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EZ "Two" bucks. . .LOL. Lets hope GTCI (when announced) will rip and roar. . .upward. It will only do wonders for our HRCT shares, as well
.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
DVNT has news. Congrats Arch! eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
**LFZA~~ Activity on the message boards throughout the internet is getting a "positive" connotation. Lets hope to see her get off of the pinks before long.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
EZ. . .the "spread" on ETLK is going to be HUGE due to the low number of shares in the float. I hope she runs to two bucks for you dudes!
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
**WATCH: RHAT, AMZN, DVNT. . .eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
**DVNT going. . .UP eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
***BID and ASK going UP on DVNT! eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
EZ. . .did you see Haijek's post on the HRCT thread. He values HRCT's companies at 1,000,000,000.00 in the near future. That's 1B! I hope his insight is loftier than his evidence LOL.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Haijek. . .
Welcome. Would that be USD in your approximation? Lets hope our little jewel gets noticed at some point in time. How come I have the feeling by the middle of the year, HRCT will no longer trade on the OTC BB? I'm getting the feeling someone in HK is going to buy HRCT...simply because the US market will never do it justice without SEEING firsthand what is going on. Any comments?
Peace
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
AMZN may "hold" the market up today. eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Arch. . .I just reviewed all those charts (SITE, etc. . .). . .good stocks to watch for a bottom on!
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
EZ ~~ on ETLK ~~ my brokerage software doesn't even recognize the symbol, yet. It typically takes CSFBdirect a day longer than many other brokers to recognize new symbols. Don't ask me why? They're supposed to be the #1 online brokerage firm. ;(
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
EZ. . .
Nope, not yet. Let me go to my broker and see what's up on that one. . .be back in a minute. ..
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Arch. . .
I've read the EENT plan and I believe there is a HIGH demand for their services. In fact, I have made a couple of contacts to try and link them up with EENT. Not sure whether it will ever happen, but who knows? EENT has a VERY professional leadership board and they have revenues coming in, now. That's more than a good share of OTC BB companies. Lets see how the market awareness campaign appeals to new investors.
Peace. . .(Watch FC and DVNT as well!) ~~
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Geesh. . .I hope EZ got out of his KM position. Damned, why isn't KM coming out and doing something to revive their shareholder base? It has to be B/K time. I think KM should immediately announce a "Crazy Dayz" sale and liquidate their lowest performing 200 stores stock (and their existing stores inventory) to pay off creditors. Then they should close the underperforming stores and BUILD their existing performers to KEY performer status. That appears to be one way they can avoid catastrophe. I hope they have a visionary leader (like, seeing the IMMEDIATE future!).
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Hi Arch,
GTCI shareholders approved the R/M and R/S to be completed on the 15th. In other words, it's already late according to the PR. At any rate, I believe we will hear news on that issue, this week. SRUN and ET just completed theirs. The GTCI R/S will be the same as the SRUN/ET deal (1 share of Sinobull.com for each 10 shares of GTCI). That will bring the float down to 1.3M. So it will be a volatile trading stock. We'll have to keep a close eye on the newswire.
Found some goodies over the weekend. Should be an interesting week for several of our corner picks. QTEK and EENT should be interesting. If HRCT can sustain market attention it should continue its' present trend. However, the shares traded down in Germany, yesterday. With the OTC BB stock issues, one never knows. Well, almost never. LOL!
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Hotsearch. . .
I'm buying all the GTCI I can get my hands on. Gonna watch ETLK and see how the market responds. We probably won't see too much action until we have our first earnings report. Nonetheless, I think GTCI (Sinobull.com) and ETLK will eventually raise HRCT to new levels. In fact, I'd like to phase out of my HRCT position and into Sinobull.com. . .if that makes any sense. That will give me enough of the "float" of Sinobull to be a happy man in a year or two. We'll see. We've all learned not to place too many eggs in one basket (some of us, the hard way!).
Peace,
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Cotton. . .I just picked DANKY for one of my weekly picks along with **EENT, DVNT, HRCT and FC. LFZA is also going to be moving soon.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Weo. . .Yahoo! Something tells me EENT is going to be a good performer. Low float, good leadership and a viable industry. Now. . .lets see some numbers. We'll probably hear some news. . .soon.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
I'm not sure how many of you guys and gals are watching this thread: http://realtimetraders.com/sp/5andunder.asp?vid=6403 but it's a good one to identify stocks trading in the "below 5 dollar" range. It gets updated a couple times each day. Many of you appear to be following stocks that trade in this range so have fun! .
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Ahhhh. . .maybe in the future. Designing something of that nature would proably take an "Act of God," anyway. Probably a big beuracratic mess. Nontheless, in today's day and age where information is transported like lightning across the information highway, one would think somebody would have developed a "high speed" way to identify shorting of stocks. I'm sure if they did create such a thing...Morgan Stanley or someone else would buy the idea and market it to their traders. LOL. Think of the possibilities!
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Tim. . .
Another great site! Thanks! I'm still wondering if there isn't a site somewhere that can keep us posted of daily "shorting". I guess if it's not federally required to report "short trades" than nobody has developed a way to identify it (other than the mysterious tanking of a stock's shareprice). It would be nice if someone could develope a software program that would report daily shorting activity and then create a database of shares (number and ticker) shorted. Particularly with OTC BB stock issues that are being shorted out of Canada. I've always wondered why the Candadians can legally short our U.S. shares (in their market) and the U.S. can't short them (on the OTC BB stocks). Very odd. There's a lot of strange activities going on out there. I guess a sharp chart-reader should just stick with the charts and the markets for approximations.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Interesting noting some of the message boards on LFZA. It looks like there are more people taking a look at this "sleeper." Perhaps soon. . .the alarm will go off? Hmmm? Maybe this thing will start moving and some of us ground-level investors will begin to see some ROI.
Stay tuned. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
About "Reverse Mergers" >>>>>>>>>>
http://listserv.otcjournal.com/otcjournal/20020116-1.html
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
About "Reverse Mergers" >>>>>>>>
http://listserv.otcjournal.com/otcjournal/20020116-1.html
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
About "Reverse Mergers" >>>>>
http://listserv.otcjournal.com/otcjournal/20020116-1.html
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Food for thought:
I found this article (on bashers) while browsing the Internet. Very interesting. Someone who still visits other threads (most of which are a waste of valuable time) may wish to post this where bashers exist in full force. LOL ~~ ;)
Here's the article:
Article written
by Hal Engel
for willywizard.com
The Method of Operation of the Professional Basher
Mr. John Doe or Mr. Anonymous, do you really think you are fooling everyone with your hypocrisy? You write suggestive messaging to have a subliminal effect on your readers. Don't you know Mr. JD or Mr. A through education the reader understands you are just doing your jobs? The intelligent and educated poster understands you are professionals. If they don’t they will after reading this article. You will be known in this article as the "Suggester" not as the "Basher".
Words to Understand:
Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; esp: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: claiming to stand for truth and honesty and attempt to hold someone accountable for every scintilla that comes along, while at the same time telling blatant lies and making unfounded false accusations against innocent people, and showing gross disrespect to those individuals that would hold the claimant accountable himself. Source: an anonymous friend
Subliminal: 1: inadequate to produce a sensation or perception 2: existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness <the mind><technics in advertising>-sublininally\adv Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: The use of subliminal messages to discourage unwanted behavior. The use of subliminal messages on post boards is used to counter the possessiveness that exists in the mind in regards to an investment. This is a masking medium used in suggestiveness posting working on the subconscious minds of the readers.
Suggest: 1 a obsolete: to seek to influence: seduce b: to call forth :evoke c : to mention or imply as a possibility <suggested that he might bring his family> d : to propose as desirable or fitting <suggest a stroll> e : to offer for consideration or as a hypothesis <suggest a solution to a problem>
2 a : to call to mind by thought or association <the explosion... suggested sabotage -- F. L. Paxson> b : to serve as a motive or inspiration for <a play suggested by a historic incident>
Suggest er: synonyms - SUGGEST, IMPLY, HINT, INTIMATE, INSINUATE, mean to convey an idea indirectly. SUGGEST may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought <a film title that suggests its subject matter>, IMPLY is close to SUGGEST: but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed <measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent>. HINT implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement <hinted that she might have a job lined up>. INTIMATE stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor <intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye>. INSINUATE applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner <insinuated that there were shady dealings>. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Questions
I had a good friend recently email asking me a few questions in regards to "bashers". Here are a few of his questions. I don’t think he is the only one that asks these questions. I hope what I have written might help answering his questions and educate others.
"Why to bashers posting on a board all day.... Being negative...bad investment this and that … blah blah...WHY do they spend all day talking about something they hate?"
"Are they bored?"
