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How
can a week that started so bullishly for stocks end so lethargically? Oh
yeah - I know how...it's a habit the market got into about two
months ago. I've got a tip for how to handle that kind of indecisive
market action today, now that the pattern is on 'repeat'.
I've
also got an explanation behind all the 'Morning Calls' you've been
seeing in the blog this week. If you have no idea what I'm talking about
and
you're also the kind of person who likes money, you (and
your portfolio) will definitely want to learn a little more about this
new site upgrade. The response to those thoughts/guidance has been great
so far.
And
finally, we'll wrap up with an important detail not specifically
mentioned in Friday's press release from Smart Energy Solutions. Stockgroup
also has an announcement about this coming Monday, which you'll find in
the sidebar to the right.
Before
I tell you how I think you can best take advantage of the current market
environment, let me tell you why I think things are the way they are.
I see
two forces ate work now - indecision, and anxiety. Maybe the two
go hand-in-hand. That's not inherently bearish though...it can be bullish
too. The thing is, recently it can be neither bullish nor bearish for
more than a few days at a time. In fact, the one thing I've observed that's
actually been profitable is to....
....bet
against the strong moves . By that, I just mean buy opens well
lower
than the prior day's close, and sell opens that are well above
the prior day's closing level. The more extreme the open is, the better
your odds are. It may take between two and four full trading days to realize
any gain, though one day has been enough sometimes. The point is, traders
have been quick to switch gears lately, and you can't squeeze blood from
a turnip.
The
chart of the NASDAQ 100 Trust (more commonly known as the "QQQQ's")
drives the point home. They've been range-bound between $41.50 and $44.80
for a while, but that 3 point (+/-) range has been enough to scrape off
several small gains.
Of
course, even capturing 2 of those 3 possible points on the QQQQ's isn't
much of a reward ...unless you have leverage. Some index options
may be able to turn those 4% swings for the stock into a 20% to 50% gain
on an option. In all fairness, doing this is probably of no interest to
true 'investors'. Traders, however, have been challenged to find
anything worth a second look; this may actually bear fruit.
By
the way, Bollinger Bands have helped a little in spotting likely reversal
points. They'll also let me know when the range-bound habit has been broken...by
failing to repel the market back in the opposite direction. The VIX or
VXN has been helpful too.
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What's
With The New 'Morning Call'? |
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For
those who don't do so on a daily basis, it's now officially worth checking
the blog every day.
The
last few weeks have reaffirmed to me that being in the market requires
constant attention, so I've committed to sharing some thoughts and observations
every day in the 'Morning
Call' to help you make the most of whatever is going on (or not going
on) with stocks at the time.
I'll
also try and throw in a stock trading idea most every day. These
aren't necessarily ideas like our official 'trade alert' picks. In fact,
I don't expect to follow up with any of the names once I mention them;
they're just something that caught my eye that particular morning. These
will include bearish/shorting ideas as well.
I also
promised on March
19th I'd try and stay abreast of major sector and industry trends;
the 'Morning Call' is the place I intend to do that. It won't be a daily
occurrence, but probably more like a weekly event.
Anyway,
that's what it is - we're now giving you everything from soup to nuts.
If
you missed Friday's news about Smart Energy Solutions' (OTCBB:
SMGY) new partner OnGuard - which
we blogged - here are the essentials of what you missed.
OnGuard
Dealer Services will now be reselling Smart Energy's 'Battery Brain' (a
car battery preservation device) to new and used car dealers. It won't
be called a Battery Brain though; OnGuard will be using their own label.
It's the same piece of equipment however, purchased on a wholesale basis
from Smart Energy.
The
'big deal' is just this - over 40 million used cars and nearly 20 million
new cars are sold every year in the United States. That's an enormous
market the company can tap into. Even a tiny penetration could be a boon
for Smart Energy, who to-date have sold a total of about 190,000 units
(since early 2005). They're now selling them at a rate of about 7000 per
month. Keep both numbers in the back of your head for a minute.
The
press release just confirmed that a deal had been signed between the two
organizations. What the press release didn't describe was just how
'big' these two companies are thinking this deal could be.
To
get the details, I had to dig into Smart
Energy's 8-K from March 24th. I'm just going to cut and paste most
of the key paragraph here. The one thing I want you to notice is the unit
numbers being thrown around. Here's the wording...
The
Agreement also provides that the Registrant will grant OnGuard 1,000,000
warrants at an exercise price of $.50 and a term of five years, if OnGuard
achieves the minimum sales threshold of one hundred fifty thousand (150,000)
units in the first year of the term. An additional 1,000,000 warrants will
be granted if OnGuard achieves minimum sales threshold of three hundred
thousand (300,000) units over two years from the date of the Agreement.
OnGuard will be granted a total of 3,000,000 warrants should it achieve
a sales threshold of seven hundred fifty thousand (750,000) units over
two years ....sales threshold of 150,000 units in year one but achieved
the minimum sales threshold of 300,000 in year 2, OnGuard will still be
granted the combined 2,000,000 warrants.
I don't
want to imply there's some sort of guarantee built into the deal, because
there isn't. However, OnGuard has made an implicit commitment to (via owing
warrants) selling these things at a rate about three times as strong as
the current monthly sell-through.
Do
you think they'd do so haphazardly? I have to believe they sized up
the market versus the potential of the device, and felt strongly about
being able to sell tons of them. If they do, the next couple of years could
be breakout years for Smart Energy. What I like best about the deal is
this - now OnGuard is on the same side of the table as me, you, and
Smart Energy...we all want to see the stock go higher. I think they
know the best way they could do that is to market the heck out of the device.
Anyway,
now you know a little more than other investors who only read the press
release.
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Got comments, questions or suggestions?
Send 'em on over: Email
the Editor
If you wish to send a written request
or inquiry, please send it to our physical address:
TGR Group, LLC
4653 Carmel Mtn Rd Suite 308 #402
San Diego, CA 92130 |
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| Stockgroup
Quarterly Earnings Call on Monday |
| It
seems like only yesterday we were discussing Stockgroup Information Systems'
(OTCBB:
SWEB) Q3 earnings results. But, it's time to get ready for Q4's numbers.
They'll announce the latest Q4 (and therefore annual) results on March
31st (Monday) at 3:00 PM EST. A conference call and webcast will be held
at 4:05PM EST.
Just
to catch you up, last quarter the company pulled in $3.4 million in sales...much
better than the $1.9 million generated in the same quarter a year earlier.
A key acquisition was the main reason for the bump. In terms of earnings,
Stockgroup ended the quarter in the red by $2.2 million. Of the loss, about
$650K of it was a one-time expense related to the development of the new
website.
A couple
of things came up in the conference call following the Q3 announcement.
First, the issue of improving margins and increasing ad revenue was well
discussed, and Stockgroup's management had a plan of action to work on
both. Second, investors wanted to know what to expect regarding the smaller
revenue-bearing properties like StockStream and Reuters-Connect.
Again,
those opportunities were being addressed by the management team.
In
the meantime, the StockHouse.com beta site is no longer in beta testing...it
became the official site this weekend.
Why
rehash the old news? Because those are the first issues and questions I
expect to hear during the next conference call, which will be held about
an hour after the announcement is made on Monday.
To
participate in the call/webcast, just dial 1-866-400-3310 a few minutes
before the 4:05 PM EST start time. Or if you only want to listen in, you
can do so via the web using Windows Media Player. Visit www.stockgroup.com
to connect to the webcast. |
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