Background is in Investor Relations and portfolio management focused on energy stocks. Always looking for opportunities to learn & share more.
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Our share price seems to be recovering from earlier lows. I think the process will remain positive as we leave governmental concerns behind us. Some companies indulge in devious practices, sure. And not everyone drops gas in the bathroom to suit a prude.
Going forward, we can watch our company play it cool, being very careful to not shoot itself in the foot. Or---we can persecute, prosecute and indict our man in the spotlight despite his attention to detail aimed at helping us achieve.
Before investing here, I looked long and hard at Tony's ability to raise cash plus the share prices of companies he led. Whether we get to 10 cent/share, 84 cents or anything above those---my share position in this will be forever grateful.
If you read about the indictable companies, you'll likely find some of the characters behind the scenes have unsavory backgrounds. I haven't seen anything of the sort with Tony Miller, I'm glad to say. I'm shocked by some of the bad stuff surrounding the other dudes, I must say.
My opinions here, nothing more than that.
There's a hanging cuticle in your quote:
"After intense negotiations the parties came to a tentative agreement ......."
The keyword here is "tentative." This falls under the heading of future uncertainties and the SEC has addressed this issue since 1934 because so many investors have been damaged financially by hype and innuendo. My take-away is:
Negotiations were intense---meaning difficult and at times inaccessible. I love this honesty.
Reference to "parties" tells me NDAs are part of the process which aims to protect against invasion of privacy.
Tentative speaks for itself. It refers to indefinite and nothing else. In no way can "tentative" be confused with words such as:
likely
automatic
certain
expected
engraved in stone and covered with blood with pants afire
I see no reason to read negatives into any of this. I believe management is working to make this happen. Those of us given to trusting in his sincerity will more likely stand in the wings and let him do his magic. Some of us may be more vulnerable and thus less positioned to withstand erosion wrought by doubts.
You are right. Also, the SEC can be quite unpredictable when it comes to following scheduling protocols.
This is where and when an investor needs a thicker skin and simply trust that our CEO is an honorable man. Anything less and the stock market might not be the best setting. On the other hand, this stock has been very exciting for me and I'm thankful for that.
Hasty judgments can strip you of your money. It's good that you look to explain things you're seeing. It is not good to assume you understand what you're seeing---not early in the game of stock investing. There's a bunch of weeds growing in a field of wise and honest bloggers here. Newbies might resist the urge to connect dots until there's greater clarity. We may never know who is trying to shape your attitude but it's usually easy to recognize the guys and gals up to no good.
Years ago I learned that doubts can be a good thing. If posters are feeding my doubts, I listen until I'm convinced my instincts will serve me better than their manipulations. My motto is:
"When in doubt, DON'T!"
OK---now for a few questions bugging me:
ERBB has been around since June of 2004 as I recall. For the past six years it has languished in extremely low penny land for the most part. I question USEI for similar reasons except for one thing: I emailed ERBB and never got a response. I emailed USEI and got a return email from Tony in less than twenty-four hours. Tony acted with class, imo. I never heard back from ERBB.
I won't belabor the specific issues I questioned. It comes down to executive style for me, given there are no published numbers by which we can analyze either company.
I don't think many of us are investing in ERBB because the company might rent or sell some vending machines. I doubt many of us are holding our collected breath in anticipation of USEI's eventually growing hemp. I do think we investors are poised to make a killing as a formerly prohibited substance becomes ever more available. On the surface it's about medicinal application. But I'm seeing far, far greater opportunity for investors when recreational use is no longer available to litigation on either the State or Federal level. We're standing on the leading edge of a runway modeling the latest alternative to booze or prostitution. I'm convinced this will not fail. And that spells big money.
I don't know what Tony has in mind for our company. I do know he's a careful thinker and planner. I figure he is earning the right to time to prove his value as our leader. He's the guy with the most to lose. And he's putting out all the effort he can.
I'm waiting for news on SEC compliance. Tony has addressed this publicly and my sense is that he has his finger on it and is in waiting mode, pending SEC action. I've seen nothing of the sort from ERBB.
In USEI I see a number of opportunities being pursued. Tony is very open when it comes to questions regarding our eventual business model. He hasn't let himself be boxed in. I suspect he's surveying lots of possibilities so that he can pick the best of the best after he's been able to examine the best options.
