DVN - DEVON ENERGY CORP - +48.90 %
PBT - PERMIAN BASIN RTY TR UNIT B - +31.90 %
AEM - AGNICO EAGLE MINES LTD - +25.00 %
F - FORD MTR CO - +7.73 %
VG - VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP - +6.61 %
WMT - WAL-MART STORES INC - +5.60 %
MCD - MCDONALDS CORP - +1.49 %

Few movers and shakers from my portfolio.

G.

GM is obviously the next major climber - last I heard people were waiting to find out if the shares were going to get, like uhhhh torn up(?) as a result of the BK.

Just out of curiosity... Figured if you had Ford, you might be looking into GM.

I haven't looked at them in a few weeks, but last I checked they were WAY worse off than Ford and their stock was suspended from trading. I'm not sure they are through with the bankruptcy or not?

Either way, I'd stay away from GM myself.

My next stock purchase is NAT (Nordic American Tanker).

Their dividends were a little down this year, but still respectable, http://www.nat.bm/IR/dividends.html mostly because they like to create extra stock all the time to fund growth, then they will turn around and buy a couple more tankers. They like to keep their dividend around 10%-11% which is quite honestly, unreal! Good time to buy now, while the stock is trading around $30 a share.

This is not a stock that you watch double and you sell. This is a stock you buy and never ever ever think about selling. Just keep cashing those fat dividend checks.

G.

I didn't realize purchase was suspended. I know they were talking on the news her in detroit this morning about a merger with some chinese company - didn't catch the details. Also, I realized I didn't classify "next major climber" when I said it... should have said "in the auto industry".

Anywho, I'll look into your little tip.

If you bought NAT when I recommended it, you are now up 6.4%.

Despite a dreadful 3rd quarter, where they posted their first LOSS in
recent memory - it's still climbing HIGHER.

Why?

4th quarter rates for the kind of shipping they do have nearly tripled
and also many key countries have passed a law making it illegal to use
single hull freighters come Jan 2010. 90% of NAT's fleet are double
hull freighters, FAR higher % than almost all their competitors.

Stock closed at $32.82 today - I think it will see $40 by the end of
Q1 2010.

G!

Not to be a pian, but if I remember correctly the only place where single skinned tankers were allowed to trade was in Korea, until there was an incedent, so yes, all oil tankers now have to be double hulled.

Had a look at the site, and its a small fleet with a couple new ships en-route, the major bonus here is the existing fleet is all a fairly good age, oil tankers have a decent life in 'em, or they should, about 25-30 years or so all going well. The other bonus that I saw is that they seem to have started out as many shipping companies do as a private investment on charter, and as the profits rolled in they grew. Doubt I would want to work for them, but certainly a good place to make your cash grow.

Not in the oil trade myself, know a few folk that are. All in all seems like a solid investment.

I have F and VG myself.

I bought F when it was almost a dollar a share - and I bought enough of it to be a veeeerrry happy man

I had talked myself into buying F when their shares were at about 1.5 but a co-worker of mine talked me out of it.

I live by this rule.

I have a friend that has been happily married to his wife for 30 years. I give a lot of weight to what he says about marriage. But being as how he's 57 and doesn't have #### saved for retirement I don't take the stock tips he offers as freely as his matrimonial tips.

Basically if a guy is talking me into or out of stock, he better have made at least few hundred thousand in the market - otherwise I'm listening to the wisdom of Warren Buffet and Phil Towne. Likewise if a guy who has been divorced 4X is giving me marriage advice it's in one ear and out the other.

Seems like a very logical thing, but most people tend to take someone like, say, their Mom and give her advice in ALL areas equal weight.

I dunno, just something to think about.




P.S I'm not saying your friend is poor.

His personal portfolio is very successful and he used to work in the field. It was a whim pick on my behalf, buy a thousand shares when it was rock bottom, and sell after a bump that I felt was coming. Turns out I was right and he was wrong, but it will probably be the only time.

#1 Rule by Phil Towne is a great read. Sorta applies here.