All Aboard!

As we look at our fourth and final round of picks in 2009, take a step back and realize that we are amidst our eighteenth month of investing and chose to launch this club at the worst time to play the market of our lives. Sure we've taken a few punches, but we have also managed to flip some holdings for profit. Throughout the process, we have stuck to a Buffet-esque "buy-hold" strategy and built a diverse portfolio valued at over $2,600 that we should all be proud of.

In an effort to touch a new sector and broaden our reach, my 4Q pick is a local company in the transportation business- Providence & Worcester Railroad Company (PWX). PWX carries automobiles, lumber, food products and an array other freight specifically throughout New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. PWX owns the exclusive rights to conduct freight operations between New Haven, CT, and the MA/RI border and their Chairman, a Harvard law graduate, has run the company successfully since 1980. Their contracted coverage area stretches over 500 miles and the company owns 30% of the track they travel on. Some of their 100+ clients are Dow Chemical, Exxon and Frito-Lay. The stock currently trades in our wheelhouse at $11.30/s.

I am anxious to see each of your picks and to throw Jim the high cheese next weekend.

NCR has been a bad boy!

NCR missed it's earnings and today has fallen hard. Do we panic? I think not - the long term potential for growth is still there and the company isn't in risk of collapsing. I think we roll with this punch and wait for the longer term upside.
http://www.learningmarkets.com/index.php/200910226491/News-Feed/News-Feed/ncr-corp-falls-short-of-analyst-expectations-ncr-acs-csc.html

Entertainment Dynasty Forming?

I know our group has considered buying Comcast and we currently own GE. Well as we sleep, GE is working a deal with Comcast to spin of majority ownership of NBC Universal. I'll spare you the details as other TM members have likely noticed the buyout rumors, but this could impact our position in GE. If the deal goes, expect a 5-7% increase in our GE value. Certainly not enough to warrant a sale, as we are still underwater from our purchase price. But the deal could give GE capitol to spend elsewhere. Details to follow....

Also, have we set a location for the 10/25 meeting? The 'Ville?