"Are they just mad at something?"
"Are they paid?"
Types of Bashers/Suggesters
Basher/Suggesters are their own select breeds, most claim to be individuals with merit. Readers read they are here to help or they only want facts known so others don’t lose their money. They want the reader to think they have all the facts wanting to be the savior for everyone. Readers tend to follow the strong writer on a post board. Not many professional bashers/suggesters are weak individuals. Dominance with factual content is a key to the successful basher/suggester. Also basher/suggesters are accused of various relationships with the company or the stock. Below are ten examples why someone might be posting as the basher/suggester on a public post board. Not all fall in the category of the "Professional Basher" but they do have a motive to see a company’s stock price fluctuate.
They are employees that are not currently happy with the company.
They are x-employees that have quit or maybe fired
They are previous employees or employees of a company that is in some form of reorganization
They are competitors in some form
They have lost money in regards to the investment in company stock
They have friends that have lost money investing in the company stock
They are short sellers on this particular stock
They are related to some type of Market Making firm
They are paid by some unknown firm or individual to ruin the image of the company for various reasons
They are swing trading the moves of the stock-pumping up and bashing down
Many of the above categories are covered in articles already listed at http://willywizard.com
The Methods
1. Compiling Data
The suggester begins by compiling a list of data prior to beginning their suggestive bashing efforts. The suggester begins the informational gathering process by searching the company’s 10K and 10QSB’ reports. This is easy for them do to through sites like Free Edgar. Within the 10K & 10QSB companies’ list all financial data pertaining to past and current situations that have affected or will effect the company’s ability to operate in the future such as current pending lawsuits. The professional suggester makes sure they have enough information to answer all questions therefor they are able to create debate style rebuttals.
Here is a normal disclaimer an abnormal disclaimer and a legal disclaimer copied out of a two different 10QSB that profession suggesters use all the time.
GENERAL The statements contained in this Form 10-QSB, if not historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, financial or otherwise, or other expectations described in such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement or statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statements are made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Therefore, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as prediction of actual future results.
This Annual Report on Form 10-KSB includes forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Forward Looking Statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are Forward Looking Statements. In the normal course of its business, the Company, in an effort to help keep its shareholders and the public informed about the Company's operations, may from time-to-time issue certain statements, either in writing or orally, that contain or may contain Forward-Looking Statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such Forward Looking Statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of such plans or strategies, past and possible future, of acquisitions and projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions made by or to be made by the Company, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings, levels of capital expenditures or other aspects of operating results. All phases of the Company operations are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are outside the control of the Company and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect the results of the Company's proposed operations and whether Forward Looking Statements made by the Company ultimately prove to be accurate. Such important factors ("Important Factors") and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in this report. All prior and subsequent written and oral Forward Looking Statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Important Factors described below that could cause actual results to differ materially
The Company is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.
2. Suggestive Posting
Once all data is complied suggestive posting begins. Now that the suggester is armed for battle with all the data he can possible find they begin posting using approximately 25% fact and 75% suggestive posting. In this suggestive method of posting there are messages that subliminally effect the mind of the reader by planting doubt. The normal method of suggestive posting is to refer back to SEC registrations such as quarterly statements, earnings and lawsuits while cutting and pasting the parts the reader will find troublesome. The facts they pull from SEC records will lend credibility to their suggestions. However, they never set out a thesis. A common tactic is to highlight in bold a section and attempt to hold that you the reader must explain the highlighted section. Follow this example: Mary had a little lamb. So where’s the lamb now? They never write about the forward progress of a company this might interfere with their mission. The suggester keys in on the weakest unskilled posters that are not capable of combating their data facts. The facts a suggester uses are coordinated facts that will even bring the most intelligent posters down to his level.
3. Multiple Alias Posting
The suggester will develop multiple aliases, possible using more then one ISP or computers to try to hide his location. They have been known to go to Libraries or Internet Coffee Shops to use computers while running their bashing onslaught on a particular company. They don’t start out with a full frontal assault on the company or it’s shareholders. This full attack is counter-productive and hurts the image the suggester needs for their credibility. Therefore they methodically work their assault into high gear. Through the multiple alias usage the suggester will stimulate discussion to build supportive rapport with the reader. During this discussion with others the suggester will joke and play on a post board with others trying to win their following. All this slowly builds the credibility of the aliases. Once the suggesters have built the rapport with the posters of a board they start their premeditated onslaught of planting doubt with suggestive posting. This normally takes place by four or five aliases dominating a board wearing down the longs. They will also use multiple aliases posting to each other building each alias up trying to show the reader they are knowledgeable about the subject supporting each other’s views. At this point many longs that are easily influenced fall right into the trap set by the basher.
4. Planting Doubt
One thing that is very important is suggesters are not there to create a fast plunge in the stock price. By planting subliminal suggestive doubt about the ability of the company to make a profit day after day the share price declines gradually. The suggester does not want a fast plunge in share price because this might focus outright intent to damage the company and could be used in a potential future lawsuit by the company. Many companies are currently filing lawsuits and the main reason is share price decline that they blame on basher/suggesters posts on message boards. Suggesting a reverse spilt in high authorized and outstanding share count companies is also a method the suggester uses to plant doubt. Many investors have witnessed companies do reverse splits when issued shares reach the authorized allowance. Many of the small companies need capitalization and issue shares for working capital or to pay down debt. The suggester will always play on the reverse split issue. This is a given for the professional basher.
The reader will also witness the use of all caps in wording. This is especially true when reading post headings. The heading of a message is the first to catch the eye of the reader. The reader does not even have to enter the post to read the entire suggestive message. The heading has already subliminally had an effect on the reader. A few examples of this method of posting are headings such as: "SELL NOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!", "THE CEO IS A FRAUD!", ""THIS DOG IS DEAD!", "HEADED FOR THE PINKS!", "ABOUT TO GET DELISTED!", "SELL! SELL ! SELL!", "INSIDERS ARE SELLING!", "WHO IS DOING ALL THE SELLING?!", "SOMEONE IS SELLING, WHO?". THIS STOCK WILL TANK TOMORROW!", SELL THIS DOG NOW!"
These are just a few headings you might have read while visiting your favorite stocks post board.
5. Long PR Suggestions
The suggester discourages the longs about taking the companies word on any forward projection. If the company’s forward projection history and PR's are not completed the suggester brings this subject up constantly pointing towards the inability of the company to follow through with completion of announcements contained in PRs. Then they encourage the long to call the company and question the validity of PR projection and why they are never completed. Many of these PRs contain acquisitions intents or other forward projections. The suggester also encourages the long to ask about other issues such as reverse splits. If the company is questionable the suggester will post company phone numbers until longs are habitually bombarding the company with calls about PRs and why there is no follow through on other announcements. The basher knows many longs will not call a company and will just sell after others report in post what they are told or what they were not told.
6. Use Hypesters for Fuel
All post boards have the hypester present just like all boards have the suggester present. The suggester looks for the hypesters on a board. They zero in and target these types of posters. They understand the enthusiasm of the hypester and when confronted they know the hypester will return posting. This allows the suggester to keep the flow of posts moving and use the hypester to their advantage. These debate style posts play right into the suggester’s needs to create a debate atmosphere on a board. This allows the suggester to post some of his factual data while he proves the hypster is mostly all hype. Remember most suggesters are very professional and you should not consider them ordinary posters. Very seldom do you read a professional suggester calling a hypester or a poster names or using profanity in their posts. But the hypester loses credibility because 100% of the time he attacks the suggester with name-calling. This name-calling by the hypester adds to the credibility of the suggester.
7. Knows When Identified
The suggesters know when a board has them identified and they need to back off. They will put up a brief fight then back off very quickly. The suggester does not leave for long. After a short hiatus, maybe an hour they are right back to posting. The poster that makes them back off the quickest is a poster that does not argue or try to do battle with the suggester. This poster will confront the suggester with logic and facts. This type of poster is easy for the suggester to identify. Under normal circumstances the basher does not even attempt to answer this type of poster. The suggester realizes this poster would only damage what he just took hours, days or weeks to accomplish while building rapport with reader.
8. Share Price
When a stock price is moving up the suggester takes his time suggesting and covering all the bad points of the company. The suggester understands the share price will hesitate as it moves up. The suggester is a professional and well versed with the understandings of market momentum and meanings such as overbought and oversold. At each hesitation point the suggester will pick up posting until the share price is considered to high to buy by longs or an overbought condition is apparent. Once the suggester thinks a turn in price to the downside starts, posting picks up again. It is common for a basher to bash a stock heavier as they move down. Every time the suggester is able to plant a little more doubt someone sells and perpetuates the selling pushing the stock price lower. Once the suggester has that down trend established he knows he has won. At every level the stock price hesitates while moving down the bashers posting frequency picks up. Also at this time the long only becomes frightened because of there loses are increasing each step of the move down. Once the oversold condition is apparent the suggester will back off and allow the longs to move a price up again. This is very true for suggesters that are playing the rolls in a stock, trading in and out of their positions. When considering share price we need to remember I wrote ten types of basher/suggesters. Not all of them want to see a company close its doors.
