HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tmark@cognet.ucla.edu (Terence Mark)
Subject: Re: Cray Computer: When to bail out?
Organization: UCLA Cognitive Science Research Program
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 23:44:32 GMT

In article <l73upqINNiop@almaak.usc.edu> ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) writes:
>eric@tfs.com (Eric Smith) writes:
>Earlier, the option to running MS-DOS was writing your own monitor.
>Today there is (or will soon be) : MS-DOS, DR-DOS, Windows 3.x,
>Windows NT, OS/2 2.0, Desqview, Desqview/X, Linux, Solaris, Nextstep.
>
>I can't think of a time when the market share of MS products in the
>Intel market has been smaller.  Soon the peasants might even realise
>they've been had :-)
>
>        -ans.
>-- 
>Ajay Shah, (213)749-8133, ajayshah@usc.edu

5 of the products you name (MS-DOS,DR-DOS, Windows 3. & NT, OS/2,
Desqview and /x) depend upon MS Dos either directly or indirectly.
Furthermore Windows sales are, in my opinion, near the point where
if they get any higher other OS's will not be a viable alternative.
Note, for instance, that nearly every PC you can buy - in stores or
direct - comes with Microsoft DOS and Windows. Even OS/2 includes
DOS and Windows ! Windows market share is so large that most software
developers aren't devoting much resources to alternatives.

I agree with your comments about the peasants being had.
But Microsoft has set up a kind of pyramid scheme here, in the sense
that every success spawns more success. Alternative operating systems
are forced to tout their ability to run Microsoft operating systems - so
if running Microsoft operating systems is a decisive factor, why
choose an alternative ?

Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: joec@fid.morgan.com (Joe Collins)
Subject: Re: Fundamentals, my dear Watson, fundamentals!
Organization: None
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 19:28:05 GMT

In article <Bs9Mqu.Jzs@news.cso.uiuc.edu> gwang@hendrix (George Wang) writes:
>Perhaps people don't like the low percentage yields offered by money
>market accounts and other cash instruments? Until the interest rates
>goes up, I think people may still seek equities and bonds for higher
>yeilds...
>

if you make the assumption that people have to put there money SOMEWHERE,
the choices are tough now. Getting 2-3% on your mma is not fun so people
have turned to stocks and long bonds (or their surrogates) in hopes of
better yield. Long term, stocks really do make the most sense:

  Over the LONG term, here are approximate annualized rate of returns:

  SP 500:        10-11%
  Housing:        8.5%
  Tbills:         4.5%        (approximately the same as money market accounts)
  Bonds:          around 4.5%
  CPI inflation:  3.1%

  [These are from memory and may be off a bit].

Joe
joec@morgan.com


Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: philco@microsoft.com (Phillip Cooper)
Subject: Re: Northern Telecom Stocks 
Date: 23 Jul 92 20:29:53 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Distribution: na
Keywords: Northern. Telecom, earnings

In article <1992Jul22.151607.14434@epas.toronto.edu> gkirikos@epas.utoronto.ca (George Kirikos) writes:
>Northern Telecom released disappointingly low earnings (28 cents/share
>for the quarter), thus causing the $4/share drop. It also affected BCE
>Inc, which owns half of Nor-Tel.
>
>Nor-Tel had warned analysts earlier that there would be a drop in
>earnings for the quarter (due mostly to the recession, as the US
                                            ^^^^^^^^^^^
>baby-bells delayed orders for new switching equipment) but earnings
>were even worse than the newer forecasts.
>
    Of course, we are not in a recession.  Nor have we been for a long
time.  Why is it so hard to distinguish between a recession a period of
below normal growth??  Our economy, in fact, is growing at present. It has
been growing for many months.  Just not at the rate we are accustomed.

Phil
From: iba@ruffles.ICS.UCI.EDU
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Stock quotes
Date: 23 Jul 92 22:34:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: Paris.9207231534.aa18464

FFN is based in NY City. Sorry, no other BBS that I know of.
BTW they have a new number: (212)752-8660.
Call after hours and it is quite reasonable.