With ERBB I see lots of ventures but I have yet to see anything with lasting promise. This strikes me as why many are thinking the CEO acted like a jerk when invited to speak on behalf of the company.
And now you know why I have just 20,000 shares of ERBB versus three million USEI shares.
I'm a happy camper here and I love the level of excitement!
All of the above reflects my opinions and nothing more.
Went there at your urging. This is what I got:
No such press release
Sorry to burst a bubble but USEI has existed since November of 1996! Hardly a start-up. Given that there are no published financials, we have only "the story" on which to base our investment acumen. Add in the lack of SEC compliance in evidence and we have little to go on.
Don't take this as criticism for it is not. I believe Tony is working to correct imbalances such as these. And I've got a lot of shares, thanks to this conviction of mine. Meanwhile, it's not easy accepting that our company has failed to meaningfully support a share price of even a single penny for six solid years. I have to wonder why this is so? And why do we expect so much NOW when we don't have numbers or SEC proofs of forward moves?
Everything I state here is an expression of my opinions only.
Maybe it's a case of rounding?
Let's assume you're right when you say USEI will be in the one dollar range by year end. That would be great for all of us!!!
Tell us how we get to that valuation, won't you? What products and/services will define our success that makes us a better company than some of the others?
As an investor new to this stock, I wonder if you'd be so kind as to enlighten me on a few items? I started a small position on Monday and added yesterday. I'm disturbed by a few things:
1. As a kid, I worked for a vending machine company dispensing cigarettes. My boss rented out the machines and got a percentage cut on cigarette sales as he had route men servicing and restocking the units placed in business establishments.
For ERBB to profit, I'm not seeing great earnings opportunities that differ from my childhood association. Where am I wrong?
2. In reviewing ERBB's history, I find that operating for ten years or so, the share price in early May of 2004 was close to $150. Soon afterwards we see a drop all the way down to a single penny on or about Feb. 1st, 2009. From what I'm seeing, shares have languished in way-low sub-penny land for the past five years at least.
Why are folks excited with a company that doesn't even publish its financials for all to see and respect?
There are no SEC filings to explore, according to TD Ameritrade. This has me uncomfortable. After all, historical success sells most people. Instead, I'm seeing no success at all. I am definitely seeing a lot of pumping---enough to convince some investors that this company is going somewhere none have traveled before. Sooooo, fellow Trekians, I've got to ask you:
How does the sale of very few machines to very few dispensaries in very few locations translate into ungodly profits?
What is the price for all the advertising and how will it be paid?
How much debt does the company have which will have to be paid off before shareholders get to see a richer bottom-line?
Without being SEC compliant, what assurance do we have that income won't be immediately be scarfed up by creditors, owners/executives and employees?
Lastly, those of us who have ever bought weed for recreational use will surely associate incredible profitability with any company engaged in the dispensing of such formerly illicit products. When investing in this sector, I'm finding it really hard to ignore the old threat of being caught with a joint to say nothing of shelling out a couple of hundred $$ for a stash. So I could blindly expect great profits will follow a modern company engaged in legal pot related business. Or could I?
My background is in Investor Relations. My field is energy, not MJ. My problem lies in the inability to view corporate financials and anything historically significant. This means I'm unable to operate as an analyst---akin to working as a food taster without a tongue. People tend to hide things they believe will hurt them down the road. I'm concerned there are people hiding things we need to know about if we're to support a common interest.
Any help pertinent to my concerns and ideas as stated above will be most appreciated. Again, I am an investor in ERBB. I truly want to see fellow investors prosper along with me.
Thank you!
I find it tasteless to gloat over good fortune built on the losses or pain of others.
There are other ways of expressing pleasure without coming across as insensitive.
IMO.
I wish I could be of help to you but I'm not able to recount where or when I run across things unless they are heavily pounded out by the media. I'm convinced a lot of folks wanted CUR to be a standout when Dr. Feldman would address her audience. It was hoped and perhaps even expected that she would drop a few tidbits indicating we are rounding the bend and on the leading edge of momentous discoveries. April's admission of regaining some "snap" seemed to coincide with the aforementioned tide of sentiment. As you know, nothing new and startling surfaced.
