HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: harvey@rtsg.mot.com (Anne M. Harvey)
Subject: Savings Bonds for College
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 21:29:32 GMT


I am considering purchasing U.S. Savings Bonds as part of a plan to save for
my 1 yr. old daughter's college expenses.  I am unsure of whether I should
purchase the bonds in my name or in my child's name.  I would appreciate any
explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of either choice.

If it makes a difference, I already have a small amount invested in a mutual
fund in the child's name.  I plan to continue contributing to this also.
But I want to balance it with some conservative investment also.

(And the amount I am investing is relatively small. Most private schools
will be out of our range and I don't expect to have enough to cover all her
college expenses.)

thanks, 
anne
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: nfs@volkl (Norbert Schlenker)
Subject: Re: Repost: Survey of Individual Investor
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:32:22 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.112308.1079@altair.selu.edu> peco1805@altair.selu.edu writes:
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>               Survey of individual investor
>
>     This survey is based on the belief that the market trend is
>shaped by the market crowd's psychological expectation. When most of
>the people in the market believe the market will go up, then the
>market does go up. If they believe the market will go down, the
>market will go down.

I look forward to seeing the results of this survey.  As you may or
may not know, the premise of the survey is exactly opposite that of
historical experience.  When most of the people in the market believe
it's going up, it goes down, and vice versa.

The questions you ask are, in general, not even indicative of the
basic goal stated above.  If you want another data point, though,
I think it's going down.  (There, that's sure to make it go up!)

Norbert
nfs@cs.princeton.edu


Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: floydb@rpi.edu
Subject: re: Stock Option symbols 
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 15:11:32 GMT

In article <BxxL0r.31J@SSD.intel.com> tim@ssd.intel.com (Tim Gates) writes:
>Is there someone out there that has some information on the stock option 
>symbols for, say, the fortune 500 companies?  My local broker has a free,
>dial-up quoting system and I was looking to track some of the larger company
>options.  Silly me, I thought the stock symbol would be the same as the 
>option symbol with an addition of a strike price and put/call selection, but
>it isn't.   Help anyone?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>tim@ssd.intel.com


I don't know how your broker works it but Schwab uses the stock symbol 
plus the put/call Month and Strike price. The put/call Month and Strike
price are equated with letters of the alphabet (e.g. Jan call -> A). All
letters of the alphabet are converted to two digit numbers (e.g. A -> 21,
second phone button, first of three letters on the phone button).

For stocks with four or five letter symbols Schwab assigns a unique 
three letter symbol usually including a Q or Z. 

For expiration dates one or more years out Schwab assigns a unique
three letter stock symbol usually  including a Q or Z.

hope this helps

barry

Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: ssimmons@convex.com (Steve Simmons)
Subject: >>>>> Where is the best place to stick it?
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 22:10:19 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.


>    I am about to receive a gift of $100k from a relative in a couple weeks.
> I would like to invest it somewhere for a couple years until I get out
> of school. Do you guys recommend stocks, bonds, funds, foreign currency, or
> mixture? I'm looking for something without much risk with a high return.
> Am I being feasible in anticipating a 10% return a year.

First word of advice.  Avoid talking about it, especially on a nationwide
network.  You may find that you have more friends than you need.  Try 
to be more vague about it. 

Next, a 10% return is awfully good for today's rates.  You will need to 
get pretty risk, like an aggressive mutual fund or a junk bond.  For something
reasonably safe, you should expect 4-7%. Usually, you should try to develop
a portfolio. Some in risky, much in safe, some in long term, much in short
term. Personally, I would use the following blend...

	50% in a CD in a bank
	20% in an aggressive stock fund.
 	20% in an equity stock/bond fund
	10% in an checking or money market.

The key to wealth is to try to accumulate it.... not risk losing it. 

Thank you. 

					Steve Simmons









Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: "john ogilvie" <john.ogilvie@canrem.com>
Subject: stock option symbols
Reply-To: "john ogilvie" <john.ogilvie@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: misc
Date: 21 Nov 92 22:01:27 EST

TG>Is there someone out there that has some information on the stock option
TG>symbols for, say, the fortune 500 companies?  My local broker has a free,
TG>dial-up quoting system and I was looking to track some of the larger company
TG>options.