Wayne.
From: dkulkarn@haydn.helios.nd.edu (Dinesh Kulkarni)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Online stock price services
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:21:09 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame

In article <1992Jul23.000538.8589@informix.com> robs@.informix.com (Robert Schneider) writes:
>I know these are probably FAQs, but here goes:
>
>What I'd like to do is connect to an online service that would
>allow me to use some sort of query constructor (preferably SQL,
>but that's dreaming) that would enable me to perform searches
>for all stocks with a certain PE, price, dividend %, etc.  Right
>now, to do this, I must browse through the price listings in the 
>Journal, and that gets real old real fast.  Is anyone aware of/using 
>such a service?
>
>An alternative method would be to retrieve/receive electronic
>price tables, either through dialup (expensive) or floppy (not
>timely).  I could then use a spreadsheet, database, etc to 
>build this simple application.  Anyone doing this?
>
>Finally, regarding Dow Jones electronic service - is anyone
>out there using it?  How are the costs, features, etc?
>
>Please respond via email to save bandwidth.
-------------------------------------------------------

I would suggest posting instead of email.  Past experience indicates
that answers to such questions are useful to a significant no. of 
netters who tend to flood the recipient with me-too requests.
This question, in particular is of sufficiently general interest.
As for bandwidth conservation, there are better avenues (like avoiding
flaming, repeatedly posting/including the same text) which are already
exercised on the news group.
------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Thanks for all info,
>
>Rob
Xref: sparky misc.invest:9914 sci.econ:6546
From: DIPS@PURCCVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: misc.invest,sci.econ
Subject: Re: Should we limit the shorts life time.
Date: 25 Jul 92 20:32:01 GMT
 <1992Jul25.004059.21906@Princeton.EDU> <sehari.712086539@vincent1.iastate.edu>
Followup-To: misc.invest
Organization: Purdue University



B. Sehari seems to be misinformed about the process of shorting
a stock.  If you want to short, you have to borrow the stock from
someone who already owns it.  Thus the supply of stock is not
affected by shorting, as the total number of shares outstanding
does not change.

I know of no evidence that shows that shorting has caused
any market crashes.  If shorting has much of an effect on
prices, it is likely to be temporary, unless the shorts have
information that leads others to concur in the opinion that
the stock is overvalued.  Any temporary price movements
will have little or no effect on long-term investors.

One final point which shows that the effects of shorting are
not clear is that a higher level of short sales (open interest) is
used by some stock market analysts as a bullish signal.
The total supply of stock is not affected by shorting.
The number of shares outstanding
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: j_pan@ranger.enet.dec.com (Joanna Pan)
Subject: high tech stocks
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 14:34:50 GMT


I am trying to pick 2 or 3 stocks from the following high tech companies:

1. Proteon (token-ring and router)
2. Wellfleet (router)
3. Novell (PC networking) 
4. HP
5. DEC

Companies 1,2,3 and 4 are doing good. But I'm afraid 2,3 and 4 are too high to
buy now. Company 5 is probably at its lowest. Does anyone care to comment ?

Thanks !


- Joanna 
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: ball@msdrl.com (Richard Ball)
Subject: research sources suggestions
Organization: Merck Research Laboratories
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 14:52:10 GMT

As a fairly small investor (~50-60K at present) who is relatively new to the
field I would like to get some comments from those with more experience than
I about a few things:

  1) Does anyone use a full-service brokerage house and if so are you happy
     with the level of research you get. What firm(s) give the best info to the
     smallish investor? Since you pay a fair amount in commissions (partially
     offset by the cost basis adjustment in the share price) I would like to
     get very good advice if I'm going to use a full-service place.

  2) If you don't go the full-service route what are the best 3 sources of
     company research info for those companies you invest in? Value Line?
     Barrons?, WSJ?, magazines?, investment news letters? others? If I'm
     going to move out of the full-service area I want to be able to get
     the pertinent info to let me know as much as possible that is relevant.

  3) related to 2) but slightly different focus: what sources of research do
     you use to find those companies with potential for good capital gain
     over the next few years - as opposed to trading vehicles which I don't
     have the time nor inclination to use.