To summarize the above we read ten reasons why a basher/suggester would spend day after day posting on an Internet post board. The reasons consist of a very wide range from hatred towards the company to trading the company’s stock in the open market. No matter which of the ten categories the poster falls in he is still grouped into the category of the "Basher". The use of the above sub topics, Compiling Data, Suggestive Posting, Multiple Alias Posting, Planting Doubt, Long Shareholder Suggestions, Use Hypesters for Fuel, Knows When Identified and Share Price listed under heading Methods gives the methods the professional will use to fulfill their objective. Once they have entered into this elite profession they have graduated from basher entering the elite classification known as the "Professional Basher".
Written by,
Hal Engel owner of http://willywizard.com ‘s OTCBBs and Small Cap Financial Hub
The writer allows this article to be placed wherever bashers are present. Please only the entire article or a link to it. Thank you.
©2000-2001 WillyWizard.com
Readers Caution: This writer/owner is not a licensed investment advisor or analyst nor does he give out buy or sell advice to anyone. The writer or owner of this site , its employees and affiliates are not associated with any NASD or NYSE member firm.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Food for thought:
I found this article (on bashers) while browsing the Internet. Very interesting. Someone who still visits other threads (most of which are a waste of valuable time) may wish to post this where bashers exist in full force. LOL ~~ ;)
Here's the article:
Article written
by Hal Engel
for willywizard.com
The Method of Operation of the Professional Basher
Mr. John Doe or Mr. Anonymous, do you really think you are fooling everyone with your hypocrisy? You write suggestive messaging to have a subliminal effect on your readers. Don't you know Mr. JD or Mr. A through education the reader understands you are just doing your jobs? The intelligent and educated poster understands you are professionals. If they don’t they will after reading this article. You will be known in this article as the "Suggester" not as the "Basher".
Words to Understand:
Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; esp: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: claiming to stand for truth and honesty and attempt to hold someone accountable for every scintilla that comes along, while at the same time telling blatant lies and making unfounded false accusations against innocent people, and showing gross disrespect to those individuals that would hold the claimant accountable himself. Source: an anonymous friend
Subliminal: 1: inadequate to produce a sensation or perception 2: existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness <the mind><technics in advertising>-sublininally\adv Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: The use of subliminal messages to discourage unwanted behavior. The use of subliminal messages on post boards is used to counter the possessiveness that exists in the mind in regards to an investment. This is a masking medium used in suggestiveness posting working on the subconscious minds of the readers.
Suggest: 1 a obsolete: to seek to influence: seduce b: to call forth :evoke c : to mention or imply as a possibility <suggested that he might bring his family> d : to propose as desirable or fitting <suggest a stroll> e : to offer for consideration or as a hypothesis <suggest a solution to a problem>
2 a : to call to mind by thought or association <the explosion... suggested sabotage -- F. L. Paxson> b : to serve as a motive or inspiration for <a play suggested by a historic incident>
Suggest er: synonyms - SUGGEST, IMPLY, HINT, INTIMATE, INSINUATE, mean to convey an idea indirectly. SUGGEST may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought <a film title that suggests its subject matter>, IMPLY is close to SUGGEST: but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed <measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent>. HINT implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement <hinted that she might have a job lined up>. INTIMATE stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor <intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye>. INSINUATE applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner <insinuated that there were shady dealings>. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Questions
I had a good friend recently email asking me a few questions in regards to "bashers". Here are a few of his questions. I don’t think he is the only one that asks these questions. I hope what I have written might help answering his questions and educate others.
"Why to bashers posting on a board all day.... Being negative...bad investment this and that … blah blah...WHY do they spend all day talking about something they hate?"
"Are they bored?"
"Are they just mad at something?"
"Are they paid?"
Types of Bashers/Suggesters
Basher/Suggesters are their own select breeds, most claim to be individuals with merit. Readers read they are here to help or they only want facts known so others don’t lose their money. They want the reader to think they have all the facts wanting to be the savior for everyone. Readers tend to follow the strong writer on a post board. Not many professional bashers/suggesters are weak individuals. Dominance with factual content is a key to the successful basher/suggester. Also basher/suggesters are accused of various relationships with the company or the stock. Below are ten examples why someone might be posting as the basher/suggester on a public post board. Not all fall in the category of the "Professional Basher" but they do have a motive to see a company’s stock price fluctuate.
They are employees that are not currently happy with the company.
They are x-employees that have quit or maybe fired
They are previous employees or employees of a company that is in some form of reorganization
They are competitors in some form
They have lost money in regards to the investment in company stock
They have friends that have lost money investing in the company stock
They are short sellers on this particular stock
They are related to some type of Market Making firm
They are paid by some unknown firm or individual to ruin the image of the company for various reasons
They are swing trading the moves of the stock-pumping up and bashing down
Many of the above categories are covered in articles already listed at http://willywizard.com
The Methods
1. Compiling Data
The suggester begins by compiling a list of data prior to beginning their suggestive bashing efforts. The suggester begins the informational gathering process by searching the company’s 10K and 10QSB’ reports. This is easy for them do to through sites like Free Edgar. Within the 10K & 10QSB companies’ list all financial data pertaining to past and current situations that have affected or will effect the company’s ability to operate in the future such as current pending lawsuits. The professional suggester makes sure they have enough information to answer all questions therefor they are able to create debate style rebuttals.
Here is a normal disclaimer an abnormal disclaimer and a legal disclaimer copied out of a two different 10QSB that profession suggesters use all the time.
GENERAL The statements contained in this Form 10-QSB, if not historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, financial or otherwise, or other expectations described in such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement or statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statements are made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Therefore, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as prediction of actual future results.
This Annual Report on Form 10-KSB includes forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Forward Looking Statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are Forward Looking Statements. In the normal course of its business, the Company, in an effort to help keep its shareholders and the public informed about the Company's operations, may from time-to-time issue certain statements, either in writing or orally, that contain or may contain Forward-Looking Statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such Forward Looking Statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of such plans or strategies, past and possible future, of acquisitions and projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions made by or to be made by the Company, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings, levels of capital expenditures or other aspects of operating results. All phases of the Company operations are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are outside the control of the Company and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect the results of the Company's proposed operations and whether Forward Looking Statements made by the Company ultimately prove to be accurate. Such important factors ("Important Factors") and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in this report. All prior and subsequent written and oral Forward Looking Statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Important Factors described below that could cause actual results to differ materially
The Company is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.
2. Suggestive Posting
Once all data is complied suggestive posting begins. Now that the suggester is armed for battle with all the data he can possible find they begin posting using approximately 25% fact and 75% suggestive posting. In this suggestive method of posting there are messages that subliminally effect the mind of the reader by planting doubt. The normal method of suggestive posting is to refer back to SEC registrations such as quarterly statements, earnings and lawsuits while cutting and pasting the parts the reader will find troublesome. The facts they pull from SEC records will lend credibility to their suggestions. However, they never set out a thesis. A common tactic is to highlight in bold a section and attempt to hold that you the reader must explain the highlighted section. Follow this example: Mary had a little lamb. So where’s the lamb now? They never write about the forward progress of a company this might interfere with their mission. The suggester keys in on the weakest unskilled posters that are not capable of combating their data facts. The facts a suggester uses are coordinated facts that will even bring the most intelligent posters down to his level.
3. Multiple Alias Posting
The suggester will develop multiple aliases, possible using more then one ISP or computers to try to hide his location. They have been known to go to Libraries or Internet Coffee Shops to use computers while running their bashing onslaught on a particular company. They don’t start out with a full frontal assault on the company or it’s shareholders. This full attack is counter-productive and hurts the image the suggester needs for their credibility. Therefore they methodically work their assault into high gear. Through the multiple alias usage the suggester will stimulate discussion to build supportive rapport with the reader. During this discussion with others the suggester will joke and play on a post board with others trying to win their following. All this slowly builds the credibility of the aliases. Once the suggesters have built the rapport with the posters of a board they start their premeditated onslaught of planting doubt with suggestive posting. This normally takes place by four or five aliases dominating a board wearing down the longs. They will also use multiple aliases posting to each other building each alias up trying to show the reader they are knowledgeable about the subject supporting each other’s views. At this point many longs that are easily influenced fall right into the trap set by the basher.
