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Conference nyoss1::market_investing

Title:Market Investing
Moderator:2155::michaud
Created:Thu Jan 23 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1060
Total number of notes:10477

805.0. "The 1995 predictions note" by EVMS::HALLYB (Fish have no concept of fire) Sun Dec 11 1994 17:36

    In the past this conference has hosted year-end "Predictions" notes
    whereby participants are offered the chance to make specific
    predictions about various prices (e.g., DJIA high) in the upcoming year.
    Unfortunately come the end of the year nobody bothers to collect the
    data and crunch out the winner(s), so of late we haven't made predictions.
    As Leigh French said: "We all know how hard it is to score these days."
    (Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, circa 1978 :-)
    
    So this time let's do something a bit different. Anyone who feels
    particularly qualified to make a financial prediction for 1995 may 
    enter it as a reply to this note, as specific as possible, including 
    ideas how to profit from such a prediction. Please, only good-faith
    financial related predictions. But if you can read goat entrails and
    predict, in good faith, the market high for 1995, feel free. There
    won't be any scoring except for the hoots and cheers of your colleagues.
    
      John
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805.1Market drop at the start of 1995EVMS::HALLYBFish have no concept of fireSun Dec 11 1994 17:5126
    Congress will convene on January 4th and in the House a flurry of bills
    will be introduced. One of these bills will be a Capital Gains Tax
    reduction. It is standard that these bills have an effective date of
    their day of introduction. Thus the bill will read something along the
    lines of "...any capital gains realized on or after January 4, 1995
    will be taxed at the rate of XXX...", where XXX is lower than current
    capital gains rates.
    
    This will cause a broad sell-off in the stock market even before the
    bill is passed (therefore even if it ISN'T passed), as long-time
    holders take advantage of a rare opportunity to realize some gains.
    Especially if the market shows no promise of a quick rebound from its
    recent depressed levels.
    
    Therefore, look for a market drop the first two weeks of 1995. It could
    be sudden and swift if lots of folks heads for the exits at once, in
    which case prices might start to become attractive fairly soon.
    
    To profit from this I would recommend buying January OEX put options at
    the close of business January 3rd (the first trading day of 1995).
    Sell them a week later at the open. With any luck you'll have some
    capital gains of your own. (Trading options is not suitable for all
    investors and requires opening an options account. Be sure to read and
    understand the disclosure booklet your broker can supply.)
    
      John
805.2I'll take a shot...POBOX::CORSONHigher, and a bit more to the rightSun Dec 11 1994 22:2230
    
    Interesting. How 'bout:
    
    			High		Low
    	DJIA 		4350		3675
    
    	Fed. Rate	6.125		5.00
    
    	30-Year Mort.	 9.375		7.875
    
    	DEC stock	 38.50		25.00
    
    	Fortune 1000 biggest gainer	MOTorola
    
    	Fortune 1000 biggest loser	Westinghouse
    
    	Digital employee count 12/95	56,500
    
    
    	Way to profit for 1995 - buy good UITs (Unit Investment Trusts) in
    California Municipals right after they tank in early '95. Also 10-year
    US Treasuries are almost a no-brainer. Biggest winner in 1995 will be
    small cap stocks and my three favorite ways to play them - PBHG Growth,
    Heartland Value, and Twentieth Century:Ultra.
    
    	Merry Christmas to you all and Happy Investing in 1995 !
    
    		
    			the Greyhawk
    
805.3Interest rates..goin' south...ASDG::HORTONPaving Info Highway with SiTue Dec 13 1994 20:0927
Using the Hawk's template here are my own predictions:

 	   			High		Low

    	DJIA 			3950		3250
    
    	Fed. Rate		5.875		4.25
    
    	30-Year Mort.	 	8.875		7.375
    
    	DEC stock	 	37.75		22.00
    
    	Fortune 1000 biggest gainer	Merck
    
    	Fortune 1000 biggest loser	Union Carbide
    
    	Digital employee count 12/95	62,000

Interest rates tick up in wake of Orange County debacle, then moderate
considerably through rest of year as declining economic activity reduces
demand for capital.  Uptick in unemployment burns home starts and auto sales. 
104th Congress passes reduction in capital gains taxes, but delays
implementation until 1996.  Fed reverses policy and starts reducing rates in
hope of staving off recession, but too late.