  4) and finally: if you invest in mutual funds what would you answer to
     2) & 3)?

Post or email as you prefer (email is more certain) and I will summarize any
emailed responces.

  --Richard
From: jdavis@husc13.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Charles J. Givens
Date: 23 Jul 92 15:46:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc13.1992Jul23.114619.14093
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <1992Jul22.180612.5041@news.eng.convex.com>, Dave Dodson <dodson@convex.COM> writes:
> In article <1992Jul22.120412.14061@husc13.harvard.edu> jdavis@husc13.harvard.edu writes:
>>This is dangerous!!!  Insurance companies are not stupid.  If they're
>>giving you the option of increasing your deductable, then it's probably not
>>a good thing for you to do.  I know that there are some cases where you
>>want a high deductable (if you can't *afford* to pay the higher insurance,
>>for example), but if you get in a car accident or whatever, rest assured
>>that this strategy will have cost you money, not saved you money.  With a
>>$500 deductable, you effectively have *no insurance* for an insured
>>accident that costs $500 to fix.
> 
> It depends on what you use insurance for.  I use insurance to protect me
> from big expenses, like replacing my car, rather than using it for things
> that cost relatively little, like replacing a dented bumper.  If you are
> cutting it so thin that the difference between a $250 accident and a $500
> is really significant to you, then you have problems that insurance won't
> solve.
> 

Hmmm... I guess I could have worded my statement better.  To follow your
argument, I should have said:

"If the difference between a $250 deductable and a $500 deductable is
insignificant to you, then so is the difference in the insurance payments."

If this weren't the case (assuming that you are an average risk), then
the insurance company would be losing money on the deal...  The expected
return must be about the same between the two plans.

Now why didn't I just say that in the first place?

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Dave Dodson		                             dodson@convex.COM
> Convex Computer Corporation      Richardson, Texas      (214) 497-4234

Jason Davis
jdavis@husc3.harvard.edu
From: halpin@sw.stratus.com (Jim Halpin)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Morningstar ratings (part 1/3)
Date: 29 Jul 92 17:17:24 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

>20th Century Balanced Inv.       5                          
>20th Century Giftrust Inv.       3                          
>20th Century Growth Inv.         4                          
>20th Century Heritage Inv.       3                          
>20th Century Intl. Equity       NA                          
>20th Century Long-Term Bond      2                          
>20th Century Select Inv.         3                          
>20th Century T/E Intermed.       4                          
>20th Century T/E Long-Term       2                          
>20th Century U.S. Govts.         4                          
>20th Century Ultra Inv.          3                          
>20th Century Vista Inv.          2                          
>44 Wall Street                   1                          
>44 Wall Street Equity            1                          
>AAL Capital Growth               4                          
>AAL Income                       3                          
>AAL Municipal Bond               3                          
>AARP Capital Growth              3                          
>AARP GNMA & U.S. Treasury        4                          
> .
> .
> .


	I've never read any Morningstar reports, so please excuse my ignorance.
What do the numbers mean? Thanks.


-- 
!	Jim  Halpin
!	halpin@turkey.sw.stratus.com
!	Marlboro, MA
!
From: jb6k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Joel Bloch)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Charles Schwab Mutual Fund Clearing House
Date: 30 Jul 92 18:23:16 GMT
Organization: Doctoral student, English, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Scwhab has a direct line from Malaysia 800-0946 for VIP customers,
whoever they are
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: atkinson@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (David Atkinson)
Subject: Buying gold (summary)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 04:36:17 GMT

About a week ago, I submitted a request for information concerning
the best way to buy gold---the actual physical stuff, not gold on
paper.  Several people sent e-mail requesting that I summarize the
information I received.

The general consensus seems to be that gold coins are the way to go.
Apparently buying in bar form requires assaying fees whenever one
wants to sell the gold.  I was under the impression that buying coins
was not so good because they have numismatic value, and I am only
interested in the gold content.  I think I was mostly mistaken in my
impression for two reasons:  I was looking at a 1/10 oz. American
Eagle, and I think it might have been a proof.  There is much more
of a premium (at least as a percentage) for the Eagle coins in sizes
smaller than 1 oz.  Of course, all proofs are intended to have numismatic
value.  Several people responded that 1 oz. Eagles generally sell for
$15-20 over spot price for 1 oz. of gold.  My own investigations in
central Illinois have not been quite so successful.  The best price 
I've been able to find is in the neighborhood of $23-25 over spot. 

