I have rarely been burned bad by earnings. As a buy and hold investor, I buy companies because I like something about their story and I'll hold the company until that reason is confirmed or doesnt exist anymore. Earnings are going to fluctuate sometimes beating, sometimes missing. I think this stock will turn around and so the story I am looking for is improvement in the fundamentals. More earnings, less costs, etc. I also like the buyout story and the potential of their products. Restructuring the sales force helped reinforce the turnaround I am betting on, that may not show up in this quarters earnings. (it hasn't had enough time to take effect) When you say I am a gambler you are right to an extent, but I gamble on companies awaiting FDA decisions, now those are the announcements that will burn and destroy a person. 95% don't get approved and unfortunately those are painful. I lost 85% in a company after one such announcment, I have rarely been spanked that hard and fortunately I don't put all my eggs in a single basket.
