »
    • ON: Wed Jul 30th 10:14 AM
      Commented on:
      What the Online Banking Industry is Missing
      E*Trade does have one of the best approaches to secure "authentication&q... which is let the user choose between user name/password or using an RSA SecurID token. Much better than sites like BofA that use SiteKey or many Credit Union which use a list of security questions in addition to user name/password.

      Securing a web site is a much more involved process than just the authentication technology in use. That's what this article addresses. The concern is valid.
      View article »
    • ON: Fri Jul 25th 13:41 PM
      Commented on:
      Setting a New High Mark for the Next Housing Bubble
      A newer 3,600 sq. ft. home sold on July 10th in San Diego's 4s Ranch for $608k, which is a new low price threshold. That's down 30 to 40 percent from market peak for such a home. I previously "hoped" to see such a home in the $600k to $650k range by this winter. Expect more global cooling the Califoreclosia real estate market this winter to bring us back to reality.
      View article »
    • ON: Thu Jul 24th 12:18 PM
      Commented on:
      Can Cities Create "Foreclosure Sanctuaries?" [Housing Tracker]
      Michael Aguirre is a joke, this is another attempt by him to garner press and try to bolster his campaign for re-election. If we re-elect him in November, we're fools.
      View article »
    • ON: Tue Jul 22nd 19:57 PM
      Commented on:
      Countering the AP's 'E*Trade Financial Earnings Preview'
      I'm a long-time customer and have been holding ETFC long but I got out of my position after hours (I wanted to sleep tonight). The stock will probably retreat into the $2 range yet again, almost certainly with the next macro mortgage meltdown, which is inevitable in the current economy.

      I'd like to know how much of their loan portfolio is ALT-A and Option-A (e.g., the next mortgage cliff)? Is anything else hidden shareholders should know about? I was disturbed by the announcement regarding Fannie and Freddie, was this well known (e.g., Cindy, did you know)? Why hadn't E*Trade disposed of these non-core positions before the recent free fall? I guess they were "trying" to avoid taking more losses in 2Q.

      Financials like BAC and WFC will be rewarded with increased business and stronger earning in Q3 and Q4 as opportunity, customers and money migrate their way. E*Trade has a longer, slower trajectory to recovery due to past transgressions. Great company and market opportunity, but saddled with untimely baggage left by the previous management team.

      Disclosure: No longer long
      View article »
    • ON: Sun Jul 13th 11:07 AM
      Commented on:
      IndyMac Failure: How Much Trouble Is Sen. Schumer In?
      Schumer's suggestion that IndyMac would fail and the resulting run was a disaster, it may have happened at some point, but his actions show an ignorance that should help us all realize how ignorant our elected officials can be. The subsequent excuse was classic, basically: "If everyone had done their job right, this never would have happened". You too Mr. Schumer.
      View article »
    • ON: Thu Jun 12th 15:30 PM
      Commented on:
      Is the Long Commute Still Worth It?
      At market peak, a new 3,500 sq. ft. home in Temecula was $600k to $800k. Now, they're 40 to 50 percent of that. In San Diego, they still cost $800k+. At market peak, gas cost was an issue because the delta in home costs was not as significant. Now, it is significant. You can buy "a lot" of gas for what you'll save. In fact, property tax savings and a Prius or Aptera (Google it, coming to a Socal highway near you) will financially justify the decision so you can pocket the $300k to $400k you save each month in financing the comparable home in San Diego.