A couple of people suggested that unless one has many thousands of
dollars to invest, at least some of the investment should go into
silver instead of gold.  The preferred way to invest in silver seems
to be in "junk" bags---badly worn coins from the years before 1965.
They have little numismatic value, so the price is pretty close to
the spot price for their silver content.  There is also the advantage
that these coins are still legal tender, so the risk is somewhat
limited, although at $2800-2900 for $1000 in legal tender, one would
still hate to see the bottom drop out of silver prices.  The 
silver-clad Kennedy halves from 1965-1969(?) reduce this risk since
their silver content is lower and $1000 legal tender only costs about
$1400: if they find a way to make silver out of grass clippings tomorrow,
you've only lost $400 per bag.  

Finally, it seems to be somewhat traditional when dealing in gold to
use cash---not checks, not credit cards, nothing but greenbacks.
I don't know how realistic the fear is, but some people think it is
possible the government might ban private ownership again some day,
and if you've left a paper trail, then they could come knocking at
your door.  Of course, I guess you could tell them that you sold to
somebody who paid cash and didn't give his name. :) :)
I always assumed people used cash so there wouldn't be a paper trail
for capital gains.  But I think fear is the motivation as much as 
greed.  With trillion dollar debts and no fiscal responsibility in
sight, I'm not going to line up to criticize the gloom and doomers ...
I'm paying cash.  (If I buy, that is.)
Xref: sparky misc.invest:9956 sci.econ:6576
From: bucknerb@bnr.ca (Brent Buckner)
Newsgroups: misc.invest,sci.econ
Subject: Re: Should we limit the shorts life time.
Date: 27 Jul 92 16:47:39 GMT
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ontario, Canada

In article <sehari.712013741@vincent1.iastate.edu> sehari@iastate.edu (Babak Sehari) writes:
>---
>
>  One of the reasons that stock market crashes is the frenzy of shorting
>by big investors.  

There is an argument that shorting decreases the likelihood of a
stock market crash or mitigates its impact.

First, the process of shorting can prevent share prices from rising
to heights that will not be supported.

Second, closing short positions requires purchasing stock.  This
can mitigate a crashing price.

You are proposing disallowing people from borrowing stock and selling
it.  Would you also consider disallowing people from borrowing money
and selling it (selling money consists of using it to purchase)?
Note that these represent the same activity.  Your analysis of the
supply of stock increasing due to shorting is exactly the analysis
of the money supply increasing due to borrowing.

-- 
at Bell-Northern Research
voice:        (613) 765-2739
Canada Post:  P.O. Box 3511, Station C, Ottawa, Canada, K1Y 4H7
I do not claim that BNR holds these views.
From: fsjdw3@acad3.alaska.edu (WOLVERINE.)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Question: Where Archive for daily quotes?
Date: 22 Jul 92 01:12:16 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Ok, I have a question. Where can a guy get archived information on a companies
daily stock fluctuations.  Also, where could I get a program/ What programs do
you suggest for keeping records on owned stock?

Set
From: colburn@Oswego.EDU (Bret Colburn)
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: Charles J. Givens
Date: 27 Jul 92 19:32:33 GMT
Reply-To: u6k75@lfkw2.bgm.link.com
Organization: Instructional Computing Center, SUNY at Oswego, Oswego, NY

In article <1992Jul27.140810.27612@truevision.com> scott@truevision.com (Scott Stevens) writes:
>> Many of my friends carry $1000 deductables if they've put
>> any thought into it.  If you don't have a lien against the
>> car, this is probably the best choice.
>
>Why do you qualify this with "if you don't have a lien against
>the car"?  How would that change things?
>