There is no doubt in my mind: Participation as an investor in this stock is somewhat akin to helping to support the writing of something nearly biblical by proportion. My wife and I hold 2,500 shares in Neuralstem. We've got a three-bagger at present. We decided early on that this would be part of our charitable trust, we don't wish to use any gains on ourselves as it wouldn't feel right---for us. That said, it's easy to understand that many investors feel similarly and that may contribute to the lack of moral injustice being handed out by fate aka "correction."
This stock's journey won't be completed any time soon, imo. And I may not be around when things reach maturity. Recognizing these two points is especially meaningful when trying to come to terms with whichever we believe to be more important: the journey vs. the destination.
These are my thoughts, anyhow. I wish you and all others the best.
What is your informational source?
Investors tend to be excited when their dollars are at stake. They like to share their excitement and relish the prospect of helping others achieve their commonly held goals. Thus they blog.
It's a good idea to base things on publicly held information. What gives you confidence that USEI will prosper?
Thanks for sharing your opinions as I do mine.
People become scared when they perceive a threat. Simple, no?
After reading most of the two links you've provided, it is clear to me that my life doesn't need to stare down threatening red flags. When I invest in a start-up, I always look carefully at past profitability. I discount claims of great success when the share price hasn't changed much over three or more years. At the USEI website I believe Tony Miller is touted as being responsible for building successful companies. My definition of success may not match up with yours.
For me, success begins with getting off the pinks. Simple, right?
In the final analysis, people will say lots of things designed to shape how we look and see and understand and accept what's fed to us. That said, investing in USEI isn't so much about the company's success--I don't see evidence of it. For me, it's a focus on our CEO's current efforts as revealed by him, not non-affiliated passersby. I want the straight poop and it must always be in writing. As an investor relations guy, I know how it works: People will say things all the time but it's when his message is in publicly viewable print format that we can demand the truth. And when questions of veracity arise, some will litigate.
This is at the root of my difficulty with being on the pinks. We've got to move to a more accountable listing if we're to become credible. My investment dollars are certainly real! They deserve respect obtainable only from a fully compliant, listed company. Red flags are never fun. Yellow ones ain't no fun, too.
And the cost is no more than the tip for a classy dinner out for two.
Big numbers are often honored without consideration of the underlying metrics. Too bad as I'm a big believer in this company and its efforts.
People were expecting Dr. Feldman to make assertions indicative of very favorable results stemming (!) from Phase 2 despite this not being the right time for such information.
Several weeks before the good doctor addressed her audience, investors were already lining up to promote the obvious. As I watched, I began to wonder if they weren't attempting to influence a preemptive dissemination of investigative findings. Subtle influences are part of the Wall Street game of manipulation.
The end result, I suspect, is that the public stopped trusting all the promotional hoopla and decided they'd been had, at least for the moment. Others may be figuring this is as good a time as any to step back and watch the air leak out of the CUR balloon, only to add shares when things appear to stabilize.
Mr. Strap,
You are the most perfect person here to ask Mr. Green Growth about a yeast infection.
Absolutely hilarious and then some!
Things that drive a share price higher:
Earnings
News of forthcoming earnings
History of positive earnings
****************************************************
When assessing the merits of an investment in a development stage company such as USEI, we can't look at prior earnings. Without SEC filings attesting to the numbers, we have to look at "the story." The story may be defined in part as the corporate mission although some traded companies will reflect an almost cult-like persona. This can happen when leadership stands out as in cases where integrity is especially visible. The mission will be the general goal or set of goals aiming to change a culture that ultimately rewards investors.
Then there are situations where a saga seemingly unfolds, revealing odd twists of fate that can shape the path a company travels. As CEO Tony Miller stated in his most recent missive, procuring hemp seed is not an option at present. Thus, he/we move onto other portions of the spectrum so as to not find ourselves painted into a corner unproductively. In this situation, an odd twist seems to have forced our leader's hand and he has responded.
Absent current earnings, we watch management's every move in search of clues likely to enhance future earnings potentials. This will largely explain anxiety in evidence at blogs, along with doubts, fears and self-congratulatory pumping/puffing. Some of this is actually good as it delivers shareholder sentiment directly to management en masse---something not to be easily discounted.