4. Planting Doubt
One thing that is very important is suggesters are not there to create a fast plunge in the stock price. By planting subliminal suggestive doubt about the ability of the company to make a profit day after day the share price declines gradually. The suggester does not want a fast plunge in share price because this might focus outright intent to damage the company and could be used in a potential future lawsuit by the company. Many companies are currently filing lawsuits and the main reason is share price decline that they blame on basher/suggesters posts on message boards. Suggesting a reverse spilt in high authorized and outstanding share count companies is also a method the suggester uses to plant doubt. Many investors have witnessed companies do reverse splits when issued shares reach the authorized allowance. Many of the small companies need capitalization and issue shares for working capital or to pay down debt. The suggester will always play on the reverse split issue. This is a given for the professional basher.
The reader will also witness the use of all caps in wording. This is especially true when reading post headings. The heading of a message is the first to catch the eye of the reader. The reader does not even have to enter the post to read the entire suggestive message. The heading has already subliminally had an effect on the reader. A few examples of this method of posting are headings such as: "SELL NOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!", "THE CEO IS A FRAUD!", ""THIS DOG IS DEAD!", "HEADED FOR THE PINKS!", "ABOUT TO GET DELISTED!", "SELL! SELL ! SELL!", "INSIDERS ARE SELLING!", "WHO IS DOING ALL THE SELLING?!", "SOMEONE IS SELLING, WHO?". THIS STOCK WILL TANK TOMORROW!", SELL THIS DOG NOW!"
These are just a few headings you might have read while visiting your favorite stocks post board.
5. Long PR Suggestions
The suggester discourages the longs about taking the companies word on any forward projection. If the company’s forward projection history and PR's are not completed the suggester brings this subject up constantly pointing towards the inability of the company to follow through with completion of announcements contained in PRs. Then they encourage the long to call the company and question the validity of PR projection and why they are never completed. Many of these PRs contain acquisitions intents or other forward projections. The suggester also encourages the long to ask about other issues such as reverse splits. If the company is questionable the suggester will post company phone numbers until longs are habitually bombarding the company with calls about PRs and why there is no follow through on other announcements. The basher knows many longs will not call a company and will just sell after others report in post what they are told or what they were not told.
6. Use Hypesters for Fuel
All post boards have the hypester present just like all boards have the suggester present. The suggester looks for the hypesters on a board. They zero in and target these types of posters. They understand the enthusiasm of the hypester and when confronted they know the hypester will return posting. This allows the suggester to keep the flow of posts moving and use the hypester to their advantage. These debate style posts play right into the suggester’s needs to create a debate atmosphere on a board. This allows the suggester to post some of his factual data while he proves the hypster is mostly all hype. Remember most suggesters are very professional and you should not consider them ordinary posters. Very seldom do you read a professional suggester calling a hypester or a poster names or using profanity in their posts. But the hypester loses credibility because 100% of the time he attacks the suggester with name-calling. This name-calling by the hypester adds to the credibility of the suggester.
7. Knows When Identified
The suggesters know when a board has them identified and they need to back off. They will put up a brief fight then back off very quickly. The suggester does not leave for long. After a short hiatus, maybe an hour they are right back to posting. The poster that makes them back off the quickest is a poster that does not argue or try to do battle with the suggester. This poster will confront the suggester with logic and facts. This type of poster is easy for the suggester to identify. Under normal circumstances the basher does not even attempt to answer this type of poster. The suggester realizes this poster would only damage what he just took hours, days or weeks to accomplish while building rapport with reader.
8. Share Price
When a stock price is moving up the suggester takes his time suggesting and covering all the bad points of the company. The suggester understands the share price will hesitate as it moves up. The suggester is a professional and well versed with the understandings of market momentum and meanings such as overbought and oversold. At each hesitation point the suggester will pick up posting until the share price is considered to high to buy by longs or an overbought condition is apparent. Once the suggester thinks a turn in price to the downside starts, posting picks up again. It is common for a basher to bash a stock heavier as they move down. Every time the suggester is able to plant a little more doubt someone sells and perpetuates the selling pushing the stock price lower. Once the suggester has that down trend established he knows he has won. At every level the stock price hesitates while moving down the bashers posting frequency picks up. Also at this time the long only becomes frightened because of there loses are increasing each step of the move down. Once the oversold condition is apparent the suggester will back off and allow the longs to move a price up again. This is very true for suggesters that are playing the rolls in a stock, trading in and out of their positions. When considering share price we need to remember I wrote ten types of basher/suggesters. Not all of them want to see a company close its doors.
To summarize the above we read ten reasons why a basher/suggester would spend day after day posting on an Internet post board. The reasons consist of a very wide range from hatred towards the company to trading the company’s stock in the open market. No matter which of the ten categories the poster falls in he is still grouped into the category of the "Basher". The use of the above sub topics, Compiling Data, Suggestive Posting, Multiple Alias Posting, Planting Doubt, Long Shareholder Suggestions, Use Hypesters for Fuel, Knows When Identified and Share Price listed under heading Methods gives the methods the professional will use to fulfill their objective. Once they have entered into this elite profession they have graduated from basher entering the elite classification known as the "Professional Basher".
Written by,
Hal Engel owner of http://willywizard.com ‘s OTCBBs and Small Cap Financial Hub
The writer allows this article to be placed wherever bashers are present. Please only the entire article or a link to it. Thank you.
©2000-2001 WillyWizard.com
Readers Caution: This writer/owner is not a licensed investment advisor or analyst nor does he give out buy or sell advice to anyone. The writer or owner of this site , its employees and affiliates are not associated with any NASD or NYSE member firm.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Food for thought:
I found this article (on bashers) while browsing the Internet. Very interesting. Someone who still visits other threads (most of which are a waste of valuable time) may wish to post this where bashers exist in full force. LOL ~~ ;)
Here's the article:
Article written
by Hal Engel
for willywizard.com
The Method of Operation of the Professional Basher
Mr. John Doe or Mr. Anonymous, do you really think you are fooling everyone with your hypocrisy? You write suggestive messaging to have a subliminal effect on your readers. Don't you know Mr. JD or Mr. A through education the reader understands you are just doing your jobs? The intelligent and educated poster understands you are professionals. If they don’t they will after reading this article. You will be known in this article as the "Suggester" not as the "Basher".
Words to Understand:
Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; esp: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: claiming to stand for truth and honesty and attempt to hold someone accountable for every scintilla that comes along, while at the same time telling blatant lies and making unfounded false accusations against innocent people, and showing gross disrespect to those individuals that would hold the claimant accountable himself. Source: an anonymous friend
Subliminal: 1: inadequate to produce a sensation or perception 2: existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness <the mind><technics in advertising>-sublininally\adv Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: The use of subliminal messages to discourage unwanted behavior. The use of subliminal messages on post boards is used to counter the possessiveness that exists in the mind in regards to an investment. This is a masking medium used in suggestiveness posting working on the subconscious minds of the readers.
Suggest: 1 a obsolete: to seek to influence: seduce b: to call forth :evoke c : to mention or imply as a possibility <suggested that he might bring his family> d : to propose as desirable or fitting <suggest a stroll> e : to offer for consideration or as a hypothesis <suggest a solution to a problem>
2 a : to call to mind by thought or association <the explosion... suggested sabotage -- F. L. Paxson> b : to serve as a motive or inspiration for <a play suggested by a historic incident>
Suggest er: synonyms - SUGGEST, IMPLY, HINT, INTIMATE, INSINUATE, mean to convey an idea indirectly. SUGGEST may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought <a film title that suggests its subject matter>, IMPLY is close to SUGGEST: but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed <measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent>. HINT implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement <hinted that she might have a job lined up>. INTIMATE stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor <intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye>. INSINUATE applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner <insinuated that there were shady dealings>. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Questions
I had a good friend recently email asking me a few questions in regards to "bashers". Here are a few of his questions. I don’t think he is the only one that asks these questions. I hope what I have written might help answering his questions and educate others.
"Why to bashers posting on a board all day.... Being negative...bad investment this and that … blah blah...WHY do they spend all day talking about something they hate?"
"Are they bored?"
"Are they just mad at something?"
"Are they paid?"
Types of Bashers/Suggesters
Basher/Suggesters are their own select breeds, most claim to be individuals with merit. Readers read they are here to help or they only want facts known so others don’t lose their money. They want the reader to think they have all the facts wanting to be the savior for everyone. Readers tend to follow the strong writer on a post board. Not many professional bashers/suggesters are weak individuals. Dominance with factual content is a key to the successful basher/suggester. Also basher/suggesters are accused of various relationships with the company or the stock. Below are ten examples why someone might be posting as the basher/suggester on a public post board. Not all fall in the category of the "Professional Basher" but they do have a motive to see a company’s stock price fluctuate.
