admin: The countdown begins!

[jamethiel]

New mod email address!
First things first! Your mods now have an exciting new mod contact address! That's right--your one contact stop for all your mod-contact needs is:
market.roulette@gmail.com

You can still see both of us on chat under our individual names, but if you've got a query, please drop us a line!

Have you checked in and let us know your timezone?
Secondly, we've had an amazing upsurge in the numbers recently. If you've just joined and you haven't already let us know your country and timezone, please drop us a comment on this post. If you've already given us the information, please go to our Market Timezones spreadsheet to verify that you're listed and it's correct. If it's not right, please let us know.

Prizes!
Thirdly, you have homework! Oh, don't groan at me like that. It's totally optional and there are PRIZES.

Over the next month, I want you to identify three companies you're interested in and tell us why. The first three people to get their research in to us will get a free trade in the next month!

As always, any questions or comments, please let us know!

Comments

[calligrafiti]

Hiya.
I'm in the United States, eastern timezone.

Thanks.

[jamethiel]

Added! Thank you very much!

[sage]

US Central. :D

[jamethiel]

Added! Thank you!

[celli]

US Central. :)

[jamethiel]

Thank you! I put you in the spreadsheet!

[roguewords]

1--Mazda Motor Corp., Ticker - MZDAF
Why? We've had two Mazdas so far, looking at our next car going to be the same. We really like them, and no reason not to put your money were you like the product. :)

2--Johnson & Johnson, Ticker - JNJ
Why? I have an 18 month old. Do you know how much stuff I've bought? Getting my money back! :P

3--Sony Corp, Ticker SNE
Why? Another we own a lot of their stuff.

[jamethiel]

That's a good idea for JNJ! People are always going to be having babies!

[seperis]

This is why I bought google stock. Next, Dell, because yeah, I've bought enough from them to feel I should have some of the company, too.

[snowynight]

1. Jin San Qi Yie HKG:0040
Mainland China is subsidising electric motorbike, companies which produce car battery would be of interest. Besides the P.E. is low.
2. Google, Ticker GOOG
I use it and I have hope for increasing business.
3. Hang Seng Bank HKG:0011
high quality bank stock.

[seperis]

Love Google.

*pleased*

[thexpuzzler]

I was going to go with google too, haha.

1 Adidas
Why? I love sports and I think they'll be doing well next year?

2. Carl Zeiss
Why? They make brilliant tech, and most people here think they're the best in optic tech on the market?

3. Medion
I've owned their pcs and they have some fun stuff, and they seem to be going up and down depending on how they bring out new gadgets, so I'll be watching that.

[jamethiel]

I really don't see anyone else challenging google's market dominance any time soon.

Medion sound interesting. I'll have to watch them.

[aivilo_18]

Toronto, Canada (EST)!!!

[jamethiel]

Thank you! You're in the spreadsheet

[jenna_thorn]

I thought I'd signed up but I wasn't on the spreadsheet yesterday.
Jenna_thorn, US central time.

I have a couple of theories toward predictive behaviour.

(buy what you buy) 1. Electronic Arts, NASDAQ: ERTS - because I think there is a market for first person games with characters and a plot and beautiful graphics.

(relentless optimism) 2. Boeing Air and aerospace - BE on the NYSE - because of the publicity about the Spirit craft, I expect a public resurgence of interest in space exploration. Boeing may not be an innovator, but they are the stable mature actor of the group. Spirit's riding high, but I think the industry as a whole is going to get a bump.

(people behaving badly) 3. Wells Fargo - WFC on the NYSE because Assange and his "nuclear bomb" of confidential documents are int eh news, and if people are scared of BoA, but want to invest in banking, there are a handful of options. WF may not get hte lion's share, but they'll get a swell. Once the Assange case drops out of the news, I've no interest in banking stock.

[jamethiel]

Ooh! I'm not sure about the stock, but I will look into buying the games! I get so sick of shoot-em-ups. Where are the games with plot!

That's interesting, re: Wells Fargo. I'll be watching them with interest.

[jenna_thorn]

Dragon Age: Origins is the one I'm specifically thinking about. They've come out with a buyable copy of their expansion pack + the online-only-available subsets in time for Giftmas and Dragon Age II is available in February. I resisted pre-ordering, but only barely.

It's got a ton of worldbuilding and a zillion side quests while you toodle along with the main quest of saving the world and a cast of quite a few, plus ten (?) potential companions who may or may not join you depending on the decisions you make and if it were turn based combat instead of mash buttons in the right order, it would be perfect. There is room for some strategy in the melee scenes, with special attacks, and at least the special attacks can be set up specifically, rather than depending on a certain keystroke sequence.

Though that may not bug other people. With Lara Croft, I can't get from one point to the other, because my hands don't do the X-O-twist the way the game requires. So I'm stalled in the game. With DA:O, I can preset combat tactics so a certain attack is triggered by mashing the O button once rather than finger spaghetti. It may take me a couple of deaths, but I don't hit that wall.

Um, which is more than you probably wanted to know about my gaming preferences. I really like this game.

[jamethiel]

:D Not at all! For some unknown reason, I seem to be fairly dexterous when it comes to games (IDK. Totally uncoordinated in every sport ever, but when it comes to running/jumping/leaping in a game? I AM GOOD) it just bores me. I'd far rather have cryptography or puzzles to solve.

But yeah, it's the plot that I love. I tend to be a big fan of the story-telling RPGs--Syberia, Dark Fall, etc. Dragon age does sound pretty interesting. I'll have to check it out!

[jenna_thorn]

Can you come to my house and get poor Lara off the wall-climby thingie and onto the pole that sticks out?

I suspect I'm going to give the game away without finishing it. I (and my son, and my husband, and the friend who plays Call of Duty, and ...)simply cannot make the controller do what it thinks it needs to do.

[forestgreen]

1) K+S: It's German company that produces among other things the salt that is spread on the streets on winter. Every winter their stock rises like crazy; the harder the winter the better. So yeah, as long as the weather is as shitty as it currently is, I'll buy them.

2) Fresenius: It's an international medical care company, and people are always getting older and ill. Thus... I believe is good for long term investment

3) Douglas Holding: Because they sell chocolates, perfumes, cosmetics, and books all across Europe and I'm always buying their stuff.

[jamethiel]

1) yeah, I work on the theory that there are certain companies that produce staples that are just not going to go out of business if they don't get too fancy. For me as an Aussie, I don't think you can go wrong by investing in beer ;)

And yes. Your philosophy of shares seems to be the same as mine--buy things you know are going to be needed *is pleased*

[eponymousanon]

1) Google, so that when they take over the world I get my share.

2) Intel, because they're a prominent local company whose products I use more than Nike or Starbucks.

3) Activision Blizzard, because I want them to keep on making World of Warcraft expansions.

[jamethiel]

Agreed on google. I think I'm going to be a bit cautious, however. The android stuff is an innovation, but I'm not entirely sure that they can climb more without announcements of new technology/innovations. I could be wrong though.

[mermade]

Disney (DIS) - Entertainment giant with dividends. To be honest, it's also childhood nostalgia on my part. The purchases of Pixar was a great idea, but I'm not sure about the Marvel purchase. Also, I'm unhappy with their loving and leaving the Princesses.

Kellogg Co (K)- Everybody has got to eat. And, say it with me, dividends.

CostCo (COST) - Again with the eating, and the dividends. Warehouse shopping with a loyal customer base and a company culture that values it's employees.

[mermade]

Also, opps, I'm apparently late! Well, at least I have a good idea of what I want to buy...

[jamethiel]

:D No worries! Those are good choices. Like you said, people always need food.