Lastly: This market's turbulence is not yet over despite the bounce we saw today. There will be more drops bringing fresh pain. This is definitely not a time to be stretched out on margin. However, it is the perfect time to start positions in companies whose stock is being picked apart by vultures just for the hellovit. I did this today in ERBB, thanks to the swoon despite encouraging news. This is a market that should have no friends for it could not be more treacherous. The fact that we held our own and even gained a trifle suggests to me that Tony is gaining traction as a creative and careful planner.
And that brings us back to "the story." Tough times bring out strong character. I like the character I'm seeing for I believe Tony is hoping to change the culture just now beginning to allow change with respect to the utilization of marijuana.
All of this is my opinion only. Read at your own peril!
Funny!
Nice to see a bit of levity here. Let's hope many of us prove to have been talented in sensing profitable opportunities here.
You're right. Looking at Level 11, Nite is sitting there on a bid for 9 million shares.
But I'm not sure how that should be interpreted because all the other bids (there are many) are denominated in lots of 10,000 shares. When my focus was on building a position, I purchased in lots of a quarter million, as a rule. I know many others here did, too. With the offer standing at .0088/share, we're talking about a lousy $88 trade! If the commission is around $10, then the commission represents 11% of the position cost. Crazy, no?
I'm wondering if this is a market maker ruse? Ideas, anybody?
Your posts bring great value for their stabilizing style and I generally agree in principle, I'm not sure it is fair, though, to expect exuberant investors to hold back. After all, some may be investing for the very first time in their lives. And everybody wants to have a voice whose concerns will be considered.
Perhaps most significant is that this blog is virtually the only way most of us can communicate with Tony Miller, our CEO. I'm betting that anything perceived to be a consensus developing on this board will most certainly become a concern for management. The clout of social media is undeniable these days and is the most likely common place for a steady stream of back-and-forth to occur.
Sure, it can become tiresome, but those of us who have been around can ignore some of the hoopla and let the giggles and excitement have their fifteen moments of glory.
I hope that one day even the most seasoned of players here will rejoice in our collected good fortune. I know I'm very excited!
You speak with confidence. What assets do you see Tony bringing to the kitchen that are not readily available from other entrepreneurial types in Colorado?
It seems almost too easy to speak glowingly of the man (Tony) but we investors are really not more than observers at this embryonic stage of things on the cusp of major change in the form of approaching legalization. So tell us how Tony stands out among the others? What specific skills and expertise does he dispense that has you convinced he (and USEI) will prosper? In short, why him/us and not others?
Thanks for your elucidation.
Very well said! One thing I'd add is the possibility of some individuals believing they can move USEI's market by flipping shares and/or commenting frequently on blogs such as this. I'm hoping that in time, folks will take a more honest approach and accept they aren't in position to significantly move the market for our investment choice.
Tony has been visible. I suspect this "quiet period" is necessitated by mutually agreed upon rules of the game to protect necessary privacy and freedom from outside influences. Nondisclosure agreements (NDA's) and concomitant violations thereof are almost never argued in court, by the way They are mostly a way of serving notice to interested parties that sizable responsibility lies in their hands and that calls for trust.
I'm trusting Tony and not having doubts despite holding a fairly large position. He needs time to make things happen. We all operate on "world time" in a sense, despite our wishing things were simpler and results available immediately. Rome wasn't built in a day, for sure.
All in my opinion!
You seem to have misunderstood. My point was and remains that Mr. Leonard could not have been part of any delegation to Guinea prior to 2006 as he was not part of HDY at that point. The handing of the rights to the concession was conducted initially by Mr. Bearnth and Neil Moore. The Republic of Guinea begged them to take responsibility for developing an oil extraction program. They agreed but only reluctantly as they had no seismic boat prepared to investigate the waters. However, they did observe oil slicks and spouts.
Difficulties surfaced following their assigning those rights to HDY for considerations never fulfilled. Their dream was that of enabling Guinea to benefit from the black gold they were convince lay beneath the water. You see, they loved the country, its people and certain individuals they trusted within government. Mr. Leonard was not yet involved. In my mind, at least, he would not have gotten involved if he'd known more of the character of those with whom he would eventually deal.