They are employees that are not currently happy with the company.
They are x-employees that have quit or maybe fired
They are previous employees or employees of a company that is in some form of reorganization
They are competitors in some form
They have lost money in regards to the investment in company stock
They have friends that have lost money investing in the company stock
They are short sellers on this particular stock
They are related to some type of Market Making firm
They are paid by some unknown firm or individual to ruin the image of the company for various reasons
They are swing trading the moves of the stock-pumping up and bashing down
Many of the above categories are covered in articles already listed at http://willywizard.com
The Methods
1. Compiling Data
The suggester begins by compiling a list of data prior to beginning their suggestive bashing efforts. The suggester begins the informational gathering process by searching the company’s 10K and 10QSB’ reports. This is easy for them do to through sites like Free Edgar. Within the 10K & 10QSB companies’ list all financial data pertaining to past and current situations that have affected or will effect the company’s ability to operate in the future such as current pending lawsuits. The professional suggester makes sure they have enough information to answer all questions therefor they are able to create debate style rebuttals.
Here is a normal disclaimer an abnormal disclaimer and a legal disclaimer copied out of a two different 10QSB that profession suggesters use all the time.
GENERAL The statements contained in this Form 10-QSB, if not historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, financial or otherwise, or other expectations described in such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement or statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statements are made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Therefore, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as prediction of actual future results.
This Annual Report on Form 10-KSB includes forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Forward Looking Statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are Forward Looking Statements. In the normal course of its business, the Company, in an effort to help keep its shareholders and the public informed about the Company's operations, may from time-to-time issue certain statements, either in writing or orally, that contain or may contain Forward-Looking Statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such Forward Looking Statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of such plans or strategies, past and possible future, of acquisitions and projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions made by or to be made by the Company, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings, levels of capital expenditures or other aspects of operating results. All phases of the Company operations are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are outside the control of the Company and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect the results of the Company's proposed operations and whether Forward Looking Statements made by the Company ultimately prove to be accurate. Such important factors ("Important Factors") and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in this report. All prior and subsequent written and oral Forward Looking Statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Important Factors described below that could cause actual results to differ materially
The Company is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.
2. Suggestive Posting
Once all data is complied suggestive posting begins. Now that the suggester is armed for battle with all the data he can possible find they begin posting using approximately 25% fact and 75% suggestive posting. In this suggestive method of posting there are messages that subliminally effect the mind of the reader by planting doubt. The normal method of suggestive posting is to refer back to SEC registrations such as quarterly statements, earnings and lawsuits while cutting and pasting the parts the reader will find troublesome. The facts they pull from SEC records will lend credibility to their suggestions. However, they never set out a thesis. A common tactic is to highlight in bold a section and attempt to hold that you the reader must explain the highlighted section. Follow this example: Mary had a little lamb. So where’s the lamb now? They never write about the forward progress of a company this might interfere with their mission. The suggester keys in on the weakest unskilled posters that are not capable of combating their data facts. The facts a suggester uses are coordinated facts that will even bring the most intelligent posters down to his level.
3. Multiple Alias Posting
The suggester will develop multiple aliases, possible using more then one ISP or computers to try to hide his location. They have been known to go to Libraries or Internet Coffee Shops to use computers while running their bashing onslaught on a particular company. They don’t start out with a full frontal assault on the company or it’s shareholders. This full attack is counter-productive and hurts the image the suggester needs for their credibility. Therefore they methodically work their assault into high gear. Through the multiple alias usage the suggester will stimulate discussion to build supportive rapport with the reader. During this discussion with others the suggester will joke and play on a post board with others trying to win their following. All this slowly builds the credibility of the aliases. Once the suggesters have built the rapport with the posters of a board they start their premeditated onslaught of planting doubt with suggestive posting. This normally takes place by four or five aliases dominating a board wearing down the longs. They will also use multiple aliases posting to each other building each alias up trying to show the reader they are knowledgeable about the subject supporting each other’s views. At this point many longs that are easily influenced fall right into the trap set by the basher.
4. Planting Doubt
One thing that is very important is suggesters are not there to create a fast plunge in the stock price. By planting subliminal suggestive doubt about the ability of the company to make a profit day after day the share price declines gradually. The suggester does not want a fast plunge in share price because this might focus outright intent to damage the company and could be used in a potential future lawsuit by the company. Many companies are currently filing lawsuits and the main reason is share price decline that they blame on basher/suggesters posts on message boards. Suggesting a reverse spilt in high authorized and outstanding share count companies is also a method the suggester uses to plant doubt. Many investors have witnessed companies do reverse splits when issued shares reach the authorized allowance. Many of the small companies need capitalization and issue shares for working capital or to pay down debt. The suggester will always play on the reverse split issue. This is a given for the professional basher.
The reader will also witness the use of all caps in wording. This is especially true when reading post headings. The heading of a message is the first to catch the eye of the reader. The reader does not even have to enter the post to read the entire suggestive message. The heading has already subliminally had an effect on the reader. A few examples of this method of posting are headings such as: "SELL NOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!", "THE CEO IS A FRAUD!", ""THIS DOG IS DEAD!", "HEADED FOR THE PINKS!", "ABOUT TO GET DELISTED!", "SELL! SELL ! SELL!", "INSIDERS ARE SELLING!", "WHO IS DOING ALL THE SELLING?!", "SOMEONE IS SELLING, WHO?". THIS STOCK WILL TANK TOMORROW!", SELL THIS DOG NOW!"
These are just a few headings you might have read while visiting your favorite stocks post board.
5. Long PR Suggestions
The suggester discourages the longs about taking the companies word on any forward projection. If the company’s forward projection history and PR's are not completed the suggester brings this subject up constantly pointing towards the inability of the company to follow through with completion of announcements contained in PRs. Then they encourage the long to call the company and question the validity of PR projection and why they are never completed. Many of these PRs contain acquisitions intents or other forward projections. The suggester also encourages the long to ask about other issues such as reverse splits. If the company is questionable the suggester will post company phone numbers until longs are habitually bombarding the company with calls about PRs and why there is no follow through on other announcements. The basher knows many longs will not call a company and will just sell after others report in post what they are told or what they were not told.
6. Use Hypesters for Fuel
All post boards have the hypester present just like all boards have the suggester present. The suggester looks for the hypesters on a board. They zero in and target these types of posters. They understand the enthusiasm of the hypester and when confronted they know the hypester will return posting. This allows the suggester to keep the flow of posts moving and use the hypester to their advantage. These debate style posts play right into the suggester’s needs to create a debate atmosphere on a board. This allows the suggester to post some of his factual data while he proves the hypster is mostly all hype. Remember most suggesters are very professional and you should not consider them ordinary posters. Very seldom do you read a professional suggester calling a hypester or a poster names or using profanity in their posts. But the hypester loses credibility because 100% of the time he attacks the suggester with name-calling. This name-calling by the hypester adds to the credibility of the suggester.
7. Knows When Identified
The suggesters know when a board has them identified and they need to back off. They will put up a brief fight then back off very quickly. The suggester does not leave for long. After a short hiatus, maybe an hour they are right back to posting. The poster that makes them back off the quickest is a poster that does not argue or try to do battle with the suggester. This poster will confront the suggester with logic and facts. This type of poster is easy for the suggester to identify. Under normal circumstances the basher does not even attempt to answer this type of poster. The suggester realizes this poster would only damage what he just took hours, days or weeks to accomplish while building rapport with reader.
8. Share Price
When a stock price is moving up the suggester takes his time suggesting and covering all the bad points of the company. The suggester understands the share price will hesitate as it moves up. The suggester is a professional and well versed with the understandings of market momentum and meanings such as overbought and oversold. At each hesitation point the suggester will pick up posting until the share price is considered to high to buy by longs or an overbought condition is apparent. Once the suggester thinks a turn in price to the downside starts, posting picks up again. It is common for a basher to bash a stock heavier as they move down. Every time the suggester is able to plant a little more doubt someone sells and perpetuates the selling pushing the stock price lower. Once the suggester has that down trend established he knows he has won. At every level the stock price hesitates while moving down the bashers posting frequency picks up. Also at this time the long only becomes frightened because of there loses are increasing each step of the move down. Once the oversold condition is apparent the suggester will back off and allow the longs to move a price up again. This is very true for suggesters that are playing the rolls in a stock, trading in and out of their positions. When considering share price we need to remember I wrote ten types of basher/suggesters. Not all of them want to see a company close its doors.