If you have a lein, the leinholder probably won't allow you to have that high
of a deductible since they'de get screwed if you had a major accident and
couldn't cover the deductible.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Bret Colburn                                                   |
|  CAE Link - Link Flight Simulation Division                     |
|                                                                 |
|  u6k75@lfkw2.bgm.link.com     or     colburn@oswego.oswego.edu  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: misc.invest
From: swami1@troy.uucp (22535-swaminathan)
Subject: Re: British Pound rates
Reply-To: swami1@troy.UUCP ()
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: misc.invest
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 20:41:25 GMT
Keywords: Exchange Rates

In article <1992Jul27.164200.21897@draco.macsch.com> rot@mickie.id.macsch.com writes:
>In article <1992Jul25.194947.23456@informix.com>, proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts) writes:
>|> Isn't in almost axiomatic that there can be no rational concensus that
>|> the pound can be expected to (a) go up, or (b) go down, because if there
>|> were, then the pound would immediately (a) go up, or (b) go down as
>|> people acted on this expectation?
>|> 
>
>The market consensus for exchange rate movements is reflected in
>the forward rates for various currencies. The forward rates reflect 
>all available information about currencies. They are indeed a rational
>consensus. However, there is no guarantee that exchange rate movements
>will be accurately predicted by forward rates.
>
>Rohit Thukral
>
>-- 
>#include <StdDisclaimer.h>

Forward rates have nothing to do with any expectations.
It is a very straightforward calculation of two parameters; the spot
rate, and interest rate differential. If the forward rate were any
different (e.g., if either one of the two parameters change)
instantaneously an opportunity occurs for what is called "covered
interest rate arbitrage" until it settles down. The mechanism is to
borrow in one currency at a favorable interest rate for borrowing,
convert to the other currency and buy a cd at a favorable rate (i.e.,
loan it at a higher rate than the equilibrium rate) and
sell the other currency back to the original currency at the forward
rate.
Ofcourse, the big question is what interest rate is used for this
calculation? It is not the rate that you and I get for cds and not
the rates at which you and I can borrow!
From: jberlin@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil
Newsgroups: misc.invest
Subject: Re: SAVING FOR COLLEGE EDUCATION
Date: 21 Jul 92 08:10:21 EST
Organization: USAF AL/CFH, WPAFB, Dayton, OH

In article <22462@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, shaver@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Bryan Shaver) writes:
> 
> 
> All:
> 
> I am interested in saving for my daughter's college education.... I
> saw somewhere, the acronym UGMA or UGTA or something like that a long
> time ago.  As I recall, this was a method of investing for your child
> on a tax free basis, with the funds being turned over to your child
> at a certain age or something like that.
> 
--------------

     UGMA is 'Uniform Gift to Minors Act', UTMA is 'Uniform Transfer to
Minors Act'.  I believe each state has it's own laws, but they are based
on a set of guidelines so they are 'uniform' across the country.
I also believe UTMA has superceded UGMA, at least here in Ohio.
     I have been trying to do the right thing and have been putting a
little bit aside for my kids' college, and have amassed enough to have
made a good capital gain last year.  However, I just spent the better
part of a weekend jumping through IRS hoops and trying to figure the
AMT (alternative minimum tax).  Apparently that is a 'soak-the-rich' 
scheme to trap people who shelter money in their kids' accounts so you
pay 24% tax instead of 15% (a better than 50% tax increase on the marginal
rate).  Even though we did not have to pay AMT, it sure puts a chill on
even attempting doing much savings.  Also, if you have done the right
thing, you may not qualify for 'assistance' from the college.  That is
for people who bought new cars, took extravagant vacations, and elsewise
failed to plan.  Tell me that easy loan money at subsidized rates and
a miserable default rate does not drive up the cost of tuition!  Lastly,
keep in mind that since the key work in UGMA/UTMA is 'minors', that at
the age of majority (18), the money is theirs to do with as they please,
assuming you disclose to them that they have it.  

     If I had it all to do over again, I think I would buy new cars, take
extravagant vacations, eat out at fancy restaurants, and kick the kids
out of the house at age 18!  (I am kidding, of course).

Jim Berlin



"The opinions and views expressed here are strictly my own and do not 
necessarily reflect the official position of either the U.S. Air Force 
or its contractors."