     Below is an example of how the phone system works for the brokerage
     company I deal with.  You will notice that the letters in the first half
     of the alphabet represent the call expiry months, and the letters
     starting at M are for the puts.

     In this partiular system, the strike prices are entered as 2 digit
     numbers.  Some systems use letters for strike prices also.

     The numbers 21, 22, 23 etc are the numbers you would dial on your phone
     to enter in the option symbol.

     The *'s and #'s in the example below for the OEX are used as delimiters. 
     Also, exchange codes seem to vary from system to system.


A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J    K    L
21   22   23   31   32   33   41   42   43   51   52   53
J    F    M    A    M    J    J    A    S    O    N    D         CALLS

M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X
61   62   63   71   74   72   73   81   82   83   91   92   
J    F    M    A    M    J    J    A    S    O    N    D         PUTS


Nov  385  Put       63   32   92*  91   03   08   05*  63#
                    O    E    X    Nov  3    8    5    O (All US Options)
                                   Put                 
                    Symbol------*  Srike Price------*  Exchange--#
---
  DeLuxe 1.12 #4055  
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044
From: jms@vision.sarnoff.com (Jerry Shapiro x2420)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Advice on refinancing wanted
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:11:12 GMT
Reply-To: jms@vision.sarnoff.com
Organization: David Sarnoff Research Center


Just get a 0 point home equity loan from your bank. With the kind of
equity you have it should be no problem.

Jerry Shapiro
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: nkkwan@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Thomas Kwan Nang Kon)
Subject: bonds buying/selling
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 16:47:25 GMT

I am a real novice in bonds. Can anyone kindly tell me that how the actual
yield (return) be calculated. For examples,

Oct 1, 1992

	Issuer     Coupon Maturity    Price    Yield     $Chg

	BELL CND   9.50  15JUN02   105.750      8.609    +0.875

Nov 21, 1992

	BELL CND   9.50  15JUN02   104.250     8.831     -1.000

Questions:

	How much do I lose (approximately) if I buy it at Oct1, 
	and sell it at Nov 21? Just look at the price difference?

Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: RKSHUKLA@SUVM.SYR.EDU (Ravi Shukla)
Subject: Re: Yields and Betas...huh?
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 11:44:26 EST

In article <1992Nov16.220722.7561@tandem.com>
pearson_steven@tandem.com (Steven R. Pearson) writes:
 
>Beta is a measure of relative volatility.  I do not know how it is calculated.
 
Beta is the sensitivity of a stock's returns to the returns on some "market"
index (say S&P 500). Here is an example showing the inner details of the
calculation process:
 
Suppose we collected end of the month prices and any dividends for a stock and
the S&P 500 index for 61 months (0...61). Now, calculate monthly holding period
returns using the prices and dividends. For example, the return for month 2
will be calculated as:
 
                  p_2 - p_1 + d_2
             r_2= ---------------
                       p_1
 
So now we'll have a series of 60 returns on the stock and the index (1...61).
Plot the returns on a graph and fit the best-fit line (visually or using
some least squares process):
 
                      |         *   /
               stock  |  *    *  */ *
               returns|    *  * /      *
                      |   *   /    *
                      | *   /*  *     *
                      |   /  *  *
                      | /    *
                      |
                      |
                      +-------------------------
                                 index returns
 
The slope of the line is Beta. Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, and others use
a very similar process (They differ in which index they use and in some
econometric nuances).
 
Now what does Beta mean?  A lot of disservice has been done to Beta in the
popular press because of trying to simplify the concept. A beta of 1.5 does
*not* mean that is the market goes up by 10 points, the stock will go up
by 15 points. It even *doesn't* mean that if the market has a return (over
some period, say a month) of 2%, the stock will have a return of 3%. To
understand Beta, look at the equation of the line we just fitted:
 
     stock retrun = alpha + beta * index return
 
Therefore, we can write:
 
     Change in stock return = beta * change in index return
 
So, truely and technically speaking, if the market return is 2% above its
mean, the stock return would be 3% above its mean, if the stock beta is 1.5.
How useful is it to know that? I don't know.
 