To summarize the above we read ten reasons why a basher/suggester would spend day after day posting on an Internet post board. The reasons consist of a very wide range from hatred towards the company to trading the company’s stock in the open market. No matter which of the ten categories the poster falls in he is still grouped into the category of the "Basher". The use of the above sub topics, Compiling Data, Suggestive Posting, Multiple Alias Posting, Planting Doubt, Long Shareholder Suggestions, Use Hypesters for Fuel, Knows When Identified and Share Price listed under heading Methods gives the methods the professional will use to fulfill their objective. Once they have entered into this elite profession they have graduated from basher entering the elite classification known as the "Professional Basher".
Written by,
Hal Engel owner of http://willywizard.com ‘s OTCBBs and Small Cap Financial Hub
The writer allows this article to be placed wherever bashers are present. Please only the entire article or a link to it. Thank you.
©2000-2001 WillyWizard.com
Readers Caution: This writer/owner is not a licensed investment advisor or analyst nor does he give out buy or sell advice to anyone. The writer or owner of this site , its employees and affiliates are not associated with any NASD or NYSE member firm.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Food for thought:
I found this article (on bashers) while browsing the Internet. Very interesting. Someone who still visits other threads (most of which are a waste of valuable time) may wish to post this where bashers exist in full force. LOL ~~ ;)
Here's the article:
Article written
by Hal Engel
for willywizard.com
The Method of Operation of the Professional Basher
Mr. John Doe or Mr. Anonymous, do you really think you are fooling everyone with your hypocrisy? You write suggestive messaging to have a subliminal effect on your readers. Don't you know Mr. JD or Mr. A through education the reader understands you are just doing your jobs? The intelligent and educated poster understands you are professionals. If they don’t they will after reading this article. You will be known in this article as the "Suggester" not as the "Basher".
Words to Understand:
Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; esp: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: claiming to stand for truth and honesty and attempt to hold someone accountable for every scintilla that comes along, while at the same time telling blatant lies and making unfounded false accusations against innocent people, and showing gross disrespect to those individuals that would hold the claimant accountable himself. Source: an anonymous friend
Subliminal: 1: inadequate to produce a sensation or perception 2: existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness <the mind><technics in advertising>-sublininally\adv Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Example: The use of subliminal messages to discourage unwanted behavior. The use of subliminal messages on post boards is used to counter the possessiveness that exists in the mind in regards to an investment. This is a masking medium used in suggestiveness posting working on the subconscious minds of the readers.
Suggest: 1 a obsolete: to seek to influence: seduce b: to call forth :evoke c : to mention or imply as a possibility <suggested that he might bring his family> d : to propose as desirable or fitting <suggest a stroll> e : to offer for consideration or as a hypothesis <suggest a solution to a problem>
2 a : to call to mind by thought or association <the explosion... suggested sabotage -- F. L. Paxson> b : to serve as a motive or inspiration for <a play suggested by a historic incident>
Suggest er: synonyms - SUGGEST, IMPLY, HINT, INTIMATE, INSINUATE, mean to convey an idea indirectly. SUGGEST may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought <a film title that suggests its subject matter>, IMPLY is close to SUGGEST: but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed <measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent>. HINT implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement <hinted that she might have a job lined up>. INTIMATE stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor <intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye>. INSINUATE applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner <insinuated that there were shady dealings>. Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
Questions
I had a good friend recently email asking me a few questions in regards to "bashers". Here are a few of his questions. I don’t think he is the only one that asks these questions. I hope what I have written might help answering his questions and educate others.
"Why to bashers posting on a board all day.... Being negative...bad investment this and that … blah blah...WHY do they spend all day talking about something they hate?"
"Are they bored?"
"Are they just mad at something?"
"Are they paid?"
Types of Bashers/Suggesters
Basher/Suggesters are their own select breeds, most claim to be individuals with merit. Readers read they are here to help or they only want facts known so others don’t lose their money. They want the reader to think they have all the facts wanting to be the savior for everyone. Readers tend to follow the strong writer on a post board. Not many professional bashers/suggesters are weak individuals. Dominance with factual content is a key to the successful basher/suggester. Also basher/suggesters are accused of various relationships with the company or the stock. Below are ten examples why someone might be posting as the basher/suggester on a public post board. Not all fall in the category of the "Professional Basher" but they do have a motive to see a company’s stock price fluctuate.
They are employees that are not currently happy with the company.
They are x-employees that have quit or maybe fired
They are previous employees or employees of a company that is in some form of reorganization
They are competitors in some form
They have lost money in regards to the investment in company stock
They have friends that have lost money investing in the company stock
They are short sellers on this particular stock
They are related to some type of Market Making firm
They are paid by some unknown firm or individual to ruin the image of the company for various reasons
They are swing trading the moves of the stock-pumping up and bashing down
Many of the above categories are covered in articles already listed at http://willywizard.com
The Methods
1. Compiling Data
The suggester begins by compiling a list of data prior to beginning their suggestive bashing efforts. The suggester begins the informational gathering process by searching the company’s 10K and 10QSB’ reports. This is easy for them do to through sites like Free Edgar. Within the 10K & 10QSB companies’ list all financial data pertaining to past and current situations that have affected or will effect the company’s ability to operate in the future such as current pending lawsuits. The professional suggester makes sure they have enough information to answer all questions therefor they are able to create debate style rebuttals.
Here is a normal disclaimer an abnormal disclaimer and a legal disclaimer copied out of a two different 10QSB that profession suggesters use all the time.
GENERAL The statements contained in this Form 10-QSB, if not historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, financial or otherwise, or other expectations described in such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement or statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statements are made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Therefore, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as prediction of actual future results.
This Annual Report on Form 10-KSB includes forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Forward Looking Statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are Forward Looking Statements. In the normal course of its business, the Company, in an effort to help keep its shareholders and the public informed about the Company's operations, may from time-to-time issue certain statements, either in writing or orally, that contain or may contain Forward-Looking Statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such Forward Looking Statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of such plans or strategies, past and possible future, of acquisitions and projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions made by or to be made by the Company, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings, levels of capital expenditures or other aspects of operating results. All phases of the Company operations are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are outside the control of the Company and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect the results of the Company's proposed operations and whether Forward Looking Statements made by the Company ultimately prove to be accurate. Such important factors ("Important Factors") and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in this report. All prior and subsequent written and oral Forward Looking Statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Important Factors described below that could cause actual results to differ materially
The Company is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.
2. Suggestive Posting
Once all data is complied suggestive posting begins. Now that the suggester is armed for battle with all the data he can possible find they begin posting using approximately 25% fact and 75% suggestive posting. In this suggestive method of posting there are messages that subliminally effect the mind of the reader by planting doubt. The normal method of suggestive posting is to refer back to SEC registrations such as quarterly statements, earnings and lawsuits while cutting and pasting the parts the reader will find troublesome. The facts they pull from SEC records will lend credibility to their suggestions. However, they never set out a thesis. A common tactic is to highlight in bold a section and attempt to hold that you the reader must explain the highlighted section. Follow this example: Mary had a little lamb. So where’s the lamb now? They never write about the forward progress of a company this might interfere with their mission. The suggester keys in on the weakest unskilled posters that are not capable of combating their data facts. The facts a suggester uses are coordinated facts that will even bring the most intelligent posters down to his level.
3. Multiple Alias Posting
The suggester will develop multiple aliases, possible using more then one ISP or computers to try to hide his location. They have been known to go to Libraries or Internet Coffee Shops to use computers while running their bashing onslaught on a particular company. They don’t start out with a full frontal assault on the company or it’s shareholders. This full attack is counter-productive and hurts the image the suggester needs for their credibility. Therefore they methodically work their assault into high gear. Through the multiple alias usage the suggester will stimulate discussion to build supportive rapport with the reader. During this discussion with others the suggester will joke and play on a post board with others trying to win their following. All this slowly builds the credibility of the aliases. Once the suggesters have built the rapport with the posters of a board they start their premeditated onslaught of planting doubt with suggestive posting. This normally takes place by four or five aliases dominating a board wearing down the longs. They will also use multiple aliases posting to each other building each alias up trying to show the reader they are knowledgeable about the subject supporting each other’s views. At this point many longs that are easily influenced fall right into the trap set by the basher.
4. Planting Doubt
One thing that is very important is suggesters are not there to create a fast plunge in the stock price. By planting subliminal suggestive doubt about the ability of the company to make a profit day after day the share price declines gradually. The suggester does not want a fast plunge in share price because this might focus outright intent to damage the company and could be used in a potential future lawsuit by the company. Many companies are currently filing lawsuits and the main reason is share price decline that they blame on basher/suggesters posts on message boards. Suggesting a reverse spilt in high authorized and outstanding share count companies is also a method the suggester uses to plant doubt. Many investors have witnessed companies do reverse splits when issued shares reach the authorized allowance. Many of the small companies need capitalization and issue shares for working capital or to pay down debt. The suggester will always play on the reverse split issue. This is a given for the professional basher.