      Other family and personal issues are probably much bigger factors than gas prices in making a decision about living in San Diego vs. Temecula. The people who are hurting are those who bought in Temecula at market peak, have ballooning payments and are now also hit with higher gas prices.
      View article »
    • ON: Wed Jun 11th 14:30 PM
      Commented on:
      More Than 1,000,000 Homes In Foreclosure [Housing Tracker]
      Apostle lives in a land of abundant oil and agricultural commodities. Money is flowing to Alberta. There's no relief in site when an uneducated person can get a job on a drilling rig for $1,000/day.
      View article »
    • ON: Thu Jun 5th 12:27 PM
      Commented on:
      Google Merchant Search: How Far is Too Far?
      Google will continue to aggressively push these boundaries. In a world driven by information, this is Gaia, and they know it. Look for them to win sometimes, draw elsewhere and loose sometimes. At the end of the day, they are data driven and avoid huge missteps.
      View article »
    • ON: Wed Jun 4th 13:15 PM
      Commented on:
      Riverbed Under Pressure
      Riverbed has a disruptive technology that has broader application than is currently appreciated. They win deals hands down when benchmarks are performed by customers. The macro-economic environment is a concern. However, Riverbed will continue to achieve growth rates well above average. To value them based on the PE of peers is a mistake of the current macro-economic environment. Also, for GS to announce coverage at this time with a one year target at $15 smacks of something stinky.
      View article »
    • ON: Thu May 22nd 13:14 PM
      Commented on:
      Is Google Interested in Ormat's Geothermal Technology?
      There's enough geothermal energy 3 miles does on the west coast, such that harvesting 2 percent would supply for the entire nation's electric needs. With modern drilling techniques learned from the oil industry, it is within reach. Given that energy is of long term strategic interest to Google, it is easy to understand why they seek to make it a competitive advantage. It doesn't hurt either that the public will further enshrine Google if it helps bring long term relief to energy costs as well as decrease our dependence on rogue nations.
      View article »
    • ON: Thu May 15th 09:11 AM
      Commented on:
      2009 Home Price Forecasts: Up or Down?
      The median price in San Diego is already $415,000?

      Let's cut the PhD bashing on this site, it discredits your own post.
      View article »
    • ON: Wed May 14th 12:49 PM
      Commented on:
      NAR Home Sales Report Shows Some Nasty Declines
      My observation in California is that new communities, where significant sales occurred between 2003 and 2007, are the hardest hit. So, its spotty. In landlocked locations like SF, you didn't see massive build outs of new homes. You need not go all the way to Sacramento and Stockton to see this. Look across the bay to Contra Costa County (San Ramon, Brentwood, etc.) and you see the homeowner carnage, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
      View article »
    • ON: Tue May 13th 12:57 PM
      Commented on:
      Is Google Its Own Worst Enemy?
      While I somewhat agree with what you say, one day in the not so distant future, you will wake up and say:

      Gee, 1,000 new business per day signing up for Google Apps, I guess that was a big thing after all.

      Or gee, getting people to embed Google Maps, Google Analytics and Google Bla Bla Bla into their web sites, everywhere, that was huge.

      Or, gee, Google Friend Connect and OpenSocial, that enabled the the average guy to create a Web 2.0 social networking site, that really was a trendy and spot one idea, especially because they can do it on Google Sites or Google Blogger.

      Or, gee, Google Apps Engine, hmmm, now that was a really subtle way to become the Internet application engine.

      And then you'll realize that the technology in and the worldwide build out of the "Googleplex" infrastructure has given them an advantage that no one, not Microsoft, not MicroHoo, not Amazon S3, can compete with with. And they funded it with a hugely disruptive search/advertising business model. And they have now figured out how to monetize it while reducing costs for such services to customers. And they have done to Microsoft what Microsoft did to IBM.

      And you'll then understand what they were up to and why they are hiring so many people and why they are so secretive about the Googleplex. Because they're increasingly, through the Googleplex, becoming the operating system of the Internet. If that's not a killer app, then nothing is.

      But don't feel alone, I know very bright people who work at Google who don't get what Google is up to. If there is a "slowing metabolism", it is made up for in multiples by increased brainpower and scale.

      Disclosure: Long on GOOG
      View article »
Loading...
Symbols:
Authors:
Quick Links:
Contribute an Article Become a Seeking Alpha Contributor

Transcripts

More Transcripts»