A voice of reason.....let it resonate until we're very profitable.
Just as a child needs lots of time to reach maturity, so it is with a publicly traded entity.
Thank you for your clarity.
You just said something beautiful!
My friends constantly hear me say that I can accept being told "Yes! and No!" But when I hear "I don't know."---that's when I begin to trust the other person. Tony is telling us hemp is off the table for the moment but he doesn't known exactly how things will pan out going forward. He's hopeful about 2015 offering more opportunity. Meanwhile, he's at work pursuing paths with greater short-term promise.
That's good enough for me.
Yes! Yes! Yes!!!
Perfect.
And here I'd previously thought a Jacque Strap would have balled things up! Instead, I'm enjoying the support of a fellow investor.
I'm seeing Tony keeping us in the loop. Depending upon who's doing the looking, it may be half empty or half full. My take-away is that our CEO is making it clear that while numerous things are afoot, nothing will be finalized before it can be. This is known in Investor Relations parlance as "a quiet period." It refers to very important non-disclosure to protect individuals, their corporate interests and also deals/contracts not yet concluded.
I wish we could be a bit less demanding and more patient. Nobody is improved by our voicing dissatisfaction on a public forum such as this. There are other avenues such as emailing the company. I did this earlier today as I'd like to know more about the stated move towards SEC compliance. That's a big deal and I'm hopeful management will see fit to respond.
My opinions are reflected above.
We are on the same page for that's what I'm seeing as well. I know it's hard to look past the turbulence of the market's moment right now but as investors and traders, we must! CEO Miller has nothing to gain by pumping, not with the share price so low. His ownership is limited to his Preferreds, according to published material. If and when that translates into a profit-taking strategy due to much higher common (shares), the landscape will be quite different. For now, I'm watching a talented guy scramble in an attempt to create a path of enviable enterprise. If USEI enjoys a future share price equal to the average of Tony's earlier entrepreneurial excursions into new businesses, many of us will be far richer. I'm very excited to see how he develops his master plan and thankful for the opportunity to participate.
These are my opinions only.
Without personal on-site observation or direct comments from others on the ground in Guinea at the time the PSA was delivered, I can't believe you can legitimately take that position. I think there are just three or four individuals who would know what was going on. Two are now dead and I have no knowledge of the others.
You can't know that---leaders of companies often use their managerial roles as a cover for their money-raising activities. If bribes were, in fact, part of the negotiating practice, then why wouldn't it have been reasonable in the minds of certain others to do everything possible to "legitimize" things if only to posit a platform from which money could be raised? In my mind it strikes me as some sort of money laundering in reverse---creating the illusion of propriety while using the supposed honorable state of existence as a vehicle by which innocent dollars might be raised. In short, it may have been a con game.
I wonder if the full truth will ever come out? And I wonder if it will bury HDY due to sins beyond the mien of current leadership, given that incidents before their installation seem to have come into question?
Such a terribly sad state of affairs. One can only feel for Mr. Leonard who seems to have inherited a cauldron of stinking worms.
Well stated although I can hardly fault someone for unbridled enthusiasm. Excitement is part of the investing process and explains how even our losers were sometimes fun anyhow.
Each of us will occasionally say something we believe to be true. No need to chop off hands or fingers; better to point out that we render a disservice when making unattainable goals or overly graphic representations of our fantasies.
Investing is not easy for most of us. Part of our courage no doubt comes from keeping dreams alive. Tomorrow may bring a good PR, perhaps not and maybe nothing at all. Nobody owes me a PR or a profit or anything else...except for his honoring my investment in HIS dream shared with me and my own. I hope for any news certifying forward progress but will not make public demands. My job as an investor is to maintain dignity and focus. It is not to push or try to control others I need to trust will do their best.
My opinions.
PS I'd like to see less fear and complaining and more whole-hearted support for our CEO. New observers of this board must be discouraged by the measure of distrust apparent here. But we can make a difference by focusing on the positives. We owe that much.
What is happening right now in the market is nothing new or strange. It happens every time people get antsy after a pronounced run-up without a blow-off. So here's the pullback we've expected and as usual, it's fast and furious. Meanwhile---
The return to normalcy and lower volatility will return soon enough for the seasoned analyst whereas newbees will suffer pangs of uncertainty. The key we need to keep in mind here is that fortunes will be made by those able to look past their momentary fears and keep their eyes focused on the profit opportunity seen when first investing in this sector.
