Should you buy GE stock today?

On another note, checked the IRA today. Lost 600 smackeroos in the first quarter. Damn. That hurts.

 

Uh, how many years before you start collecting on it?

Paper loss means nothing until you're old enough to be taking withdrawals.

 

About 30. Not worried about it, at all. Just stings a little.

 

I'll ask this in a hijack attempt:

Would you buy commodities now rather than stocks?

 

Should I buy now? Only if Jack Donaghy is about to take over for Mr. Gueiss.

 

Yawn, the problem with commodities is that governments can and do fix the prices whenever they find it necessary, which is usually right when they're at a top, like now. Also, they are a pond dominated by big fish. General Mills needs a price of wheat it can forecast on a six-month basis minimum, and it trades futures to keep it stable if it can.
Stocks are hard enough, but they're straightforward compared to commodities. Too many variables outside the laws of supply and demand.

 

Two points: GE has been trending steadily (and sharply) down for the last six months. I don't think it's bottomed yet. No good news in the forseeable future... Which leads to the second point -- I wouldn't bank too hard on GE as defense contractor unless you're in it for really long term. Nothing all that bouyant on the appropriations horizon.

 

GE took a hard fall when it missed projected earnings. While it may be a good time to buy, there is no rush. If you like GE at $31, you should like it at $32 or #33, since most people should be long time investors. As the saying goes, it's never a good idea to catch a falling knife.

 

It had actually rebounded some - or at least steadied - before Friday.

 

Stock question - How can you tell on a stock's chart if there was a stock split? Does it just look like a one day plummet? Or is it denoted somehow?

 

http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/charts/chartdl.aspx?PT=11&showchartbt=Redraw+chart&compsyms=&D4=1&DD=1&D5=0&DCS=2&MA0=0&MA1=0&CF=0&DC=1&D7=&D6=&symbol=msft&nocookie=1&SZ=0

Just click on the button for stock splits (as I have done here), click "Redraw Chart", and it will show you all the splits.