Hope it confuses!!
 
Ravi Shukla
 
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: markr@mot.com (Mark)
Subject: Re: Warrents
Reply-To: markr@mcil.comm.mot.com
Organization: MCIL
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 09:40:03 GMT

In article <BxqnDo.AnF@cs.uiuc.edu> watanabe@cs.uiuc.edu (Larry Watanabe) writes:
>ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
>
>>I also almost never buy options.  (I do write them though.)
>
>I have heard that there is money to be made off warrants ..
>writing them, that is. How do you write warrants?
>
>>My general recommendation, is that buying a warrant or option 
>>is a lot closer to gambling than investing.
>
>Peter Lynch says that both he and Warren Buffet feel that
>options and futures trading should be banned. So you're
>in good company.

In other words, they want to be able to disallow people to write
contracts between themselves ?  That doesn't sound like good
company to me. (no matter how much I admire PL and WB, I think
they are wrong on this issue)

Mark
From: chedley@carthago.intel.com (CHEDLEY_AOURIRI)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Yields and Betas...huh?
Date: 19 Nov 92 02:29:54 GMT
Reply-To: chedley@carthago.intel.com (CHEDLEY_AOURIRI)
Organization: Intel-Corp,_Hillsboro,_Oregon

In article <168A29E34.RKSHUKLA@SUVM.SYR.EDU>, RKSHUKLA@SUVM.SYR.EDU (Ravi Shukla) writes:
|>...  
|> So, truely and technically speaking, if the market return is 2% above its
|> mean, the stock return would be 3% above its mean, if the stock beta is 1.5.
|> How useful is it to know that? I don't know.
|>...  

The leap -a giant quantum leap- made by most goes like this:

   At equilibrium, the market is at its mean.
   If the market is disturbed from its equilibrium and rises by 2% above its mean, 
   then its return will also rise by 2% above its mean. 
   Same for an individual stock.

Therefore if the stock beta is 1.5, and if the market rises by 2% then the
stock should rise by 3%...

-- 
..CHEDLEY..
..!{uunet|tektronix|ogicse}!littlei!chedley    chedley@carthago.intel.com     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Disclaim: The above statements and opinions are strictly mine,
and do not represent any company or organization's position.
......................................................................

Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: irving@Happy-Man.com (Irving_Wolfe)
Subject: Re: December wash sale effect
Bcc: irving
Reply-To: Irving_Wolfe@Happy-Man.com
Organization: Happy Man Corp., Vashon Island, WA 98070-7399
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 03:48:08 GMT

In <1992Nov17.153144.6729@bostech.com> fardad@bostech.com (Fardad Farahmand) writes:

>Is it true that historically when price of a given stock falls
>dramatically ... that the price is
>likely to fall during December due to selling for tax benefits?

It's true that the price in the last days of the year is likely to
be lower, due to tax-motivated selling, than it would otherwise be.
Some years ago, the price-depression was most evident in the last
few days of the year, but in the past few years, it seems that more
of this selling took place early, leading to some recovery in the
last week (or before).

Solid Value used to have a special table in its late-December 
issue, showing readers stocks that would likely be subject to this 
selling pressure (and the corresponding bounce back early in the 
new year).  We limited the list to companies which were financially 
solid and not overpriced, so the reader would be protected from 
some risks.  Because of the market's apparent change in timing, we 
now include this table in our early-December issue instead.  

But we are still in a period of over-pricing, and one where
investors might expect higher tax rates in the future, so the
benefit of this sort of professional trading activity may be less
this year than in the past.  My hope has usually been to make a few
percent, after commissions, in a couple of months, but in a
too-high market that hasn't really fallen very much, I suspect the
number of good candidates will be small, and likewise the rewards.