I've seen nothing in management's handling that has me doubting things. I'm seeing a middle-aged man trying to hit the big score, believing his current activities will bring a dream into reality. I disagree with the notion that he owes us a PR. I wrote PR's for a company only when there was substance available for dissemination. Occasionally I put one out for the president of the company to explain that we were experiencing difficulty in meeting goals. This is what I'm seeing CEO Miller do when he pledges fresh communication that may not come out on time.
He is an executive who is presumably doing his best. If we doubt that, then we're in the wrong investment vehicle. I have yet to find him putting out lies and distortions. Some things attributed to his saying strike me as suspicious. I don't know that tweets thought to be his are actually his.
So put me in the camp of the faithful. I've been a full-time trader for a long time and have managed well enough. And now I've got three million reasons to keep the faith. I'm looking beyond market gyrations and misdeeds of other companies. I'm comfortable.
All in my opinion, of course!
Wow! You just jogged my old memory bank with a great bit of recollection. It was on that day that I doubled down literally. A close fellow trader/investor did the same after getting over the shock. When he asked why I did it, my response was that I believed in the company and sensed I don't need to align with cowardice when there are opportunities for success. And I couldn't imagine the government killing all those jobs, ambitions and potentials a reorganized AAL would likely pose. Mostly, I doubted that Congress would dare risk negative public outcries out for revenge when their constituents' hue & cry would breathe down the backs of their occupational tenure.
Sometimes you gotta believe in the system even if only to bet against it.
I'm a long. How could anyone know this without my personal declaration?
I got mine this morning via Ameritrade. They are always prompt.
This has been a great ride, thanks in no small part to steady contributors on this board. Anybody with a bit of math acumen can learn to read SEC filings and the usual legalese. But I find deeper exhibitions of reasoning and market-wise savvy likely to render far more interesting and often profitable analysis. So to all the regulars here I'd like to extend my appreciation for your carefully thought out ideas and opinions.
Jugs
Since some are coming clean, I will also: I added 400,000 at .0087. Now holding an even three million and won't be adding more. Cost basis is .007 so selling one million at 2.2 cents will leave me with two million shares for free.
If I'm wrong, it won't be the first time. If I'm right? It will taste just perfect! One thing is for sure--- at least SOME companies will be profiting from the legalization. Why not USEI?
My opinions only.
Oh, how I love pink glasses! Honor is great and I fully endorse that part of your statement. Unfortunately I've known many people who will preach honor but screw you from behind, figuring a sucker will buy into the pitch about honor and tradition.
I trust people as a rule but that goes just so far because not everyone deserves my trust. I make mistakes and may be making one with USEI but I hope not. I truly believe Mr. Miller is trying to make this happen for us all. He's the largest shareholder and is carrying corporate debt upon his shoulders. If this fails to succeed, he loses more than you and I. That's the primary basis for my trust. He's too old to reach for anything less than the gold ring. That, coupled with corporate debt and it's pretty easy to see he really needs this to succeed. And I see no reason that it won't.
I really do hope you're right, though. One thing we all know is that this country is on the edge of a major social change. It will be supported by citizenry and eventually---politicians and their body politic---if only to support their occupational tenure. After all, when did you EVER hear of a politician not living and breathing for the greater good? lol
Just my opinions and ideas above.
Actually, I've known a couple of psychiatrists who were cupcakes themselves! lol
Some folks point to the picture of a cupcake and I think that what's really going on is folks want proof of safety regarding their investments. Nobody likes finding he's screwed himself because of an investment that turned out to be trash for a variety of possible reasons.
Personally, I don't care who makes the goodies so long as they are well received in the market place. And if the first line of goodies doesn't bring us a bit of heaven, we can move onto another maker. There are always options in business just as there will always be other investment opportunities. It's important to hang loose without getting goosed by the noose.
I haven't seen anything placing responsibility for the pancake picture on the CEO's shoulders. I'm not aware of his being implicated whereas somebody else may be reaching for notoriety with appeals for our trust.
Reagan's "Trust but verify." comes to mind.