The reader will also witness the use of all caps in wording. This is especially true when reading post headings. The heading of a message is the first to catch the eye of the reader. The reader does not even have to enter the post to read the entire suggestive message. The heading has already subliminally had an effect on the reader. A few examples of this method of posting are headings such as: "SELL NOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!", "THE CEO IS A FRAUD!", ""THIS DOG IS DEAD!", "HEADED FOR THE PINKS!", "ABOUT TO GET DELISTED!", "SELL! SELL ! SELL!", "INSIDERS ARE SELLING!", "WHO IS DOING ALL THE SELLING?!", "SOMEONE IS SELLING, WHO?". THIS STOCK WILL TANK TOMORROW!", SELL THIS DOG NOW!"
These are just a few headings you might have read while visiting your favorite stocks post board.
5. Long PR Suggestions
The suggester discourages the longs about taking the companies word on any forward projection. If the company’s forward projection history and PR's are not completed the suggester brings this subject up constantly pointing towards the inability of the company to follow through with completion of announcements contained in PRs. Then they encourage the long to call the company and question the validity of PR projection and why they are never completed. Many of these PRs contain acquisitions intents or other forward projections. The suggester also encourages the long to ask about other issues such as reverse splits. If the company is questionable the suggester will post company phone numbers until longs are habitually bombarding the company with calls about PRs and why there is no follow through on other announcements. The basher knows many longs will not call a company and will just sell after others report in post what they are told or what they were not told.
6. Use Hypesters for Fuel
All post boards have the hypester present just like all boards have the suggester present. The suggester looks for the hypesters on a board. They zero in and target these types of posters. They understand the enthusiasm of the hypester and when confronted they know the hypester will return posting. This allows the suggester to keep the flow of posts moving and use the hypester to their advantage. These debate style posts play right into the suggester’s needs to create a debate atmosphere on a board. This allows the suggester to post some of his factual data while he proves the hypster is mostly all hype. Remember most suggesters are very professional and you should not consider them ordinary posters. Very seldom do you read a professional suggester calling a hypester or a poster names or using profanity in their posts. But the hypester loses credibility because 100% of the time he attacks the suggester with name-calling. This name-calling by the hypester adds to the credibility of the suggester.
7. Knows When Identified
The suggesters know when a board has them identified and they need to back off. They will put up a brief fight then back off very quickly. The suggester does not leave for long. After a short hiatus, maybe an hour they are right back to posting. The poster that makes them back off the quickest is a poster that does not argue or try to do battle with the suggester. This poster will confront the suggester with logic and facts. This type of poster is easy for the suggester to identify. Under normal circumstances the basher does not even attempt to answer this type of poster. The suggester realizes this poster would only damage what he just took hours, days or weeks to accomplish while building rapport with reader.
8. Share Price
When a stock price is moving up the suggester takes his time suggesting and covering all the bad points of the company. The suggester understands the share price will hesitate as it moves up. The suggester is a professional and well versed with the understandings of market momentum and meanings such as overbought and oversold. At each hesitation point the suggester will pick up posting until the share price is considered to high to buy by longs or an overbought condition is apparent. Once the suggester thinks a turn in price to the downside starts, posting picks up again. It is common for a basher to bash a stock heavier as they move down. Every time the suggester is able to plant a little more doubt someone sells and perpetuates the selling pushing the stock price lower. Once the suggester has that down trend established he knows he has won. At every level the stock price hesitates while moving down the bashers posting frequency picks up. Also at this time the long only becomes frightened because of there loses are increasing each step of the move down. Once the oversold condition is apparent the suggester will back off and allow the longs to move a price up again. This is very true for suggesters that are playing the rolls in a stock, trading in and out of their positions. When considering share price we need to remember I wrote ten types of basher/suggesters. Not all of them want to see a company close its doors.
To summarize the above we read ten reasons why a basher/suggester would spend day after day posting on an Internet post board. The reasons consist of a very wide range from hatred towards the company to trading the company’s stock in the open market. No matter which of the ten categories the poster falls in he is still grouped into the category of the "Basher". The use of the above sub topics, Compiling Data, Suggestive Posting, Multiple Alias Posting, Planting Doubt, Long Shareholder Suggestions, Use Hypesters for Fuel, Knows When Identified and Share Price listed under heading Methods gives the methods the professional will use to fulfill their objective. Once they have entered into this elite profession they have graduated from basher entering the elite classification known as the "Professional Basher".
Written by,
Hal Engel owner of http://willywizard.com ‘s OTCBBs and Small Cap Financial Hub
The writer allows this article to be placed wherever bashers are present. Please only the entire article or a link to it. Thank you.
©2000-2001 WillyWizard.com
Readers Caution: This writer/owner is not a licensed investment advisor or analyst nor does he give out buy or sell advice to anyone. The writer or owner of this site , its employees and affiliates are not associated with any NASD or NYSE member firm.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Muell...
Nothing is impossible. Eutopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow!
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Okay Tim. . .if you're out there. . .here's the picks I'm going to go with this week (most are in my portfolio):
ONCY, DVNT, EENT, QTEK, FC, HRCT and DANKY. Next week I'll go with LFZA, EENT and whichever ones look like good entries from the stocks to watch list on the POW thread.
Gotta run. . .have fun
Happy Holiday!
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Muell. . .it would be nice if we could develope a charting system that could be marketed to all of the charting sites and "charts" the number/volume of shares "shorted" on a particular stock issue. IT would also be GREAT for investors to know when to buy against the shorts. More short-squeezes would help prevent shorting on the market. Particularly on thinly traded stock issues. Until the day when we all know the number of shorts. . .on any particular stock, it's only up to those who are "shorting" the stocks to know what the reasoning is behind shares tanking (like HAL recently did...and the company announced their confusion as to what was going on with their shareprice!).
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Here's my summary of good looking charts to watch this week:
DVNT, DANKY, FC, TXCO (low volume along with FC), ONCY and QTEK. EENT is all dependent on news and the outcome of the beliefs of investors on that news.........HRCT is making an attempt (on low volume) to advance. Nice charts on HRCT. ETLK will be intersting to watch the opening day on the OTC BB.
LFZA ~~ Probably will have a big week within the next two weeks. The company will probably fare better in a good economy. Nonetheless. . .coming off the pinks could reveal a good short-term ROI (if/when it happens).
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Another good stock screening thread:
http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.scan
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
I wonder if those 1.1 million shares are still "short" on DVNT. Hmmmm?
I wish they'd update the short shares to include January.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Thanks Muel eom
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
January 21st. . .
STARUNI CORP: HARTCOURT COMPANIES INC: ELEPHANT TALK COMMUNICATIONS INC -Hartcourt Subsidiary Completes the Merger With Staruni
New York, New York, Jan 21, 2002 (Market News Publishing via COMTEX) -- New Entity, Elephant Talk Communications Inc., Will Be Traded
Under New Ticker Symbol, ETLK
Staruni Corp. announced the closing of the merger with Elephant Talk Limited, a subsidiary of The Hartcourt Companies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: HRCT). Staruni also announces the approval of a 1 for 10 reverse split. The company will change its name to Elephant Talk Communications, Inc. and commence trading of its shares on the US OTC Bulletin Board Market on January 22, 2002 under the ticker symbol ETLK. As a result of the merger, 51.8% of the outstanding shares will be distributed to The Hartcourt Companies Inc., 38.2% to the shareholders of Elephant Talk Limited and 10% to Staruni shareholders. Complete details are available in the coming 8K filing. Additional information can be found at www.elephanttalk.com.
"We are pleased to finalize the merger and commence trading of our shares in the US markets. The listing will allow us to raise the necessary capital for business expansion and unlock the valuation of our company," said Mr. Russelle Choi, President and CEO of Elephant Talk Communications, Inc. "The Company's strategy is to leverage our expertise and established relationships with carriers in the region to pursue early entry into selected deregulating markets in the PRC and Asian Pacific regions," added Mr. Choi. "We have also successfully signed new service agreements and are currently implementing interconnections with first tier North American carriers for terminating their minutes in the region. Fusing our established network with new technology expertise will consolidate our ability to provide high quality services to end-users and provide positive returns for our investors."
Hartcourt's CEO and President, Dr. Wallace Ching stated: "This is a rewarding event for Hartcourt and its shareholders. In a difficult environment, we have been able to execute our strategy to create market valuation for our assets. This is the first of our companies to become publicly traded and our Sinobull and AI-Asia divisions will follow, as planned. The process allows the newly trading companies to be valued in the public markets and enhances its ability to raise capital for further growth and acquisitions. It also provides Hartcourt leverage and liquidity over the ownership in the companies to facilitate new ventures and acquisitions of its own. As we rapidly develop the commerce framework between our companies, the synergy will create additional funding, marketing, and expansion opportunities to continue the successful deployment of our organizational plans."
