[GlobalJustice]

Although I believe in capitalism more than communism, I can't stand the stock market.

It gives people who produce nothing all of the profit!

Let banks provide start-up fees for businesses, not investors.

While companies can focus on employee benifits and all that great stuff, Stock-based corporations have only one incentive, keeping the rich-a** investors rich.

Actually there is one good corporation: KRISPY KREME DONUTS, because they're giving my city $40,000,000 to improve downtown, and they make the best donut ever...

No but really, investors, esp. full-time investors and stock brokers, are the most overpaid abusers of capitalism.

[CasX]

Actually there is one good corporation: KRISPY KREME DONUTS, because they're giving my city $40,000,000 to improve downtown, and they make the best donut ever...

Nice marketing...but nothing else. They get publicity, get a nice place to sell their goods, get people to think they're a good company = get a lot of people to buy their product.

That might sound a bit cynical, but why else are they giving $40 million to "improve downtown". If they just wanted to be nice they would donate that money to a really deserving cause.

[Wilhelm]

I agree. Some people invest in their company but work for it. Others just buy stocks and sit on their asses all day waiting to be rich.

[TUC]

*sits on his ass after having bought stocks and now waits all day to be rich*

I have given you an overview of the stock-market traded things that I hold, this is not a recomendation to buy or sell any instrument, consult with your financial advisor should you want to purchase any assets. I have also given an overview of the % that the initial investment was for each position of my total invested capital.

Curent porfolio:
(40%) IG. Farben Liquitation Certificates [Bought for 1,30% now 0.43%]
(40%) Daimler-Chrysler (short) [Bought for 80€, twice that Sold for 55€ Now 28€ but no money to setle the short position]
(10%) Wavelight Laser Technologies [Bought for 20€ now 6€]

(1%) Call Daimler-Chrysler [bought for 0.16€ Now 0.12€]
(1%) Call DAX [bought for 1.80€ Now 1.56€]
(1%) Put DAX [boguth for 1.80€ Now 1.79€]

Other positions that have become worthless for the time being:
(5%) Turbo-Zertificate DAX [Bought for 3,56€ Now 0.001€] Knocked out.
(1%) Call Bayer [bought for 0.018€ now 0.001€] Expiry 16.06.2004
(1%) Call Allianz [bought for 0.011€ now 0.001€] Expiry 16.06.2004


I have also given an overview on the returns that I have made in the past 10 years, each year:

1993 30%
1994 50%
1995 40%
1996 70%
1997 80%
1998 120%
1999 150%
2000 50%
2001 -20%
2002 -70%
2003 (so far) 10%

So to sum it up even though the last few years werent as good I still have roughly 17 times a much as I started with in 1993 which is better then what I would have gotton on my current account (maybe with less stress but surely not worth it)

Highest returns/losses to date including transaction cost on a single position:
14% in 5 hours.
120% within 2 years.
-99.99999% within 2 days.

[Gabriel Parks]

The stock market, though a new tool of speculation capital, is a good example of how capitalism works (maybe that is the wrong word maybe operates is better). The stock market essentially works as a form of lottery in which we are tricked into supporting, kind of like class. The most important lottery of the whole capitalist system is that of birth and what your families relationship to the means of production are. Though I agree with you that the stock market is a disasterous failure it carries out the same function (only to a higher and more ridiculous degree) as capitalism itself, which could be boiled down to the lottery of class.

[ahab]

When you buy shares of a company you are essentially giving that company a small loan, the company pays interest on that loan just like any other loan.

[CasX]

What you mean is that you are actually buying a part of that company. You recieve your share of any profits - dividends - that are dished out to each shareholder depending on the size of their stake in the company.

[TUC]

When you buy shares of a company you are essentially giving that company a small loan, the company pays interest on that loan just like any other loan.

That is generaly correct, however only aplies to IPOs. When you buy stocks on the stock market you essentialy gamble that the company is more atractive to others in the future and as demand will exceed supply then the price will rise.

Due to something refered to as the "greater fool theory" for some besare reason you will always find buyers and sellers for most corps.

[TUC]

"Börsentendenz-Voraussagungen sind keine Wissenschaft, sondern eine Kunst. Wer Börsenkurse oder Tendenzen mit wissenschaftlichen Methoden voraussagen will, ist entweder ein Scharlatan oder ein Dummkopf, oder beides zur gleichen Zeit!"
Translation TUC:
"It is no science to forecast financial markets, it is an art. Anyone who tries to forecast financial markets with scientific methods, is either tryig to delude you, is a fool, or both." Adré Kostolany (Speculator)



And further: "it is easier to write about money then to make some" Voltaire

[TUC]

Due to a few good deals in the past day I have given you an updated overview of the stock-market traded things that I hold, this is not a recomendation to buy or sell any instrument, consult with your financial advisor should you want to purchase any assets. I have also given an overview of the % that the initial investment was for each position of my total invested capital.

Curent porfolio:
(0%) IG. Farben Liquitation Certificates [Bought for 1,30% sold for 1,25%]
(88%) Daimler-Chrysler (Long) [Bought 1ammount for 80€, twice that Sold for 55€, Now 3 times that ammount bought for 28,80] Current position has made 25€ per share since I first went into them
(10%) Wavelight Laser Technologies [Bought for 20€ now 6,5€]

(1%) Call Daimler-Chrysler [bought for 0.16€ Now 0.18€]
(1%) Call DAX [bought for 1.80€ Now 3,20€]*
(1%) Put DAX [boguth for 1.80€ Now 0.50€]*
These 2 positions are financialy linked and a profit will be incured once both positions can be sold for the sum of 4,50€

Other positions that have become worthless for the time being:
(5%) Turbo-Zertificate DAX [Bought for 3,56€ Now 0.001€] Knocked out.
(1%) Call Bayer [bought for 0.018€ now 0.001€] Expiry 16.06.2004
(1%) Call Allianz [bought for 0.011€ now 0.001€] Expiry 16.06.2004


I have also given an overview on the returns that I have made in the past 10 years, each year:

1993 30%
1994 50%
1995 40%
1996 70%
1997 80%
1998 120%
1999 150%
2000 50%
2001 -2%
2002 -30%
2003 (so far) 15%
(The years 2001 2002 have been updated due to the seteling a position that has previously been taken as a loss but this loss was no minimised and spread out over 3 years)
So to sum it up even though the last few years werent as good I still have roughly 17 times a much as I started with in 1993 which is better then what I would have gotton on my current account (maybe with less stress but surely not worth it)