-- 
 Irving_Wolfe@Happy-Man.com      Happy Man Corp.  206/463-9399 x101
 4410 SW Pt. Robinson Rd., Vashon Island, WA  98070-7399   fax x108
 We publish SOLID VALUE for the intelligent investor.   NextMail OK
Info free; sample $20.  Send POSTAL addrs: Solid-Value@Happy-Man.com
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: tony2@prefect.cc.bellcore.com (gozdz,antoni s)
Subject: Re: "socially conscious" no-load mutual funds.
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 21:34:55 GMT

In article <By159u.G63@intellection.com> hogge@intellection.com (John Hogge) writes:
>
>I'm looking for good no-load mutual funds with "socially conscious"
>stock selection criteria.  I know of two:
>  Pax World
>  Dreyfus Third Century
>
>Know of any other/better ones?
>
>--John

Here are several "socially conscious" or environmental mutual funds:
 
   SOCIAL Family 
 No Symbl Fund Name             
--- ----- -------------------------------
  1 PAXWX Pax World                      
  2 DRTHX Dreyfus Third Century         
  3 NALFX NewAlt Alternatives          
  4 FSLEX Fidelity Sel.Environment    
  5 CSIFX Calvert Managed Growth-Social  
  6 KESFX Kemper Environmental Services 
  7 FENVX Freedom Environmental        
  8 FSEVX FinProg Strategic-Environment 
  9 OPGEX Oppenhmr Global Environment  

You can check their performance in Barron's (10/26/92),
Morningstar (your local library?), etc.

Tony
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: watanabe@cs.uiuc.edu (Larry Watanabe)
Subject: Re: C-SPAN & 1929 !
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 08:48:28 GMT

gary@intrepid.com (Gary Funck) writes:

>In article <1992Nov10.225250.3355@gumby.dsd.trw.com> suhre@meltami.dsd.trw.com (Maurice E. Suhre) writes:
>>In article <1992Nov10.011635.26341@intrepid.com> gary@intrepid.com (Gary Funck) writes:
>>>
>>It isn't obvious to me how the taxpayer "picks up the tab" for lower
>>interest rates.
>>

>The relationship is indirect, and arguable.  My point was that if we support
>an economic system which keeps weak businesses and banks afloat, we hurt
>ourselves:

>(1) weak businesses generally block progress and job growth
>(2) weak businesses cannot compete as well in a global market

True, we don't want weak businesses around, but only if we
have something better to replace them.

But there is no reason to penalize our companies by having
high interest rates, which adversely affects strong companies as well
as weak ones.

High interest rates are good because they weed out weak companies?
Why not also slap an extra 70% tax on all corporations, which would
also help kill off the weak companies?

>(3) lower interest rates will lower the yield on conservative, long-term
>investments.  

>This forces individuals to take on higher risk, or accept
>a lower level of real income.  As the TV economists noted, lower real income
>decreases tax revenues, which raises govt. debt.  Higher risk investing
>encourages speculation (not usually in a productive sector), which damages
>the stability of our financial markets.

Higher interest rates are more damaging than low ones, to the market.
If interest rates were higher, it would
make lower-risk investments like bonds/treasuries more attractive
relative to securities.

-Larry Watanabe watanabe@cs.uiuc.edu
From: blean@rwb.esd.sgi.com (Bob Blean)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: 10 Highest Yielding Dow Stocks
Date: 18 Nov 92 11:07:56 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Silicon Graphics

Note, by the way, that there is a well-known book out that advocates
buying the highest yielding Dow stocks.  It adjusts its portfolio once
per year.

Naturally, it claims superior returns.  When I looked closely at their
figures, and added in an adjustment for annual taxes (since they trade once
a year), their returns became rather ordinary.
From: shag@aero.org (Robert M. Unverzagt)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: 10 Highest Yielding Dow Stocks
Date: 18 Nov 1992 03:06:14 GMT
Organization: Organization?  You must be kidding.
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: aerospace.aero.org