Elephant Talk is striving to become the leading Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) focusing on the deployment of IP-based communications services. The information technology and telecommunications sectors are experience rapid development. The Company is well positioned to capture market share in the expanding China market through its strategic partnerships and service agreements with various Chinese authorities, incumbent telecom houses, and state enterprises with nation-wide ISP, ICP, Call Centers and V-SAT licenses. Its recent partnership with JiTong Communications is an example of this strategy's success. In the coming quarters, the Company will be phase-launching its PC-to-Phone and PC-to-Fax services with strategic emphasis on Greater China markets.
About Elephant Talk Communications, Inc.
Elephant Talk Communications Inc. (ET) is a licensed ISR carrier (licenses including US FCC 214, HK ETS and ISP PNETS) providing voice, data transmission, pre-paid calling cards and ISP services. ET commenced operations as an international long distance services provider in late 1994 by establishing and operating hubs in Hong Kong and the US as its gateway to the North American and World carrier markets. The Company is a facility-based international long distance carrier offering highly reliable, low-cost switch-voice services for both the wholesale and retail market. ET is a brand-name provider of global long-distance telecom services and one of the leading international telecommunication service providers in Hong Kong. ET integrates advanced US telecommunication technologies to service China and Hong Kong's first tier telecommunications carrier markets, while facilitating price point and first-mover advantages for Hong Kong based carriers.
Forward-Looking Statement
Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward looking statements to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
MarketbyFax(tm) - To get the NEWS as it happens, call (604) 689-3041.
(C) 2002 Market News Publishing Inc.
-0-
KEYWORD: New York, New York
STOCK SYMBOLS: [(srun-l)] [(hrct-l)] [(etlk-l)]
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Stocks Expected to Rise With Earnings Flood
By Brendan Intindola
Reuters
NEW YORK (Jan. 20) - The earnings dam will burst this week, unleashing a flood of numbers and business forecasts that are likely to buoy a stock market desperate for signs of an economic recovery.
"The story is going to be the earnings side of the equation, not the economic data side," said Charles Blood, director of financial markets analysis at Brown Brothers Harriman, New York.
"This week is going to bury us under earnings reports. I say (stocks will move) higher because we have a little pullback here and it sets the stage for the bull market to resume."
The week will bring earnings news from about 155 companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, including nearly half of the 30 blue-chip names in the Dow Jones industrial average, according to market research firm Thomson Financial/First Call.
Earnings are supposed to be down about 22.5 percent -- the worst in a decade -- but investors are more focused on corporate forecasts.
And because the stock market is closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the numerous announcements will be compressed into four days rather than five in the usual trading week.
The long list of American multinationals announcing results in the coming week include: International Paper Co., Merck & Co. Inc., ExxonMobil Corp., Philip Morris Cos. Inc., McDonald's Corp., Boeing Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.
At the conclusion of the shortened week, just over half of the S&P 500 will have released earnings, giving investors pointers for the future.
"By the end of the week, the major trends in fourth-quarter earnings will be apparent, and the guidance issued during post-announcement conference calls will provide a glimpse into the earnings environment in 2002," said Joseph Kalinowski, the equity strategist of market research firm Thomson Financial/First Call.
GREENSPAN ON THE HILL, LEADING INDICATORS
Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, will give investors a reason to look beyond the earnings deluge when he ascends the Capitol steps on Thursday, to testify before the Senate Budget Committee on the state of the U.S. economy.
His comments precede by nearly a week the Fed's next meeting on Jan. 29-30 to consider lowering interest rates. If the Fed cuts rates, it would be the 12th reduction in nearly 13 months.
Among the economic indicators scheduled for release this week are leading indicators for December on Tuesday, weekly chain-store sales figures on Wednesday, weekly jobless claims on Thursday and existing home sales on Friday.
"The issue: 'Is the economy bottoming?' We think it has. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for signs the economy is doing better. So, although it has a little bit of a lag, the leading indicators will provide some of that," Blood said.
LEAVING BEHIND A ROUGH WEEK
For the week that ended on Friday, stocks dropped, marking the close of the second straight losing week of the year. So far in 2002, the Dow Jones industrial average is down 2.5 percent, the Nasdaq Composite is off 1.1 percent and the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 has declined 1.8 percent.
A combination of results and forecasts have weighed on the market. On Friday, International Business Machines Corp. and Microsoft Corp. failed to offer the optimism the market craves. The disappointing news from IBM, also known as Big Blue, and Microsoft drove down both the Dow average and the Nasdaq.
Those companies "are not seeing any big signs of recovery and they're uncertain about the future," said David Memmott, head of listed block trading at Morgan Stanley. "People are kind of hoping for better news. But most likely, we're still in the end of an economic downturn."
So far, with 107 Standard & Poor's 500 companies reporting quarterly results, earnings have edged out Wall Street's lowered forecasts by an average of about 3 percent. Sixty-six companies, or nearly 62 percent of those reporting, have exceeded analysts' expectations.
In the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, of the 19 companies reporting, earnings are exceeding analysts' expectations by nearly 16 percent on average.
10:07 01-20-02
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Stocks Expected to Rise With Earnings Flood
By Brendan Intindola
Reuters
NEW YORK (Jan. 20) - The earnings dam will burst this week, unleashing a flood of numbers and business forecasts that are likely to buoy a stock market desperate for signs of an economic recovery.
"The story is going to be the earnings side of the equation, not the economic data side," said Charles Blood, director of financial markets analysis at Brown Brothers Harriman, New York.
"This week is going to bury us under earnings reports. I say (stocks will move) higher because we have a little pullback here and it sets the stage for the bull market to resume."
The week will bring earnings news from about 155 companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, including nearly half of the 30 blue-chip names in the Dow Jones industrial average, according to market research firm Thomson Financial/First Call.
Earnings are supposed to be down about 22.5 percent -- the worst in a decade -- but investors are more focused on corporate forecasts.
And because the stock market is closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the numerous announcements will be compressed into four days rather than five in the usual trading week.
The long list of American multinationals announcing results in the coming week include: International Paper Co., Merck & Co. Inc., ExxonMobil Corp., Philip Morris Cos. Inc., McDonald's Corp., Boeing Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.
At the conclusion of the shortened week, just over half of the S&P 500 will have released earnings, giving investors pointers for the future.
"By the end of the week, the major trends in fourth-quarter earnings will be apparent, and the guidance issued during post-announcement conference calls will provide a glimpse into the earnings environment in 2002," said Joseph Kalinowski, the equity strategist of market research firm Thomson Financial/First Call.
GREENSPAN ON THE HILL, LEADING INDICATORS
Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, will give investors a reason to look beyond the earnings deluge when he ascends the Capitol steps on Thursday, to testify before the Senate Budget Committee on the state of the U.S. economy.
His comments precede by nearly a week the Fed's next meeting on Jan. 29-30 to consider lowering interest rates. If the Fed cuts rates, it would be the 12th reduction in nearly 13 months.
Among the economic indicators scheduled for release this week are leading indicators for December on Tuesday, weekly chain-store sales figures on Wednesday, weekly jobless claims on Thursday and existing home sales on Friday.
"The issue: 'Is the economy bottoming?' We think it has. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for signs the economy is doing better. So, although it has a little bit of a lag, the leading indicators will provide some of that," Blood said.
LEAVING BEHIND A ROUGH WEEK
For the week that ended on Friday, stocks dropped, marking the close of the second straight losing week of the year. So far in 2002, the Dow Jones industrial average is down 2.5 percent, the Nasdaq Composite is off 1.1 percent and the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 has declined 1.8 percent.
A combination of results and forecasts have weighed on the market. On Friday, International Business Machines Corp. and Microsoft Corp. failed to offer the optimism the market craves. The disappointing news from IBM, also known as Big Blue, and Microsoft drove down both the Dow average and the Nasdaq.
Those companies "are not seeing any big signs of recovery and they're uncertain about the future," said David Memmott, head of listed block trading at Morgan Stanley. "People are kind of hoping for better news. But most likely, we're still in the end of an economic downturn."
So far, with 107 Standard & Poor's 500 companies reporting quarterly results, earnings have edged out Wall Street's lowered forecasts by an average of about 3 percent. Sixty-six companies, or nearly 62 percent of those reporting, have exceeded analysts' expectations.
In the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, of the 19 companies reporting, earnings are exceeding analysts' expectations by nearly 16 percent on average.
10:07 01-20-02
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man