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Copyright © 2010 Gal^Stad Investments Inc. |
Frequently
Asked Questions
We are dedicated to sharing our investment experience, with our readers. Some of the following questions and answers will help you to understand us better. If you have further questions or comments, please contact us.
How often is Contra the Heard published?
Can you invest some money for me?
How much money do I need to get started?
I only have enough money for a few stocks. Which firms should I buy?
We always suggest that readers analyze whether our stock purchases make sense, both from a stock purchase viewpoint and specifically to their own portfolios before they buy. WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, and unfortunately, we always will. How
do readers know when you buy or sell a stock? Should
I buy the stocks on your Hold list? Stocks in the Vice-President's Portfolio are evaluated in a different fashion. For these, you'll find a Buy Limit and a Target Range. If a stock is trading below the Buy Limit, it is judged to be a good value; above that price, it is considered a fair value. Once a position enters the Target Range, it is carefully reviewed with an eye towards making an exit. What is the "Purchase Weighting" you refer to in email releases after you purchase a stock?
Why do so many of your stocks get taken over? Since takeovers almost always are completed at a lovely premium to our purchase prices, they have augmented our investment returns. Our original portfolio, now known as the President's Portfolio, normally comprises 15 to 25 stocks, so we are quite proud of this record. The takeovers are, in reality, a confimration of our investment style: buying out-of-favour companies which later return to popularity. Should
I use a discount broker? Do
you use stop loss orders? Why did you start the Vice-President's Portfolio? The VPP allows for a wider range of stocks to be purchased, and dividends are more of a factor in selections. The addition of a second portfolio also means there are more stocks in the Contra stable, offering readers more options. As a result there will also be more email contact with subscribers, something for which they have clamoured. Well, maybe "clamour" is too strong a word. Still, it's nice to know we're wanted. How
come you only take 1,000 subscribers? On which exchanges do you purchase stocks? Can
you email me my issue of Contra the Heard? How
long do your selections stay as Buys? Is
there somewhere to find out more about your methodology? How come all the commentaries on the website are, like, old? However, for those wanting to review our various thoughts — and even a few predictions — over the years, we like to think the past commentaries offer some perspective. For more recent insights, we continue to post our Contra Guys columns from The Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper, on the website. Do
you take credit cards? Do
the email releases you send tend to have an impact on stock prices? How
come you guys don't seem to like mutual funds much? |
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Bi-weekly Column
The Contra Guys Contra Books Buys & Sells Past Commentaries October 2009 July 2009 April 2009 October 2008 July 2008 April 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 April 2007 January 2007 October 2006 July 2006 April 2006 January 2006 October 2005 July 2005 April 2005 January 2005 October 2004 July 2004 April 2004 January 2004 October 2003 July 2003 April 2003 January 2003 October 2002 July 2002 April 2002 January 2002 October 2001 July 2001 April 2001 January 2001 October 2000 July 2000 April 2000 January 2000 Years in Review Takeovers 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 Investing Glossary Investing Rules Links |
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