THE COOL TOOLS EDITION
4 March 2010
GHOSTS OF ENRON’S PAST
What Lessons Might Investors Glean?
Your most observant reporter noted with interest a news short regarding former Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling. It seems Mr. Skilling, who was convicted in 2006 of multiple federal felony charges relating to Enron's financial collapse — including conspiracy, securities fraud, and false statement — wants a new trial.
In what your reporter deems a case of stunning irony, Skilling's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court questions whether the jurors in his trial were biased in their interpretation of the legal phrase: honest services.
Unless you were living under a rock, you know how the story ended: Enron's 21 million former employees and investors lost billions. And StockCentral investors are well-acquainted with the lessons history can provide as well as the key role management plays in a company's ultimate triumph . . . or demise.
Can the Enron debacle shed light on troubled companies in the here and now? (Toyota comes to your reporter's mind.) Share your pearls of wisdom on the SC Forums.
On to this week's headlines . . .
THREE "STRYKES" AND YOU'RE OUT?
Can Stryker Biotech Recover?
Speaking of corporate fraud, Stryker Biotech LLC — a unit of Stryker — was indicted along with its top executives by a federal grand jury last October. Charges stem from the company's marketing of OP-1, a new bone growth product, for uses not approved by the FDA, including an allegation that patients were harmed by OP-1.
Stryker is a favorite holding among investment clubs, ranking second out of the BI Top 100 companies in 2009. What's your take on Stryker's troubles? Can the company survive and thrive long-term? Or will its black eye remain? Chime in on the SC Forum.
GRAPHS DELVE INTO UN"CHARTED" TERRITORY
New Reports, Tools All the Rage
True to her word, your reporter is back with the nitty-gritty details on the latest and greatest stock study tools and enhancements, including a host of new portfolio reports and graphs to help your club with the varied tasks of portfolio management.
"Words just don't have the same impact as these new graphs," SC Member Gloria Mankonen says of the six new Portfolio Charts that have already eased the task of portfolio management for her club, the WIN Investment Club of Bridgeport, West Virginia. "Seeing your club's information as a pie chart really helps members to visualize where the club's at. And the 3-D effects are really neat."
After logging in to your club's myICLUB.com website and clicking on the Reports tab, any club member can view the five new fundamental-based Portfolio Reports, as well as the six new Portfolio Charts.
The new Charts and Graphs include:
- Club Assets Chart
- Member Ownership Chart
- Portfolio Performance Graph
- Security Performance Graph
- Company Size Diversification Chart
- Sector & Industry Diversification Chart
The new reports include:
- Portfolio Trend
- Portfolio Offense
- Portfolio Defense
- Portfolio Summary
- Portfolio Review
Learn all about these new reports and charts/graphs and how to use them during the next Investment Club Orientation webinar, hosted by Doug Gerlach,Tuesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. EST.
And speaking of club portfolio management, don't forget to check out these new tools:
Stock Split History: Available on the Research Links page, this new tool shows historical splits for stocks going back 20 or more years.
Wizard: The new Take Stock Wizard (check the box below the ticker symbol entry) will take you through prompts — such as P/E ratio and growth rates — that allow you to fine-tune your judgment on a company.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING . . .
Don't Delay! Get Your Tax Printer Software Today!
The time to purchase the 2009 Federal Club Tax Printer Software for both Club Accounting 3.2 and myICLUB is now. The 2009 Federal Club Tax Printer Forms have been declared Final and State forms have been finalized for 14 states. These forms are not only approved by the IRS, but can be used to prepare and submit your club's Federal tax returns.
Club Accounting 3.2 Tax Printers can be purchased as either an online download or as a pressed CD. Tax Printers for myICLUB will be accessible under the Taxes tab on your myICLUB.com website following purchase.
TODAY'S ENTIRELY RELEVANT QUOTATION
"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday."
— Pearl Buck