In article <1992Nov17.141231.37536@watson.ibm.com> pjweaver@ralvm29.vnet.ibm.com writes:
> In article <1992Nov17.020028.1483@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, pmd@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (Phil Dickens) writes:
> |> I have been interested in the idea of buying the 10 highest
> |> yielding Dow stocks and holding for a year....
> |> 
> |>		[rest deleted]
> |>
> |> Phil Dickens
> 
>		[some stuff deleted]
>
> If you are simply looking for a fund that is income producing, I would instead
> look for a no-load fund from 20th Century, Fidelity, Vanguard, etc. You don't
> need to have the top 10 Dow stocks in order to produce good income. And in fact,
> you'll probably do better without them.
> 
> Paul J. Weaver                 | "It is well that war is so terrible, or men
> pjweaver@ralvm29.vnet.ibm.com  |  should grow too fond of it"
> -------------------------------|       General R. E. Lee
> I speak only for myself        |       Battle of Fredricksburg, VA  Dec. 1862

I don't think he's after income (sorry to put words in your mouth,
Phil), but growth.  Every so often the Wall Street Journal, Money,
et al, run an article about how great the growth of the highest
yielding Dow stocks has been.  The theory is that they are high
yielders because their prices have been depressed (for whatever
reason) and are "due" to bounce back.  The high yield is merely
an indicator of (relatively) low price, not (relatively) high
return.  Or so the theory goes.  Anybody have any comments on the
theory?


-- 
       Rob Unverzagt        |
  shag@aerospace.aero.org   |   The will to a system is a lack of integrity.
unverzagt@courier2.aero.org |                        - Friedrich Nietzsche 
   18348@rhodes.aero.org    |
Newsgroups: misc.invest,misc.kids,misc.taxes
From: cma@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (christine.m.dakes)
Subject: Re: Savings Bonds for College
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 19:24:10 GMT
Followup-To: misc.kids
Summary: bonds


We have been getting bonds, and will continue to get bonds for
our children (first due 1/93).  Supposedly, if they are to be used
for a child's education the bond must be in a parent's name.

Christine
first-time-mom-2-b 1/19/93
From: proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: buying foreign currency for the little guy
Date: 17 Nov 92 03:08:38 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <adwright.721923340@vincent1.iastate.edu> adwright@iastate.edu writes:
>I am interested in buying foreign currency on a small scale. Is it possible 
>to get, say Swiss Francs or Yens at a Bank in the form of Travellers Checks
>and just cash them in for dollars later on? Would i need to have proof that 
>i intend to travel to that country or can just anyone get them? Am i missing
>something or would this be an easy way for a little guy to invest in foreign 
>currency? Any advice, opinions, or references to books would be appreciated.
>Allen

I believe that some large US bank (Citibank?) offers an account
whereby you can switch between different currencies whenever you
wish, PLUS you earn interest on your foreign currency holdings
at a rate comparable to interest rates in the "target" country
(ie generally higher than in the US).

I think this only recently became possible due to some change in
US law.

Paul
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: When is Israel Closed End Fund going public?
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 20:32:39 GMT

In article <Uf3bGcy00iV1M1ja9_@andrew.cmu.edu> Joel Bloch <jb6k+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>There is already one Israel fund out there. It was released about a
>month ago by Prudential and there was a controversy because it dropped
>very quickly to a discount to asset value. Closed end funds usually drop
>to a discount but not so quickly.

This is First Israel Fund (ISL - NYSE) offered at 15 but with an
underwriters fee of  over $1, typical for underwriters.  So it isn't
surprising it dropped below 14 immediately.  It did drop below 12
but regained much of that.  Now at 12.375.
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: suhre@eel.dsd.trw.com (Maurice E. Suhre)
Subject: Re: tax free funds & 33% tax bracket ?
Organization: TRW, INC.
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 22:05:01 GMT

In article <1elkm7INN3q0@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy) writes:
>
>why is a tax free bonds, or mutual funds always related to somebody
>with 33% tax bracket ?  why ? can't somebody with 20% tax bracket
>invest in tax free bonds ? is there something I'm missing ?

In general, when someone is pushing or promoting something, they will
use data which tends to support their position.  It's easy to see that
tax free bonds work better as your tax bracket gets higher.  Of course
anyone can invest in tax free bonds.  If your tax rate is zero, it is
ridiculous to do so.  As the tax rate increases, it goes from silly to
reasonable.  Don't forget that the bond income would have been taxed at
the marginal rate (for most people).

-- 
Maurice Suhre
suhre@trwrb.dsd.trw.com
Newsgroups: misc.invest