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February, 2007: 1 4 9 16 25
Disclaimer - IMPORTANT - Read this first!
| Investor's Journal is a diary focused strictly on investments and personal finance issues, primarily from a contrarian and retiree point of view. Follow along with an average guy's failures and successes as he learns, by trial and error, the fine art of value investing. |
2/1/07-Since the prior entry, there have been no open positions held for a year or more, so no sales are appropriate at this time.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: ASPV; BRK/A (BRK/B); CAV; FC; IDCC; JCTCF; LMS; RAIL; SNFCA; and URGI.
The focus for the current entry is on a new Classic Value (CV) asset, Franklin Covey Co. (FC) (recent price $7.11). FC's trailing price to earnings ratio is quite low at 6.37. The asset's market-capitalization size is nano-cap: $140.19 million. Franklin Covey Co. has no dividend. The price to sales ratio is only 0.49. FC's price to book value is below average at 1.46. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 20.68%. Debt to equity is low at 0.25. The current ratio is 1.87. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.63. The stock has low price to earnings, low price to sales, and low debt in its favor. The asset meets Ben Graham bargain stock criteria.
Franklin Covey Co. will be added to our CV tracking portfolio at its market price as of early on Friday, 2/2/07.
2/4/07-Since the prior entry, there have still been no open positions held for a year or more, so as yet no sales are appropriate. (A year ago, my wife and I were getting ready for and then away on a vacation trip to WI.)
My top-ten equities for mention today are: BRK/A (BRK/B); EME; GRIL; IWOV; KTII; SYX; TCHC; TTEC; VOL; and WIND.
The focus for the current entry is on a new Leapin' Lizards (LL) asset, Grill Concepts, Inc. (GRIL) (recent price $5.41). GRIL's trailing price to earnings ratio is 19.18. The asset's market-capitalization size is nano-cap: $34.59 million. Grill Concepts, Inc., has no dividend. The price to sales ratio is only 0.46. GRIL's price to book value is above average at 4.88. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 32.09%. Debt to equity is low at 0.26. The current ratio is 0.49. GRIL is up 81.54% in price over the past 52 weeks. The stock has low price to sales, low debt, and good momentum in its favor.
Grill Concepts, Inc., will be added to our LL tracking portfolio at its market price as of early on Monday, 2/5/07.
2/9/07-Since the prior entry, there have still been no open positions held for a year or more, so as yet no sales are appropriate. (As mentioned earlier, a year ago my wife and I were on a vacation trip to WI.)
My top-ten equities for mention today are: AHL; AMCP; BRK/A (BRK/B); CAV; HD; JCTCF; LMS; SNFCA; URGI; and X.
The focus for the current entry is on a new Classic Value (CV) asset, Lamson & Sessions Co. (LMS) (recent price $26.77). LMS's trailing price to earnings ratio is only 8.59. The asset's market-capitalization size is micro-cap: $421.92 million. Lamson & Sessions Co. has no dividend. The price to sales ratio is 0.72. LMS's price to book value is a little above average at 3.10. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 49.72%. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.51. Debt to equity is low at 0.30. The current ratio is 2.07. The stock has cash flow, low price to earnings, and low debt in its favor. It meets Ben Graham bargain equity criteria.
Lamson & Sessions Co. will be added to our CV tracking portfolio (as well as to Frances' and my actual nest egg) at its market price as of early on Monday, 2/12/07.
2/16/07-Since the prior entry, our Leapin' Lizards (LL) pick, VSEC, has been held over a year, and so it will be sold at the early market price Tuesday morning, removed from the LL open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 2/15/06 to early 2/20/07 per share performance. Through the close of trading 2/16/07, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), VSEC has been down 21.80% in the past 12(+) months.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: EME; GRIL; SYX; NTY; RAIL; SEB; SYX; TTEC; VOL; and WIND.
I was not able to find a new qualifying asset for today's pick, so the focus for the current entry is on a prior Leapin' Lizards (LL) selection, Systemax, Inc. (SYX) (recent price $28.29). SYX's trailing price to earnings ratio is somewhat high at 26.00. The asset's market-capitalization size is small-cap: $991.20 million. Systemax, Inc., has no dividend. The price to sales ratio is only 0.43. SYX's price to book value is 3.50. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 15.99%. Debt to equity is just 0.06. The current ratio is 1.88. The shareholder equity to total assets ratio is 0.52. SYX's share price is up 298.27% in the past 52 weeks. The stock has low price to sales, low debt, and upward momentum in its favor.
Systemax, Inc., will be added to our LL tracking portfolio (as well as to our personal nest egg) at its market price early on Tuesday, 2/20/07.
2/25/07-Since the prior entry, our Classic Value (CV) pick, RDS/A, has been held over a year, and so it will be sold at the early market price tomorrow morning, removed from the CV open positions portfolio, and its closed position info recorded, based on the 2/23/06 to early 2/26/07 per share performance. Through the close of trading 2/23/07, after subtracting a commission (while not counting any dividends), RDS/A has been up 9.05% in the past 12(+) months.
My top-ten equities for mention today are: ASI; BRK/A (BRK/B); FC; ORH; PTEN; RAIL; ROCM; URGI; X; and ZNT.
The focus for the current entry is on a new CV selection, Zenith National Insurance Corp. (ZNT) (recent price $50.37). ZNT's trailing price to earnings ratio is quite low at 7.24. The asset's market-capitalization size is mid-cap: $1.87 billion. Zenith National Insurance Corp. has a 3.30% dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 0.17. The price to sales ratio is 1.76. ZNT's price to book value is 1.99. There is positive free cash flow. Return on equity is 31.29%. Debt to equity is just 0.06. The current ratio is 2.18. The stock has low price to earnings, low debt, and a healthy dividend in its favor. It meets Ben Graham value plus safety bargain stock criteria.
Zenith National Insurance Corp. will be added to our CV tracking portfolio at its market price as of early on Monday, 2/26/07.
Disclaimer and Disclosure Statement
Neither I nor Investor's Journal will be responsible for losses by anyone who obtained ideas from this site.
This diary is intended for personal interest and general information only. You are advised to do your own research (as well as to consult highly compensated professionals) before spending money on anything.
I know of no reason anyone should take my financial musings seriously. At best I am a dedicated amateur providing a bit of investment-related insight and entertainment, at worst an amusing diversion.
My wife, Fran, and I may at times own shares of some of the assets mentioned here. But neither of us receive any benefit from reference to them, unless you count the mutual misery when we get it wrong, or the opportunity to gloat when we get it right.