Favorite investments: Benham Target Maturities Trust 2015 and 2020
		      Exxon (SeaRiver Maritime) zero coupon bonds of 2012
805.4Why not!PARVAX::SCHUSTAKDigital...AndProudOfIt!Wed Dec 14 1994 13:0325
I guess this is the "official" template
				High		Low
    	DJIA 			4450		3450
    
    	Fed. Rate		6.250		5.00
    
    	30-Year Mort.	 	9.50		8.875
    
    	DEC stock	 	55.00		31.00
    
    	Fortune 1000 biggest gainer	Walmart
			2nd choice		Lotus    

    	Fortune 1000 biggest loser	Novell
    
    	Digital employee count 12/95	60,000

How to Prosper- Invest in what you [think you :-)] understand. WNT and other 
shrink-wrap apps will "kill" Novell by the end of CY95. WalMart is severely 
undervalued. LOTS will be acquired (CA?) in early '95. Pick stocks or funds, 
not the market. Work hard, play hard. 

Favorite investments: 	Compaq
			Janus Venture
			Vanguard Tustees Int'l
805.5Keep a light weather helm in '95NOVA::FINNERTYOracle Rdb EngineeringMon Dec 19 1994 13:4152
    
    Here's the output from a little program I found some time ago.  Its
    predictions have been fairly good though by no means infallable.  Use
    at your own risk, as always:
    
    	S&P 500 Forecasts:
    		+3mo		-3%
    		+6mo		-5%
    		+12mo		-10%
    
        TBond Forecasts:        8.04% currently
		+3mo		7.77%
    		+6mo		7.76%
    		+12mo		7.17%
    
        TBill Forecasts:	5.44% currently
    		+3mo		5.70%
    		+6mo		5.67%
    		+12mo		5.48%
    
    	CPI (Inflation):	3.18% currently
    		+3mo		3.58%
    		+6mo		3.80%
    		+12mo		5.83%
    
    Asset Allocation:
    
    	Stocks should yield -8.2% per year with a std. dev. of 9.4%
    	Bonds should yield 19.7% /yr with a s.d. of 8.0%
    	TBills should yield 5.7%/yr with a s.d. of .9%
    
    	Conservative portfolio:	97% TBills, 3% TBonds
    
    	Aggressive portfolio: 50% TBills, 50% TBonds
    
    	your mileage may vary.
    
    My own spin on the prediction for the coming year is that the P/E ratio
    for the S&P 500 has already dropped down into the 16's, which is a
    good, healthy consolidation.  Maybe it will continue to the 15's, but
    I'm not going to wait to find out.  I feel reasonably comfortable with
    the market at this level, especially with an election cycle gearing up
    to goose the economy for the next two years.  My gut tells me that the
    happy estimate for bonds above is too optimistic, and I see bonds going
    up slightly in yield, not down. 
    
    In short, I think the market is "situation normal" for 1995, so I think
    you can use historical averages for asset allocation.  Steady as she
    goes in '95.
    
    /jim
    
805.6When to sell, when to buyEVMS::HALLYBFish have no concept of fireTue Dec 20 1994 01:314
    The DJIA high for 1995 will come on March 1 or 2. The subsequent low
    will come exactly 13 months later.
    
      John
805.7My predictions ...CSCMA::BALICHTue Dec 20 1994 12:2219
    
                            High            Low
            DJIA                    4400            3600
    
            Fed. Rate               6.250           5.00
    
            30-Year Mort.           9.75            8.875
    
            DEC stock               60.00           31.00
    
            Fortune 1000 biggest gainer      Merck
                            2nd choice       Philip Morris          
    
            Fortune 1000 biggest loser       Compaq (Inventory problems)
                            2nd choice       Hewlet-Packard (Earning disappt.)
    
            Digital employee count 12/95    58,000 - 62,000
    
            
805.8Buy puts THIS week??MILKWY::JSIEGELTue Dec 27 1994 12:4612
    re: .0
    
    Wouldn't it make sense to buy the Jan OEX puts THIS week, since
    investors must all be thinking about selling on or shortly after Jan 3?
    If they expect much selling to happen, the market will probably be
    relatively quiet this week, with a big drop next tues.  By buying the
    puts this week you could catch tuesday's drop?  I guess the counter
    would be that there may be that the traditional Santa Clause rally will
    happen this week, so there could be an advance this week.  But wouldn't
    the proposed tax cut/possible selloff negate this?
    
    Just some questions from a novice... 
805.9 Its called a butterfly spread...POBOX::CORSONHigher, and a bit more to the rightTue Dec 27 1994 16:327
    
    	If you insist on playing OEX options (I prefer Las Vegas myself
    when gambling), try a put/call spread Jan/Mar options. Most brokers
    can help. Use the butterfly technique, and be prepared to close out the
    losers very fast. 
    
    		the Greyhawk
805.10OEX can be a winner if you take the Casino sideMROA::WILKESTue Jan 03 1995 13:169
    re .9
    
    1994 was the all-time great year for selling OEX Calls and just sitting
    and waiting for them to expire worthless. For the whole year the index
    was down .19
    
    I much prefer selling options to buying them. When you sell two of the
    three things that can happen are good for you and only one is bad. It
    is just the reverse when you buy.